Otto von Bismarck wisely noted that “laws are like sausages, it is better not to see either of them being made”. The obvious extension of that axiom would apply to watching the political process which serves, after all, to provide us with those who make our laws. Over the past days (which have stretched into weeks and months and seemingly years), we have, whether we like it or not, gotten to observe the down and dirty slop which passes for the making of politicians these days in the United States. These TV advertisers and debaters will be those making the laws affecting us, come January. Where is Upton Sinclair when you need him?

Every eating or drinking establishment, if successful, attempts to emanate an atmosphere that attracts the targeted clientele. For the carriage trade, there is a certain elegance, starched tablecloths, maybe even uniformed wait staff. The corner bar puts forth a friendly dark clubiness, maybe a neon or two, a dartboard, and the glow of a ball game on a corner TV. There are those who attempt to replicate pubs found elsewhere, often with excellent results. Then there are the franchise chains, with their variety of garage sale treasures that generally have nothing to do with either the establishment or its locale, but seek to give a certain homey clutter to what is an otherwise sterile corporate façade...

Sometimes, the things that I write come back, full circle. So it was after having penned a peice last spring, after a long weekend in the Big Apple. I had written a column that focused on my perception of an absence of grocery shopping opportunities in Manhattan. My focus was the absence of my normal trip to Heinen’s on Saturday morning and the lack of a “supermarket” presence that had led me to an entirely mistaken conclusion about food procurement...

The other day, as I was searching through my deep freeze for a package of ground beef, which I was certain still resided there, it occurred to me that it was past time for the annual winter cleaning. Many readers who have larger families take advantage of a secondary deep freeze...

While initially, readers of this column may think that I have lost my mind in confusing my normal culinary ramblings with candidates, caucuses, and political primaries, please bear with me. Sometimes the genesis of a discussion on food is not where one would expect...

When we think of comfort foods, the one “all-American” dish that comes to mind is meatloaf. Every blue plate special in any small-town diner features meatloaf, gravy and mashed potatoes (and more times than not, canned green beans)...

I heard recently that the average American gains seven pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years. I was flabbergasted...

We now find ourselves in the midst of the season which is filled more, perhaps, than any other with family traditions. While, as I write this column, I am still anticipating the feast preparation, as you read this, Thanksgiving is a fond memory, as we finish off the last of the leftovers...

What could be more American than apple pie?

Those readers who have followed this column know that, in the spring, I initiated an experiment turning half of my office backyard into an organic garden.

To whatever degree these food columns have talked about restaurants, they generally have focused on reviewing local restaurants. There is no doubt about it - Lakewood has some very good restaurants, which run the gamut from bar burger joints and family friendly kids' menus to carriage trade white table cloths. As much as I love Lakewood and as much as I love the dining possibilities in Lakewood, sometimes, there is a requirement or a desire to travel. When wanderlust hits, it’s time for a culinary field trip.

If the title of this article suggests to you that this will be a discussion of Baseball, you are badly mistaken. Beyond the mere similarity of being played on a field, soccer has little in common with what I used to think was America’s pastime. Over the past decade or so, the rampant invasiveness of European football has taken over my family’s life, like Kudzu creeping over an abandoned outhouse. Believe it or not, soccer is now America’s pastime.

While I will leave for a future issue the economic analysis of my vegetable garden, suffice it to say that I am currently up to my elbows in Roma tomatoes and the freezer is filling with containers of tomato puree. The tomatoes, indeed, have been incredibly productive, but as I planned out the garden, it wasn’t really the tomatoes that I was seeking. In planning the plot and loading up on “butter and salt” sweet corn, I was looking forward to an endless supply of freshly plucked corn to be plunged moments later into boiling water and drizzled with melted sweet butter, then served up with tomatoes sliced with basil and mozzarella and drenched in balsamic. Little did I anticipate that others shared my thoughts.

There is something to be said of getting away from your everyday existence; something to be said of taking a vacation from the daily grind. I’ve always enjoyed the prospect of being removed from the everyday trappings of society as we know it. No phone, no internet, no electricity. In Communicado for a week. And so it was, for an all too brief period, I once again found myself driving northward, past Toronto, past Barrie, beyond Parry, to an access point to the French River, just off highway 69. Claude’s French River trading post is more a marina that services the scores of sportsmen that fish the French. Doubtless that the trading posts in “Last of the Mohicans” didn’t sell or service Evinrude outboards. It is a journey I’ve made a number of times before, one that holds the promise of quiet, good company, exploration and great food.

