Fried things: ...splattering oil, too soggy or too overcooked, etc etc...never got it right, fortunately I don’t eat much fried food anymore so if I were to indulge I would go out for something like that.

’t jump all over the place. Background: wife is a “native,” as is her mother, who was traveling with us. Wife’s family mostly still lives in NOLA, or its environs. Everyone loves good food, though most are not the “food-geeks,”...

" special, and the owner is a wonderfully sweet and charming man. Next time you’re in the area, you might want to check it out. Prices are good, given the quality of the food. (probably $10-15 per entree) 1116 Madison St Oak...

and capers. Or Italian ham. Most bottled sauces are far too sweet, way too much sugar or sodium to make up for the lack of flavor. I pay the price for quality in this case. There are other good sauces at Whole Foods. I splurge...

brined for the first time a hit! BUT, getting it into a container was rough LOL The food was great, very traditional this year. Pie from scratch, extra buttery crust, yum Backed up kitchen sink, having to do dishes in the...

Hung Ky did such a nice job an the pho ga (and brought memories of my mom’s cooking back to me), that I returned the next day w/ the sole mission of trying their chicken porridge, the ultimate mommy food. Nooodles had...

a peep. restaurants will take infinite pains with decor and then serve you food so bad but with such confidence you wonder if your senses have left you. thisis the one area where sarcasm doesn’t get you anywhere: the brits,...

A 12" skillet is a necessity. Check out today’s LA Times Food section for reviews of a bunch of them.

My daughter just asked me to suggest a good cookbook for a beginner like herself who loves good food but is an inexperienced cook. She and her husband, both busy professionals with two children, have been working hard to keep a...

them (or use them since he rarely cooks). We call them the heirloom spices. I buy most of my spices from our local food coop and only get what I need for the next 3-4 months. That keps them fresh.

It seems to me that most of the bitterness is right under the peel and in the seeds, but I’ve not done any thorough studies of it, so I could just be wasting food. :( How to explain what I mean... the bitter melons I buy...

I used canned whole tomatoes, but did break them up with a wooden spoon. Just adding that this is the Basic Tomato Sauce in all three books (Molto Italiano p. 71, Babbo p. 220, Simple Italian Food, p. 84). Ingredients are extra...

Why is using multiple languages snobbish? Seems a very xenophobic North American attitude. Being able to use words from other languages to name foods is useful and interesting, especially when the food in question is inspired by...

it but I found the homemadeness entirely likable. This is the kind of food that has to be eaten hot, and everything I had was an argument for freshly made hot corn tortillas. (I have to admit if it comes from a package, I’d...

?" Yes, it really was. I don’t know how she prepped the rest of the dinner without a sharp knife. When I suggested a good place to sharpen them she said "Nah, those are just decorative." Then there’s my other...