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Steer Head, 2012

Michael Ruhlman — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 16:01:31 +0000

Say ahhhhhh. Photo by Donna Turner Ruhlman.

This is not a great photo, technically, but it's a favorite of 2012 for all that it represents. That's Billy Harris, apparently looking for tonsils to nibble on. Next to him is Paul Kahan, the Chicago chef, entrepreneur, badass cook, and purveyor of fine meats. At right is Jonathan Waxman, chef-owner of Barbuto in NYC and one of the godfathers of the new American cuisine. Bless them, they'd all come with many other colleagues to my town to benefit our amazing West Side Market and celebrate its hundredth birthday. The head, it will be no surprise to Cleveland food lovers, is courtesy of Jonathon Sawyer, chef-owner of The Greenhouse Tavern (he also just started an ancillary vinegar ...

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Schmaltz on Bread

Michael Ruhlman — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 15:45:41 +0000

Schmaltz schmeared on bread. Photo by Donna Turner Ruhlman.

Fat on bread. Talk about felicitous but little-thought-about pairings. While writing Schmaltz, I of course tasted schmaltz on rye, with a little kosher salt, and it's so good. Now this really is better than butter. (Donna would want to underscore yet again the power of backlighting. This was shot in late afternoon sunlight.) Back to cold Cleveland tomorrow. Now need to make lobster stock from yesterday's crustacean extravaganza. Twenty-five lobsters à la minute is no easy task, so thanks to all the sailors who lent a hand, especially Russ, whom I sprayed repeatedly with lobster juice as we cracked fifty claws. His favorite shirt no less. Other links you may like:

My post on how to make a classic rye bread.
A guest post on Click to Continue Reading

Roasted Chicken

Michael Ruhlman — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 15:15:30 +0000

Chicken roasted in a cast-iron pan. Photo by Donna Turner Ruhlman.

Roast chicken is a symbol, an emblem of easy exquisite home cooking, of cooking together. And really satisfying, nourishing food. The world is better on days when we roast a chicken for our family, friends (and lovers, of course—the best roast chicken of all). Which is why I'm posting another shot of one of our roast chickens. With hope. I'm cooking for a band of sailors prone to shouting "FUCK OFF!" at one another and then laughing uproariously. No roast chicken for them. Steak, lobster, pulled pork, and duck cooked in duck fat. (I cheated a bit by ordering these amazing ones from D'Artagnan; leftovers will become duck rillettes tonight; I have to get some work done, after all.) No better ...

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Zucchini Soup

Michael Ruhlman — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 16:17:36 +0000

A bowl of hot zucchini soup. Photo by Donna Turner Ruhlman.

Last summer when Donna and I traveled to Italy, our first meal happened to be at a lovely hotel and home of a great wine maker and his wife, who prepared us a feast that began with zucchini soup. It was zucchini season and so they featured it in three courses without apology, just an explanation. "It's zucchini season." The soup was so simple it inspired. Onion, water, and zucchini, seasoned with good oil and salt. This week, while I work in Key West, I'll be posting some of my wife Donna's favorite pix from last year. She likes this one for the way it shows off the power of back lighting. I like it because it brings our first meal ...

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Orange Orange

Emilia — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 14:38:10 +0000

Orange. Photo by Donna Turner Ruhlman.

Michael and Donna are in New York City for the week meeting up with book publishers and OpenSky, and Michael is judging Iron Chef. He asked me to do another repost today, so I selected one of Donna's photos. Look forward to a new post from Michael on Monday. —Emilia Originally Posted March 30, 2011

Orange

Long enamored of black and white, my wife and collaborator has been working on a series of food shots featuring not food so much as the color of food. If you like her work, let her know or have a look at her gallery at ruhlmanphotography.com. Update: In response to a comment on the original post, Donna says she can make available reasonably priced 11x14 prints of this photo or any of her shots ...

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