Char-Siu Chicken Bún Bowls (gluten-free)

Before this post runs away from me, as so many of them do, I’ll just start by saying: if you’re here for the recipe, alone, I know this looks like a crapload of ingredients and steps, but I beg of you – don’t be intimidated. The allure of these bowls lies in their lovingly forgiving simplicity. And that is to say, you can do very little right with them and still do very little wrong, if you know what I’m saying. It’s a beautiful thing. And now for the detour. My love for swine is no secret — to the … Read More

Green Chili-Garlic Sauce (gluten-free, paleo, vegan variation) and our chapter on Ohio

Green Chili-Garlic Sauce recipe (gluten-free, paleo, vegan variation) via thepigandquill.com #spicy #asian

This morning I woke up certain that I was still dreaming. A glimpse outside revealed a slate sky heavy with anticipation, a thick-striped greenbelt under the window screaming words like verdant and lush that have become few and far between on the West Coast. And then: the staticky buzz of cicadas, audible even over the light hum of the outer belt. Ah, yes. The midwest. Again. It’s no dream. More years ago than I care to count, Chris and I packed up our tiny college apartment just outside of downtown San Luis Obispo and dove (or rather drove) into a … Read More

Hooky, housekeeping…and a haiku

Full disclosure here. I just wanted three “H” things. Super misleading. (Or was it?) I took this past week off to play hooky. Mountains on Monday, touring around the city on Tuesday, and then three fuhnomenal days cruising the Central Coast, which I’m fairly certain is one of the most beautiful places on God’s green earth. Literally — green earth. For you East Coasters, that might be NBD, but here in drought-ridden California, a little rolling-green-hills action makes my insides feel like gummy bears dancing around in tiny party sombreros holding tiny drinks with even tinier drink umbrellas. In their skivvies. With … Read More

Super Bowl Roundup: 20 P&Q Eats for the Big Game

Super Bowl Roundup: 20 Tasty Eats for the Big Game // the pig & quill

Do you remember your first Super Bowl? I do. My mom and I were living in an apartment off the river, in a little one-bedroom over the manager’s office. One of my favorite pastimes was fastening a paperclip to a string, knotting it clumsily around the end of a stick and dangling it over the balcony. Time and again it’d come back up with a small note attached — or, if I was really lucky, an individually-wrapped Starburst candy, the paperclip deftly pried open and speared through the waxy pink or yellow wrapper. The little things, right? “Hey kiddo,” my … Read More

Steam-Grilled Baby Bok Choy with Sesame Soy Vinaigrette (vegan & gf)

I have a ritual when Chris goes out of town. It’s called Eating a Lot of Asian Veggies. Do I need to explain? Chris is probably the world’s best sport when it comes to eating veggies. Despite his “particular” eating habits that we’ve discussed before, he rarely turns his nose up at a vegetable. Unless it’s a tomato. Or a mushroom. Or an avocado. You know. All the vegetables that, if I were a vegetarian, would make life worth living. Fortunately, I’m not a vegetarian, so I make do. There are a buttload of other veggies that make for seriously … Read More