I went back to Caputo’s this week. It had been several months since I’d been to the Chicago-land grocery chain in part because I had found inspiration elsewhere. But with the change of season, I figured it was time to see what fresh offerings my favorite produce market had to offer. I had visions of […]

If something works for me, I stick with it, even if it sometimes seems a little weird. Earlier in this culinary adventure I turned one of my favorite salads, the Caprese (visit post)—a traditional Italian dish consisting of tomatoes, basil and mozzarella cheese—into a soup.  It turned out great.  This time, with spring officially upon […]

We didn’t eat a lot of Chinese food when I was growing up.  There was one take-out place near where we lived as well as the “Chinatown” just east of downtown LA, but we were hardly regular customers. Nor did Chinese cuisine figure into my mom’s home cooking.  She made Italian, French, and Mexican food, […]

Anyone who’s read this blog more than twice (Thanks, Mom.),  knows that my all-time favorite soup making appliance is the immersion blender. It’s great for pureeing soups, making salad dressings, tapenade, even smoothies. What the immersion blender doesn’t do is—slice, dice and julienne. For that I use my less favorite kitchen tool: the mandoline. Correction: […]

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.  It’s the cheese. And yet the rot is what makes the stuff so good.  I’m talking specifically about Danish Blue Cheese, one of the ingredients in this week’s soup. From what I understand Danish blue is a Scandinavian knock-off of Roquefort, although it’s milder and saltier. They […]