Country Greek from “The Last Schmaltz” is a Salad Comprised of
the Usual Ingredients Plus the Welcome Addition of Chickpeas
What is a nice Jewish boy from North York doing with a mini-empire of quirky restaurants in a gritty neighbourhood of downtown Toronto? Doing pretty well is the short answer.
It was May, 2004, during a glitzy dinner celebrating that year’s James Beard Awards at a mid-Manhattan hotel.
Gabriella Gershenson, at that time a fledgling food writer living in New York, was seated next to me. I discovered that I and this soft-spoken young woman with thick, wavy black hair and a winning smile were kindred souls.
This recipe is from the excellent cookbook ‘AT HOME with LYNN CRAWFORD’.
When I was interviewing well-known Canadian chef Lynn Crawford for a podcast, we chatted about our long friendship, her TV career, our joint project that raised $40,000 for a new kitchen at Toronto homeless shelter for women – and what we like to cook at home.
This article by me appeared in the Toronto Star after I interviewed Linda McCartney in Toronto in October, 1991 about her vegetarian cookbook “Home Cooking”. Sadly, she died too young from breast cancer in 1998 at the age of 56.
In real life, Linda McCartney is nothing like the stilted photo that graces her cookbook.
In Memoriam: Anthony Bourdain – an inspiration to me and the huge number of devotees who followed his ground-breaking, intrepid and wondrous work – committed suicide while filming an episode of Parts Unknown in France on June 8, 2018. He was one of a kind. RIP dear friend.
My creamy old-fashioned potato salad uses pickle juice
This feature appeared in the Toronto Star in 1996. My favourite version is the first one.
“Potato salad: A cold or hot side dish made with potatoes, mayonnaise and seasonings. It became very popular in the second half of the nineteenth century and is a staple of both home and food-store kitchens.” — John Mariani: The Dictionary of American Food and Drink
Tomato Tart from ‘Au Pied de Cochon’ Cookbook by Martin Picard
Martin Picard and Friends at his Quebec Sugar Shack
I have never met Montreal chef and reputed wild man Martin Picard – but I feel I know him.
Grilled zucchini with the Dirt Candy cookbook’s Yellow Tomato Coconut Curry Sauce
Amanda Cohen was born and raised in Canada. Some years ago, she went to study in New York and has made that city her home ever since. These days, she has good reason to stay; her famous Dirt Candy eatery – what she calls a “vegetable restaurant” – located on the Lower East Side, is a huge hit.
I cut veggies in big chunks for this great summer or fall dish – a perfect marriage of taste and texture.
“The secret of a good ratatouille is to cook the vegetables separately so each will taste truly of itself.” — Joel Robuchon
I relish these wise words from one of the most renowned chefs in the world. And I humbly endorse them.
Chef David Garcelon and his Waldorf Salad
NEW YORK — Pinch me!
I’m on the 18th floor of the famous Waldorf Astoria in midtown Manhattan standing beside the hotel’s executive chef David Garcelon while he makes a Waldorf Salad. (You can listen to my conversation with David here.)
