Matt Berkley’s Top 5 Cocktails of 2013
Matt Berkley works some odd hours as Sauce’s Nightlife critic. In 2013, he spent many a late night] sipping crafted cocktails around St Louis on a hunt for the very best. Here, Berkley names his top five cocktails of the year: No. 5: Smoke and Fire from Mission Taco Joint Hellfire bitters set off…
By the Book: I Love New York: Ingredients and Recipes
Contrary to our By The Book theme this month, I Love New York: Ingredients and Recipes is not a coffee-table book. And by that, I mean, a big, beautiful cookbook with recipes that are so difficult and involved that the book is better suited to adorn a table than become sauce splattered in the…
Michael Renner’s Top 5 Dishes of 2013
Sauce restaurant critic Michael Renner has tasted his fair share of St. Louis cuisine. All year, he shared his thoughts on New and Notable restaurants, from vegetarian fare to barbecue to fine dining. Here, he shares his top five dishes of 2013: No. 5: Spanish octopus at Central Table Food Hall Even more striking…
Eat This: The Shack Pubgrub’s Green Eggs N Ham
Fries are a side, but the Green Eggs N Ham loaded fries at The Shack Pubgrub are a perfect main. Salty, thick-cut french fries are the foundation for crisped pork belly, garlicky creamed spinach and a sunny, self-saucing fried egg. It’s one of those plates that begets jealousy when it arrives at the table. Don’t…
Meatless Monday: Vegetable Stir-Fry and Bok Choy Salad
If your holidays were anything like ours, you’re ready to clean out the fridge and detox with some fresh veggies and bright greens. Feel free to substitute any vegetables you’d like; just be sure to cook spongy vegetables like mushrooms or eggplant first and set them aside for later. Then reheat the wok with new…
Top 10 Blog Posts of 2013
Readers flocked to the Sauce blog this year to get the latest Scoops, Sneak Peeks, creative recipe ideas and more in 2013. Here, the top 10 most-viewed blog posts of 2013: {From left, Derek Coleman and Kevin Seltzer, the Gentlemen of Chicken} 1. The Gentlemen of Chicken take on St. Louis 2. Sneak Peek:…
Top 10 Scoops of 2013
The Scoop was in full swing this year, bringing St. Louis the very latest news in our dining scene, from openings and closings to chef shake-ups and rising stars. Here, our most-viewed Scoops of 2013: 1. Adam’s Smokehouse joined Pappy’s, Bogart’s ‘cue family 2. Vegetarian restaurant Tree House coming to South Grand 3. Fields…
Sneak Peek: Pairings Wine & Dessert Bar
Pairings Wine & Dessert Bar, located in the former space of a Jilly’s Cupcake Bar at 1131 Colonnade Center in Des Peres, is opening its doors in early January. The fine-dining restaurant is owned by Dave Pollmann, who also ran the Jilly’s outpost until it closed earlier this year. Pollmann, a mechanical engineer, designed and…
Where to drink by the fire in St. Louis
With New Year’s Eve just around the corner, a low-key weekend is in order. And what better way to relax than by sipping spirits near the fire? There are plenty of restaurants around town with beautiful fireplaces, but there’s something magical about imbibing in the cold while sitting around a roaring fire. This weekend, grab…
Just Five: Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes
This is the simplest of dishes, sincerely. It’s also pure comfort and regularly requested in my home. And do you know what makes this dish so good? It’s the love that goes into it – and lots of cheese. My family stands around the kitchen table and attacks this dish with forks. It’s not…
This week, Meera Nagarajan is obsessed with…
{A good croissant is hard to come by, and the croissants from Comet Coffee are my favorite in St. Louis: flaky, buttery and light. I think they are best enjoyed with a cortado in a corner by myself. Get them at Comet Coffee or Blueprint Coffee.} {I am completely obsessed with the frozen,…
Wheatless Wednesdays: Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Gluten-free flour blends line grocery store shelves like children waiting in line for Santa. Who knew gluten-free would ever be so trendy? Just five years ago, gluten was a foreign term unless you were one of the “unfortunate” ones diagnosed with celiac disease. This autoimmune disorder of the small intestine means eating gluten is…
