Adam D. Roberts's Blog, page 101

Lunch at The Spice Table / Dinner at Animal

Come along with me, we're going for a drive. I just did an interview with L.A. Weekly's food blog where they asked me what I'm most looking forward to about living in L.A., and one of my answers was: "Going on driving adventures." Which is why we're getting into the car… c'mon, we're going downtown!

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Pan-Fried Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Garlic and Mustard

Every year, Craig's dad, Steve, makes the most amazing prime rib for Christmas dinner (see here) and every year I help out the best I can, usually volunteering to make a side dish. Last year I made a gratin but this year, since mashed potatoes were already on the menu, I offered up a vegetable. At my request, Craig's mom (Julee) bought me a bag of Brussels sprouts from the grocery store and when the dinner hour grew close, I opened their refrigerator and pulled out a bevy of ingredients to help in my enterprise.

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Sitka & Spruce

Should good restaurant food challenge you? Or should it comfort you by reflecting what you already like to eat?

Sitka and Spruce, a restaurant in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood, is the first restaurant that I've visited in a long time that fully embraces the former strategy. The food, while very delicious, challenges you while you eat it. It makes you ask questions. It reveals your prejudices, your fears, your secret desires. And it does so in a beautiful environment.

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Eating Vancouver (In The Rain)

Bellingham, Washington is about 30 minutes away from Canada. And for as long as I've been visiting Craig and his family there, we almost always forget to bring our passports. "Let's bring our passports this year," Craig almost always says, "so we can go to Vancouver!" Then we get to Bellingham and hit ourselves in the heads: "D'oh, forgot them again." This year, though, we finally remembered to bring our passports along and on the Tuesday after Christmas we hopped into his parents' car and made the drive north.

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I Am Latte Art

I've seen some pretty impressive latte art in my day (remember when I learned how to make it?) but never have I seen my own face staring back at me. Until now! Thanks, Lindy, for another impressive banner. (Don't forget you can see all of Lindy's previous banners in The Banner Gallery.)

Gourmet Grilled Cheese Night

Here in L.A., there are restaurants that do a gourmet grilled cheese night. It's a nice idea: you get to go to a fancy restaurant (like Campanile, for example) and spend far less money than you'd normally spend there for dinner. Only, I find it hard to justify spending ANY money on grilled cheese. It's the kind of thing anyone can make at home (in fact, this may be the one dish that Craig–who doesn't cook at all–is better at cooking than I am). Last night I decided that I'd do our own Gourmet Grilled Cheese Night to prove that you don't have to be a fancy restaurant to spend your night frying bread in butter and waiting for the cheese to melt.

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2011 Highlights

It's not every year that you finish a cookbook, move to a new city and find a used DVD of Doug Henning's "The Magic Show" at Amoeba Music. But that's what 2011 delivered, along with trips to Portland, Oregon, California (where I ate with many food bloggers), Atlanta and–a personal favorite–New Orleans, Louisiana. (We fell in love with it.) Come along with me, then, as we explore the year's highlights before we tumble into 2012.

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Banana Nut Waffles

Greetings from Seattle! I'm at a coffee shop staring at Molly Orangette's back (this is true: after seeing her yesterday, I randomly ran into her again today). I'm here, though, for a very important reason. I'm here to tell you about these banana nut waffles that will be perfect for a holiday breakfast this weekend. Some of you may be celebrating Christmas; and if, after unpacking your stockings, you load up on these before tearing into the presents? You're bound to be happy even if your significant other gifts you with a poodle sweater.

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Spontaneous Holiday Singalong

Hey everyone… it's a stressful time of year (I just got back from holiday shopping and I almost pulled all my hair out!) but you know what's fun? Sitting around the piano and singing some holiday classics. So join me in 20 minutes (that'd be 4:15 P.S.T.) for a spontaneous holiday concert here at my piano. I'll take requests in the chat room; you can enter it by clicking here. I promise not to play the 12 Days of Christmas.

Raw Kale Salad with Walnuts, Pecorino and Lemon

Say "raw kale salad" before serving dinner and you may not get the round of applause you were hoping for. That's unfortunate, though, because raw kale–which, I should say here, is incredibly good for you–is so easy to dress up. I've had raw kale salads before, mostly at hip Italian joints like Franny's in New York, but I'd never made one. Then last week I had some leftover kale (Tuscan kale, in fact) from a lentil soup that I love from my cookbook (just 8 more months 'til you can buy it!). I decided that, along with the leftover lentil soup, I'd serve up a raw kale salad that I would improvise on the spot.

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