Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Monday, September 28, 2026
Monday, September 14, 2026
National Eat a Hoagie Day
Monday, October 20, 2025
National Chicken and Waffles Day
Off Topic
October 20th is National Chicken and Waffles Day. I usually mark these occasions by posting photographs I have taken of the subject in question. However, it seems that over the many years that I have been cooking and taking photos I have never done this combination. But, as I have nothing better to offer, I am posting some snaps of waffles and other foods.
So, this week it came down to this lame effort or nothing at all and I did not want to break my streak.
All writing and images ©Cliff Hutson unless expressly noted. Do not use without permission.
Monday, June 9, 2025
National Meal Prep Day
Yet, another obscure day:
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| Ensalada de Camarones: photo by Cliff Hutson |
It is said that every year on this day, some people across the United States celebrate National Meal Prep Day.
This is the first that I have heard of it. But, I will mark the observance by sharing photographs of some of the meals that I have prepped over the past few weeks.
All writing and images ©Cliff Hutson unless expressly noted. Do not use without permission.
Monday, August 1, 2022
National Sandwich Month
A Month of Sandwiches
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| Langer's #19: photo by Cliff Hutson |
National Sandwich Month is observed each year in August. It can be a good excuse to to go exploring for something new and different, or to fall back on an old favorite. And, they can be be found for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a quick, nutritious, and tasty meal.
What is a Sandwich?
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| Bologna & Cheese. Sandwich: photo by Cliff Hutson |
A sandwich is typically thought of as two or more slices of bread or a split roll having a filling in between. However, many are willing to broaden the definition as illustrated in this Sandwich Alignment Chart.
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| Wet Chile Verde Burrito: photo by Cliff Hutson |
Thus one could say that a burrito is a sandwich. I tend not to agree with this. This is especially true when I think of a "wet burrito" that has to be eaten with a knife and fork. It is my opinion, though I may be wrong, that a sandwich should be handholdable. (Yes, I do know that many burritos, hot dogs, and their kin can be handheld.)
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| Cheeseburger in Paradise: photo by Cliff Hutson |
But, Wikipedia informs us that in Britain, the British Sandwich Association defines a sandwich as "any form of bread with a filling, generally assembled cold". This definition would include wraps, but clearly exclude burgers.
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| Tony's Famous French Dip: photo by Cliff Hutson |
Then again, I strongly consider that hot pastrami makes a wonderful sandwich. And, tonight's dinner will probably be a ham and cheese melt. So, at bottom, if you want to call your meal a sandwich I am in no position to argue.
My Favorite Sandwich
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| Tuna & Avocado Sandwich: photo by Cliff Hutson |
Oddly enough, when I combed through my image files I found that I do not have one of my favorite sandwich. That would be the BLT. So, above we have my second favorite - tuna. I make and/or eat these in many configurations. But, as I write this on July 31st I should get extra credit for this photo as it is National Avocado Day.
Monday, June 6, 2022
Reading Log: May 2022
The books that I finished reading in May 2022
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| May 2022 Books: photo by Cliff Hutson |
Cliff's Notes
"The Archer Novels"
Baldacci may be a best a bestselling author, but back in the mid to late 1990s I read something by him and decided that I did not care for his work and never picked up anything of his until last month.
I was willing to change my mind based on seeing an interview about "Dream Town" on Bookish (a video series featuring conversations with authors, thinkers and performers produced by the Southern California News Group (SCNG)). It is the third novel in a series about a character called Aloysius Archer. One of the things that intrigued me was that it is set in 1950s Los Angeles, my hometown. So, I knew that I wanted to read it, but decided that I should start at the beginning - I am glad that I did.
While "Dream Town" is very good, the first two are much better in my humble opinion. I highly recommend them. Fans of Raymond Chandler and Walter Mosley should enjoy these books.
"Good Eats"
Even the most casual of readers of this blog may have noticed that I am a fan of Alton Brown. I have probably written about, or alluded to, all of his previous books at one point or another. I have enjoyed them all and this latest one is no exception. Admittedly, people who are not fans of Good Eats may not be into this book. But, for many of us it is a must have for our bookshelves.
