I'm very pleased to introduce to you my friend Sharron Peterson! She's a fun, energetic, and very likable wine professional and I can't wait for you guys to get to know her a little better. Sharron will be helping me out with wine pairings for my recipes. It should be a lot of fun. Here's a little more …
best restaurant party
Once again Pittsburgh Magazine hosted the Best Restaurant Party, and this year I got to go with my friends from Vivo. The Vivo crew proudly displayed a Tamagnini hand-operated flywheel slicer from Parma, Italy. We used it to slice our house-cured duck prosciutto. The prosciutto was a hit--the duck melted in your mouth like butter …
rabbit with pears
I always have the urge to cook rabbit for Easter. Once again I was not allowed to, and I had to wait until later on to do so. Last fall I canned pears from our pear tree, and I thought they would taste great in this dish. This recipe is actually quite simple, and despite …
thanks, Local Food Service
I'm in the Spotlight over at The Local Food Service. Thank you, Joe Harvey, for thinking of me. I'm glad you guys like my blog!
morels
We finally got a little rain, temperatures are more stable and its starting to feel like spring in beautiful Western Pennsylvania. Many have been waiting for these weather conditions since it indicates the beginning of morel season. Mushroom foraging is a favorite activity of mine, and Glen Wantje was kind enough to take me with …
represent
This week I, along with a few of my colleges, had a chance to think about our culinary careers. I reevaluated years of working in kitchens in different countries and innumerable life changing experiences in order to accomplish one goal: a single dish that would represent me as a chef. One dish?! How about a …
a peek behind the scenes at Vivo
Sam and I will be sharing a little behind the scenes action on Tuesday, April 27th at 7:00 p.m. Come and be part of a hands-on experience in the kitchen! Let us share the culinary philosophy we practice daily. Fresh and local will be the focus. The Menu: Appetizer: House Made Duck Prosciutto with Melon …
there is no Fat Club
We all have heard of the underground dinner sites in DC or the extravagant, secret foodie gatherings in Seattle. All these have the same thing in common--they are "by invitation only" and any other details are vague. Pittsburgh is no different. Chefs around the city have always that favorite delicacy they want to share or …
serendipity spreads
I am a strong supporter of everything local--I will do whatever possible to make sure most of my ingredients are locally grown. With this said, once in a while I like to see what other people are doing with their local produce and ingredients. My friends from Serendipity Spreads in Santa Cruz, CA are a …
desarme
Maybe because of this time of the year, or perhaps because I can eat it anytime--fish is on my mind. Salted cod to be more specific, which brings me to this recipe. Salted Cod with Garbanzo Beans and Spinach, known in Asturias and probably all of Spain as "Desarme," is one of the most typical …
Dinner with Daniel 