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The Laughing Chef

The Laughing Chef’s aspirations are to live life well, according to three ingredients – good folks, good food, good drink. Although he has typically paid the bills through work as a journalist, he considers his identity tied to how he fits into the world around him. An advocate of Thoreau’s philosophy of “Simplify, simplify, simplify,” The Chef gave up the car a year and a half ago and hasn’t had a credit card in his name for more than a decade. He is happy to report that he is generally happier and has a much easier time making ends meet for it. In addition to working for newspapers, he has also worked in retail and served four years as a sailor in the United States Navy. He currently resides in Mt. Pleasant, Mich., where he raises a son, has a freezer full of food courtesy his summer garden, and was recently named to the board of directors of his local cooperative grocery store.

 

 

Laughing Chef's Previous Columns

 

The Cleverer Way to Get Children to Eat Vegetables - August 26, 2009

 

Rice and Beans . . . and Immortality - August 19, 2009

 

Sandwich and Sauce? It’s Really Not So Fishy - August 12, 2009

 

Change Comes to the Bagelwich! Now Do As You’re Instructed . . . - August 5, 2009

 

Putting Down the Pea Revolution - July 29, 2009

 

A Pastry Made from Meat? What Is That? Stop. Don’t Think. - July 22, 2009

 

The Secret to Popularity? Sausage and Friends! - July 15, 2009

 

Boosting the Reputation of Mustard - July 8, 2009
 

The Coming Up of the Quesadilla - July 1, 2009

 

Making Beets Useful (Think Pasta) - June 24, 2009

 

Oven Frying . . . for the Potato Flakes Among Us - June 17, 2009

 

Green Beans and Lemon: Now It Can Be Revealed - June 10, 2009

 

The Bean: The Non-Meat Meat and Its Pasta Salad Adventure - June 3, 2009

 

Tarragon vs. Cilantro: It’s the Battle of the Abrasive Herbs - May 27, 2009

 

The Ritz Cracker Coating: Defending Meat Against Dry Heat - May 20, 2009

 

What To Do With Mushroom the ‘Tweener - May 13, 2009

 

Quinoa and the Pursuit of Kitchen Peace - May 6, 2009

 

Fool Your Friends, Stuff Your Kale (With Couscous) - April 29, 2009

 

How to Make (Fill in Blank) Taste Better? Add Bacon! - April 22, 2009

 

Asparagus: The Real Sign of Spring - April 15, 2009

 

Chocolate and Chicken? Say Hurray for Mole! - April 8, 2009

 

Orzo-Approved Sauce for the Pasta Social Scene - April 1, 2009

 

The Leaf-Roasting Secrets of Making Kale Edible - March 25, 2009

Braising, Not Bruising, the Flavorful Drumstick - March 18, 2009

Spinach: The Street Cred King of the Refrigerator - March 11, 2009

As Winter Hangs On, It’s a Revolution With a Spoon - March 4, 2009

Sauerkraut: Intelligent Life on Earth - February 25, 2009

Deftness of Hand: The Secret to Stir Fry - February 18, 2009

Dressed Up for Your Date With a Steak - February 11, 2009

Chili and Chilly: Complementary But Not Homophonic - February 4, 2009

Fulfilling the Vision of Bob Omelet - January 28, 2009

Limber Up for Lasagna - January 21, 2009

Little White Lies About Our Friend the Biscuit - January 14, 2009

Properly Heat Bacon and Peas, Save a Solar System - January 7, 2009

Eat Neck Meat, Save Western Civilization - December 31, 2008

The Exotic, Overlooked Chicken Thigh - December 17, 2008

Tilapia the Immigrant Fish Meets Tomato Soup - December 10, 2008

Conversations With Pot Roast - December 3, 2008

Showdown at the Whitefish Corral - November 26, 2008

Soup Plays by Its Own Rules, Baby - November 19, 2008

Tofu Defies Time - November 12, 2008

Swimming in an Ocean of Pumpkin Soup - November 6, 2008

Anchovy Angst vs. Pizza Progression - October 29, 2008

Savor the Bacon, Honor the Lemon - October 22, 2008

End the Slander of the Apple! (Cheddar Cheese Will Help) - October 15, 2008

Roast Those Jalapenos, and Start Bellowing - October 8, 2008

 