Monday, May 30, 2022
Potager Garden
A French Kitchen Garden
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| Radish: photo by Cliff Hutson |
The French kitchen garden or potager, has mixed vegetables, fruits, flowers, and herbs dates back to medieval times. It is, at heart, basically an ornamental vegetable garden that is productive yet ornamental. Often flowers (edible and non-edible) and herbs are planted with the vegetables to enhance the beauty. The goal is to make the function of providing food aesthetically pleasing.
Plant What You'll Eat
A potager should be designed to bring beauty into the utilitarian food garden, so start by planting what you like to eat and cook.
These are some of the plants that we have used over the years:
Radishes
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| Garden Fresh: photo by Cliff Hutson |
Radishes come in numerous varieties, varying in size, flavor, and color. They can be eaten fresh, roasted, sautéd, or pickled.
Basil
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| Basil: photo by Cliff Hutson |
Basil is a fragrant herb that tastes great in many dishes—especially homemade pesto.
Chile de Arbol Peppers
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| Chile de Arbol Peppers: photo by Cliff Hutson |
Chile de Árbol means "tree chili" in Spanish, a name which refers to the woody stem of the pepper. They are small and thin Mexican peppers, growing to 2-3 inches long and less than a ½ inch wide. When they mature to a bright, vibrant red, they are ready to be used.
Chives
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| Chives in Flower: photo by Cliff Hutson |
A perennial plant that is a small relative of the onion. The leaves and flowers are both edible.
Eggplant
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| Eggplant Basket: photo by Cliff Hutson |
An annual vegetable, few vegetable plants are handsomer than eggplant. My favorite way to consume the fruit is Eggplant Parmesan.
Parsley
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| Bolted Parsley: photo by Cliff Hutson |
Parsley is a popular herb often used in American, European, and Middle Eastern cooking. Not really all that attractive when it flowers, the leaves of many varieties can be quite ornamental as well as tasty. Use them to elevate the flavor of dishes like soups, salads, and fish recipes.
Squash
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| Summer Squash: photo by Cliff Hutson |
This edible annual comes in two forms: Summer squash which is picked and cooked in an immature stage such as scalloped white squash, yellow crookneck, and zucchini. And, winter squash which have hard rinds. We prefer the former.
Tomatoes
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| Tomatoes: photo by Cliff Hutson |
The tomato is a gift to Europe from the "New World" as a part of the Columbian Exchange . (The Eastern Hemisphere got tomatoes, chili peppers, cacao, peanuts, and corn. The people living in the Americas got smallpox, measles, typhus, and cholera. But, that is another post.)
It is difficult for some of us to think of life without tomatoes. They may be the most widely grown garden plants edible or otherwise. As my Aunt Dagmar was won't to say, "There are only two things that money can't buy. One is true love. The other is homegrown tomatoes."
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| Tomato Flower: photo by Cliff Hutson |
Monday, January 17, 2022
Looking Back: The Books of 2021
All the books that I finished reading in 2021:
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| Still-life with Book & Cat: photo by Cliff Hutson |
- "Your House Will Pay," Steph Cha
- "Next to Last Stand," Craig Johnson
- "50 Ways to Cook a Carrot," Peter Hertzmann
- "Are You There God? It's Me, Margarita," Tim Federle
- "What It's Like to Be a Bird," David Allen Sibley
- "The Ninth Inning," A.J. Stewart
- "Deacon King Kong," James McBride
- "Lords of the Fly," Monte Burke
- "Shakespeare in a Divided America," James Shapiro
- "Why We Sleep," Matthew Walker, PhD
- "The Zombie Survival Guide," Max Brooks
- "Nick: a Novel," Michael Farris Smith
- "City on the Edge of Forever," Peter Lunenfeld
- "The Day of the Locust," Nathanael West
- "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents," Isabel Wilkerson
- "Underland: A Deep Time Journey," Robert Macfarlane
- "Black, White, and The Grey," Mashama Bailey and John O. Morisano
- "An Indigenous People's History of the United States," Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
- "The Reindeer Chronicles," Judith D. Schwartz
- "Dirt: The Erosion of Civilization," David R. Montgomery
- "Past the Post," A.J. Stewart
- "Of Mutts and Men," Spencer Quinn
- "A Cat's Tale: A Journey Through Feline History," Baba the Cat as dictated to Paul Koudounaris
- "Project Hail Mary," Andy Weir
- "Chasing Darkness," Robert Crais
- "World Travel: an Irreverent Guide," Anthony Bourdain and Laurie Woolever
- "Animal, Vegetable, Junk," Mark Bittman
- "Deliverance," James Dickey
- "Tender is the Bite," Spencer Quinn
- "The House Without a Key," Earl Derr Biggers
- "Chinatown Beat," Henry Chang
- "Interior Chinatown," Charles Yu
- "The Chinese Parrot," Earl Derr Biggers
- "Red Earth, White Lies: Native Americans and the Myth of Science," Vine Deloria, Jr.
