THE GOCHISO GOURMET: Another bean binge

Yes, I’ve discussed the benefits of the humble legume on many occasions, but since I’ve retired from the day job and inflation still keeps most cuts of beef in the double digit per pound range and chicken well above $5 per pound, what better source of affordable protein is there? Not to mention that animal […]

THE GOCHISO GOURMET: Not really a nut

I used to have those childhood sandwiches with that creamy spread from the favorite legume of most children, the Arachis genus, the humble peanut, many times a week. I think most of you are aware that the peanut isn’t a nut at all — actually, foods in the nut family like walnuts, almonds and pecans […]

THE GOCHISO GOURMET: Summertime chillin’

Now that the mercury is definitely on the rise in the midst of summer, when full bodied red wines and dark whiskies are a little too hot for the palate and turning on the oven or stovetop simply magnifies the unbearable heat, it’s time for some chillin’ to counteract the heat. Did someone say chilled […]

On cultivating an aesthetic

SIMPLICITY AT HOME: JAPANESE RITUALS, RECIPES AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR THOUGHTFUL LIVING By Yumiko Sekine and Jenny Wapner Photography by Nao Shimizu. (San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2021, 224 pp., $27.50, hard cover) Yumiko Sekine shares a distinct aesthetic that blends Japanese simplicity with western influences and touches. While the book has recipes, it is best read […]

THE GOCHISO GOURMET: Barbecue time

Just the word barbecue takes on different meanings, depending on where in the country you reside. In the South, barbecue usually means low and slow cooking at somewhere between 225 to 275 degrees over charcoal. In the Carolinas, it primarily means hog, whereas it’s only beef in Texas. And even in the hog centric regions, […]

Miso nikomi udon 味噌煮込みうどん

Miso nikomi udon is a hearty and comforting noodle soup where chicken, fish cake and udon noodles are simmered in a miso-flavored dashi broth. When it’s cold outside, this noodle soup will warm you inside out. Most udon noodle soups are served in clear dashi broth seasoned with soy sauce. However, in the Nagoya region, […]

THE GOCHISO GOURMET: The magic elixir

Now that we’re well into fall, that means the changing of the leaves as trees start their hibernation into winter, no more wearing light colored attire (I never followed that fashion “rule” as it’s summer year-round in the 50th) and once again, flu season is upon us. Because of COVID, between the mandatory facemask mandates […]

THE GOCHISO GOURMET: Back to the pantry

Though it now seems like a generation ago, early in the pandemic when supermarket shelves started looking somewhat bare as customers purchased pantry staples like canned beans, flour and most grains (rice) as soon as they were stocked on the shelves, we started purchasing dried legumes as our standby. Legumes contain both protein and fiber […]

THE GOCHISO GOURMET: That mornin’ cuppa Joe

There’s one beverage I consume almost every morning. No, it’s not a glass of Champagne, wine or even a Negroni, as someone still pays me to show up 40 hours a week, and the consumption of any alcoholic beverage is seriously frowned upon. It’s that brewed beverage that was first consumed as we know it […]

THE GOCHISO GOURMET: More than just a stylin’ color

For more than a decade, I’ve gravitated toward anything that’s lime green. I have lime green shirts, pants, socks, belts and shoes. I also have lime green pens, wallets, Hydro Flasks, coolers and cooking utensils. However, there’s one lime in my kitchen that’s not lime green at all, but simply green. And while most of […]