It is August. The garden has been yielding its bounty. The greens have been a part of the menu for a three (or more) months, the broccoli, squash and cucumbers came forth last month and are now being joined by the eggplants, peppers and tomatoes. There is nothing as enjoyable as savoring the fresh flavors of just-picked, garden-ripened vegetables.

We are clearly at the height of barbeque season. If anyone has any doubts, all it takes a walk down the streets of Lakewood which will most certainly feature the aroma of charcoal, in addition to other things. In previous columns, I have touched upon grilling, smoking, and certain variations of my favorite outdoor cooking pastime. There are so many possibilities it can positively make your head spin. While your head is spinning, why not take that as a sign and look into what can be accomplished when your meal is also spinning. I am, of course, talking about rotisserie.

There is a clear and obvious relationship between summer gardens and the food that finds its way to our dinner table. The nexus, while clear, is many times overlooked and undervalued. Little, if any, attention is paid to the obvious dietary and financial benefits of food we produce ourselves. These products are fresher and, many times, avoid the chemical additives present in industrial farms. In addition, buying locally or growing your own eliminates the storage and transportation costs involved in buying fresh items from halfway around the world.

We have all heard the egg council’s refrain of “the incredible edible egg.” Indeed, the egg is an interesting food item. In addition to the standard fried, scrambled, and hard-boiled preparations, this culinary staple can provide other unique cooking opportunities.

It seems that with the coming of the summer season there is a huge increase in events for which one may consider the services of a caterer. Graduations, weddings, confirmations and the parties celebrating these social events can severely tax a normal household kitchen. It is always important for such special events the food be commensurate with the celebration, a special time requires special food and drink. It is at times like these that the hosts of these parties may look to the services of a caterer. The many facets of catering services go beyond food preparation; they can also include every aspect required to make the event a success, from table and chair rental to linens, glassware and servers. Opting to work with a caterer has the added benefit of allowing the host to actually enjoy the event without having to rush off to the kitchen to check on the tray of lasagna or scurry to the local mini mart to obtain more ice.

Dining out can and should be a relaxing experience. Beyond the standard drive-ins, the experience of dining out is intended to allow for dinner conversation while the concerns of preparation and service are left to others who, presumably, are trained to properly perform those tasks.

In this column, I will mount my soapbox to pontificate upon an issue which seems to grow larger day by day. I know that many readers would much rather read a lighter, spirited piece, perhaps a discussion of spring veggies or an ode to my Weber. But, unfortunately, I think that we all have to come to the sad realization that there are new and increasing dangers to the security and safety of our food supply, most of which are caused by our own eating and buying habits. These are serious issues that must be addressed before we can talk about those veggies and grills.

In my previous column (from the April 17th edition), I discussed the irony of addition through subtraction. Specifically, I explored the “micro” perspective of how we can experience an increase in flavor through the subtraction of volume in a specific recipe or culinary technique. This column, however, will analyze the “macro” side of that equation. Can we increase our overall gastronomic enjoyment by the removal of elements from our diet and, if so, how do we accomplish this bit of ironic math?

Addition by subtraction. These are mutually exclusive terms, yet it is a statement that we hear frequently, generally in relation to a fall Cleveland sports team that finds it necessary to release non-productive players. Taken literally, this contradiction defies logic. How can we increase something by subtracting from it? But, we also know that sometimes the removal of an element increases the value of that which remains. In the sports arena, the removal of a disgruntled and disruptive player may reduce the number of personnel on the roster, but may well increase the harmony and performance of the team as a whole. There has, thus, been an increase in quality by virtue of a decrease in quantity.

There are times that we experience a “new” food or “new” technique for the first time, but, in reality, we have probably already eaten it without recognizing it as a “new” or gourmet food product. One such trend is “fire-roasted” vegetables and we see it everywhere from gourmet restaurants to the specialty aisle of the grocery store. Roasted garlic, tomatoes, and peppers are now found virtually everywhere. When roasted, garlic becomes sweeter with nut-like overtones. Peppers mellow and, in the process of roasting, lose the skin that can sometimes cause bitterness. Tomatoes lose some of their acidity, but gain a slight element of smokiness. But, while fire-roasted vegetables may seem as if they are on the cutting edge of culinary developments, that is far from reality. It’s likely that you’ve been enjoying those fire-roasted vegetables with no thought, perhaps for many years. What seems “new” is really something your palate already knew.

I must preface this column with a strong disclaimer: I have always enjoyed eating meat. In my mind, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a thick, juicy medium-rare steak, sizzling hot off the grill. With that in mind, I’d like to talk about a little experiment that I’m about to perform on myself (and, to some degree, on my family).