Lost in translation
How many cookbooks do you have that are written in another language? How many others that began life in another language but were translated to English? If you have a large enough cookbook collection, you might have a…
Darcie
Padma Lakshmi's new television program
Former model and Top Chef co-host Padma Lakshmi is no stranger to the camera, but on her new Hulu show Taste the Nation, she is front and center in a different way. We first learned about the show last year, and…
Food news antipasto
If you loved Monica, Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe, then I have good news for you: an official 'Friends' cookbook is coming out this fall. There will be over 70 recipes inspired by the popular show featuring…
Keeping your cool in a hot kitchen
It's 11:00 p.m. and I am standing in my kitchen, putting dough into my enameled cast iron pot for a loaf of no-knead bread. I promised my friends I would go on a bicycle ride with them at 6:30 a.m. tomorrow, so why I am…
Look outside the newsstand for the best food writing
For decades, if you wanted to read well written pieces about food, you purchased a magazine or a book. The invention of the internet changed the paradigm, and suddenly the world was awash in food blogs, some better than…
Bourdain Day remembrances
Today would be Anthony Bourdain's 64th birthday, and the culinary world still mourns his loss. His friends Eric Ripert and José Andrés started #BourdainDay in 2018 as a day to honor the chef, author, and television…
Flouting conventional fungi wisdom
Just when you think you can't be surprised by a new cooking technique, someone comes along to shake things up. The debate about whether to wash mushrooms before cooking has raged for decades, but how you should cook…
Spice support: shiso
Shiso, also called perilla or Korean perilla (Perilla frutescens var. crispa), is a member of the mint family, and is a popular herb in Japanese, Korean, and southeast Asian cuisines. Its appeal extends well beyond…
Food news antipasto
This week we learned some sad news from Andy Ricker. Most of his Pok Pok locations are closing due to issues arising from the pandemic. Ricker said that Pok Pok NW, Whiskey Soda Lounge, and both locations of Pok Pok…
London chefs weigh in on their favorite cookbooks
It's always fascinating to read about which cookbooks have inspired top chefs - if the book is good enough for someone who has made a career out of cooking, I will always investigate it for my own bookshelves. Whenever…
Sharing restaurant memories
It's been over three months since I dined in a restaurant, and it will likely be several more before I feel comfortable doing so again. More than not having to cook, I miss being able to converse with friends and…
Recipes: scripture or template?
Underneath almost any post I see on social media that has a photo of some tasty food, you can inevitably find a request for the recipe. Facing cooking fatigue, people want to find new things to make for their families,…