Home – Thinking Man's Kitchen

Recipes

Beef Stew with Carrots and Polenta

My mother made traditional beef stew, in a pressure cooker (now called an "instant pot"), with onions, potatoes, and carrots, lots of gravy, and topped with puffy...

Beef Stew with Carrots and Polenta

June 1, 2019

Beef Stew with Carrots and Polenta

Beef Stew with Carrots and Polenta

Recipes

Pan-fried Salmon with Onions, Garlic, Capers, Rosemary and Lemon

This is a dish that I threw together while we were staying in Bonnieux during our long vacation in Provence and the Côte d'Azur in France. I bought the...

Pan-fried Salmon with Onions, Garlic, Capers, Rosemary and Lemon

September 28, 2018

Pan-fried Salmon with Onions, Garlic, Capers, Rosemary and Lemon

Pan-fried Salmon with Onions, Garlic, Capers, Rosemary and Lemon

Places We've Been

Bonnieux Day 1

We arrived in Bonnieux yesterday afternoon for a nine-day stay in another Airbnb apartment. After walking around this steep hill-side village last evening, looking for a...

September 24, 2018

Bonnieux Day 1

Bonnieux Day 1

Places We've Been

Four Nights in Arles

We stayed four nights in Arles, Thursday to Monday. The annual Feria du Riz, a celebration of the rice harvest with music, art, and Spanish-style bullfighting,...

Four Nights in Arles

September 19, 2018

Four Nights in Arles

Four Nights in Arles

Places We've Been

Transport Modes

Every vacation trip requires transport: getting there and getting around. For our trip to France, getting there involved two modes of transport: air and rail. We elected to get...

Transport Modes

September 13, 2018

Transport Modes

Transport Modes

Places We've Been

The Bulls of Arles

The first of our destinations is Arles, a UNESCO world heritage site. We are here for four nights, staying in a lovely VRBO apartment just outside of the vieille...

The Bulls of Arles

September 9, 2018

The Bulls of Arles

The Bulls of Arles

July 1, 2018

Letting the market guide the menu

Of course, I mean the farmers' market, not the financial or stock markets. One of the joys of living in Southern California is the year-round farmers' markets. ...

June 25, 2018

First Sweet Corn of the Season

Sweet corn appeared at the farmer's market on Saturday for the first time this year, so I picked up four ears of the yellow variety. I like to roast them in ...

June 23, 2018

Basil Inspiration

The basil we grow in a pot on our patio has become abundant so I wanted to use some of it before it bolts when the summer heat arrives. I found some ...

May 25, 2018

Griddled Pork Tenderloin on the Grill

A little frustrated with the early "June gloom" weather we've had for a week or so, I decided to break the mood a little by grilling our dinner the other ...

May 20, 2018

Pasta Puttanesca

There are several different origin stories about Puttanesca sauce, perhaps all apocryphal. The one most often heard is that it originated with Neapolitan ...

May 16, 2018

Quick and easy dinner on a cool Spring evening

The days have been a little cool this week, with the cloudy mornings and sunny afternoons that are typical this time of the year. So I wasn't in the mood to ...