Entrees

Seven-Layer Spinach Lasagna

February 9, 2009 by Charles 4 Comments

Choosing a recipe is a lot like playing the Kevin Bacon game.

The Kevin Bacon game, or Six-Degrees of Kevin Bacon, centers around the small-world principle, or the idea that any two people are linked by a finite number of connections. With Kevin Bacon, the goal is to link him to any other actor using no more than six intermediary actors. For instance, Elvis and Kevin Bacon are separated by only one intermediary – Edward Asner, who appeared with Elvis in Change of Habit, and with Bacon in JFK. At last count, over one million actors can be linked to Bacon in fewer than six steps.

The principle can be applied to any number of disciplines or phenomena – from linking baseball players in various decades, to demonstrating the thought process in choosing a recipe….

Chicken Salad Sandwich

January 25, 2009 by Charles 1 Comment

With over thirty posts on my food blog, you might think that lunch at my office would be diverse and interesting. That my leftovers from the night before would offer an exciting mid-day meal. You’d be wrong.

Though some days offer exceptions, lunch at my office is unabashedly routine – which is not to say it’s bad. Quite the opposite. I couldn’t possibly have chicken salad sandwiches with the frequency I do, if I didn’t love my recipe. And because my recipe provides enough chicken for the week, it’s one less thing I have to account for while I’m at work. Chicken salad also has the advantage of being relatively light (so no post-lunch siestas), and offering a good source of protein (perfect for those afternoon workouts).

This is my (very) tried and true recipe….

Broiled Halibut with Miso Glaze

December 21, 2008 by Charles 4 Comments

Miso is a fermented, soybean paste, dating back to seventh century Japan.

Miso begins with a grain, usually rice or barley, which is then inoculated with mold spores. These molded grains, koji, are combined with soybeans and sea salt, and then pakced into wooden barrels, where the mixture ferments for anywhere from three months to three years. Indeed, the various types of miso owe their differences to the length of the fermentation period. The fermentation temperature, the proportion of koji to soybean, and the type of grain also influence the miso product.

Rice miso (kome miso), barley miso (mugi miso), and soybean miso (hatcho miso) form the three basic categories of miso. These groups …

Roast Chicken

November 30, 2008 by Charles Leave a Comment

I started this food blog nearly a month and a half ago. Yet, in all that time, I never made anything for dinner. That is, there no were entrée posts. Until now.

A whole roasted chicken offers something for everyone. There’s a beautiful center item for the table, …