The Crabby Cook - by Jessica Harper

Even those who don’t think they love shortbread, actually do love shortbread. If they say they don’t like it, they are simply confused. Just force them to eat a piece of this, and watch their faces light up.

That’s one reason I like to make it, the other is that it is the perfect recipe for lazy ass cooks like me, because the recipe only has three ingredients, and since everyone is so crazy about the result, you get a lot of bang for your buck, meaning a lot more credit for baking expertise than you actually deserve. This really appeals to my sleazy side. Read More

I haven’t been to Paris in a while, but I’ve been to the next best place: Encino.

There are two reasons why I go to Encino, a small city (or enclave or district or borough or cluster or whatever it is) in the San Fernando Valley, north of where I live. One is that I have a superior dentist there. The other is that I know a fabulous cook who lives there, and I like to take advantage of every opportunity to eat at her house.

Last time I dropped by (“Oh, is it dinner time? Who knew? What’s cookin’?”) Suzanne offered me a sample of her French onion soup. While my memory is admittedly badly impaired, I don’t recall eating a better version of it, ever. Read More