Category Archives: Restaurants

Places I’ve eaten in, worked in, or read about.

Albuquerque Mothers Day: Bell pepper salsa

Posted on May 15, 2021 by warmkn

These are for Jane: Pony Boy, Jack Arthur and I’m a Little Teapot, Major and Melody Spellcheck and I argued over my use of Mothers instead of Mother’s, but in the end, I won because I was there. Most years I spend Mother’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Family and friends, Recipes, Restaurants | 2 Comments

Birria: Creamy Chicken Wet Burritos

Posted on May 1, 2021 by warmkn

Mavericks, All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down In 1980s when I worked the line at Trumps in LA (no connection to the orange guy), my shift started at 5:00 pm and ended at 1:00 am. After six hours of cooking, smelling, … Continue reading →

Posted in Family and friends, Recipes, Restaurants | 3 Comments

Street food: Carnitas

Posted on March 20, 2021 by warmkn

Tuba Skinny, Jubilee Stomp We seldom eat in restaurants—it’s expensive, it’s unreliable, and it’s just too much trouble. Anyways, I always felt more comfortable in the back, behind the swinging kitchen doors, with the loud music, cursing chefs, plastic 7-11 … Continue reading →

Posted in Family and friends, Recipes, Restaurants | 2 Comments

Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day: Glazed corned beef and cabbage

Posted on March 13, 2021 by warmkn

  Oh Danny Boy The first chef I worked for in LA was a tall, handsome, Irish lad with a wicked tongue, a quick wit, and a hot temper. In the 80s, when the Sweetie and I moved to Los … Continue reading →

Posted in Chefs, Recipes, Restaurants | 4 Comments

Somebody to Love: Orange date muffins, Sesame chicken

Posted on March 6, 2021 by warmkn

 Queen, Somebody to Love Last year when the lodge pool was closed for repairs, I rode the exercise bike at 9:00 am and listened to a local AM radio station broadcast its commercial-free “Nine at Nine” segment. Every day the disc jockey featured … Continue reading →

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Cooking in the shadow: Crab cakes with thyme aioli

Posted on November 21, 2020 by warmkn

Listen to John Handy’s Hard Work by clicking on the post title. I was fifty when I finished my final shift working for Tom Douglas at the Dahlia Lounge. I punched out, changed my sweat-soaked socks, let myself out the … Continue reading →

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The Back of the House: Sopa de Guajillo

Posted on October 3, 2020 by warmkn

This post was originally published in 2016. “Immigrants are good for our kitchens and for our country.” Ry Cooder and Harry Dean Stanton, Across The Borderline    “Le disparé cinco veces, por accidente.” Up at four a.m., on La Brea … Continue reading →

Posted in Chefs, Recipes, Restaurants | 2 Comments

Cooking as comfort: Ribollita

Posted on June 7, 2020 by warmkn

I wasn’t sure whether or not to write a post this week but silence didn’t feel right. I don’t have words that might inspire or illuminate, but I do want to acknowledge the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, … Continue reading →

Posted in Recipes, Restaurants | 4 Comments

Dive bar or neighborhood tavern?: Iowa tavern sandwiches

Posted on February 8, 2020 by warmkn

You’ve just gotta listen to this week’s music video.  Blake Shelton Garth Brooks, Dive Bar I ate my first enchilada in the late 60s at the Half Moon Inn. The Half Moon, three dramas short of a dive bar, was a … Continue reading →

Posted in Restaurants, Travel | 2 Comments

Sound Food, the beginning: Chocolate Mousse Pie

Posted on February 1, 2020 by warmkn

Crosby, Stills, Nash, Teach Your Children A girl can always use a little money of her own. It was 1973, I was bored, new to Vashon, and wanted a job. Choices were slim—my previous work history consisted of picking currants for … Continue reading →

Posted in Family and friends, Recipes, Restaurants, Sound Food | 2 Comments