- "Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of an American Myth," Bryan Burrough, Chris Tomlinson, and Jason Stanford
- "Squeeze Me," Carl Hiaasen
- "The Age of Wood," Roland Ennos
- "How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe," Charles Yu
- "Clark and Division," Naomi Hirahara
- "The Botany of Gin," Chris Thorogood and Simon Hiscock
- "This Is Your Mind on Plants," Michael Pollan
- "Behind That Curtain," Earl Derr Biggers
- "The Black Camel," Earl Derr Biggers
- "Sorry Please Thank You," Charles Yu
- "Charlie Chan Carries On," Earl Derr Biggers
- "The Keeper of the Keys," Earl Derr Biggers
- "Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation," Michael Pollan
- "Diet for a Small Planet: 50th Anniversary Edition," Frances Moore Lappé
- "Every Tool's a Hammer," Adam Savage
- "Weapons of Math Destruction," Cathy O'Neil
- "It's a Wonderful Woof," Spencer Quinn
- "On Juneteenth," Annette Gordon-Reed
- "Sapiens," Yuval Noah Harari
- "Where the Deer and the Antelope Play," Nick Offerman
- "Good Clean Fun," Nick Offerman
- "On Animals," Susan Orlean
- "The Dark Hours," Michael Connelly
- "Coffee Lids," Louise Harpman and Scott Spect
- "Seven Brief Lessons on Physics," Carlo Rovelli
- "The New Yankee Workshop," Norm Abram
There you have it. I completed sixty books the second year of the pandemic. That total is fewer than I read in the previous year, but not too far off my average of 58 from 2015 through 2020 - give or take a book. However, it puts me well behind David Allen, who I like to measure myself against. However, I will register a protest in that fourteen of his were audio books, listened to while he was in his car. There are those amongst us that do not count that as actually reading. Be that as it may, here is my recap:
The Best:
There were a lot of excellent books in this lineup. Rather than pick just one I am going to divide them into two categories. The best in fiction (in this case hard science fiction) was "Project Hail Mary" by Andy Weir, author of "The Martian." As one of the main character's bosses says; in “When the alternative is death to your entire species, things are very easy. No moral dilemmas, no weighing what’s best for whom. Just a single-minded focus on getting this project working.” Advice that would be well heeded in our times. And, the problem solving that unfolds is a delight to follow.
The best in nonfiction is a close call. However, my pick is "Caste" by Isabel Wilkerson. The author examines the social divisions in American society, many of them generally unacknowledged but which have certainly affected my life, using comparisons with India and Nazi Germany. I may not be in 100% accord with her argument, but it is a very well written book.
A close runner up is "On Juneteenth."
The Most Disappointing:
A book I read back in the 1970s had a fairly big impact on my wife and myself. So, I was eager to pick it up again when I saw that a new edition was being released. What a let down!
The book is "Diet for a Small Planet: 50th Anniversary Edition" by Frances Moore Lappé . While it provides a new and "timely introduction plus new and updated plant-centered recipes" the bulk of it contains the same data from the original - which I see as scarcely relevant any longer. The author and her daughter, who is responsible for the new and revised recipes, should have just released a cookbook. The point of the book is still pertinent, but newer ones are better suited for the present day.
What Lies Ahead:
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| Tsundoku: photo by Cliff Hutson |
Self-fulfilling prophecy can be a thing, and I would hate to fall into that trap. But, 2020 may see me competing even fewer books. It is the middle of January and I have yet to finish one. Also, my tsundoku has a couple of heavy volumes in it (see above) and others on physics and philosophy which may be heavy going. So, we shall see.
