
You may recall that in early January I wrote about a community olive pressing at The Olive Press in Sonoma. It was a marvelous place and I have been enjoying their Sevillano olive oil at home ever since. A few weeks ago I saw a tweet from Gabi the, blogger for The Olive Press, asking if anyone would be interested in taking part in a contest. They would send four bottles of olive oil for you to come up with a four course olive oil centric meal. The winner would receive a rather hefty supply of their delicious oils. Um . . . yeah, I was interested.
A week or so later I received a box containing their Italian Blend, Arbequina varietal, Mission Blend and the Blood Orange Olive Oil.
Continue reading An Olive Press Luncheon

Sorry about the gap in posting, my sis was here and I just didn’t have time. I will be posting a four course olive oil themed lunch on Tuesday the 8th for a contest through The Olive Press, so check back for more!
Earlier this week issue 10 of Mutineer Magazine hit the newsstands and my column was introduced to the world. I am very excited. My column (eek!) is an exploration of cooking with various beverages beginning with this piece “Cooking with Absinthe”. I choose a beverage, research the different nuances and complimentary ingredients and then I get to play mad scientist in the kitchen. It is an incredible amount of fun.
Continue reading Cooking with Absinthe: Absinthe and Fennel Soup

From converting classic dishes for a vegetarian diet to writing about my favorite butcher shop, I certainly do like to keep things diverse here at The Endive Chronicles.
A few years ago on a chilly winter day I sat in our drafty Westhampton Beach, NY house drooling over a blog entry on Becks and Posh about a salad made with jambon persille from Fatted Calf in Napa, Ca. I didn’t know when, I didn’t know how, but I did know that someday, come hell or high water, I would claw my way through the doors of the Fatted Calf if it were the last thing I did. Thankfully things didn’t get that serious and as luck would have it, last summer we transferred within 20 miles to this temple of carnivorous delights.
Continue reading My California: Fatted Calf