What does Yummy mean to me? Yummy is comfort food, food that speaks to my soul, reminds me of my childhood, or sends my taste buds on a road trip to where the dish originated.
For the last six years, I have been writing recipes for the Marina Times newspaper and Northside San Francisco magazine in my column “The Kitchenless Cook.” This has led me on a creative culinary journey through the dining rooms and kitchens of some of the best restaurants in San Francisco. I first started cooking because I love to eat good food and have an insatiable curiosity about how things work. But I was not one to head to the books or take classes; I needed to experiment. I tasted everything I could, observed others while they cooked, and asked many questions. And, most importantly, I took chances – and I learned as much from my failures as my successes.
Okay, now for the truth: I learned to cook because in my family if you cooked, you didn’t do dishes. I wanted to get better so that my family would want me to cook every night. I hated doing dishes (and I still do).
Although I don’t have any formal culinary training, I do have extensive knowledge of the food industry. I have worked for Safeway for the last 23 years, currently as manager of the San Anselmo store in Marin. I’ve won a number of recipe competitions and had my recipes published in two cookbooks, most recently “Ribs, Ribs, Outrageous Ribs” by award winning cookbook author, chef, and host of the PBS show “Barbecue University,” Steven Raichlen.
As I have grown as a cook, I have focused my attention on finding the best ingredients, combining them to create the best flavors, and applying heat. Originally this meant grilling, which is still an important aspect of my culinary style. But, when I got married in 2006 I became an instant family man with two teenaged boys. Like most Bay Area families, we are incredibly busy, so I have turned my efforts toward making quick, healthy meals, many of which I will be sharing with you.
I hope in the coming weeks you will see how easy it is to make, in the words of the great chef Jacques Pepin, “fast food your way.” My recipes will range from gourmet to pure comfort; all will feature fresh, local, seasonal ingredients that you can find in your local market, and all will be geared toward the busy home cook. Every now and then I will throw in something more complex, like my lobster thermidor, grilled in the shell - these are for the weekends, or to impress your date or your friends or your spouse on a special occasion. Most will be very healthy (though I do subscribe to the philosophy that “fat is flavor”) and, I hope, all will be delicious.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan and stir in cornstarch, salt and pepper.
Slowly add the cream, stirring constantly, and bring to a boil.
Stir in cheese and bacon. Mix the pasta and sauce together in a serving dish. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a pan, stir in breadcrumbs and cook until lightly browned.
Tools & Toys: Onion Goggles By Susan Dyer Reynolds
I cry if a person three rooms away is cutting an onion. All the tricks – running water, lighting a candle, keep your mouth closed – have failed miserably for years. Then a friend gave me a pair of “Onion Goggles.” Yes, they’re geeky, but they work!
The reason you cry when chopping onions is that when the cells are compressed and air reaches them, a sulfur-reacting enzyme compounds in the onion and releases the eye-irritating substance. Onion Goggles are foam sealed (and anti-fog!), keeping the wicked substance at bay. For me, they are a chopping, dicing and slicing miracle.
Onion Goggles: Pink or black with green trim, $22 at
Volume 1 Issue 1 
I cry if a person three rooms away is cutting an onion. All the tricks – running water, lighting a candle, keep your mouth closed – have failed miserably for years. Then a friend gave me a pair of “Onion Goggles.” Yes, they’re geeky, but they work!
