Fish and Corn Chowder 1/2 onion, diced fine 2 stalks celery, diced fine 3 small carrots, diced fine 3-4 red potato, 1/2" dice chicken stock 1 cup corn thyme (or herbs de provence, since I ran out of thyme) 1/2 cup cream 3 small cod fillet pepper salt Mirepoix! Add potato and chicken stock to cover. Bring to a high simmer and cook...

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Thematically Arranged Wrap-up  A deceptively copious number of entries this year are drawn with nitpicky specificity from a categorically broad pool. Could be the industry is maturing a little, or a little too young, or I'm struck with fatigue and high expectations, or there was too much drama interfering with quality, or all of the above - but some of the glamour has...

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After many unsuccessful attempts, Alton Brown is the winner of the tempura batter shootout. Tempura Batter 5 oz unbleached cake flour5 oz white rice flour1.5 quarts vegetable oil1 large egg, beaten1.5 cups cold seltzer water0.5 cup vodka Whisk the cake flour and rice flour together in a medium glass bowl and divide it in half. Set aside.Heat vegetable oil to 365 degrees. Whisk...

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Maple Brown Butter Cake adapted from epicurious 1.5 sticks unsalted butter.75 cup pure maple syrup 1/4 tsp salt 2 cups almond flour1 cup Cream of Wheat (or quick cooking polenta as the original recipe suggests)1.5 tsp baking powder1 teaspoon kosher salt.75 cup cane sugar3 large eggs 1/2 cup heavy cream1/2 cup sour cream 1 tbsp sugarPreheat oven to 350°F. Butter, flour and line 9" cake...

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Impromptu Duck Dinner Caramel pecans, various dried fruit "tapenade" with madeira and wine, over duck breast (prepared thusly), served with greens. This was a lovely dish, though ideally I would chop and truly candy the pecans into praline and perhaps use fresh rather than dry fruit for what was supposed to be a sauce. Not bad for kitchen scraps on the fly. Into...

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In the search for more vegetarian dishes, an article in Food&Wine Magazine re: David Chang's recipe for Edamame Kimbap seemed worth experimenting  with. Walnut Edamame Kimbap 2 cups sushi rice2 cups water 1/4 cup sake-mash vinegar (or white wine vinegar)1/4 cup rice vinegar1/4 cup sugar2 tablespoons salt 1 tbsp canola oil2 cups walnuts, coarsely chopped1 cup edamame, shelled3 tbsp molasses1.5 tbsp soy sauce1...

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 Japanese Traditions New style technique: Sous vide prime rib with a last moment high heat roast.   Japanese Traditions New style technique: Sous vide prime rib with a last moment high heat roast.  ...

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Mushroom, tempura shrimp omelette Prosciutto salad Hamburger steak with crab croquette ...

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Szechuan specialities! My favorite... Lightly pickled potato strings with chillies. ...

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Yoshoku Steak Sauce from Tadashi Ono's Japanese Soul Food Cook Book salt and pepper3 tbsp butter1 medium sweet onion - 12 oz, peeled and finely chopped2 cloves garlic, finely chopped1⁄4 cup mirin1⁄4 cup soy sauce1 tsp rice vinegar1 tbsp vegetable oil2 tsp chopped parsley 2 lb sirloin steak Tenderize steak and season.Melt 2 tbsp butter on low heat and caramelize onions and garlic for...

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 Black King Fish  Tai, Barracuda  Amaebi  Agedashi Tofu  Spicy Tuna Roll, Hamachi, Saba  Uni, Medai, White King Salmon ...

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Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind - Miyazaki Much preferred to the film version... this beautifully illustrated Manga pits the determined mystic against mankind's need for warlike resolutions to save a ravaged world. Cities in Flight - James Blish Elegantly written prose probes economics and restless political imperatives during the long relentless game of survival. "Living seems to be a process of...

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This dish is a family recipe and extremely easy to make. Essentially, pork ribs baste for a long time in a watery sauce that tastes a bit like onion soup. The dried shrimp imparts a mild aroma of fish sauce. This sounds strange, but is actually really good. Pork Ribs in Onion Sauce 1 slab pork ribs. Have the butcher slice lengthwise through...

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Below is the rough template for Bo Kho, Vietnamese lemongrass stew, as compiled from various recipes. No right way to do it apparently, but the basic procedure falls between a basic indian curry and French stew, sometimes with the beef cooked in broth alone and then the aromatics added later. The lemongrass can be quickly fried to bring out the aroma or added...

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