Posts by The Katz Tales

Classic Jambalaya is a delicious staple of New Orleans cuisine. But like so many dishes I love, there’s often a tad too much fat added. Here’s my paired down version that won’t have your scale saying “One at a time please.” It’s a great one-pot dish that can be made in advance and feed the…

When life starts to go to the dark side, I can always cheer myself up with a good old-fashioned grilled cheese sandwich served with a side of potato chips. I’m sure, given enough cheese, it will cheer you up too. (This recipe appears in my new book, “GETTING SAUCED – How I Learned Everything I…

Sometimes the simplest dishes can be the most satisfying. This is one of my go-to dishes when I need to get something on the table quickly. The aroma of the garlic always brings me right back to a wonderful lunch I once had in Venice. (This recipe appears in my new book, “GETTING SAUCED –…

No one really wants to admit that some of those 1970s semi-homemade dishes our busy moms fed us were actually tasty on occasion. In truth, there is some comfort to them, if you can just get past the guilt of opening cans, dumping the contents, and then heating. I have trouble with that, but in…

I recently retired my beloved Magic Chef after 30 years of good use and replaced it with a GE Cafe range. Surprisingly, it came with an air fryer built in, which I rarely use. But, today I thought I’d fire it up. The bay scallops came out very tender with a nice crunch. Give it…

If you’re like me, whenever I roast a whole chicken, either the white meat is overdone or the dark meat is underdone. It’s difficult to get it all right at the same time. That is, unless you spatchcock your bird. Spatchcocking gives you a fighting chance because you’re literally flattening your bird allowing all of…

In previous blog posts, I’ve mentioned how delighted I am that the next generation in our family is getting comfortable behind the stove. My young cousin Alex is a man of particular tastes, but when he finds something he loves, he likes to master it. He’s always been a big fan of pasta and cheese…

For years I’ve been trying to make a good curry from scratch. I buy all of the spices to create flavored pastes, but there’s always something missing. Although my dishes are tasty, they are nowhere near as flavorful as what I’ve eaten in Indian restaurants. But thanks to my favorite spice store—Kalustyan’s on Lexington Avenue…