Mr. Bijoy Writes

I work in food. It's something I love. Often, people ask me about what they should get their "foodie" friends or family members as gifts. Now, I can't tell anyone what their friends and family need or should-have, but I know of some really cool things for the kitchen that may work. So here we go! One thing that people never think that they will actually use, actually want, but more importantly, kind of need, in the kitchen is a proper cast-iron skillet . Seriously. It's been a culinary staple for longer than a lot of countries, including the US, have existed. A restaurant-style rotary cheese grater is cool, but it isn't pretty. Until now . Fresh herbs are pretty great. But if you buy them from the store, storage can be a pain. Here's a really cool herb keeper that solves the issues of herb storage and looks fairly elegant in doing so.  I know a few people that collect salt & pepper shakers. So this one's for them.   Knives. Everyone is alw...

On a trip to Georgia a few years back I came across a portabella soup that sparked my interest. I remember walking into this small restaurant and wanting something warm to help ease the crisp night air. This soup looked good, so I ordered it. I tried for months to try and mimic the recipe and it finally came through. I suggest this soup for cooler days as part of a hearty meal. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.  What ya need : ¼ cup of unsalted butter 5 chopped leeks (about 3 cups) 1 onion (roughly chopped) 10 ounces of portabella mushrooms (chopped – so about 4 cups) ¼ cup of all-purpose flour 3 cups of quality chicken stock 4 tablespoons of dry sherry 2 cups of Half & Half ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper (or white pepper, your choice) Ok, so: In a big pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and onion and sauté until the onions grow soft. This should take about ten minutes or so. Then add the mushrooms...