Saturday, October 31, 2026 It was Halloween night, and Jim had the kitchen pass while his wife, Laura, was out of town for the weekend. After an evening of drinking at Jim’s last night, we decided to cook at Chez Had and make some whisky sours. I wanted to perfect my steak au poivre sauce…
Tag: salad
Beef Wellington with Vilardius 🥩
It was my time to host the Iron Chef cook-off with Joe Vilardi. Joe is a great friend, and we have cooked for each other many times. Joe had hosted at least the past 4 times, so I really needed to pull off an impressive and amazing meal. I went all out with my Beef…
Nick Haddow’s Smoked Prime Rib 🥩
Smoking the Prime Rib. My good cooking buddy, Nick Haddow, invited me and my good friend, Bruce Babbitt, over for some smoked prime rib. It was a treat, as Nick, the executive chef, prepared the entire meal. The meal consisted of a smoked prime rib, matchstick potatoes à la Francis Mallmann, and a scratch wedge…
Asparagus, Morel, Spring Onion, Snap Pea Salad 🍄🟫🧅🫛🥬
I came across this recipe from Ethan Stowells Instagram. It’s now a favorite and staple dish on the summer dining menu. It’s rather simple, fresh asparagus – I found these beautiful purple stalks in the Pike Place Market, fresh morel mushrooms, spring onion, and fresh peas. Ingredients 1 bunch fresh asparagus peeled 1 spring onion…
Grilled Corn Greek Salad 🌽
This super simple salad has become one of my favorites of this 2022 summer. It’s easy to make, packs some complex flavors together, and I think the charred corn with the reserve sherry vinegar add just enough “Je ne sais quoi” to really make this salad pop! Ingredients 6 ears of corn 2 English cucumbers…
Gazpacho 🍅
I love to cook seasonal foods, especially fresh produce from the Pike Place Market. This summer, I decided to make gazpacho. It has been about ten years since I last made this dish, and was excited to make it again and find a recipe I liked. I reviewed several recipes from NY Times Cooking, Cooks…
The Grill 🇺🇸👨🍳
The Grill is the newer restaurant replacing the storied Four Seasons restaurant in the Seagram’s Building, designed by famous architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The design, setback from the street, was a novel concept, affording a large courtyard and presenting a more statuesque upright structure, which became a model for future architecture. The Four…
Five Vinegar Salad 🥗
I usually made a salad with every meal, especially when I am grilling. I have converged upon a homemade dressing which I often vary with the exception of using 4 – 5 great vinegar. In this preparation, I am using a white and red wine vinegar from Vollaia, an aged sherry Vinagre de Jerez from…
Steak au Poivre with Benson 🥩
I love Christmas, the weather, the season, the festivities, the family, my trees, thoughtful curated gifts, but most of all, I like the meals. I invited my friend, climbing partner, and colleague over for Steak au Poivre. The tree was up and lit, so we were deep in December. This was one of my famous…
Peach, Heirloom Tomato, Basil, Burrata Salad 🥗
This salad is one of my favorites as it combines peaches and heirloom tomatoes, two foods that speak summer to me. Its a blend of savory and sweet, mellowed by the burrata and finished of aromatic basil, balsamic glaze and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Ingredients 2 – 4 Heirloom tomatoes 2 –…