Accidental Hedonist

Remember last year, when the James Beard Foundation was found to have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars without being able to actually account for it? As a charitable institution, this is a BIG no-no. Even Anthony Bourdain said that the charity took him for a chump. Since that time, they have restructured…twice. Once back [...]

For those of you interested in all things Accidental Hedonist, my latest post is up at Seattlest (It compares two cheeseburgers in step one of the search for the best foods in Seattle)

I have opened up the proverbial Pandora’s Box. The amount of information available on wine is immeasurable, and makes it difficult to approach this topic without adding to the already voluminous din. For me to say “Wine is this!” or “To understand wine, do that!” essentially gets me nowhere in my search. It would also [...]

In the course of my new duties at Seattlest, I now am in search for the best cheeseburger, pizza, phad thai and Chicken teriyaki found in Seattle. This is no small task and promises to give me stuff to write about when I’m too lazy to make a recipe, or to intimidated to call up [...]

Let me submit prosecution evidence Labeled A: The Burger King 730-calorie breakfast product that slaps two omelet eggs, a sausage patty, three strips of bacon and two slices of cheese into a bun. So much for the “We promise to develop healthy alternatives” plan, eh? For the record, 47g of fat is equivalent to any [...]

One of the many problems with being a virtual tourist is trying to find that one thread of connection between what I’ve experienced versus what I imagine. As I read site after site, book after book about Italy, I can usually get a good idea of what the writer is talking about,even if only roughly. [...]

Tomato Sauce + Cognac = bliss I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of it before…Afer all – Tomato Sauce + Vodka = bliss and Tomato Sauce + Red Wine = bliss. It should have occurred to me. But it took a recipe from A Cook’s Tour of Italy to make me see the proverbial [...]

As odd as it may sound, the history of wine is not all that well known. Oh there are folks out there far more intelligent than I who have made rough estimations on the hows, wheres, and whys. But when you get right down to it, no body really knows. For proof, all you need [...]

The First lady (whom I have no beef with…her husband on the other hand…) is being overwhelmed on ideas and suggestions on just exactly shom should replace the outgoing chef. Recently, the Women Chef and Restaurateurs (WCR) brought the idea of a woman as full-time executive chef at the White House to public attention. Only [...]

Whither Seattle? In the hiearchy of U.S. food kingdoms, just where does Seattle fall? The first tier is easy…New York, New York. For folks in the U.S, it’s the holy land of foodies, the mecca of all things culinary. Second Tier is a more difficult to peg down. San Fran and New Orleans both make [...]

…or you could call this a homemade Hostess Cupcake, if you are so inclined. It is the same basic premise after all. What really sets this recipe apart is the drak chocolate ganache frosting. It’s richness offsets the sweetness of the cupcake nicely. The cake itself is not so rich, having been dominated by flour. [...]

You can read my first entry for Seattlest. It’s not a page turner, but it is a good way to ease myself in to the site, no?