Men, that day is upon us.  Valentine’s Day. You’ve decided to cast aside the idea of making a reservation someplace nice and decided to charge ahead on your own, facing the task of putting together a dinner for the love in your life.  Fine.  I applaud your choice.  It’s probably a sound idea given the fact that Valentine’s Day is the second busiest day in the fine dining business next to Mother’s Day (let’s not go there) and overworked service staff and kitchen volume can surely sour the fare.  But this choice you’ve made is not something to be trifled with, in fact, let me speak plainly.   …

Next to art galleries, wine retail sections are probably the one place where you most often hear the words, “I don’t know much, but I know what I like….” Yes, it’s a shame that more people don’t cultivate a sense of adventure in the world of wine.  Most teeter cautiously in the wine aisles like weak-muscled fawns, wondering at labels and grape varieties, terrified to even whisper the depths of their bewilderment.  Of course lack of education in anything leads to intimidation and prejudice, and all too often forces people into settling for safe bets (or worse) the word of someone who has the …

If you have the scars from laboring under the discipline of chefs who are raging perfectionists and who worship at the altar of Escoffier, you are also burdened with the knowledge that good food and its preparation engages not only all of the senses but your intelligence as well.  Sure, I’ve been called a peevish sort in this regard, chiding those who tout their culinary accomplishments while tripping over basic form and technique.   Former chefs and serious gourmands are like that.  But what really sears off my chops nowadays is the simple abuse of language when selling food.  Not that I’m …

Pots and pans: a subject most find about as sexy as, well, pots and pans.   And yet selection of these essential kitchen tools often bewilders people.   No more.  It's time to empower your purchasing knowledge.  Let's start off by zeroing in on a couple of lazy fish lapping the slats of the pickle barrel. Do you really need every single pan on the planet?  Of course not.  Most cooks operate out of four or five essential pans, and I would hazard to guess that out of those four or five, two get more use above all others.  When you're outfitting your kitchen a good rule is to select only the …