Mushroom Broth (with stems and ends)
Why toss out the brown ends and tough stems of those mushrooms you use when turning them into a rich, flavorful broth is as simple as setting them to boil in some water for a [...]
How to dry wild (or shiitake) mushrooms
Before.... After successfully drying a surplus of chanterelles (shared by a neighbor) by setting them on top of a warm radiator, I thought the same technique would work for [...]
Brothy Shiitake Soup with Ginger and Garlic
There is nothing to this soup. Seriously. Literally. Ridiculously. (Well, no, not ‘ridiculously,’ but since I was going with the flow of overused (and misused) adverbs, I fig [...]
Linguine with Clams and Chorizo
Linguine with Clams and Chorizo 2 to 2 ½ lb. (1 kg.) Manila clams (this is what I can find in the Mont-Saint-Michel bay) or littleneck or cherrystone clams (about 50 to 60 sm [...]
Velvet Scallop and Winter Vegetable ‘Nage’
“Caught on Thursday, shucked on Friday…I ate some Saturday, and you should have yours today (Sunday) or tomorrow (Monday).” So went the message on my voicemail from my fisher [...]
Vegetable Pot-au-Feu
Pot au feu, the French version of pot roast, is eaten in two stages. First, the cooking broth is ladled into bowls to be sipped or spooned as a first course. Then, the meat a [...]
Sizzled Spinach with Crispy Shallots
One vegetable that has seem to have fallen by the wayside in the US is fresh spinach. I’m not talking about baby spinach which is ubiquitous enough. I mean the deep-green, la [...]
Caldo Verde
Caldo verde, a Portuguese soup made with sausage, potatoes, and collards (or kale, in my version) is peasant food at its finest: simple, fragrant, and filling. I cannot stop [...]
Chestnut Bisque
This soup is born out of a restaurant disappointment. It was a fancy restaurant, too, one of those places in the US where they charge over $10 for a bowl of what is basically [...]