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In the 1980s, pasta salads were all the rage. It seemed every Italian restaurant in the country offered one or more of them. Many non-Italian restaurants also responded to the trend. Even at Spago, we featured a deluxe pasta salad with poached lobster. |
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For many people, the end of this week is one of the most eagerly anticipated times of the year. It's Memorial Day Weekend, the beginning of summer in most of our minds. And, for auto racing fans, including myself, there's the annual Indianapolis 500 on Sunday. |
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Soon after I opened my first Spago restaurant back in 1982, I was asked to speak to a group of beef producers at a conference in Palm Springs. The invitation was flattering, and I accepted, of course. But, as I told my hosts a little bit sheepishly (and there is an intended pun, as you'll very soon understand), I wasn't sure why they'd invited me. After all, the only meat on Spago's menu at the time was lamb. |
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One of the ways you know that you've given the perfect gift is when the person who receives it wants to enjoy it again and again. By that definition, pound cake is an ideal treat for you to prepare for your mom, or your children's mom, this Mother's Day (May 11). |
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I've always been delighted by the mixture of cultures in America, not least because of the opportunities they offer to taste the foods of many lands without traveling far from home. In the Los Angeles area alone, I enjoy world-class Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean, Mexican, Cuban, Italian, Russian and French food, just to name a few. And, of course, I can't forget all the many kinds of American cooking, or my own Austrian specialties that I sprinkle onto the menu at Spago. |
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Cheesecake's power never ceases to amaze me. Ask someone if they'd like dessert and they might say "No" or "Yes." Tell them that it's cheesecake, though, and any negative responses usually become positives. |
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Next Tuesday, April 22, is Earth Day, an annual international event that, since 1970, has promoted awareness of our environment and the positive impact each of us can have on it if we try. |
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One of my favorite surprises as a chef, and also as someone who loves delicious, beautifully cooked food, has been the growing popularity of Asian cuisines over the past three-plus decades that I have lived in America. When I first arrived here, Asian cooking almost always meant Chinese food, though a few adventurous souls tried Japanese sushi - imagine how daring it felt back then to eat raw fish - and many more enjoyed that nation's popular cooked preparations like teriyaki and sukiyaki. |
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