Eating: A Memoir

A cooking adventure at home: Beef Empanadas

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I was heartsick from lack of travel during this seemingly endless pandemic until I realized that all the culinary adventure I need is right at home in Todos Santos, Baja California Sur. Join me as I share in the Ruiz family tradition of empanada night, where the family recipe includes teamwork, lots of muscle, and patience. The end result is something you simply cannot find any where else.

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A Potato Sandwich, Please.

Potatoes are treasured the world over, thanks to a few brave explorers who took to the tubers in the 16th Century. Yet, no where is the spud more revered than in Spain where the tortilla de patatas reigns supreme.
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The Joy of Receiving the Joy of Cooking

Since a well-used 1967 printing of the Joy of Cooking came into my life, am a flush with food trivia and am pleased to report that Depression-era Americans were already self-soothing with tacos.
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Pasillo de Humo: Oaxaca in Condesa

Pasillo de Humo is 3-story property in the Condesa neighborhood of Mexico City. Chef Alam Mendes Florian sets the Oaxacan table with simple presentations that delight with uncommon aromas and tastes.
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A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

I endured a 5-hour round trip through the quagmire of Orange County, California, to eat at the unorthodox steakhouse of Chef Katuji Tanabe and it was worth every rush-hour minute trapped in my car.
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Within the Stone Walls of Limosneros

Limosneros offers a space that lulls you in, piques your interest, and then places you safely into the skilled hands of Argentinian Chef Marcos Fulcheri and Mexican Chef Carlo Meléndez.
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48 Hours in Portugalete

I tumbled down a rabbit hole into a magical Basque land of festivities, gastronomic treasures, and kindred spirits on the bank of the estuary of Bilbao.
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Chef Chats

Recipes

Essentials • Small Bites • Soups/Stews • Salads • Entrees • Sauces • Desserts • Beverages • All Recipes

Creamy Lime Pasta Salad with Seared Salmon

To call this a "salad" is selling the dish short. Chef Jose Luis Uribe served this filling but refreshing salad to the power-lunch crowd in Mexico City. It is a perfect balance of flavorful and satisfying vegetables, carbs, and protein.
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Hazelnut Lava Cakes

You will not forget your first time in the ring with this dessert. Forget about commonplace dark oozing towers of death by chocolate. This hazelnut lava cake delivers a decisive knock-out blow using its element of surprise. Golden brown, nutty, buttery, moist perfection. Vanilla ice cream completes the 1-2 punch.
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Gazpacho (Andalucian Style)

In the south most tip of Spain, summer is marked by a smooth but tangy cold soup made with fresh raw vegetables. Bread and oil produce a treat that is both rich and refreshing.
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3 Keys to Success

Workplan

Eliminate facepalm moments that discourage even seasoned cooks by learning to make a fail-proof workplan.

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Tips

Learn professional tricks of the trade that are game changing to the success and happiness of a home cook.

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Lingo

Stumped by kitchen speak, technical jargon and foreign cuisine? Master the lingo and mystify your dinner guests.

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