It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. It was the summer of 1974. The Watergate hearings were in full swing. When I wasn’t working, studying or rehearsing, I was glued to the TV, watching the sad, sordid saga unfold. I’d been married the summer before, and we were living in […]
Julianne Glatz
Posted inFood & Drink
Wonderful watermelon
It’s the very essence of summer. As a kid, I’d hang on to the green rind as I plowed my way through a half-moon slice or wedge, or sometimes even a canoe-shaped lateral hunk, hunched over so that the juice wouldn’t drip on my clothes – which it inevitably did, regardless. That was pretty much […]
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A salute to red, white and blue desserts
You can pretty much count on at least one version showing up in at least one cooking periodical every July: a white dessert decorated with blueberries and red raspberries or strawberries, or both. It’s not hard to figure out why. Blueberries are one of the few ways to have blue food that don’t involve food […]
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Getting some crispy chewy
“What I really miss are crispy things, chewy things,” sighs my sister-in-law. “Things like pizza or pancakes. Kris is a former model. Now in her 50s, she’s still drop-dead gorgeous. She lives in a warehouse-turned-studio/event venue/home with her (also drop-dead gorgeous) children and photographer husband. It’s directly across from Oprah’s studio, on a strip of […]
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A commanding General Tso’s chicken
“We had friends who went to China, and they went to Peking where they make the ducks, and what they say is that the food over there is not as good as here. You can’t get a sauce as sweet and thick over there.”– Eugene Levy in the movieWaiting for Guffman Ah, sweet-and-sour chicken. I […]
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It’s the time of the season for summer seasonings
For me, summer cooking is about taking it easy – at least until I begin preserving some of the season’s bounty by canning, freezing, etc. Beautiful local produce, locally raised meats and seasonally available fish (think wild salmon) are at their best simply grilled or lightly sautéed to showcase their deliciousness. That said, I like […]
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Spanish summer supper
Spaniards love picnics. When weather warms up, they’ll head for the countryside with baskets of food, tablecloths and cooking apparatus. Picnics aren’t just simple sandwiches and a few deli containers; even the complex rice preparation, paella, is considered best prepared outdoors, the huge shallow round pan of ingredients simmered over a wood fire. But Spanish […]
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Fifteen minutes with Andy
“In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” –Andy Warhol, 1968 My kids still think I should have accepted his invitation. But they weren’t there. More than 40 years later, thinking about his hands still gives me the creeps. It was the summer of 1972, and I was in Venice, having finished my freshman […]
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Grilled salads, Vietnamese-style
Serving grilled protein as a salad component has become commonplace lately. More often than not, though, it’s an afterthought or at best an add-on as in: “Caesar Salad…..Add a grilled chicken breast for $1 extra.” But in Southeast Asia – especially Vietnam and Laos – they’ve been combining grilled and salad ingredients for hundreds of […]
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The goodness of young garlic
Recipes that call for lots of garlic are always best when they’re made with new crop garlic, which is making its first appearance at farm stands and local farmers markets. New crop garlic’s flavor is intense but sweeter and less harsh (especially when raw) than that of garlic available in late winter. I don’t have […]
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Bananas gone wild
“You have never heard of Banoffee pie?” asked my daughter Ashley. “I thought everyone knew about Banoffee pie!” Four years at Lincoln University in New Zealand taught Ashley many things. Most importantly was that she didn’t want to make wine or grow wine grapes as a profession, the careers that her major in viticulture and […]
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Happy birthday, King’s Daughters, with an apology
The King’s Daughters Organization celebrates its 120th birthday this year. Actually, their celebration began last fall with the long-awaited publication of their cookbook, Dining with the Daughters. I wrote about KDO and the cookbook back then. Normally I don’t revisit topics so soon, but I have good reason to do so in this instance: I […]