Filo: Mankind’s Ticket to the Cosmos - October 1, 2008

Make History With Brussel Sprouts - September 24, 2008

Dress Your Pasta With None Other Than Mr. Pumpkin - September 17, 2008

Shatter Stability With Vegetables for Breakfast - September 10, 2008

Combating the Blandness of Mashed Potatoes - September 3, 2008

Save the Self-Esteem of the Beleaguered Green Bean - August 27, 2008

Some Friend You Are: Chop and Serve Pepita - August 20, 2008

Great Scott, Marty! Cuke to the Future! - August 13, 2008

Decadence, Thy Name is Chocolate Rice Krispie Ice Cream Sandwiches - August 6, 2008

Bottom of the Ninth: Shiitake Mushrooms at the Plate - July 30, 2008

Conquer Chinese Cabbage . . . Instant Sandwich - July 23, 2008

Roll With the Sublime Pleasure of Prosciutto - July 16, 2008

When a Little Rain Falls, Make a Boiling Shelter for Your Brats - July 9, 2008

Italian-Style Stir-Fry: All About the Oil - July 2, 2008

 

Make Pasta Take Off With Rocket - June 25, 2008

 

Honor the Pig With a Helping of Salt Pork - June 18, 2008

At Breakfast, De-Segregation Is the Law - June 11, 2008

Grand Theft Chicken - June 4, 2008

What is Salad? We Can Ponder, or We Can Eat - May 28, 2008

Is It Chili or Is It Pasta? - May 21, 2008

Pasta Salad, Starring the Anchovy - May 14, 2008

Vinegar in Pasta Sauce: Like a Leather Jacket for Your Penne - May 7, 2008

The Busyness of Life Eggs Us On - April 30, 2008

 

Oh Live! And Turn Those Olives Into Tapenade - April 23, 2008

 

The Mind-Blowing Oyster Journey - April 16, 2008

 

How to Emotionally Destroy a Pot Roast - April 9, 2008

The Remarkable Revelry of Roasted Garlic - April 2, 2008

No Sound So Sweet as the Salad Symphony - March 26, 2008

Meat-Free? You’re Not Crazy, You Just Need Portobello Mushrooms - March 19, 2008

 

Fish Facilitation: It’s Salmon Satisfaction - March 12, 2008

Beef Stew for Snobs - March 5, 2008

Soup for Breakfast; Breakfast for Soup - February 27, 2008

Getting the Better Taste Out of Bitter Kale - February 20, 2008

Alfredo Sauce With the Mix Master - February 13, 2008

Pork Chops: The Team Player Dressed in Orange - February 6, 2008

Deviled Eggs: Do the Prince of Darkness Proud - January 30, 2008

The Wisdom of Briny Water . . . and Pork Chops - January 23, 2008

Lasagna For One? Break All the Rules! - January 16, 2008

The Sweet Possibilities of Faux Lobster - January 9, 2008

 

From Gray Slimy Lumps to Luscious Shrimp - January 2, 2008

 

Winning the War of the Omelet - December 24, 2007

 

Don’t Overlook Dill, Even if Dill Likes It That Way - December 17, 2007

Food Wrapped With Food: A Mind-Blowing Concept - December 10, 2007

Pi Are Square, and the Kids are Hungry! - December 3, 2007

Horrors! Casserole! - November 26, 2007

Kitchen Relaxation: Hammer Away - November 19, 2007

 

