Photos by L.G. Patterson A Cuban sandwich may not be the most appealing thing, particularly if it has been smashed, griddled, wrapped and sliced. But what it lacks in eye appeal, it more than makes up for in flavor. This south Florida variation on ham and cheese originates from Cuban immigrants working in cigar factories […]
Photos by L.G. Patterson I love basil and pesto, but I don’t always enjoy growing basil. I look forward to spring to have fresh basil leaves to use for caprese salad, topping on pizza or tossing into pasta. But I don’t look forward to the time of year when it starts to bolt to seed […]
Photos by L.G. Patterson Sometimes you need more variety than what’s offered by cooking on the four-burner range in your kitchen. With the arrival of warmer weather, it’s finally appropriate to cook outside and you can use a fire pit or barbecue to liven up your cooking experience. No matter the menu, you just have […]
Photos by L.G. Patterson There is nothing quite like a tiramisu for a nice kick, or “pick me up,” which is the actual translation of tiramisu, at the end of a meal. You get a nice jolt from the coffee while enjoying the creaminess of the mascarpone, all held together by ladyfingers. Without the ladyfingers, there […]
Photos by L.G. Patterson I recently had the pleasure of cooking with Jina Yoo. If you have been around Columbia and are a lover of sushi, you have probably been to her namesake restaurant, Jina Yoo’s Asian Bistro, or her second Columbia restaurant, Le Bao Asian Eatery, featuring steam buns and ramen. Maybe you’ve tried […]
Photos by L.G. Patterson In the early 2000s, I had a friend who worked at a restaurant in New York City. The first time I went to this Chinese/French fusion restaurant, they said, “Make sure you get the shrimp toast.” Being a Midwest boy in New York, I was expecting some type of cooked shrimp on […]
Photos by L.G. Patterson I love a good Philly cheesesteak. You can always buy one (if you can find a good place), but sometimes I want onions and peppers; sometimes mushrooms; sometimes garlic; sometimes I want “Wiz” (we can talk about that one later); and sometimes I want everything. So, sometimes I cook it at home. […]
Photos by L.G. Patterson If you take a trip to New Orleans, the muffuletta from Central Grocery is a must have. And, after you’ve had one, it apparently becomes a craving that you just have sometimes. I have some friends who were having a baby and, as they went into labor, the muffuletta craving hit. […]
Getting people to eat salmon in the Midwest can be hard. I know, I grew up in the Midwest. As a kid, my diet mostly consisted of Midwestern food, until I was about 5 or 6 and we went to California to visit a relative. My parents told us that they didn’t have hamburgers or […]
With a dish that is pretty much as simple as pre-cooked cornmeal and water, it is amazing how arepas are so much more than a delicious sum of their parts. This hybrid of bread and tortillas from Colombia/Venezuela is a delicious side to any meal, or you can stuff it after cooking and make it […]
Spaghetti and meatballs are synonymous with kids being happy about what’s for dinner. “Mom, can I go over to Johnny’s house for dinner tonight? They’re having spaghetti and meatballs!” Why? Because they are delicious. Maybe Johnny had a Nonna that passed down the recipe or maybe a mother or father that tinkered with it for […]
Curry is not a single flavor, nor is it a single ingredient (powder, paste or leaves). Indian curry can be any sauce with spice. Each region, state and family has a different curry. Some things may be curries and you don’t even know it. It is not always in the name — Vindaloo, Korma, Butter […]
There is just something about freshly made tortillas. All it takes is masa, water, a little salt … and maybe a little fat. I know adding fat to corn tortillas is not necessarily traditional, but as you can imagine, it does make them delicious and softer than traditional corn tortillas. You can have the dough whipped in about 3 or 4 minutes, let it
Photos by LG Patterson When walking through a fair, you will smell a variety of foods. One food smell stands out more than the rest: funnel cake. Once you have smelled a funnel cake, the aroma is embedded in your brain forever. Funnel cakes were originally brought to the United States by the Pennsylvania Dutch […]
Biscuits have a multitude of savory and sweet preparations. Two of my favorites are strawberry shortcakes and biscuits and gravy. You can make a double, or triple batch of biscuits in the morning, and use some for B&G at breakfast, then have half of a dessert done for the evening. They also make great breakfast […]
My 6-year-old will go weeks at a time where she eats nothing but waffles. No, I do not make them every time she wants them. I will make a few dozen at a time, freeze them on a tray, bag them and store them in the
When cooler weather comes calling and we spend more time inside, we tend to lean more on items in the pantry rather than the garden or market, says Inside Columbia’s Food Editor Chef Brook Harlan. We also tend to turn to hearty, filling foods to help us warm up and “weather” the falling temps. Casseroles, […]
This recipe is written for butternut squash but could be made with pumpkin, acorn squash, sweet potato, French turban, spaghetti squash, or any other type of root vegetable or winter squash.
It’s a weird time. I know there are a lot of uncertain things going on, but I’m talking about that weird time between the end of the summer and beginning of fall. You may still have some tomatoes to harvest and eat, but there is also fall produce to harvest. Butternut squash, sweet potatoes, greens, […]
It is time to harvest tomatoes. You can peel plain tomatoes and freeze or can them. You can also make salsa or tomato sauce and have them to use all winter. One of my favorite uses for tomato sauce is to top chicken parmesan. The sauce does not need to be fancy; tomatoes, salt, pepper, […]
