I definitely need art in my life to thrive. And I need non-art work, too. This is nothing new for anyone, I suspect. But I'm happy to be at the point where my weekend pursuits, in food, are both satisfying work and hella artful. Three Sisters Lentils, Mint Creek pork shoulder, Genesis squash and onions, … Continue reading One’s work and one’s art
Food
The past few months in photos, minus all the computers
Afraid to cook? You shouldn’t be.
Broccoli in a wok. The key to the wok is crazy, crazy, jet-engine heat. But don't worry about that for now. (Creative commons photo from Flickr's anotherpintplease) I recently heard someone say they did well following strict recipes—baking, for example—but that spontaneous cooking, without an exact recipe, frightened them. Maybe they tried it before and … Continue reading Afraid to cook? You shouldn’t be.
The James Beard House
...Just proof that I cooked in the kitchen of the late James Beard. Thanks to Monica Wang for the use of the photo. My Chef Edward Kim is to the right. (My left.)
Leftovers brunch
This was last week's impromptu brunch for four at my house, when the roommate arrived with some farmer's market goodies and I paired it with the junk collecting in our fridge. My favorite dish? So simple: Scrambled eggs, green onions, chevre, and the Vietnamese chili oil naam prik pao. But the mushroom sautee with wilted … Continue reading Leftovers brunch
Scandinavian music, riding in the rain, and restaurants
While not much has happened here recently, the same can't be said for my non-digital life. To wit, a list. Been listening to more and more tunes from northwestern Europe. Soaring digitals and orchestration coupled with a hint of nihilism? Count me in. Visited a couple times at FreeGeek Chicago. Getting to know some of the … Continue reading Scandinavian music, riding in the rain, and restaurants
New city, new (ad)ventures
It's time I move this site into line with reality. I left Ohio journalism at the end of May, after exactly a year with the Springfield News-Sun and, sporadically, the Dayton Daily News. Since I had accepted an offer to be Springfield's permanent city hall reporter only a month earlier, my colleagues were surprised to hear … Continue reading New city, new (ad)ventures
Next year, pink slime on fewer school menus
In this followup story to last month's pink slime exposé (see previous post), I show it'll be harder for schools to get their hands on products that contain "lean, finely-textured beef." But not impossible. If a school here doesn't use its buying co-op to order its cafeteria meat, and it doesn't ask the company that … Continue reading Next year, pink slime on fewer school menus
Beef producers not forthcoming about ‘pink slime.’ In southwest Ohio anyway, I put a stop to that.
Lean, finely-textured beef, AKA pink slime. Creative Commons-licensed photo courtesy of Flickr user pennstatelive. Journalism, if anything, is reading documents carefully. Especially when they come from corporations with big public relations budgets. With this story — whose fallout I'll probably continue to report in the coming weeks — I throw a wrench in what, at … Continue reading Beef producers not forthcoming about ‘pink slime.’ In southwest Ohio anyway, I put a stop to that.
Two months and four hundred handwritten pages later…
Larry Shaffer, health inspector for the Clark County Combined health district, washes his hands before starting his inspection at Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken. Clark County health inspections reveal some dire situations in the area's commercial kitchens. Photo by Bill Lackey, used courtesy of the Springfield News-Sun. Here's my front-page story today on restaurant inspections. It … Continue reading Two months and four hundred handwritten pages later…
New “resume reel”
Even though it's on the newly-revamped About the Author page in the right sidebar, I couldn't help but post this front and center. It's just so pretty. A big thanks to Steve and Badryyah for their years of hard work and their several months with me. I'll never forget it.
Examples of work
I had mentioned I worked for an underground dining operation. Here are some examples of dishes for which I served as prep cook and/or line cook. All photos by Lorenzo Tassone. Gunthorp duck breast in a vanilla-ponzu marinade, duck heart and celeriac puree, duck cracklin', jus, cherry sauce (continued after the break) Cobia—Creole dry rub, … Continue reading Examples of work
Brandon Smith 