By the Book: Marque: A Culinary Adventure
I confess, I didn’t know too much about the story behind Marque, Mark Best’s fine dining restaurant in New South Wales, Australia. All I knew was that Best was An Important Chef who ran one of the Best Restaurants in the World. Best recounts the history of his restaurant in Marque: A Culinary Adventure. The…
Sauce Holiday Countdown: Piccione Pastry Holiday Treats
Didn’t your mother ever tell you it’s rude to arrive without a gift? Show up with homemade Italian pastries and cookies from Piccione Pastry in the Delmar Loop. For only $10, you can get a 1-pound tin of delectable Italian cookies. Or if they’re the pastry type, treat them to our personal favorite, the pannetone:…
The Scoop: Mid-American School of Wine to open in January
Come 2014, there will be a whole lot more swirling, sniffing and sipping in St. Louis when the Mid-American School of Wine opens in January. Classes will include one-day courses for the casual wine enthusiast, as well as industry sessions to help experts prepare for certification programs like Wine and Spirit Education Trust and…
Sauce Holiday Countdown: Painting with a Twist
Looking for a gift for your friends? At Painting with a Twist, paintbrushes and pinot converge to guarantee for one helluva girls’ night. An instructor uses a featured painting to teach the class how to replicate it all, while the participants enjoy their wine – BYOB style. Don’t worry if you have no artistic…
Meatless Monday: City Diner’s Roasted Vegetable Sandwich
I love a good diner. The old-school decor, the infinite breakfast combinations, the ability to get a plate of greasy eggs, bacon and hash browns almost any time of day… But sometimes, I’m just not in the mood for brinner (breakfast for dinner), and thankfully, City Diner at 3139 S. Grand Blvd., serves up…
Sauce Holiday Countdown: Lékué Steamer Cases
Dorm room dinners will never be the same. Lékué may be hard to pronounce, but its versatile steamer cases make it easy to create entire meals in the microwave – and healthy ones to boot. This 22-ounce, BPA-free silcone case also comes with a cookbook to help that college student on your list become…
Sauce Holiday Countdown: Bottle Slumpings from The Painted Pot
Reduce. Reuse. Regift. The Painted Pot in St. Charles offers bottle slumping, a gift more beautiful than its name implies. Bring your old wine bottles to the shop, and the staff at The Painted Pot melt them down into stylish spoon rests, decor or cute olive oil dipping trays. So gather up all those empty…
Drink This Weekend Edition: 2nd Shift Brewing’s Katy
As the year winds down, I think of the great beers I tried in 2013. Some were classics that have been around for years, and others were new. With such a variety of local, national and imported beers now available in St. Louis, it’s a great time to be a beer fan, and the…
This week, Catherine Klene is obsessed with…
{I’m a sucker for nostalgia, and NPR’s Found Recipes segment gets me every time. In November, it was the story of a professional chef who still can’t replicate his 94-year-old grandmother’s sweet potato pie to her satisfaction. In October, a woman shared her story of a half-eaten jar of quince paste that led to…
Sauce Holiday Countdown: Nest Candle
One of the greatest things about this time of year is the smells. Baked goods, pine trees, hot toddies – everything about December smells delicious. Kick off this Christmas with an olfactory overload. The Nest Holiday candle, with its notes of pomegranate, orange, pine, cloves and cinnamon, vanilla and amber, will have you singing carols…
First Look: Small Batch
Vegetarian cuisine paired with whiskey. That’s the concept restaurateur Dave Bailey is bringing to Midtown Alley with his soon-to-open Small Batch at 3001 Locust St., in Midtown Alley. Bailey has transformed a former Model T sales floor into a sleek space that features a 25-seat bar and mezzanine. While design elements like ironwork, high ceilings and…
Recipe: Yellow Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
