Brined 
Canned 
Confit 
fermented 
Infused 
Pickled Plum Liqueur
So, plum liqueur. I know, we just made cherry bounce. Why more booze? What gives? Do we have a problem? Well, yes. We have many problems. Who doesn’t? But this is a food blog, and we’re discussing the steeping of fruits in alcohol, not our various woes. Why so many?…
Grilled Peppers
Lulu scorns the barbaric habit of turning peppers over a gas flame to blister the skins and holding them beneath running water to rub the skins off. Richard Olney, Lulu’s Provençal Table Since discovering roasted peppers–and realizing how easy it is to prepare them–I’ve gotten addicted. Sometimes I just roast…
Cherry Bounce
As Memorial Day draws nigh, I may be the only American blogger who isn’t discussing grilling, dining al fresco, or nattering on about the joys of summertime eating. Not that there’s anything wrong with grilling or the foods of summer. But if you’re hankering for yet another rib recipe, or…
Eugenia’s Baked Cherry Jam
Tell people you preserve food–specifically, can it–and get a mixed response. People never know how to react to this information. Are you an adherent of some strange religion? Do you belong to a cult awaiting the end of days? Does a trapdoor in your yard lead to a bunker stocked with glittering…
On Canning
A few words on safe canning practices might be useful as we move into spring. Today’s post is an overview, as a comprehensive lesson would be overwhelmingly long. As it is, this post is already too long. Sorry for that. But I had a post on cherry jam all ready to go,…
Tea-Smoked Salmon
Cookbooks are full of suggestions for the smokerless (nonsmokers?). These range from relatively low-tech tinfoil and rice setups to some outright alarming suggestions. I have a book whose directions for a home-built smoker include words like “hinges,” “flexible aluminium tubing,” and “battens.” When you’re to a word like “battens,” I…
Garlic Cloves Pickled in Miso
He took one of the Excedrins from the counter, regarded it for a moment, then put it into his mouth and began to chew it, slowly and with relish. The taste flooded back like memory, making his saliva squirt in mingled pleasure and unhappiness. A dry, bitter taste, but a…
Artichoke Caponata
It is weird to admit you miss people you’ve never met, but I do. That chef Judy Rodgers no longer walks the earth frequently pains me. Fortunately, she left us with a single, perfect work, the Zuni Café Cookbook. The Zuni Café Cookbook, together with Paula Wolfert’s The Cooking Of…
Easy Scallion Kimchee
Loyal readers–thank you, by the way, how amazing to even write those words–may have noted my fondness for fiery foods, a preference John doesn’t entirely share. Moderately spicy foods are okay with him, but when I dig into the Chinese hot mustard, peppers scoring off the Scoville charts, and dishes…
Corned Beef Brisket After Jane Grigson
Before discussing today’s recipe, it is only fair to touch on the last post, wherein I ranted and raved about my failed attempt to enroll in an identity theft protection program. This was occasioned by the hacking of my former employer’s antiquated computer system. Alas, attempts to protect my identity…