Venison Meatballs? Brown With Care - November 12, 2007

Let the Calzone Settle Your Sauce Conundrum - November 5, 2007

Trust Me: Zucchini is Seafood - October 29, 2007

 

Squash Conformity! - October 22, 2007

 

Beware, Silverware! It’s Chicken Nugget Time - October 15, 2007

 

Enter Kitchen, Approach Aristocracy - October 8, 2007

 

Spare Tuna the Can; Your Quesadilla is Calling - October 1, 2007

 

Burrito Warfare - September 24, 2007

 

The Peasant Spirit Leads Us to Cabbage - September 17, 2007

 

You Don’t Intimidate Me, You Tasty Cabbage! - September 10, 2007

 

Forget Otto von Bismarck: It’s Time for Sausage-Based Pasta Sauce - September 3, 2007

 

Sauce or Gravy? The Answer is Stir! - August 27, 2007

 

Red, White and Green: Flag or Food, It’s All Italian - August 20, 2007

 

Garbanzo II: The Fry Boy Experience - August 13, 2007

 

Hummus a Tune, My Little Garbanzo Bean - August 6, 2007

 

Cowboy Caviar: Roped from the Heft of Real Beans - July 30, 2007

 

Bust Out the Goggles: It's Jalapeno Time! - July 23, 2007

 

Secrets of the Exploding Pie Crust - July 16, 2007

 

How to Keep Venison from Becoming Door-Stop Material - July 9, 2007

Sorry, Chicken, Asparagus is the Star of This Meal - July 2, 2007

Counterintuitive But True: Asparagus and Tarragon Go Together - June 25, 2007

The Plantain Emerges from the Shadow of Brother Banana - June 18, 2007

Banana Bread and the Triumph of Mashable Goo - June 11, 2007

Go Away Minimalists! That Rhubarb Pie Needs Ice Cream - June 4, 2007

The Lamb Lies Down on Bunway - May 28, 2007

The Yellow Perch and the Energy Mavens - May 21, 2007

Arty Chokes Three for One Dollar - May 14, 2007

Have Pheasant, Join the Aristocracy - May 7, 2007

Steal Your Mother's Hen? Then Cook It Right! - April 30, 2007

A Robust Side Dish... Lavender? - April 23, 2007

Surviving the Chicken and Bacon Caper - April 16, 2007

Wandering Down the Country Catfish Lane - April 9, 2007

The Case of the Leek - April 2, 2007

Work Your Way Back Into Grilling Form - March 26, 2007

The Egalitarian Palace of the Peach - March 19, 2007

Free Meals Jeopardized? Time to Play Cheap Host - March 12, 2007

Soup to Reunite the Nation - March 5, 2007

Embrace the Mushroom/Pasta Decadence - February 26, 2007

Crush Crush Crush! It's Herbes de Provence - February 19, 2007

Poaching for Culinary Pleasure - February 12, 2007

The Persuasion of Dark Chicken Meat - February 5, 2007

Brown Rice: The Amiable Starting Point for Vegetarian Chili - January 29, 2007

This Party's A Lemon! - January 22, 2007

Feel Your Chutney - January 15, 2007

Plant Your Flag, O King of Deliciousness - January 8, 2007

The Princes, the Paupers and the Pasta - January 1, 2007

Basil - The Essence of the Civilization of Man - December 25, 2006

Facing Failure at the Squish of the Bean - December 18, 2006

You Need Help, So Reach Across Species Boundaries - December 13, 2006

Soup: A Flash of Foodified Summer - December 6, 2006

Grandpa's Macaroni and the Mystery of Brown - November 29, 2006

Neglect: The Natural Enemy of Polenta - November 22, 2006

Make Pork Tenderloin a Meal, Not Charcoal - November 15, 2006

Squash, Beans, Corn: The Reunion of the Sisters - November 8, 2006

Beans and Rice: How to Add Taste to the Nutrients - October 25, 2006

Shrimp: The Napoleonic Seafood - October 18, 2006

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