My sister’s birthday recently past, and since I couldn’t be there to celebrate with her, I sent her some cupcakes. She loves the classic yellow cake with chocolate frosting, as do I. There are lots of snazzy cupcake flavors out there, but none so perfect in their simplicity as the basic vanilla and chocolate…
Sauce Holiday Countdown: Goebel & Co. Serving Boards
Serving boards from Goelbel & Co. will liven up anyone’s kitchen. Hand-crafted Olive Oil Serving Board in cherry or walnut are accented with dipping wells for you accoutrement of choice: olive oil, balsamic vinegar and oregano for wine and cheese nights; or salsa, marinara and cocktail sauce for appetizers. The options are endless. $80 to…
By the Book: The Gramercy Tavern Cookbook
For fans of Gramercy Tavern, Danny Meyer or famous restaurants in general, The Gramercy Tavern Cookbook is the book for you. With 200 photographs of sumptuous ingredients and dishes, this book is beautiful and extremely interesting. Danny Meyer, mega-restaurateur and CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group (and native St. Louisan), writes the introduction titled,…
Sauce Holiday Countdown: Perfect Partners
For the host with the most, Perfect Partners equals the perfect gift. North Light Foods takes the guesswork out of pairings by pre-selecting gourmet cheeses and chocolates to pair with white wine, red wine or beer. There’s even a guide to help you impress with the perfect cheese tasting party. It’s a gift that…
The Scoop: Pie Oh My! gets wheels
Business is good when it comes to pies. Jane Callahan has been delivering her from-scratch pies to area groceries, restaurant and farmers markets since 2010. In September 2012, Callahan opened a Pie Oh My! brick and mortar in Maplewood. Yesterday, she announced plans for a pie-touting food truck. Callahan views adding a mobile element…
Sauce Holiday Countdown: Balaban’s Gift Baskets
Gift baskets from Balaban’s include a wide range of themes like a chocolate dessert basket filled with chocolate-dipped treats and bars, or an antipasto basket with pimento-stuffed olives, artichoke hearts, salami and more. Baskets can also be customized to your foodie’s favorite tastes, from wine to cheese to olive oil. $20 to $134. Balaban’s…
The Scoop: The Whiskey Ring on Cherokee Street gets in on the whiskey act
{The nearly completed bar at The Whiskey Ring} Whiskey bars are catching fire around town. On the heels of recently opened Gamlin Whiskey House in the Central West End, Blind Tiger in Maplewood and the soon-to-open Small Batch in Midtown Alley comes The Whiskey Ring, opening Dec. 17. Located at 2651 Cherokee St., the 46-seat…
Meatless Monday: White Winter Root Soup
With fluffy white snow on the ground and chill winter weather in full swing, I always think of turnips and parsnips this time of year, which is fortunate since some of the only fresh things at farmers markets right now seem to be white roots. 1 lb. turnips with greens* 1 quart vegetable stock…
The Scoop: Chris Bork talks post-Blood & Sand plans
{Pigs in the Blanket, a dish at Blood & Sand created by Chris Bork} Where is Chris Bork headed? That was The Scoop’s next question upon learning that Bork was leaving his post as executive chef at Blood & Sand. Today, Bork offered a bit more information about his departure from the members-only lounge…
The Scoop: Central Table’s Nick Martinkovic headed to Blood & Sand
{Nick Martinkovic} Blood & Sand will soon see a change in its kitchen brigade. Chris Bork is leaving his post as executive chef at the membership bar and restaurant downtown. Replacing Bork will be Nick Martinkovic, currently exec chef at Central Table. Accompanying Martinkovic from the expansive food hall in the Central West End…
Sauce Holiday Countdown: Pet Presents
Santa loves dogs, too. In fact, we have it on good authority that he has stationed some of his elves at Treats Unleashed to ensure the pooches of St. Louis have something delicious in their bowls on Christmas morning. From smoky beef bones to apple cinnamon hearts, Treats Unleashed has plenty of optoins to…
Sauce Holiday Countdown: Cooking Classes
Shake off those boring dinner date doldrums. Kitchen Conservatory offers romantic Date Night cooking classes. You and your lovely will create a romantic meal together under the instruction of a skilled chef. From rolling sushi or steaming mussels to rustic French cuisine or the tastes of Tuscany, Kitchen Conservatory offers a number of options…
