Langdon Cook's Blog, page 12
February 4, 2013
Black Truffle Pear Crostata
Ugly pie makers, unite! That is, those of us who make ugly pies, not... you get the idea. I barely have the patience to bake, much less make my creations look pretty. If you're like me, keep reading. Crostata is for us.
The (ahem) beauty of crostata is that it's meant to look all Frankenstein-y and whatnot. Short of a square head and electrodes, it's still stitched together with quick and
The (ahem) beauty of crostata is that it's meant to look all Frankenstein-y and whatnot. Short of a square head and electrodes, it's still stitched together with quick and
January 28, 2013
Truffle Redux
I went back to the Oregon Truffle Festival again this year. It was a no-brainer: wild foods, fun people, and more Willamette Valley wine than a ship of Vikings could put away. What's not to love?
Connie Green, longtime forager and owner of Wine Forest Wild Foods (French Laundry is a client), was one of the featured speakers, and there was the usual fast-paced agenda of lectures, forums,
Connie Green, longtime forager and owner of Wine Forest Wild Foods (French Laundry is a client), was one of the featured speakers, and there was the usual fast-paced agenda of lectures, forums,
January 16, 2013
The Hawk Lady
Dear readers, I'm pleased to share with you an essay of mine that was a finalist in Terrain.org's third annual writing contest. Terrain is an online lit journal that celebrates the intersection between nature and the human-mediated world. My submission, "The Hawk Lady," was published in issue 31, which debuted yesterday, January 15.
Those of you have read my book Fat of the Land: Adventures of
Those of you have read my book Fat of the Land: Adventures of
January 8, 2013
Beyond Backyard Chickens
Santa left me a couple new books under the tree this Christmas. Though not about foraging, per se, these should interest anyone who's trying to take more charge of their place in the food chain.
We have a joke in Seattle about competitive neighbors trying to out-backyard chicken each other. It used to be a new car or elaborate lawn-care scheme was the path to keeping up with the
We have a joke in Seattle about competitive neighbors trying to out-backyard chicken each other. It used to be a new car or elaborate lawn-care scheme was the path to keeping up with the
January 1, 2013
Nettle-Miso Halibut with Squash Purée
Happy new year everyone! This past year has been a busy one here at FOTL headquarters, with mostly non-blog related work. To my regular readers, THANK YOU for continuing to stop by despite the slowdown in posts. In coming months I'll have more to say about new developments but suffice to say 2013 should be an exciting year.
In the meantime, this dish is emblematic of kitchen resolutions I'll
In the meantime, this dish is emblematic of kitchen resolutions I'll
December 11, 2012
Huckleberry Pear Crisp
Once again we've blown through our winter reserves of huckleberries—and it's not even officially winter yet. My daughter is the main culprit, though we're all guilty of huckleberry hounding.
Each year I say we'll spend a weekend camping in the patch in order to pick enough to last us through the year, and each summer we end up chasing some other wild hare. This leaves me as the only picker.
Each year I say we'll spend a weekend camping in the patch in order to pick enough to last us through the year, and each summer we end up chasing some other wild hare. This leaves me as the only picker.
November 25, 2012
Frozen Matsutake
I found two frosty packages in the back of the freezer the other day: matsutake buttons, four of them. According to the labels, I had picked them in October, 2010. Two years in the deep freeze!
The matsi were individually wrapped in foil. One pair was sealed in a Ziploc, the other pair vacuum-sealed. With an open bottle of sake in the fridge, I knew immediately the culinary experiment I was
The matsi were individually wrapped in foil. One pair was sealed in a Ziploc, the other pair vacuum-sealed. With an open bottle of sake in the fridge, I knew immediately the culinary experiment I was
November 17, 2012
A Forager's Thanksgiving
Here in the Pacific Northwest, we're lucky to have a climate that allows for foraging year-round, even during the dark, wet days of late fall and winter. If you're hoping to include a few wild foods in your Thanksgiving feast, keep reading...
Wild Mushrooms
By late November, those of us in Washington need to think more strategically about our mushroom hunting spots. The bread-and-butter
Wild Mushrooms
By late November, those of us in Washington need to think more strategically about our mushroom hunting spots. The bread-and-butter
November 9, 2012
Wild Mushroom and Root Vegetable Gratin
Reconstructing restaurant dishes at home is a time-honored way to improve one's chops in the kitchen. Rather than slavishly following a recipe, the reconstruction relies on gumshoe detective work, a perilous need for improvisation, and a willingness to see the whole thing go up in flames.
Sometimes it works out. One of my best reconstructions to date is this Broiled Halibut with Licorice Fern
Sometimes it works out. One of my best reconstructions to date is this Broiled Halibut with Licorice Fern
November 3, 2012
Wild Watercress Potstickers
I love potstickers so much that—until the other day—I had never cooked them at home. Make sense? They occupied a place in my mind that was beyond the kitchen, or at least my kitchen. They were enshrined, enshrouded, holy.
But the other day I came home with a big bag of wild fall watercress and decided it was time to expand the repertoire.
Watercress is one of those weeds that mocks us for our
But the other day I came home with a big bag of wild fall watercress and decided it was time to expand the repertoire.
Watercress is one of those weeds that mocks us for our
