Critiques, cravings and conundrums from the Madison food and dining scene
Small DishesApril 2011
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04/23/11Dining Detour
There hasn’t been such commotion on Willy Street since 1976. That’s the year when a prefabricated box was dropped at the corner of Brearly Street, flaunting the Taco John logo. Public sentiment soon led to its removal and a reflection about any future development. Much has changed since then, but the neighborhood hasn’t lost any of its quirkiness or charm. In the intervening years, though, it has rightly earned a reputation for being the city’s Restaurant Row … and now … Bakery Boulevard might be appropriate as... Posted at 01:32 PM | Permalink | Comments: 1 |
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04/17/11That's Eye-talian!
I love modern Italian cooking—Lombardino’s and Nostrano are two of my favorite restaurants. But just like sometimes I’d rather have a burger than a steak, sometimes I can’t face another pizza with arugula and truffle oil or pasta whose name I can’t pronounce. When that happens it’s time to return to the red sauce circuit. Italian-American food is a cuisine in itself—not just in Madison, but... Posted at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0 |
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04/10/11Spring Cleaning
Since I’ve been writing this blog—since June, 2008—I’ve received many requests for recipes for dishes I’ve written about or mentioned. So, I thought now was a good time to share a few of them. Overwhelmingly, the most requested recipe is for jambalaya. There really isn’t a “best” recipe since it can be made several ways and I do and love them all. What follows is probably my day in, day out favorite. The original version served a church basement so I’ve scaled it down for home... Posted at 09:26 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0 |
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04/05/11Green Eggs and Ham
It’s obvious that pastel colored eggs and chocolate bunnies at Easter are pagan symbols, long part of the celebration of spring. Like many holiday icons—including the Christmas tree—they predate Christianity. How the ham got to be popular at Easter is a little less clear, at least for many of us today who think of it as that pink stuff sold refrigerated at the supermarket. First of all, a ham is the thigh (upper portion) of the hind leg of a pig. Today, most are cured with brine injected into the meat. Sugar or... Posted at 02:25 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0 |
I found my interest in writing by accident. My training and first job was as a graphic designer. Unemployed, the only employment I could find in advertising at that time was as a copywriter. Somehow, I convinced Richard Newman & Associates to hire me. Later I learned they were desperate. Madison has been my home off and on since 1957 (nonstop for the past 31 years). I write about food, which I love. – Dan Curd