Drink This Weekend Edition: Surviving holiday shopping at the mall
Something terrible has happened. Your plans to solely shop online have backfired. You must go to the mall. You have no other choice. What to do? Hitch a ride to your mall of choice and start your shopping with a drink. If after visiting a store or two, you’re already feeling like an Angry…
Sauce Holiday Coundown: Dragées and Luster Dust
Help the bakers in your life take their holiday cookies up a notch. Forget icing and sprinkles; spruce up their sweets with baubles like silver, gold or pearl dragées and a sprinkle of luster dust. After all, Christmas stockings are always better with a little bling. Dragées: $2.25 per ounce. Luster dust: $4. Karen…
Mike Randolph announces closure of Little Country Gentleman
The run for Little Country Gentleman is coming to an end. “Just couldn’t make it work,” said restaurateur Mike Randolph via text message, regarding the imminent closure of the evening concept that he operates at 8135 Maryland Ave., in Clayton. Randolph shared the news this afternoon on the restaurant’s Facebook page. LCG will continue with…
This week, Julie Cohen is obsessed with
{For every new movie playing at the Moolah Theatre, the cinema’s bar creates a specific drink menu. Right now, in honor of Catching Fire, it’s serving The Katniss, The Mellarky, The Effie (a strawberry margarita, pink in color, of course), District 12 (Absolut Peppar, hot sauce and bloody mary mix), The Abernathy (a pint…
The Scoop: St. Louis cafes change things up
Vegetarian cafe Seedz is setting up shop at 6344 S. Rosebury Ave., in the Demun neighborhood of Clayton. Seedz will offer raw, vegan and vegetarian cuisine, as well as fresh juices and smoothies. A sample menu, including food specialties and juice bar options, is posted on the Seedz website. Per a recent post on its…
Sauce Holiday Countdown: Missouri River Country
Head west with Missouri River Country, which documents stories and scenery beginning in St. Louis and following the Missouri River for 100 miles to Hermann. Foodies will love the essays from local chefs, farmers and purveyors including Gerard Craft of Niche, Bill Cardwell of Cardwell’s, Maddie Earnest of Local Harvest Grocery and Cafe and many…
The Scoop: Final Cut steakhouse to debut at Hollywood Casino
Final Cut Steakhouse is set to open to the public tomorrow, Dec. 13. Located at 777 Casino Center Drive at the newly renovated Hollywood Casino St. Louis in Maryland Heights, the restaurant takes the space recently vacated by Kelly English Steakhouse. Final Cut is a concept exclusive to Hollywood Casino; the St. Louis location…
Just Five: Spiced Carrot Jam
With apologies to Flo Rida and Will.i.am: Oh hot damn, this is my jam! To give credit where it’s due, I got the idea from my friend Carrie, who found it in Food & Wine magazine. I love when I stumble upon recipes by spying on people’s grocery carts. Carrie shared the recipe with…
Sauce Holiday Countdown: J.J. Neukomm Whiskey
Give out-of-town guests a taste of St. Louis with a bottle of award-winning whiskey from Spirits of St. Louis Distillery, Square One Brewery’s line of distilled spirits. This year, its J.J. Neukomm Whiskey won a gold medal from the Beverage Tasting Institute – and so will you when your friends taste it. 375…
On the Line: Jessica Gilroy and Michelle Meyer of Cucina Pazzo
{From left, Jessica Gilroy, Michelle Meyer} The executive chef isn’t the only person in the kitchen. In fact, the top toque will be the first to tell you that without the rest of the culinary brigade, the kitchen would go up in flames. In this column, we chat with the men and women responsible…
Wheatless Wednesday: Cranberry, Ginger and Sage Scones
Make space in your recipe binder’s “gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free” tab (Doesn’t everybody have one?) for this tasty and health-conscious treat. The few base ingredients are nutritious and delicious, and the add-ins allow for versatility and creativity. A springtime brunch on a foodie friend’s patio introduced me to these slightly dense, moist, almost cornbread-like triangles.…
Sauce Holiday Countdown: Clink!
