For almost ten years Mark Bittman has been writing for The New York Times as “The Minimalist.” Though I have been a regular (mostly online) reader of the Times for a while now, it’s only recently that I have really paid any attention to his writing and online video. (Never let it be said that I got in on a trend too soon.)
What I find appealing about Bittman is his no-nonsense style and seemingly wry sense of humor. I will attempt my share of complicated, fussy dishes, often with at least decent results. But what I really enjoy most is taking a few simple ingredients, applying simple methods, and coming up with something really wonderful. The baked eggs I made for New Year’s are a perfect example; simple, easy, elegant, and amazingly good for so little effort.
Today we’re trying pernil (Puerto Rican style pork shoulder roast), and I’ve started a confit of oranges. If I feel ambitious I may make a clementine clafouti later this afternoon. The Times video on demand page doesn’t seem to work very well for some reason, so here’s another place to find Bittman’s “The Minimalist” videos.
Rummaging About 
nice post -___-
Thanks! Looks like the clafouti (or clafoutis, as it is variously spelled) will have to wait for another day. The pernil is still in the oven, the only oven we have. The confit of oranges continues to barely simmer on the stove. That’s got another couple of hours before we start Phase II.
Well, the pernil was not quite the transcendent pork experience we were expecting – okay, I was expecting – but it was very good, especially with a squirt of lime juice. The oranges are still simmering away, and the clementines are waiting patiently….
I’ve seen his PBS show, but had otherwise never heard of him. Thanks for the scoop!
I think I caught part of one of his shows on PBS. As I recall he was cooking fish with a chef in Ireland, but I can’t even be sure it was him.
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