Food | Gourmandistan

A burlesque of brown rice and vegetables

May 7, 2012 by Steve

Steve knows that if you want to make it to the top as a Vegas showgirl, you must learn to like brown rice and vegetables. (Spoiler alert: sneakily kicking someone down a flight of stairs also helps.) Steve would be more than happy to use this blog post to share more helpful tips gleaned from Paul Verhoeven’s 1995 masterpiece (ask him how ice cubes can “lift” your career!). But Michelle, mindful that this is a family blog, insists on associating […]

Categories: Cooking, Food, Recipes, Rice, Tofu, Vegetarian

Mock(ing) Derby Pie

May 3, 2012 by Steve

We must say quite emphatically that the pictures you see are not Derby-Pie®. The fine, upstanding, industrious and only slightly litigious folk at Kern’s Kitchen may believe we’re invoking the holy trademarked name. And we do not want any confusion, for the Kern’s folk (or their attorneys) will gladly tell you: “There’s only one Derby-Pie®. When you see the name Derby-Pie® and the registered trademark symbol, you know you’re getting the pie produced exclusively by Kern’s Kitchen…” We Gourmandistanis cannot condemn either […]

Categories: Chocolate, Cooking, Food, Kentucky Derby, Nuts, Pies & Tarts, Recipes, Vegetarian

Butter buns, your best Kentucky Derby bet in years.

April 30, 2012 by Steve

In Spring you can find a number of Louisvillians who will quite possibly bet you they can go Ptolemy one better. They will not only insist that the stars, moon and sun revolve around the earth, but that the axis of our universe pivots on a mid-sized American city built at a fossil-laden kink in the Ohio River. Doctrinal proofs include The Great Gatsby, Muhammad Ali, Louisville Slugger bats, the opening scene of Stripes, and of course “The Most Exciting […]

Categories: Food, Kentucky Derby, Old cookbooks, Recipes, Yeast breads

Putting the “me” in “Lemon Tart”

April 24, 2012 by Steve

Michelle has made a myriad of pies—from savory meat to sweet, sweet berry. A cavalcade of crusts, fillings, flutes and folds have traveled through her hands; hundreds upon hundreds of recipes have filtered through her head. So when the mood strikes Michelle for something sweet (and that mood strikes very, very often whether she acts on it or not), she can take ingredients on hand and pop out a pie. This little lemon tart is one such synthesis. It made […]

Categories: Cooking, Food, Fruit Desserts, Lemon, Pies & Tarts, Recipes, Vegetarian

Gluten it be nice

April 20, 2012 by Steve

Gourmandistanis are generally a tolerant lot, especially when it comes to food. (Fools, on the other hand, we struggle to abide.) While we sympathize with those who must avoid shellfish, peanuts, wheat or meat for religious or health reasons, our little world is blissfully free of dietary laws—though Steve must occasionally be reminded that “no kidneys, no livers” is a strong preference, not an actual law. That gives us license to explore cuisines, cultures and creative ways of going meatless, […]

Categories: China, Cooking, Food, Nuts, Recipes, Seitan, Vegetarian

Piña colada in pie form

April 16, 2012 by Steve

Gourmandistanis are not really fond of either piña coladas or getting caught in the rain. (We’re also really not that fond of the late 1970s, a period we both endured when this horrible song and its dismal disco brethren were about the only things available on local radio.) But we do rather like pie, and this incredibly easy coconut-pineapple confection from François Payard is indeed a tasty piece of tart. We made one recently to use up some more of our […]

Categories: Coconut, Cooking, Food, Fruit Desserts, Pies & Tarts, Pineapple, Recipes, Vegetarian

Overdo your Easter Eggs with Oeufs aux Champignons

April 8, 2012 by Steve

You may, given the season, happen to have several hard-boiled eggs literally lying around your house. Or, should you not be bunny-inclined, you may simply be in the mood for a very rich, creamy, mushroomy and bacony egg dish. This one from the Junior League of New Orleans’ 1972 Plantation Cookbook has been on holiday tables in Michelle’s family for decades. We modernized it a bit this time, using less bacon and cheese and more interesting mushrooms. Still, Oeufs aux […]

Categories: Cooking, Easter, Eggs, Food, Mushrooms, Recipes

Morris and the matzo brei

April 4, 2012 by Steve

Steve didn’t get a lot of food traditions from his father. Morris, a somewhat joyless eater who demanded his beef be “burnt to a crisp,” snacked on pickled herring and hated cheese, had mostly wandered away from the Jewish traditions of his Lower East Side upbringing. His kashrut contained exceptions for bacon and Virginia ham, though he avoided shellfish (calling lobster, clams and scallops “bugs that eat sewage”). A widower hosting his Louisville-residing son in various New York apartments during summers and holidays, […]

Categories: Cooking, Crackers, Eggs, Family, Food, Passover, Recipes, Vegetarian

Lady and the ramp

March 27, 2012 by Steve

We have been almost desperately waiting for local greens, especially with this spring’s too-warm start. Last Saturday, as Steve was off wallowing in the depths of March Madness, Michelle spied some ramps at our local farm store. As Steve returned later that afternoon, gluing his eyes back to televised basketball, Michelle busied herself finding a good way to celebrate the arrival of these delicate, oniony sprigs. What are ramps, you might ask? Let’s let some nice horticulturists explain: Ramps, (Allium tricoccum or Allium tricoccum var. burdickii, […]

Categories: Beef, Cooking, Food, Muffins & quick breads, Ramps, Recipes, Soups & Stews