Why mail a scarf when you can ship scotch? A dozen roses? Try a bottle of Four Roses. This season, think Clink! to spread some holiday cheer. Select from craft beers to small batch bourbons or perhaps one of its 90+ point wines. Every bottle comes in a Clink! gift box, and you can upgrade…
Sneak Peek: Nathalie’s
Nathalie’s is set to open Friday, Dec. 13. The restaurant, located at 4356 Lindell Blvd., in the Central West End, is the newest project by Nathalie Pettus, proprietor of Overlook Farm in Clarksville, Mo. Pettus has transformed the space that previously housed Salt into one that reflects her family’s St. Louis roots, and she will…
By the Book: Edible Selby
There are recipes, but this is not really a cookbook. Todd Selby is a photographer, and in his book Edible Selby, he documents chefs and artisans from all over the world, from Chad Robertson of Tartine Bakery in San Francisco to René Redzepi of Noma in Copenhagen to Yoshiyuki Okada of Tatemichiya in Tokyo. He…
The Scoop: Four Seasons exec chef Fabrizio Schenardi headed to new resort property in Orlando
{Fabrizio Schenardi} Fabrizio Schenardi, executive chef at Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis is leaving the luxury hotel for the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort. Slated to open in the summer of 2014, the new Florida property will be the largest Four Seasons resort in the Americas, with five restaurants, 40,000…
Meatless Mondays: Central Table Food Hall’s Margherita Pizza
I’ve been on something of a pizza kick lately, and the Margherita pizza at Central Table Food Hall is the perfect meal. It’s shareable and comes out of the kitchen fast, thanks to a super hot oven. It’s delicious, too; a flavorful crust gets topped with San Marzano tomatoes, molten mozzarella and plenty of…
Sauce Holiday Countdown: Chocolate bars from The Ritz-Carlton St. Louis
Treat your friends (or yourself) to something ritzy this holiday season. Nathaniel Reid, executive pastry chef at The Ritz-Carton St. Louis, has crafted house-made chocolate bars from single-origin Madagaskara and Peruvian cocoa. The 65 percent dark chocolate bar features Peruvian chocolate with jammy red fruit notes and caramelized hazelnuts. If you need a little…
Sauce Holiday Countdown: Fork Easel Place Card Holders
The holidays pack our schedules with dinner parties with friends, family and colleagues. If hosting, encourage your guests to mingle by seating them near someone new with these sweet, simple Fork Easel Place Card Holders by HyperCraftive. This small addition will help large parties stay organized, add elegance to small parties, and may just…
Sauce Holiday Countdown: Sassafras SuperStone Pizza Stone
Every home cook longs to create the perfectly thin crust, but sadly, that misshapen pizza pan hiding in the cabinet just cannot turn out that thin, crispy crust we St. Louisans love so much. The Sassafras SuperStone can get you one step closer. With even heating and moisture absorption, this pizza stone is just the…
Sauce Holiday Countdown: St. Louis Rams Tickets
St. Louis is, without a doubt, a sports-obsessed, beer-obsessed city of awesomeness. Enjoy both this holiday season with tickets to a St. Louis Rams game for your diehard gridiron fan. And if you really want to impress, spring for premium seats or a ticket package. Prices vary, stlouisrams.com And now… Rams fans, this one’s for…
The Scoop: Local Harvest Cafe announces new name and concept
Come Jan. 17, Local Harvest’s Tower Grove cafe will open with a new name, LHC, and a new concept. The biggest concept-change for the cafe will be an addition of a juice bar. The cafe will also feature more house-made cultured items such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchee and fermented pickles. For those who…
Drink This Weekend Edition: Adding Champagne to your drinking regimen
With Christmas and New Year’s Day just around the corner, we thought we’d forsake our aversion to the obvious and talk Champagne for a moment. Instinctively, we wince when speaking of Champagne under celebratory pretense; Champagne should be sipped not only on special occasions, but as often as possible – for dinner on a…
