Cooking for Two Blog

We are sorry to report that Kevin D. Weeks, the About.com Guide to Cooking for Two, passed away on April 5, 2012. Kevin was a talented food writer and photographer, who also had a keen understanding of computer programming. These combined skills made him a valuable contributor, and he was always willing to share his knowledge and insights.  Kevin will be greatly missed by his readers and by About.com Staff and Guides, some of who described him as someone who "loved his job," a "wonderful colleague," and "my favorite curmudgeon."

Kevin was an innovator as well. He was one of the first About.com writers to start the Wordless Wednesday blog posts and newsletters, and he became known for his weekly Mental Munchie blogs - wonderful, quirky quotes about food and eating.

From Kevin, "Cooking has always been an integral part of my life and even when I was working 60- and 70-hour weeks in other jobs, I always found time to cook. These days I'm lucky enough to be paid for doing it." And we at About were lucky enough to be a part of it.

Kevin's full obituary can be read here.

Please share your memories of Kevin in the comments.

What is sauce for the goose may be sauce for the gander but is not necessarily sauce for the chicken, the duck, the turkey or the guinea hen.
~ Alice B. Toklas

Hot Cross Buns
© 2012 Kevin D Weeks

Hot Cross Buns are a slightly sweet yeast roll containing currants or raisins and traditionally eaten in the UK on Good Friday. Protestant English monarchs considered them a hold-over of Catholic beliefs and attempted to ban them. When this failed Queen Elizabeth I passed a law permitting them to be made and sold only at Christmas and Easter. Fortunately we can now enjoy them year round - and they really are worth the effort. Recipe here...

Caramel Banana Pudding
© 2012 Kevin D Weeks

I had an urge for banana pudding but wanted something different, then I thought, "Why not make a caramel banana pudding?" Banana pudding is hugely popular in the South. It's a standard in most Southern cafeterias where it sometimes appears as a vegetable, not a dessert, alongside that other popular Southern vegetable, macaroni and cheese. Yeah, I know, Southerners are weird. Rather than make caramel from scratch, I decided to use caramelized milk - dulce de leche - which you can probably find either with the condensed milk or in the Hispanic section of your supermarket. Recipe here...

© 2011 Kevin D Weeks

Recipe here...

Fettucini all' Alfredo
Creative commons license 2012 Steven Depolo

I received this email from the grandson of Alfredo a few days ago after posting my recipe for Fettucini Alfredo and thought I'd share it with you.

HISTORY OF FETTUCCINE ALL'ALFREDO AND OF ALFREDO DI LELIO CREATOR OF "FETTUCCINE ALL'ALFREDO" With reference to "fettuccine all'Alfredo" we have the pleasure to tell you the history of our grandfather Alfredo Di Lelio, creator of this recipe in the world known. Alfredo di Lelio opened the restaurant "Alfredo" in Rome nel 1914, after leaving his first restaurant run by his mother Angelina Rose Square (Piazza disappeared in 1910 following the construction of the Galleria Colonna / Sordi). In this local spread the fame, first to Rome and then in the world, of "fettuccine all'Alfredo". In 1943, during the war, Di Lelio gave the local to his collaborators. In 1950 Alfredo Di Lelio decided to reopen with his son Armando (Alfredo II) his restaurant in Piazza Augusto Imperatore n.30 "Il Vero Alfredo", which is now managed by his nephews Alfredo (same name of grandfather) and Ines (the same name of his grandmother, wife of Alfredo Di Lelio, who were dedicated to the noodles). In conclusion, the local Piazza Augusto Imperatore is following the family tradition of Alfredo Di Lelio and his notes noodles (see also the site of "Il Vero Alfredo."

Best regards Alfredo e Ines Di Lelio

Your words are my food, your breath my wine. You are everything to me.
~ Sarah Bernhardt

Veal with Calvados
© 2012 Kevin D Weeks

This veal with Calvados and chevre was a spur-of-the-moment dish. My mother has been emptying her liquor cabinet, she no longer cooks and the only thing she drinks is white wine. The other day she sent me home with a partial bottle of calvados, a French apple brandy that I love to cook with - and enjoy sipping after dinner too. I decided to sauté a couple of veal cutlets and make a sauce with the Calvados and chevre. Because it's what I had on hand, I served the veal on farfalle. Recipe here...

Grunt
© 2012 Kevin D Weeks

When I was in college my roommates and I used frequently make a dish we called "Grunt." (Hey, we were college students.) It was a take-off on Beef Stroganoff and it featured such things as leftover roast beef, chicken and pork. It was very good, filling, cheap and easy - everything a bunch of young men want in a meal. Some 30-plus years later I still make it - but these days I make instead of dried French Onion Soup and canned mushrooms I make my own sauce. It's not much more trouble and still takes less than 30 minutes. Recipe here...

© 2011 Kevin D Weeks

Recipe here...