cooking

When I see a recipe repeatedly I sometimes feel compelled to give it a try. Salted Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies from Danielle Oron's Modern Israeli Cooking is one of those recipes. It was published in the New York Times a little over a year ago, then Food52 got in on the act and reprinted it as well.  Just recently David Lebovitz published his version of the recipe, which he had adapted and then raved that they were "some of the best chocolate chip cookies to ever come out of my oven." His goal was to make the cookies a bit more chewy and to increase the chocolate. Those are goals I thoroughly support. While I pretty much used his recipe, I took it a bit further. Instead of using one half cup of light brown sugar in place of one half cup of white sugar as he did, I used one half cup dark brown sugar. I also increased the chocolate. While Lebovitz uses chocolate chunks, I used chocolate chips and the whole bag, why not? It�s 12 ounces and 340 grams of semisweet...

I have made many versions of shrimp and feta over the years and maybe you have too. Sweet shrimp and salty feta is such a great combination and while you really don�t need a recipe to make it, this one is a particular favorite. I�ve simplified the steps�no need to saute and bake as many recipes require. The recipe also uses mostly pantry staples. Keep some good quality shrimp in the freezer and with just two purchases�feta and a fennel bulb, you can make this dish in no time flat. Speaking of shrimp, the gorgeous shrimp I used for this dish came from the American Shrimp Company an online retailer of wild caught American shrimp. They are mostly sourced out of the Gulf and Southern Atlantic. If you purchase them online, they arrive in perfect condition, fresh and ready to use. I used half the shrimp I received right away and the other half I froze to use later. I am a strong believer in using the best quality ingredients you can afford, especially when it comes to seafood. Americ...

If you�re looking for something fun to do this upcoming holiday weekend, I have a suggestion. Chang beer , one of the leading beers in Thailand is sponsoring Chang Sensory Trails , a free un-ticketed festival in San Francisco that focuses on Thai food, art, music and of course, plenty of beer. The festival has taken place in Los Angeles, London and Singapore and is coming to San Francisco for the first time this year. It�s taking place on Saturday May 27th 2017 from noon until 10 pm at Fort Mason Center�s Festival Pavilion.  But even if you won't be able to make it to the festival, I think you will find it interesting to learn a little bit more about Thai food from Chef Duangporn Songvisava, or �Bo� as she�s more commonly known. She was chosen Asia�s Best Female Chef 2013 and runs the Bangkok restaurant Bo.Lan with her husband Chef Dylan Jones (it's ranked 19 on the list of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2017). Chef Bo along with Chef Dylan helped to curate the food for t...

Do you know a chef who is making a difference? The Basque Culinary World Prize is a competition not based on the typical achievements of the kitchen and dining room, but on  a �transformative project� in gastronomy that has had a positive impact on society. This could be through culinary innovation, a commitment to social responsibility, sustainability or the economic development of their community. Nominees for the prize must have a background as a professional chef though they don�t currently need to be a chef and they can be from anywhere in the world.  The winner will receive �100,000 to devote to a social project of their choice that demonstrates the wider role of the chef in society. Credit: Cassie Borreson   Back in March I attended an event with Dominique Crenn and Joxe Mari Aizega, the Head of the Basque Culinary Center , the host of the competition, to kick off the nominations in the US. They both emphasized the importance of setting a positive exa...

It�s not uncommon for restaurants and or chefs to come to Honolulu from Japan and set up shop. This phenomenon leads to a particularly exciting Japanese food scene. Here are my top picks of recently opened Japanese restaurants in Honolulu, direct from Japan, from my most recent visit. Located on Kapahulu and tucked away on the second floor of an office complex this hidden treasure is insanely popular after being open just a few months. And for good reason.  Tamafuji Tonkatsu is an import from Sapporo and everyone is talking about it. A local friend told me I must order the shrimp, the oysters and the pork. All are prepared in the tonkatsu style, meaning breaded and fried until shatteringly crisp on the outside yet gushing with juiciness on the inside. It�s a simple formula. You pick one of three different kinds of rice, grind some sesame seeds in your bowl and add sauce to taste. There is unlimited shredded cabbage and some jars with Japanese pickles on the table. But oh, ...