Hit List: 4 new places to try this month
Cucina Pazzo: 392 N. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, 314.696.8400, cucinapazzostl.com From the team behind The Tavern Kitchen & Bar, The Corner Pub & Grill and The Shack PubGrub comes Cucina Pazzo. The former Duff’s space in the CWE has been transformed into a bright, airy gastropub where Italian offerings are cooked up with unexpected twists…
This week, Ligaya Figueras is obsessed with…
{This summer, a soccer injury sidelined me from the field for five long months. I recently celebrated my return to the beautiful game with a beautiful cocktail at The Restaurant at The Cheshire. Tudor Red Rose holds elegant elderflower liqueur, whose sweetness is balanced by bitter Aperol and tart blood orange juice, then topped with…
Sauce Holiday Countdown: The Burger Stomper
Symmetrical. Seared. Succulent. A perfect patty has a kind of poetry to it. But hand-pressing those patties to an even thickness can be frustrating and messy. The Burger Stomper Pro 2-in-1 Hamburger Press comes with two different, nonstick plates to create 6-ounce burgers or 2-ounce sliders. This holiday, give your grillmaster the joy of…
Sneak Peek: Blind Tiger
The southeast corner of Manchester Road and Sutton Boulevard has had some trouble finding its footing the last few years, but Mike McLaughlin of Maplewood favorite The Crow’s Nest and his merry band have transformed the nearby location 7376 Manchester Road into Blind Tiger, a restaurant, whiskey joint and event venue. A distinct rock…
Baked: Lemon-Ginger Creme Brulee
Whenever a friend’s birthday approaches, I ask them what he or she would like me to make. Some people always know what they want, while others would be happy with almost anything. After years of asking one indecisive friend what she’d like, I took a risk this year and decided to just make something with…
Sauce Holiday Countdown: BLiS Tahitian Vanilla-Infused Maple Syrup
After one taste of this rich, nuanced maple syrup from BLiS, you’ll call that lady living in your pantry Mrs. Butterworth-less. BLiS sources this syrup from a maple orchard in Michigan, where it’s selected from an exclusive, single-barrel stock. B-grade maple syrup may sound like it wasn’t good enough to score an A, but…
By the Book: Daniel: My French Cuisine by Daniel Boulud
Every month, the Sauce editorial staff divvies up the four or five books selected for By the Book. If there’s a system for who tackles which book, it is that if you claim it, it’s yours. So I pounced on Daniel: My French Cuisine, the new coffee-table book by Daniel Boulud. I’ve interviewed St.…
First Look: Planter’s House
Even if Jamie and Ted Kilgore did not write about spirits and cocktails for Sauce Magazine, we’d still be buzzing over Planter’s House, the cocktail bar that the husband-and-wife bartending team, along with business partner Ted Charak, are opening in Lafayette Square. Located in a historic building at 1000 Mississippi Ave., at the corner of…
Sauce Holiday Countdown: The Coravin Wine System
Innovative? Yes. Impressive? Without a doubt. The Coravin Wine System will be the envy of any oenophile worth his wine key. Coravin’s groundbreaking system uses an ultra-thin needle to pierce the foil and cork and displaces the extracted wine with argon gas. This new method prevents your pricey bottle of wine from oxidizing, opening…
The Scoop: Heavy Riff to team up with Vernon’s BBQ
When Heavy Riff Brewing Co., opened earlier this fall, the Dogtown microbrewery appeared to be following in the direction of watering holes like iTAP and Crafty Chameleon that welcomed food from the outside instead of having a nosh menu available to hungry drinkers. But now, Heavy Riff co-owners, brothers Jerid and Justin Saffell, have…
Meatless Monday: Cannellini Hummus
This simple twist on traditional hummus uses cannellini beans instead of garbanzo beans. It’s a quick, easy appetizer as long as you have roasted garlic on hand. If not, I have a quick way to make “roasted” garlic using a method similar to a confit. I normally prepare two or three head of garlic…
Sauce Holiday Countdown: St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
