Put your fears of burning hot dogs away for good; pick up a Charcoal Companion’s Hot Dog Roller (now available at Garber Hardware). This grilling gizmo is essential for perfect hot dogs, bratwursts, and sausages. Just place the contraption on the grill, let it heat up for about 5-10 minutes, and plop your desired dogs [...]

While doing some preliminary research for a Garber Hardware/The Dish’s Dishes side project, TDD discovered a method for making cotton candy at home! We couldn’t believe it was possible, but discovered after reading a few complicated instructions, that anyone can whip up a batch of fresh, frothy, pink fluff! You don’t need a giant cotton [...]

I have a fairly rigorous process by which I weed out Culinistas™, and part of this process is a cooking interview. Culinistas™ are forced into an environment in which they do not have very much information and in which time is of the essence. This exercise has ended in tears, in messy kitchens, in clean [...]

My grandmother gave me a recipe booklet called Top Nosh from her temple in Naples, Florida. My favorite part of the book is the Household Hints in the back, which are extremely useful. For instance, did you know that if you refrigerate your candles, they will burn longer and not drip? Or, to remove gum [...]

My brother’s girlfriend is one of the pickiest eaters I know. And, while I sometimes don’t understand her idiosyncrasies (no pie? she claims it’s a texture thing…) I do know that when she gives something her stamp of approval, it must be very, very good. A few weeks ago, she let me in on her [...]

A few years ago, I started to receive The Art of Eating quarterly. This is not food writing for the mainstream but rather, it’s a magazine for those who truly admire the culinary arts. I must admit, at times (even often), it’s a bit over my head. However, when I received my copy in the [...]

On a tip from a client, I headed to Bar-Bo-Né in the East Village for an Italian dinner al fresco. We went on an enchanting evening: the back patio was packed with young couples and people celebrating various events. On more than one occasion, whole tables were breaking out into song while others were being [...]

When my roommate went to Vermont last month to shoot a documentary, I received a text message about dangerously addictive potato chips. Not a fan of chips in general, I was a bit skeptical of the whole notion. However, my roomie convinced me to try them, and has proved to be an adept epicurean in [...]

I’m headed off to Russia this week and in preparation I’ve been trying to acclimate myself to the food I’ll be eating while abroad. I learned to make one of my favorites: eggplant caviar. Here’s how I did it: 2 medium eggplants 1/2 cup olive oil 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes 1 tablespoon tomato paste [...]

A few weeks ago, I stopped in to Little Giant, the restaurant where I used to work, to say hello to an old friend and mentor. It’s been a short two years since I worked and lived on Orchard, but my how things have changed! Julie decided to give me a little introduction to the [...]