Good Things by David

Have you ever had the pleasure of eating eggs poached in tomato sauce?  It's such a delicious way to cook and serve eggs for a light breakfast, lunch or even a dinner.  Nothing could be easier than cracking a few eggs into a pot of simmering tomato sauce, and then having them poach to perfection. Since there are only a few ingredients to this dish, it's of the utmost importance to use good, cage-free, free-range eggs, and fresh garden tomatoes, if possible, or canned San Marzano tomatoes. Many gardens are still bursting with tomatoes, so if you're lucky enough to have a bumper crop I strongly encourage you to make a large pot of marinara sauce.  It's an easy thing to do, and it's such a great way to capture the essence of summer.  After harvesting several plump Brandywine tomatoes a couple of weeks ago (above), I wasted no time in making a most delicious marinara sauce.  The first order of business is to skin the tomatoes.  Fil...

Cool, refreshing gazpacho is just the thing to serve when it's hot outside. Using the freshest ingredients and a powerful blender or food processor, preparing some delicious gazpacho can take a matter of minutes.  Eaten throughout Spain, there are probably as many recipes for gazpacho as there are tapas bars. It's no wonder that this particular cold soup is popular.  It tastes of sweet tomatoes, cool cucumbers, mildly spicy because of the bell peppers, and surprisingly tangy because of the sherry vinegar.  Whether you decide to add bread to the soup, as per tradition in certain households,  make sure that your ingredients are absolutely fresh and blemish-free. My gazpacho doesn't include any bread, because I feel it doesn't need it, but if you wish, go ahead and create tasty croutons to add as a garnish.  What's even better is that it can be made with either ultra-fresh garden tomatoes or even peeled canned tomatoes.  There is a difference in flavor, ...

Julie Marr's blog, Kitchen Culinaire , is a gastronomic tour de force when it comes to sharing, styling, and photographing the season's best.  I first came across her beautiful photography through instagram, and quickly became a follower and fan of her work.  For me, good food blogging has always been about style, context and composition.  Kitchen Culinaire exhibits these so effortlessly, and what's more, Julie's website is organized with a good layout. A well-organized blog is something I truly appreciate, because it's what compels me to come back time and time again for inspiration. When you go through the singular, inimitable style that is Julie's, you too will connect with what she is teaching us at any given moment and be inspired to create your own plat du jour in the kitchen.  Whether she is throwing a dinner party or is teaching a cooking class at home in Vancouver, Canada, for chef Julie, it's all about making the connection between what is on...

For my birthday I like to keep things simple.  All I really want to have on my special day is good food, good company, excellent music playing in the background, perhaps a sip of wine (or two) and, of course, a delicious cake to finish our repast.  This year I had a small birthday luncheon here at home which, to my mind, was beautiful and pleasing to the eye & palate, because of its simplicity.  Typical to the way I like to set a table for informal occasions, the china, linens and glassware where chosen and arranged with that effortless sense of calm that always puts guests at ease.  The menu was fresh, tasty and infinitely edible.  This is what I love: easy entertaining.     In terms of how I choose a menu, I always like to start with the vegetables.  I think of those I’d like to have that are in season and absolutely the freshest, then build around them.  As far as the main course is concerned, it too needs to be of the season a...

It's such a pleasure to make one's own marinara for pasta.  With only a handful of well-chosen ingredients that can be found at just about any grocery store, a most delicious sauce can be made in less than one hour.  Within that time you can make a salad, set the table, pour the wine and have the pasta boiling so that you and your guests can eat well.   Usually, I make a marinara that's simply garlic, tomatoes and olive oil which is simmered for about half an hour.  If I decide I want to add more flavor I throw in some finely chopped onion, perhaps some basil and some chili flakes for kick.  It all depends on what I'm craving that particular day and who will be eating this tasty sauce.  For an even heartier marinara I add ground turkey and simmer it for a good forty five minutes until it thickens.  Really & truly, anyone can make a good marinara. All that is left to decide is which type of pasta to use for the sauce.  More often tha...

I love the earthy taste of lentils in soups, salads, pilafs & when used as a main dish.  When I was a strict vegetarian many years ago, I developed a taste for these nutritional legumes and came to rely on them quite often.  Packed with a lot of fiber and protein, among other beneficial good things, lentils make a most comforting & delicious soup during the colder months.  If I'm making this particular soup I will get the largest stockpot I own and cook a big batch.   Lentil soup is among my favorite things to eat for meatless dinners and it always manages to get devoured by everyone.  This particular soup gets its flavor and texture from four different varieties of lentils, but you can get away with using just two types and still make it delicious.  I've given you several optional ingredients to add to the soup, so pick & choose according to your preferences.  The best thing about this soup, other than the taste, is that ...

When you come across an heirloom recipe for buttermilk biscuits, stop what you're doing, don an apron, roll up your sleeves and promptly gather your ingredients.  I recently had the pleasure of getting such a recipe from my friend, Kenn, whose late grandmother (lovingly known to all as Granny Vaughn)  made these biscuits year after year for all to enjoy.  I'm a big fan of tender, fluffy homemade biscuits made from a good recipe because they are far better than anything bought from the store.  For those of us who love the steps of making the dough, patting & cutting the biscuits, this particular recipe from Granny Vaughn is going to garner lots of praise from everyone. The basic ingredients of butter, flour and buttermilk in the right proportions make such heavenly biscuits, but having a quick and light hand when preparing this recipe is also a must.  I was told by Kenn that the dough could be finicky at times, so I paid attention.  Granny Vaughn ...