Steve

Almond boneless chicken, exhibit ABC of Chinese-American idiosyncrasy

June 10, 2015 by Steve

Gourmandistan’s love of soy, stir-frying and other Asian ideas has led us to explore many Chinese dishes, as well as Chinese restaurants around the globe. Like many Americans of a certain age and geography, both Michelle’s and Steve’s first exposures to “Chinese food” came from menus full of chop suey, crab wontons, General Tso’s chicken and other items never dreamed of in China. We grew older and discovered dishes from Szechuan, Hunan and other regions of China, along with restaurants that (sometimes with […]

Categories: Chicken, China, Cooking, Food, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Peas, Recipes, Restaurants

Sometimes you feel like a dark chocolate almond coconut bar, sometimes you don’t

May 5, 2015 by Steve

Those outside of America may be unaware of either Almond Joy® or Mounds® candy bars. This means they are also unaware of the “sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t” debate that would have torn America apart decades ago if not for shelf after shelf groaning with other candy options. Rest assured, however, there is a divide over which bar is best, which remained alive in Gourmandistan until Michelle created a delightful compromise. Both Michelle and Steve chose the coconut treats quite […]

Categories: Brownies, Candy, Chocolate, Coconut, Cooking, Food, Nuts, Recipes, Vegetarian

Leek Tart welcomes the ’80s back

February 11, 2015 by Steve

As we have noted before, Gourmandistanis are not unfamiliar with the 1980s. Over the decades we discarded many of our ’80s ways (shoulder pads, Sony Walkmen, comic books), but we never gave up the habit of eating quiche, despite being told it was not a dish fit for “real men.” (Being perceived as unmanly has never been an issue for Steve, who merely has to grunt in his normal basso profundo, possibly while pointing to his profound amount of chest hair.) We long ago adapted […]

Categories: Cheese, Cooking, Food, France, Leeks, Old cookbooks, Recipes

Gift, Gourmandistanized: Ghirardelli® Dark & [Sea Salt] Caramel Squares™ Cookies

January 4, 2015 by Steve

A Christmas gift of Ghirardelli® Dark & [Sea Salt] Caramel Squares™ (OK, it’s “Rich Chocolate, Luscious Filling,” but they trademarked the word “Squares”?) could have, we suppose, been enjoyed in the manner intended by its manufacturer: unwrapped and nibbled for “a moment that will carry you throughout your day.” But in Gourmandistan, that would be too easy—and, in yet another instance, Michelle began to think about how to turn a gift into something really, really good. Michelle wondered what might happen if one […]

Categories: Candy, Chocolate, Cookies, Cooking, Food, Recipes, Vegetarian

Garbure Gets Gourmandistan Ready For 2015

January 1, 2015 by Steve

Once again Gourmandistan enters a new year, and once again we enjoy black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day, without resorting to Hoppin’ John. Steve managed to come down with a nasty cold between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, meaning Michelle had to manage the kitchen by herself while Steve wheezed, coughed and slept in isolation. (While Michelle missed her sous chef, we both hope the bug has missed her.) While sniffly Steve was in no shape to help search for a recipe, […]

Categories: Beans, Cabbage, Cooking, Duck, Food, France, New Year, Recipes, Soups & Stews

Seeking Eternity’s end through Kentucky country ham salad

December 4, 2014 by Steve

Gourmandistan recently tackled its first entire Kentucky country ham in ages and ages. We were stunned, after serving a Thanksgiving party of eight, to find that most of it still remained. That’s when we rediscovered a saying attributed to Dorothy Parker: “Eternity is two people and a ham.” One solution? Ham salad. Country ham is a signature Kentucky product which (like tobacco, bourbon and coal) may be a reason the people of our Commonwealth are so vibrant and robust. It’s salty, funky and smoky, […]

Categories: Cooking, Cured meats, Food, Pork, Recipes, Salad, Sandwiches

Fresh tofu skin pleases, produces tasty tailings

November 16, 2014 by Steve

There were some burnt fingers and a bit of frustration at Andrea Nguyen’s failure-assumptive instructions, but our first tofu-making project was an unqualified success. Not only did we enjoy some delicate, delicious fresh tofu skin, but also discovered that leftover lees make some lovely Asian croquettes. We began thinking about making our own tofu years ago after Steve reviewed a local restaurant for Louisville Magazine (on the magazine’s website, for some reason, Steve now seems to be known as “Lou”), enjoying both […]

Categories: Food, Meat substitutes, Recipes, Tofu, Vegetarian

Impossible Apple Cake with Maple Ice Cream

November 10, 2014 by Steve

We have mentioned this Caramelized Apple Cake before, because Michelle has tried to make it several times every apple season for years with little (OK, at least one) real success. The recipe pages in Susan Herrmann Loomis’ Cooking at Home on Rue Tatin have all sorts of scribbles covering them, adjusting the amount and thinness of apples, ingredients, mixing instructions and more. Time after time, it’s turned out underdone, overdone or just odd—but the damn thing keeps haunting us with its buttery, caramel […]

Categories: Apples, Cake, Cooking, Desserts & Sweets, Food, Fruit Desserts, Ice cream, Recipes, Vegetarian

Bringing harissa into Dinah Shore’s Basted Roasted Florida Chicken

October 31, 2014 by Steve

While not all Gourmandistan readers may be familiar with Dinah Shore, both Michelle and Steve remember watching her 1970s television shows. The Big Band-era star, 1938 graduate of Michelle’s alma mater and 1950s singer of “See the USA in Your Chevrolet” often hosted cooking segments and was a fairly adventurous cook for the era. Gourmandistan does not own a copy of Someone’s in the Kitchen With Dinah, Shore’s first cookbook, but we do often refer to our 1983 copy of The Dinah Shore Cookbook, especially her […]

Categories: Chicken, Cooking, Food, Old cookbooks, Recipes

Gourmandistan

A fabled land of farmers, farm shares, fancy (and not so fancy) restaurants, family meals, food projects and more.

Author Archives: Steve