Ceramic Canvas

No doubt that many of you reading this entry will be very disappointed with the content. It’s all about cocottes. Evidently, the French word cocotte has two meanings. There’s the culinary definition – an individual serving sized dish of baked eggs and cream. And then there’s the other meaning referring to – well, you know – ladies of the evening.

So, if you’ve landed here via a Google search with hopes of photos and info on the red light district cocottes, sorry, this post is all about eggs. But if you’re here for the edible cocotte (I’ll restrain myself and not make an off-color joke here) then boy-oh-boy, do I have a dish for you. Read the rest of this entry →

Sometimes you just gotta take matters into your own hands.

So far, 2010 is shaping up to be a very good year. Well, with the exception of one very scary close call.

Recently, I went out to dinner with a few good friends at one of my favorite Chinese restaurants. It was a great meal. But to me the best part of going to a Chinese restaurant is the fortune cookie at the end of dinner. Each of my friends took turns reading our fortunes out loud. It’s a contest on who has the silliest and most vague fortune of the group.

It’s usually a fun exercise. As we went around the table reading the fortunes out loud we came across the typical forecasts about future wealth and good times ahead. And then it was my turn. I was puzzled by my message, “You already know what lies ahead. Face it with strength.” I looked up at my friends with shock across my face, “Huh? What the hell is this?” I mean, that didn’t sound good. Read the rest of this entry →

I’ve gone completely mad over the TV series Mad Man. The plot. The characters. The costumes.

In my pretend world I’m the lead character, Don Drapper – tall, handsome, cool, always in control.

I my reality world…well, let’s just say I’m no Don Drapper. The character is dripping with that cool 1950’s retro style that doesn’t come natural to me. Not that I haven’t tried.

Drapper wears skinny ties…I went out and got myself some skinny ties. Drapper drinks Scotch. I drink Scotch. Drapper lives in Westchester, NY. I lived there for a number of years. Drapper wears that cool brimmed dress hat…I found a similar one (actually, my hat is from Target. Don’t laugh).

I realized while standing in front of a full length mirror wearing my new treads that I didn’t look like Don Drapper at all. I looked liked I was going to a custom party. That’s when I also realized that some retro trends should just stay in the past. But there are exceptions. Take this dessert for instance: Clementine & Ginger Gelatin. Read the rest of this entry →

I can’t tell you how excited I am to share this recipe with you. It’s rich, deep and lush.

But this recipe comes with a shocking surprise. The twist is not the dessert but the source of the recipe.

This dessert is brought to you by… (insert dramatic pause here) …GQ magazine! Yeap, that GQ magazine, magazine.

I’ve read GQ for decades and have never thought twice about checking out the pub’s food/recipe section. I mean, it’s GQ after all. I turn to GQ for style trends. Such as, if I want advice on pleated vs. flat front trousers (evidently, for men, always flat) or if I should cuff the bottom of my suit pants (supposedly no cuffs are more contemporary). But GQ for recipes? This would have never crossed my mind. Read the rest of this entry →

Wait!!! Don’t hit the “X” button on your screen.

You might be thinking, “A soup made out of nuts? No thanks. I’ll pass.”

But it’s actually a very delicious dish. Let me explain.

I was flipping through a back issue of the magazine, Metropolitan Home, when I came across a recipe for chestnut soup. Hmmmmmm. I was intrigued. I’d never heard of a soup made out of nuts before (keep in mind that I’m originally from Alabama, so, anything not deep fried is pretty exotic to me).

What would it taste like? Being a pureed nut soup, would the final product be grainy or smooth? I went through this deliberation process, but honestly because I love trying new dishes, I had pretty much already made up my mind to give this soup a try. Read the rest of this entry →

I flunked out of my rehab program and I’m proud of it.

A few weeks back I made my big declaration on these pages about how I was only going to cook with seasonal, locally grown autumnal produce. Summer was over, I reasoned, and I needed to accept it. Thus, I set out on a mission to rehabilitate my need for non local and seasonal produce. Well, fast forward to last week. I wake up and its cold and the ground is covered with snow.