You know those people who seem to be effortlessly (obnoxiously) good at everything? If people were liquor, then St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur would be that guy. This floral spirit is versatile enough to pair with just about anything, from gin to whiskey to Champagne. Even the most inept of your wannabe mixologist friends could…
Review: Tree House in St. Louis
Tree House3177 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314.696.2100, treehousestl.com Years ago, over dinner with a few friends, a vegetarian acquaintance mentioned that she never ate anything with a face. Her hushed tone was so sanctimonious that I thought she was praying. “What about a head of lettuce?” I chimed in. She didn’t even chuckle. I…
Review: Melt in St. Louis
Melt2712 Cherokee St., St. Louis, 314.771.6358, Facebook: Melt It’s nearly morning, and Melt’s bar is at capacity. After two sips of my first drink, I know the reason why. Cocktails are a grand affair at Melt, the Cherokee Street newcomer that migrated north from the Patch neighborhood a few months back. The craft booze-comfort food…
Recipe: Trattoria Marcella’s Meatballs and Polenta
Eaten a dish at an area restaurant that you’d do just about anything to make at home? Email us at pr@saucemagazine.com to tell us about it. Then let us do our best to deliver the recipe By Popular Demand. My wife and I love Trattoria Marcella, but unfortunately, they took our favorite dish off the…
Shepherd’s Pie with Lentils and Roasted Sweet Potatoes
4 to 6 servings
Mushroom-Angostura Steak Sauce
4 to 6 servings
Spiced Carrot Jam
Makes 2 pints
Pear and Pistachio Crisp
6 to 8 servings
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Makes 20 cookies
Hurry Up, I’m starving Chicken Soup
12 servings
Basso’s Short rib tacos with pico de gallo
3 servings
Pistachio and Fig Granola
7 cups
Pistachio-crusted Salmon
2 servings
Shearing the beef from shepherd’s pie
If our attitudes about food are formed in childhood, then there was no greater influence on my pediatric palate than the lunch lady at W.J. Zahnow Elementary School. Neither my mother nor my grandmother were inspired cooks. But the lunch lady, with her flair for geometric-shaped entrees (Rectangle pizza! Triangle fish!), was my hero. So…
The Bitters Kitchen: The cook’s secret weapon is stashed behind the bar
Hundreds of bitters were around before Prohibition, but The Noble Experiment changed all that. By 2004, only three commercially made bitters were on the market. But the cocktail boon (accompanied with a love for small-batch everything and a quest for all things esoteric) has led to a market saturated with so many brands and flavors…
Neat Drinks
Spheres, blocks, cubes, chips … whatever its form, ice plays a starring role in cocktail-making. But its absence can be equally important, for without the cold stuff’s flavor- and proof-diluting properties, a spirit’s full character truly shines. “Certain spirits taste better warm,” explained Robert Griffin, bar manager at The Royale. “Simpler is better. You’re showcasing…
Sauce Holiday Countdown: Recipe Rock
Admit it: You love our recipes. You hoard them. Among your plethora of cookbooks sits a binder of printouts from the Sauce recipe database … and they look like hell. Splattered with sauce, stained with spills, you often consider throwing out the withered and wrinkled pages; but alas, they are just too precious. Enter,…
Nutty but nice
Pistachios used to be one of those foods – like Cheetos or beets – that left a colorful mark. Remember snacking on a bag of magenta nuts and then your fingertips looking like you’d soaked them in coloring agent red No. 40? Nowadays, harvesting methods are less damaging to the shells, so it’s no longer…
Midnight Meal: ‘Twas the night after dinner service, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring besides a chef and
Patrick and Suzanne Connolly know a thing or two about being night owls. From the moment they met and began dating from a distance – Suzanne living in New York City, Patrick working in Boston at Radius, for which he would receive the James Beard Foundation award for Best Chef: Northeast in 2008 – to…
