Author: Ben Starr
-
The 5 Cookbooks I Can’t Live Without
I often get asked which cookbooks are my favorite, so I figured some of you would enjoy a blog about it. I have a LOT of cookbooks. Most of them are specific to making a particular type of product. I have lots of books on making cheese. Making wine. Curing meats. Canning and preserving. The…
-
A BETTER way to roast Hatch green chiles
Yesterday I posted this photo of Hatch green chiles flame roasting in my backyard. A number of folks were VERY concerned about the chiles in the center, which are completely black. But those chiles look that way intentionally. Allow me to explain. Some chiles have such a thick skin that they need to be peeled…
-
Josh Marks: In Memoriam
For those of you who don’t know, Josh Marks, runner up from MasterChef season 3, died last week at his own hands. This tragedy is too awful to process, even for those of us who didn’t know Josh. I cannot imagine what his family is experiencing. I haven’t addressed this issue earlier for several reasons. …
-
Burning Man 2013: Part 1
And now it’s time…the main event. Burning Man. This was my 5th “Burn” and the more often I get asked, “What is Burning Man?” the more at a loss for words I am. When you ask that question to one of the 65,000+ “Burners,” you’ll get 65,000+ different answers. “It’s an art festival.” “It’s the…
-
Crispy Fish Tacos
I’ve had quite a number of requests for the recipe for fish tacos that I served as my “signature dish” on MasterChef. It’s certainly not my signature dish, but it’s one of the only things I make that could be made in an hour, so that’s what I made! Fish tacos are one of the…
-
“Ambassador Hotel” Black Bottom Pie
The “black bottom pie” is an ancient staple of Southern home cooking…most often found at church potlucks, family reunions, and Sunday suppers. It’s not common in home kitchens these days, but a unique institution in Los Angeles, of all places, gave this regional favorite a solid spot on the national dessert roster. The Ambassador hotel…