French Louie
It’s funny how your neighborhood becomes the lens through which you see the New York restaurant scene. When it’s twelve degrees outside and wind is slapping your face like Joan Crawford in “Mommy Dearest,” are you really going to trek to the Upper East Side from Brooklyn to check out a new two-star bistro? Or are you going to stay local and patronize a similar restaurant where everyone already knows you because you go so often?
Sweet and Sour Tofu with Corn and Tomatoes
I’m old enough to remember when “tofu” used to be a dirty word; like in an eighties movie where the bad guy in a bandana says about the hero, “He probably eats tofu.”
Smoky Eggplant Dip
The best recipes are both simple and effective. The least amount of steps for the most amount of impact? That’s my idea of a good recipe.
This recipe is inspired by a recipe from Paul Kahan’s cookbook, Cooking for Good Times. Paul Kahan is the chef at The Publican in Chicago and I know his name well because when I was writing my cookbook Secrets of the Best Chefs, I did everything in my power to get him to cook with me. I remember calling his restaurant every day for a week only to be told that Chef Kahan was super busy and wouldn’t be able to do it. I was disappointed because his food always looked so good.