Food & Drink

Because everything in a restaurant kitchen requires labeling with masking tape and a black marker, a Sharpie is a permanent fixture in my apron pocket. However, I used to constantly lose them to co-workers who would borrow my Sharpie and never return it. I eventually solved this problem by swapping my black marker’s cap for […]

Roasting food on a skewer is a universal tradition with cultural significance dating back to the dawn of human culinary history. Nearly every culture has crafted its own version, from central Asian kebabs and Middle Eastern dishes to Greek souvlaki, Italian spiedini, Japanese yakitori and Southeast Asian satays, highlighting its deep-rooted importance worldwide. Long before […]

Growing up in a home with a Teutonic heritage, I was exposed to turnips at a young age and developed a strong aversion to them. To my youthful senses, they smelled like skunk and tasted even worse. Finding them in a pot of corned beef and cabbage was enough to spoil the entire meal for […]

When the temperatures soar and even the weeds are wilting, chilled soups manage to exude effortless elegance despite their dead-simple preparation and often humble ingredient list. Many, such as cucumber soup and Spanish gazpacho, are essentially liquefied salad and don’t require any cooking at all. Others, such as classic French vichyssoise, a chilled potato and […]

I just picked up my first bunch of local asparagus at the farmers’ market. In anticipation of grilling outside, I made a batch of romesco sauce. A staple of Spanish cuisine, romesco sauce is a traditional condiment from Catalonia in the northeast. Although it is now famously associated with calçots – tender spring onions roasted […]