FOOD

"Happy emotional extortion day," I told Nancy Leson. As you might guess, neither of us are much on Valentine's. But we sure are stoked about Lunar New Year. The Year of the Dog begins Friday and lasts through March 2. Food is a big part of Lunar NY celebrations, and today there are more resources than ever to teach you how to prepare it. Naturally, Nancy the Mom couldn't help but talk up her son's Asian cooking abilities.

It's Lunar New Year. The celebration of Year of the Dog is now through March 2. Food is a big part of Lunar NY celebrations, and today there are more resources than ever to teach you how to prepare it. Naturally, Nancy the Mom couldn't help but talk up her son's Asian cooking abilities.

She’s at it again. Nancy Leson swears you can have good-to-go pizza crust in just one hour. Of course I think she’s delusional but I’m too diplomatic to say it. Oh, wait – no I’m not.

I took a few days off from the station and ran wild in the kitchen last week. I made pizza, steamed ribs, roast duck, duck soup, bagels, rye bread, an ill-fated lambstrami, and a glorious batch of supercrisp oven baked wings. Recipes and a notes below.

"Stein, I am devastated," The cause of Nancy Leson's massive mope? The Maldon Sea Salt factory closed? Oysters actually do know what's happening to them? Or did she discover the true content of the bestseller To Serve Man? Nope. What it was, was... well, let's let Nancy tell it.

"Stein, some women spend money on shoes and jewelry. I buy pots." And Nancy Leson has the cookware to prove it.

All I had to do was tell Nancy Leson I'd made a pot of gumbo, and right away she's saying her husband Mac's is better. Even though... Even Though ... she's never even tasted mine. Come to think of it, I've never tasted Mac's, either. There's a gumbo throw down brewing but it'll probably have to wait til next year. And of course it's really all just a matter of personal taste. I doubt that in the history of the world any two people ever made gumbo in exactly the same way. Besides, this Food for

KNKX South Sound reporter Will James said the nicest thing about Food for Thought to me recently. I tell Nancy Leson all about it in this week's segment which also includes...

(This segment originally aired July 6, 2016) Nancy Leson loves the taste of Maldon sea salt. I claim that what she loves is the texture. She says "Some salts taste saltier than others." I maintain that all salt tastes about the same, "It's all sodium chloride," differing only in texture. What's more, all salt is sea salt. Even the stuff they mine on land was originally in a bygone sea.

Don't look for sous vide cookers, wi-fi enabled digital electronic smokers, or enchanted knives forged by the dwarves of Middle Earth on this list. For holiday gift-giving Nancy Leson and I recommend these inexpensive items any cook will be thrilled to get.