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Chive Risotto Cakes

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Giffen goods are a hot commodity – literally.

Giffen goods, named for the economist Sir Robert Giffen, are goods that do not respond to normal economic forces.  In a normal marketplace, the price and quantity of goods situate according to the well-established supply and demand curves.  And according to these economic principles, as the price of a good rises, the demand for the good at that price, falls.  Think about your standard flat-screen television.  At $1,200, the market for the product is understandably tepid.  And for that price, you might even settle for the old tube screen.  But at $400, suddenly your living room and kitchen are now boasting brand new televisions.

Giffen goods defy that logic.  As the price …

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Lentil Tabbouleh

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The Palouse region along the Idaho-Washington border is lentil country.  In field after field, the tiny, green-coated legume covers the land.

The Palouse region counts roughly 200 miles of land, and is home to over 3,000 family farms.  Between them, these farms account for nearly 90 percent of the lentils grown in this country.  But sadly, few of these lentils ever find their way onto American plates or palates.  Nearly the entire lentil crop is exported – to countries like Spain, Italy, Greece, and India –  countries that appreciate the culinary qualities of the lentil.

And the lentil is worthy of appreciation.  Unlike beans, lentils cook quickly and do not require soaking.  They pair with almost any dish, and …

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Quinoa Meal

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Relationships are like cooking.  Just as recipes often require staple ingredients, so too are relationships built on certain foundational elements.  But, beyond the basics, the thrill of cooking resides for me in the unexpected combination of ingredients.  The way a sprinkling of cayenne pepper intensifies chocolate with its smoky spice.

Charles and I share many ingredients between us: a love of writing and cooking (and a sometimes bossy attitude in the kitchen!), a creative eye, an interest in obscure documentaries, the desire to wander new cities by foot, and the legal profession.  And while I cherish our similarities, my life has been enriched by our unique ingredients.  Charles was raised Jewish in New Orleans and with several siblings, whereas I grew up in Washington, D.C. as an only child from an Irish Catholic family.  Together, we’ve incorporated these traditions, yielding a flavor that is complex, new, and wonderful.

Last March, we tried our hand at hamantaschen in honor of Purim.  In December, amidst law school final exams, I enjoyed…

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Brown Rice Pudding

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In my legal world, I’m accustomed to starting things fresh.  Every case requires its own study; every case presents its own facts and presentation of the law.  It’s why the Circuit Courts can direct their District Courts in opposite directions.  It’s why a simple car accident can take its litigants to the Supreme Court, and it’s why the Justices there can split their vote.  Even the same case presents itself differently to different viewers.

Last week, I should have brought this understanding to my cooking world.

After making rice pudding with white rice, I copied the recipe …

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Brown Rice

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Making the perfect pot of rice is no easy task.  In my first few attempts, it boiled over, came out gummy, and stuck to the bottom: the trifecta of bad rice.  But with some practice, and a few google searches, I came to perfect my rice.

Rice is finicky, like a set of rabbit ears on an old television.  The more you handle the rice, the worse it turns out.  With rice, delicacy is the watchword.  Like those thin metal rods, you need to place the pot of rice in the right place, and then leave it alone, trusting it to work as it should.

In practice, this means …

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