Author Archives: John Idstrom

By popular demand (as in someone asked) I am sharing my recipe for black bean and corn salad.  This is a summertime staple, I make a batch a couple time a months in the warmer months, or when attending those … Continue reading →

You asked for it, here it is. I love this in the autumn – tomatillos are in season and the salsa gives it a bright, clean flavor. Kick it up with as many jalepenos as you like. Please resist the … Continue reading →

I fed a fox.  She came up on my deck and sat on the lounge chair at night Hid my rubber sandals and knocked over plants I left her some cool water and kibble And she stayed awhile But the … Continue reading →

A few nights ago, I dreamed that I was fly-fishing for steelhead in a river of potato leek soup. It would be reasonable to conclude that said dream was the result of too much garlic in the spaghetti sauce, but … Continue reading →

Originally posted on meezenplace:
Late last summer, I had my first chance to visit Brooklyn, which might well qualify as the current poster child for upscaling. Yuppies, having been shagged out of even the Lower East Side, have flocked to…

Jerry:  Are you still master of your domain? Elaine:  I am queen of the castle!  Recent events in the kitchen left me head in hands, brow furrowed, my inner voice suggesting not-so-nice nostrums. I had ruined the homemade aioli, and … Continue reading →

My dad and I were tramping around the area of Dungeness Spit some years ago now, back when he could still tramp around. Dungeness Spit is a 5.5 mile-long comma of sand and driftwood on the top end of the … Continue reading →

Originally posted on meezenplace:
What do you really need? The question came up this week when my friend Chef Gordon Naccarato posted a question on his award-winning Pacific Grill Blog (http://blog.pacificgrilltacoma.com/)  about sweet potato casserole with marshmallows:  Necessity or abomination? …

Originally posted on meezenplace:
Something is happening and you don’t know what it is, do you, Mr. Jones? –Robert Zimmerman Hibbing, Minnesota I was feeling in need of some adventure the other day, so I grabbed my passport and shuffled…

Earlier this year, near the end of spring, I found myself browsing one of my favorite haunts: Union Square Green Market, in the dead center of Manhattan. Now that my daughter is fully ensconced in her own Upper East Side … Continue reading →