the_maestroJan 255 minThe Chef in Charlotte – BologneseI am lucky to have family nearby––if I'm ever feeling lonesome in Charlotte or need a change of pace, it's an easy 90 minute drive up to...
the_maestroJan 168 minThe Chef in Charlotte – Soup Billi-BiI excitedly watched the weekend weather forecast for the Charlotte metro area develop over the past week––a massive winter storm was set...
the_maestroDec 31, 20219 minThe 2021 Variant of the Big Drunk Gay AwardsPerhaps it was the sense of impending doom resulting from waking up every day in this pandemic, now again in a terrible phase, that...
the_maestroAug 12, 20214 minQuarantine Cuisine: Jamaican Jerk ChickenUnless you've been living under a rock, y'all know that things are getting bad out there again with the virus. For this and mental health...
the_maestroMay 5, 20214 minInspired Ingredients – RampsYou may have heard a bit of hubbub about ramps in recent years. Or maybe you haven't––I myself hadn't heard of them until five or six...
the_maestroMar 29, 20213 minThe Chef in Charlotte: Shiitake LarbI wasn't planning to double down on my Lao food posts, but holy shit people... this recipe. Larb has been called the national dish of...
the_maestroMar 26, 20213 minThe Chef in Charlotte: Lao Khao PoonMy sister signed me up for a monthly spice delivery service, Spice Madam, for my Christmas gift, and I have thoroughly enjoyed getting my...
the_maestroMar 24, 20212 minWasting food waste: Broccoli Stem HummusHere's a quick post for a quick, healthy, easy-peasy, and super ethical snack to inaugurate a new series about various ways to reduce our...
the_maestroMar 7, 20218 minUnboxing the Farm: a week with Stone Barns' "resourcED" Grocery BoxMy mini-crusade to improve my choices and shift my life toward a more ethical food trajectory has involved a multitude of little...
the_maestroFeb 26, 20215 minQuarantine Cuisine: Sea Urchin PastaToday I present another of my neglected posts from back in the early parts of quarantine in Iowa, with the hopes that you, too can find...
the_maestroFeb 24, 20218 minInspired Ingredients – Hakurei TurnipsSomething I learned from my first visit to Stone Barns is how corporatized and streamlined our food experience has become. There are...
the_maestroFeb 22, 20214 minTable X @ Home – Salt Lake City, UTOne of the cooler trends we've been seeing emerge during the pandemic from restaurants are take-home, heat-and-eat style dinners. These...
the_maestroFeb 20, 20217 minQuarantine Cuisine: Xiao Long BaoDespite writing it up, I'd never posted this gem from back in the depths of Iowa quarantine in March 2020, but figured no time like the...
the_maestroJan 30, 20213 minThe Chef in Charlotte: Tom Kha GaiThis short and sweet blog post is dedicated to the impending first week of classes, a time when I need short and sweet (and comforting!)...
the_maestroJan 9, 20216 minThe Maestro's Big Drunk Gay Awards – 2020 Dumpster Fire Edition!I really enjoyed issuing a series of absolutely meaningless "Big Drunk Gay" awards last year, highlighting the very best things I ate,...
the_maestroOct 1, 20203 minThe Chef in Charlotte: Cacio e pepeLike much of the country, I woke up on Wednesday morning feeling pretty darn terrible. Not just because of the amount of rum I drank the...
the_maestroSep 20, 20203 minThe Chef in Charlotte: Moroccan ChickenI always love exploring the various cuisines of the world, but know relatively little about African culinary traditions. I have, however,...
the_maestroSep 14, 20203 minThe Chef in Charlotte: Salmon and gritsNow that I am back in the south, some of my memories of the south come back from time to time, and my discovery of the wonders of grits...
the_maestroSep 11, 20203 minThe Chef in Charlotte: Bison tenderloinAh, we have a new series to inaugurate! "Quarantine Cuisine" no longer seemed quite right, since I am, for all intents and purposes, not...
the_maestroSep 1, 20205 minThe Maestro moves to CharlotteWell kids, what can I say? Life is crazy, and my dearth of posts this past month was due in part to my grand adventure in Alaska, yes,...
the_maestroJul 17, 20204 minSummer Grilling: Thai Chicken ThighsThings have been slow around here recently, mostly owing to the fact that my much-anticipated trip to California had to be shelved due to...
the_maestroJun 30, 20204 minSummer Grilling: CurrywurstIt's getting mighty hot out here in the heartland of late, leading the Maestro to sometimes decide it's not worth stepping out into the...
the_maestroJun 19, 20205 minSummer grilling: Cedar Plank SalmonSalmon has quite a reputation. Ask anyone and they'll likely have very strong feelings about it, love it or hate it. Most Americans have...
the_maestroJun 6, 20203 minSummer Grilling: ChurrascoI suppose now that we are out of the most intense aspects of the "Quarantine" these days, at least in Iowa, I have decided to rename the...
