Posted By bbinns on February 15, 2011
When I was writing Joachim Splichal’s cookbook (Patina: Spuds, Truffles, and Wild Gnocchi), that highly-respected chef gave me a short, one-sentence piece of advice that permanently removed any fear of stirring. However, I know that, for home cooks, risotto ranks right up there with souffle in the “I can’t do it!” realm. Here’s what Splichal […]
Posted By bbinns on May 13, 2010
Friends, Romaines, Countrymen: lend me your mouths. We come to eat Caesar not to bury it. And Caesar is an honorable salad. Let us stop and consider the rich history—the provenance, if you will—of that crispy-creamy-salty tumble of leaves that is so beloved of restaurant-goers of all ages: the Caesar. On second thought, let’s forget […]
Posted By bbinns on April 26, 2010
I looked down at the proudly offered plate, and everything on it was white. Poached chicken, boiled potatoes, and something called “cauliflower-cheese.” It was my first-ever dinner in England, and who could have imagined that 24 hours later, I’d meet the man who would become my first husband.
Posted By bbinns on December 28, 2009
(Part One.) It’s worth noting, as we wend our way toward a new decade (new decade? What the Hell happened? You have a glass of wine and a few olives and all of a sudden it’s been ten years since the millennium!), that there are many versions of the American Dream. Often, the rags-to-riches model […]
Posted By bbinns on November 29, 2009
I’ve never required much motivation to hop into the car and drive toward wine, food, and fire. But when the lure includes soft, rolling hills bristling with closely-ranked vines, olive trees waving silvery foliage, and lavender puffs busy with visiting bees—why, then, I’m like a randy tom-cat with one simple agenda. Even after five years, […]
Posted By bbinns on November 23, 2009
In case anyone has a doubt about this, I’ll just go on record and say that a two-month separation is not good for any couple. One month apart, or a couple of weeks, can be invigorating. Any longer, and the culture of the partnership begins to sound and feel different. Having said that, we had […]
Posted By bbinns on October 17, 2009
Brentwood, California Twenty-four hours before arriving in Los Angeles I landed a book deal—welcome indeed, but brutal in its timeline. (Hey—be careful what you ask for, and when.) As soon as I calculated the number of recipes into the days remaining before deadline, unpacking the trusty, insect-flecked Toyota took a backseat to a trip to […]
Posted By bbinns on September 28, 2009
Green Valley, Utah to Las Vegas: 410 miles. Three states: Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. Stella and I are up early because, although it may be a perfect morning, this day promises to be a scorcher; in spite of the costly last-minute repairs, I have little faith in the air-conditioning of the trusty but about-to-cross-115,000-mile car. […]
Posted By bbinns on September 26, 2009
Paxton, NE to Denver: 291 miles. Two states: Nebraska and Colorado. and Denver to Green River, Utah: 346 miles. Two states: Colorado and Utah. The news from Los Angeles is not good, and I must brush aside the thinly-veiled pretense that this is a pleasure trip. My goal is to get across the country as […]
Posted By bbinns on September 24, 2009
Plans change. That’s the beauty of driving. Instead of laying my weary head down in Des Moines and Kearney, NE the last two nights, as planned, Stella and I bunked down in Council Bluffs, and then Paxton. There were various reasons for the change of plan (which necessitated several on-the-fly reservation changes); one of them […]
