1.

Not many people will remember the story of Pittsburgh food critic Mike Kalina. But, as strange as it may seem, I think we should remember him. 

Kalina's story is quintessentially of his era. He wrote restaurant reviews for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in the late ’80s and early ’90s under the name “The Travelin’ Gourmet,” which was also the name of his television show and his 1990 cookbook. That book is out of print, but you can still find copies online for as little as $0.99 US. It has recipes for things like Chicken Wings in Oyster Sauce, Crab Cheesecake, and something Kalina called Enraged Spaghetti, which was his cute name for that Italianate standard of last-minute gourmandery, spaghetti tossed with garlic, hot pepper flakes and olive oil.