Chef Bolek

I have a fascination with the country of Uruguay.  The relatively smallish country bordered by Brazil to the north and, across the Rio de...

When I first started cooking as a hobby, there were two things that motivated me.  First, it was Italian cuisine.  This was due to my foo...

I am a very big fan of Steve Raichlen, who is the author of the Barbecue Bible  and host of shows such as Primal Grill .   Maybe it is hi...

One of the things on my culinary bucket list is to make my own hot sauce.  It may not seem like much, especially to cooks and chefs who c...

It seems that chile heat is in vogue.  Turn on your television and your eyesight is burned with commercials for Wendy's Jalapeno Ghos...

French cooks believe that good meat deserves a sauce.   These words were written by Anne Willan, the author of one of my favorite French ...

Back in the 1980s, there was this chef.  Actually, there were a lot of chefs back in the 1980s, but there was this one chef.  He was born...

In some respects, more is better, at least in my opinion.  If I find a marinade or rub recipe, I will often look at the number of ingredien...

Three words always appeal to me ... Bistecca alla Fiorentina.  Those three words speak of a recipe that is among my favorites.  One start...

One of the "regular" features on the Chef Bolek blog is Steak Night .  The story behind Steak Night begins with my beautiful wi...

Steak Nights are more than opportunities to cook steak; rather, they provide chances for me to be adventurous and creative. On this parti...

They stood with with their wide rimmed hats buffeted by the wind, which also worked its way around their woolen ponchos and beat against ...

A few years ago, I got a stovetop smoker for a gift.  I lived in an apartment at the time.  Although living on a high floor had its advan...

When it comes to cooking, I am a deeply conflicted individual.  The conflict comes from a very simple question: what is your favorite i...