David Leite's Blog, page 3
August 15, 2021
The Garden That Almost Ate Roxbury
Never underestimate the power of Mother Nature. One summer, David and The One fought a nearly-losing battle against the overwhelming growth of their newly expanded garden that, for whatever reason, went berserk and threatened to bury them in mountains of veggies.
An odd and unusual thing happened to us this summer in our garden. Something almost out of science fiction. [Cue otherworldly music.]
Let me back up. Before this year, The...
July 31, 2021
How to Tell if a Tomato is Perfectly Ripe
How to tell if a tomato is perfectly ripe is a skill that we should all know, especially those of us that love to cook and consume them. Sit back and read David’s tips for always picking the best of the best.
: So you find yourself standing, motionless, in the produce department of your local grocery store or at the farmstand befuddled by the mounds of Big Boys, Early Girl mortgage lifters, bunches of Romas with...
June 25, 2021
Whole Hog Barbecue with Ricky Parker
Whole-hog barbecue is a specialty of the rural South. Ricky Parker, who passed away in 2013, was the owner of B. E. Scott’s Barbecue in Lexington, TN. In 2004, he agreed to let David apprentice for a week–the hardest week of the year: July Fourth. Here’s a recounting of David’s literal trial-by-fire education. (Scott’s is still open, and we encourage you to visit!)
Traveling west between Nashville and Memphis,...
April 3, 2021
When Costco Gives You Croissants, Make Croque Monsieur Casserole
David Leite recounts the circumstance and memories that conspired to help him create a magnificently rich croque monsieur casserole.
The croque monsieur. My first real one (real in the sense of in France, in Paris to be specific) was at a little wedge of a bistro in the ninth arrondissement about 30 years ago. The pulse of new love, years of near fat-free dieting, and the swirl of Parisian life held hands and duped the neurons in the...
How to Make Hummingbird Nectar
Making hummingbird nectar is simple, quick, and can turn you into the sugar daddy of your own backyard. Just ask David.
: mana5280
If you’ve visited Leite’s Culinaria even a few times, chances are you’ve discovered I’m known as Fatty Daddy. It’s a nickname I carry with pride–not so much as a nod to my porkly padding but rather for the affection with which it’s uttered by my worshipful staff. [Editor’s Note: Huh?!]
...
March 7, 2021
Lasagne Bolognese
This lasagne bolognese from Giuliano Hazan is as authentic as it gets.
Giuliano Hazan | Hazan Family Favorites | Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2012
I’ve always looked upon making my own pasta as a virtuous endeavor. Like tithing, volunteering, or rotating my tires on a regular basis. So when I told The One I was going to make Giuliano’s lasagne with homemade noodles, he gave me a very impressed nod of the head. I liked that. He was...
February 18, 2021
Pastéis de Belém–The World’s First Pastéis de Nata
On the fringes of Lisbon, in the picturesque section of Belém, are two shrines that every year draw hundreds of thousands of pilgrims. The more imposing is the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, the Manueline-style monastery that contains the tombs of venerated kings and queens, Vasco da Gama, and the national poet, Luís de Camões.
Nearby is a pastry shop called the Antiga Confeitaria de Belém, home to what is arguably the Holy Grail of...
February 13, 2021
Potato Bacon Pizza
I am not ashamed to admit it publicly: I’m a Solanum tuberosum freak. Yep. Lock me up and throw away the key to the pantry. In other words, I’m a potato fanatic. I wave my freak flag high and proud. I worship all sizes and shapes of this seductive tuber. In fact, so deep goes my freakiness for the starchy little fellows that I have, on many occasions, eaten for dinner nothing but a big-ass bowl of mashed potatoes. (And, yes,...
January 16, 2021
Are You Causing Your Cat Whisker Stress at Dinner?
David addresses the very real phenomenon of whisker stress, which can afflict cats of all ages and sizes. He explains what it is, symptoms to be on the lookout for, and how to remedy it.
: David Leite
If I had to live my life again and pick a new career, I think I’d become a veterinarian. My love for animals is matched only by my passion for writing and cooking. (And on those days when my baking mojo has rudely taken its leave or the...
December 30, 2020
Pimento Cheese
This pimento cheese is a Southern classic made from Cheddar cheese, pimentos, sweet onion, and mayonnaise.
There’s nothing remotely Southern about me. I can’t name the capital of Virginia. I have no idea whether Lee or Grant led the Confederate troops into battle (although I do know who won the war). And for the life of me, I simply don’t get the concept of boiled peanuts. For years my only primer to Southern society and...
