Author

Cathy Thomas

Cassoulet From Cans, a One-Pot Wonder for New Year’s Day

Cooking, Recipes By Dec 28, 2010

I CUT DAYS OF WORK off the prep. My version takes lots of shortcuts. The traditional approach takes three days, so I devised a way to wiggle out of most of the work. And, trust me, it’s delicious. Leave it to the French to elevate a simple bean casserole into a gastronomic masterpiece replete with goose, pork and lamb. No…

Put Leftover Risotto to Work!

Justin Miller, executive chef at Pizzeria Ortica in Costa Mesa, creates beautiful, market-inspired dishes that showcase his produce purchases. Most Wednesdays, he drives to Chino Farms in Rancho Santa Fe to buy seasonal fruit and vegetables for the restaurant’s menu. Chino Farms’ focus is on flavor, harvesting fruits and vegetables each day at the peak of ripeness. One of my…

Chefs Cry! Lucca’s American Salumi Just Too Good

SALUMI TEARS: Cathy Pavlos, chef-owner of LUCCA in Irvine,  made some visiting Italian chefs cry. After they enjoyed a platter of glorious salumi, she told them it was American-made. They didn’t believe her.  She brought out the proof.  Two of them wept. Salt-curing and air-drying meats and sausages is a centuries-old artisanal tradition in Italy. But … American artisanal salumi…

One of the Best Cookbooks for Holiday Gifting

Even the most scurrilous Scrooge on my gift-giving list seems to appreciate the appeal of cookbook gifts. “BAKE! Essential Techniques for Perfect Baking” by Nick Malgieri (Kyle Books, $29.95), 224 pages “This book is meant to have enough easy, straightforward baking recipes that people who haven’t baked before can use successfully,” says author Nick Malgieri, who heads up the baking…

Ming Tsai shares secrets of his Mom's Famous Vinegar Shrimp

Chef Ming Tsai’s latest book is filled with quick and easy weeknight dishes that can be prepared in one pan. Most recipes are short enough to fit on one page and use relatively inexpensive ingredients. They produce delectable concoctions, often showcasing classic Asian fare tweaked with subtle trademark twists. He says that he sometimes “francophiles” a dish, using a smattering…

TV chef Ina Garten has simple advice

Ina Garten’s new book sold out before her signing began. Williams-Sonoma left nothing to chance, organizing myriad fans into tidy lines that snaked out of South Coast Plaza‘s interior onto the sidewalk. The much loved host of the Food Network’s “Barefoot Contessa” thinks the easiest parties are the most fun – not just for the host but for everyone. She…