the_maestroMay 26, 20203 minQuarantine Cuisine: Sichuan Mapo TofuIn southwest China is the rugged province of Sichuan, also Romanized as Szechuan, and beyond the modern-faced capital, Chengdu, lie...
the_maestroMay 17, 20204 minQuarantine Cuisine: Duck breastRounding out our order from D'Artagnan was a beautiful breast of duck, one of my favorite proteins to cook, and one that is sure to make...
the_maestroMay 16, 20207 minQuarantine Cuisine: PaellaBack when the pandemic was just starting, I noticed that our old reliable supplier of fresh seafood, Fulton Fish Market, was offering a...
the_maestroMay 13, 20206 minQuarantine Cuisine: BrisketYesterday might be the day I fell in love with my pit barrel cooker. It also might be the day I decided it's the most infuriating thing...
the_maestroMay 11, 20203 minQuarantine Cuisine: Mother's Day SpecialHappy Mother's Day to all the mamas and mama figures out there! It's been a wonderful day here in Cedar Rapids. Despite some really...
the_maestroMay 9, 20204 minQuarantine Cuisine: Veal chopSome nights call for a simple, classic meal. Mom and I have been working diligently on transforming our kitchen, and things are slowly...
the_maestroMay 6, 20205 minQuarantine Cuisine: The perfect cheese plateOne of my favorite snacks during this quarantine (and ya know, generally) is a delicious cheese or cheese and charcuterie plate, with an...
the_maestroMay 3, 20206 minQuarantine Cuisine: Brunch editionI had received some feedback recently that my Quarantine Cuisine series features a) entirely dinner items and b) entirely meat or...
the_maestroApr 26, 202010 minQuarantine Cuisine: Joël Robuchon's QuailAs quarantine drags into the 40-plus day timeframe, I find myself seeking increasingly interesting and challenging dishes to keep myself...
the_maestroApr 24, 20204 minQuarantine Cuisine: Shrimp and gritsMy dearest readers, you are now gaining entrance to a very dear place in my heart––my love for the cuisine of the Lowcountry, the coastal...
the_maestroApr 22, 20204 minQuarantine Cuisine: Chilean Sea BassThis edition of Quarantine Cuisine might be called the "Prose" edition, or perhaps the "George W.'s least favorite" edition. Why? I...
the_maestroApr 21, 20205 minQuarantine Cuisine: Pit Barrel RibsHow are we lucky enough to have barbecue in our lives? I do not claim in the least to be a barbecue expert, so don't @ me, BBQ pros (very...
the_maestroApr 17, 20204 minQuarantine Cuisine: Greek Chicken ThighsIf you are like me, thirty-plus days of quarantine has begun to spark days of pronounced lethargy and depression––days where you stare...
the_maestroApr 15, 20203 minQuarantine Cuisine: Korean Kalbi Short RibsAs long as we can't travel physically, we might as well travel culinarily! Korean food is having a real moment in the Unites States....
the_maestroApr 11, 20205 minQuarantine Cuisine: Turkish Lamb Loin ChopsI wasn't planning on creating anything transcendental with this meal, so the Quarantine Cuisine series was supposed to next travel to...
the_maestroApr 8, 20206 minQuarantine Cuisine: Surf and TurfApologies for the delay in posting this next installment! The Maestro's computer suffered an unfortunate cracked screen, so a new one had...
the_maestroMar 27, 20204 minQuarantine Cuisine: Octopus and Mole AmarilloThis week I present a double dose of seafood, because our Fulton Fish Market order was particularly large (so we could trigger the free...
the_maestroMar 21, 20207 minQuarantine Cuisine: ScallopsWell kiddos, as you may have noticed, the world has stopped moving. Restaurants and bars are closed, the stock market is crumbling, the...
the_maestroMar 6, 20192 minMonday Mollusks: easy IPA-steamed Mussels!Quick post tonight to write a bit about a quick, easy snack! And to inaugurate my "Monday Mollusks" series ;) I don't know about you, but...
the_maestroFeb 3, 20197 minDuck Duck SyrahToday's dinner is brought to you by a convergence of circumstances, and also a shade of melancholy. Despite my endless love affair with...
the_maestroJan 31, 20194 minDouble-Header, pt. 2! Grass-Fed FiletSpent some time at Central Market this week (anyone surprised?) to snag some proteins and produce for the week's sustenance. I haven't...
the_maestroJan 23, 20194 minBlack cod: First 2019 Home cooked Dinner!I'm finally back in Austin! I must admit I still feel a bit adrift, and after 6 weeks of traveling, it was difficult for me to focus on...
the_maestroDec 30, 20185 minMy gift to mamaI am not good at gift-giving. Come the holiday season, I find myself mindlessly perusing malls and websites trying to find something...