Food and Recipes
SHORT ORDERS
Cooking challenge (Updated: 11/20/09 6:54 AM )
P. F. Chang’s Bistro: Good deals, lots of ambience
Chinese food goes sexy. And successful. P. F. Chang’s China Bistro has been packing them in for about a month now in the Walden Galleria’s ultra-eating section (as opposed to the food court — it’s definitely not the food court). The Scottsdale, Ariz.,-based chain features what is basically a menu of standard favorites, but they are presented with panache. (Updated: 11/20/09 10:56 AM )
Mythos: Classy and cheap
I have a confession to make: The decor at Mythos frightened me a little. I am used to Greek restaurants where the decor is an old photo of the Parthenon. In Mythos, the art is large, historic-looking sketches accenting the dark wood. It has been my experience that more upscale decor can hike the price of a meal a buck or two for each plate, but in Mythos, my fears were unfounded. The portions were large, the prices were good, and everything was delicious. (Updated: 11/20/09 9:00 AM )
Beyond butternut
Can you say kabocha? It’s high time for winter squash, and there’s a cornucopia of eye-catching varieties at grocery stores and farmers markets. (Updated: 11/18/09 7:29 AM )
More wineries focus on going green
Rodney Strong Wine Estates announced last month that it is now “carbon neutral.” The Sonoma County winery joins several in California, South America and New Zealand that, through conservation and investment in clean energy (by buying carbon credits), have reduced their carbon emissions enough to essentially zero out their contribution to greenhouse gases. (Updated: 11/18/09 7:29 AM )
Olives punch up pasta dish
The first Middle Eastern oil boom wasn’t based on petroleum. It was fueled by olives. Neolithic people were plucking the bitter fruit of the wild oleaster tree some 10,000 years ago, and by 3000 B. C., the tree was cultivated, probably in Palestine or Syria. (Updated: 11/18/09 7:29 AM )
Holy guacamole! Fajitas are easy
Southwestern fajitas filled with meat and colorful vegetables make a delicious, light meal. They’re fun to eat and easy to serve. (Updated: 11/18/09 7:29 AM )
Bon Appetit rolls with the changes
Barbara Fairchild joined Bon Appetit in 1978 as an editorial assistant typing (yes, on a typewriter) recipes. Today, she runs the magazine, and with the closure of Gourmet last month, has become one of the most watched women in food publishing. (Updated: 11/18/09 7:29 AM )
Cook’s day off: Make these Thanksgiving dishes ahead of time
Before Paul Schultz’s friends come over to his Sloan home for Thanksgiving dinner, some of them skip meals. (Updated: 11/18/09 9:30 AM )
Former hair stylist finds success running Tastings Cafe at the Burchfield Penney
Maria Kahn dreamed for years about opening her own place. When she got a chance to stop being a hairstylist and run the Burchfield Penney Art Center’s cafe, she expected restaurateur headaches: staffing, taxes and workers’ comp. (Updated: 11/18/09 9:23 AM )
Make quick meals before the week’s centerpiece dinner
Family Sunday (Updated: 11/18/09 8:51 AM )
SHORT ORDERS
Watch and eat (Updated: 11/13/09 6:46 AM )
Friar’s Table: A place where beef is king
“Specializing in Steak & Seafood,” the menu says. And that’s what I think you should keep in mind while dining at the venerable Friar’s Table, which has undergone a change in ownership during the last year. This is a big place, cozily decorated — several rooms, nice lighting, pictures of jolly old friars living it up here and there. (Updated: 11/13/09 5:05 PM )
Luigi’s: Tasty soups, salads and dinners
Luigi’s is known for its pizza and wings, but it is also doing some pretty amazing things with dinners, soups, salads and other choices. Many dinners are a few bucks beyond cheap eats prices, but John, Pat, John and I found plentiful pickings within our budget. We got an excellent meal with exceptional ingredients at a reasonable price. (Updated: 11/13/09 5:05 PM )
Pastrami swami
When David Sax set out to write a book on the death of the delicatessen, he already had the ending worked out: A world without pastrami on rye was at hand. (Updated: 11/11/09 10:57 AM )