Monday, November 1, 2021
Reading Log: October 2021
The books that I finished reading in October 2021:
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| October 2021 Books: photo by Cliff Hutson |
"The Keeper of the Keys," Earl Derr Biggers
"Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation," Michael Pollan
"It's a Wonderful Woof," Spencer Quinn
National Author’s Day
"The Author is a certain functional principle by which, in our culture, one limits, excludes and chooses: ... The author is therefore the ideological figure by which one marks the manner in which we fear the proliferation of meaning."
Día de los Muertos
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| Día de los Muertos: photo by Cliff Hutson |
Monday, September 20, 2021
National Fried Rice Day
National Fried Rice Day
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| Shrimp Fried Rice: photo by Cliff Hutson |
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| Spicy Shrimp Fried Rice: photo by Cliff Hutson |
Autumnal Equinox
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| Autumn Leaf: photo by Cliff Hutson |
While down here it will be weeks before the leaves actually turn, in 2021, the autumnal equinox—also called the September equinox or fall equinox—arrives on Wednesday, September 22. This date marks the start of Fall in the Northern Hemisphere.
After the autumnal equinox, the sun begins to rise later and nightfall comes sooner. This ends with the December solstice, when days start to grow longer and nights shorter.
Monday, May 10, 2021
National Shrimp Day
It's back!
Once again, May 10 is, among other things, National Shrimp Day.
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| Shrimp Cocktail: photo by Cliff Hutson |
Shrimp Facts
Type of Food: Seafood
Produced From: Decapod crustaceans
Total Calories: 99 (one serving, 99 grams)
Total Fat: 0.3 grams (one serving, 99 grams)
Total Protein: 24 grams (one serving, 99 grams)
Total Carbohydrates: 0.2 grams (one serving, 99 grams)
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| Shrimp Noodle Bowl: photo by Cliff Hutson |
Shrimp is also a good source of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, in addition to astaxanthin, which may have a variety of health benefits.
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| Fiesta Shrimp Bowl: photo by Cliff Huston |
Some say that shrimp is the most popular seafood in America; and seems to be a hit worldwide as well.
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| Shrimp Tacos: photo by Cliff Hutson |
Monday, May 3, 2021
Reading Log: April 2021
The books that I finished reading in April 2021
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| April 2021 Books: photo by Cliff Hutson |
"Underland: A Deep Time Journey," Robert Macfarlane
"An Indigenous People's History of the United States," Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
"The Reindeer Chronicles," Judith D. Schwartz
"Dirt: The Erosion of Civilization," David R. Montgomery
Monday, April 12, 2021
National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day
National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day
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| Grilled Cheese Sandwich: photo by Cliff Hutson |
April 12 has been set aside to observe National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day in the US of A. As this sandwich will go well with everything, soup, salad, corn chips, or what have you, why not go ahead and have one to mark the occasion?
Simplicity Itself
Really, all that is required for a classic grilled cheese is white bread, butter and Cheddar cheese slapped together and heated in a nonstick pan. (Although, as can be seen in the accompanying photos I am fond of using a grill pan.) Just proceed as follows:
- Spread one side of a slice of sandwich bread with butter
- Place bread buttered side down with cheese on top in skillet
- Butter the another slice of bread and place on sandwich buttered side up
- Cook until crisp and deep golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes per side
- Flip sandwich back to first side to re-heat, about 15 seconds
- Serve
Variations
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| Grilled Cheese with Tomato: photo by Cliff Hutson |
There are various ways to to add a little pizzazz to the basic sandwich. An easy one would be to use mayonnaise instead of butter to coat the bread. The bread can also be changed out, I like to use sourdough. And, an additional filling such as tomatoes, vegetables, or a meat can be a plus.
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| Grilled Jarlsberg & Turkey Sandwich: photo By Cliff Hutson |
Although, now that I think about it, my Grilled Jarlsberg & Turkey Sandwich could arguably be called a Turkey Melt instead of a grilled cheese.
Save the Date
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| Bologna Sandwich: photo by Cliff Hutson |
You should plan ahead to make a bologna sandwich for lunch on October 24 as it is National Bologna Day.
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