I’m forced to spend hours, braving sub-zero temperatures, trying my best to free my driveway from a one foot sheet of ice. Ok, technically, it wasn’t sub-zero temperatures…it was 24 but that’s still cold.

So, I don’t care what I said about appreciating all seasons and the bounty of fall. That was crazy talk. I want summer back…now. I want the sun. I want the green grass. I want the bright baby blue skies.

I don’t even mind having to witness tourists strutting around beaches wearing Speedos. On that note, unless you’re in Europe or on an Olympic swim team, it’s questionable whether any man should wear Speedos in public. And yes, Matthew McConaughey, I’m talking to you. Read the rest of this entry →

I was having serious doubts about this one…it just seemed too good to be true.

While watching television a while back, I came across a recipe for Homemade Goat’s Cheese. I was instantly torn between two states of mind. First, I was excited. Was it possible that I could actually make my own goat’s cheese at home? I sat shocked as I watched the recipe being demonstrated, “Wow! That’s so cool.”

Then came the cynicism. “Hmmm…but it looks too good to be true. I bet it tastes crappy.” I mean, if it was so good how come I had never heard of it before. Despite my doubts, I was motivated. It seemed so easy, so simple that I figured the recipe would be worth the effort even if it flopped. Read the rest of this entry →

I’ve never worked with phyllo dough before. I’ve never really been inspired to do so. But last week inspiration hit me like a ton of phyllo bricks.

I was watching Vefa Alexiadou demonstrate a Milk Pie recipe from her cookbook, Vefa’s Kitchen. I’ve been eyeing the book for some time but have always passed on getting it. I’m not quite sure why I’ve been holding out. I guess it’s because Greek Cooking has always been, well, ‘Greek to me.’ – get it? I couldn’t resist.

Watching Vefa, I decided that the time was now and that her encyclopedic 702 paged, Greek Cooking 101 manual, was the best place to get my feet wet.

What brought about this sudden change of heart? Her Milk Pie recipe (renamed Phyllo Custard Pie). I was intrigued. What’s not to like – heavily buttered, crispy, paper thin phyllo dough baked in a vanilla egg custard. Read the rest of this entry →

First let me say that this post breaks Rule #1 at the Ceramic Canvas: No personal/non-food related entries.

But today is going to be that rare exception to the rule. It’s been a while since I’ve posted a recipe and I thought I would share with you the reason.

After a few weeks of declining health, this weekend my cat Lapka died at the age of seventeen. I have to admit I was never much of a cat person before but in the thirteen years that she was in my life, she managed to worm her away into my heart.

When I first met Lapka (pronounced Wap-ka. It’s Polish, her birthplace, for ‘little paw’), she was already 3 years-old and we weren’t fast friends. At that time, Jonathan and I had just met and I don’t think she was too happy to share his attention with someone else.

If I sat on the couch next to her, she’d get up and walk away. If I was eating and she whined for a bite, I would taunt her by slowly eating it within her site and not share. Am I proud of this tit-for-tat grudge match that I, a grown man, was having with a cat? No, it wasn’t my most mature moment but as my 7 year-old cousin would say, “She started it!”

Read the rest of this entry →

I’m happy to report that rehab is going well. Actually, it’s safe to say, “Rehab rocks!!!”

If you read the last post for Pumpkin Pie Granola Bars, you know I’m on a self created and monitored seasonal rehab program to wean myself off of my addiction to summer. I’ve thrown myself into autumn: the crisp days, the fashion and more importantly, the hearty produce.

How am I doing? As far as the crisp days, I’m enjoying my morning runs even more. Fashion wise? Last weekend, I picked up an awesome winter white jacket and a pair of winter suede loafers (‘winter suede?’ yes, I fell for this ridiculous marketing gimmick. What can I say? They were on sale).

And in terms of food, I’ve been cheffing up a variety of seasonal recipes that have really given me inspiration. Read the rest of this entry →