Food & Drink

Food and music top the list of things I’m passionate about. Several years ago I saw a southwest Louisiana band called the Red Stick Ramblers who played a mix of Cajun, Texas Swing and gypsy jazz. At the set break they announced that the Ramblers hosted an annual festival in Lafayette – the Black Pot […]

The heat of summer seems like an odd time to crank up the oven, but there’s never a better time for chewy, flavor-packed focaccia. This recipe was the gateway bread for me, introducing me to the immense satisfaction that comes from pulling a gorgeous, incredibly aromatic loaf out of the oven. A basket of warm […]

Once upon a time, in the early years of my life, before downloads and streaming, there were record clubs and book clubs. The now-defunct Columbia House Record Club gave me my first opportunity to screw up my credit rating. Seduced by the offer of eight tapes for only a penny (I’m talking eight-tracks here – […]

Known by old-timers as “pie plant,” rhubarb is one of the first local produce offerings of the season. The ruby red stalks yield to a soft delicious pulp when baked or stewed and have a distinctive tart, slightly musky flavor. The Memorial Day cookouts of my childhood were always capped off with a wedge of […]

I jump on my bike and head to my neighborhood grocery store, a five-minute ride from my apartment. On the way I make a quick stop at Lang Bakery for a banh mi sandwich and a cup of Vietnamese iced coffee. I then cross the street and enter Super Cao Nguyen, a Vietnamese grocery store […]

The food industry is notoriously tough. Long, physically demanding hours, erratic schedules, temper tantrums and razor-thin margins are commonplace in kitchens the world over. It almost seems insane that anyone would willingly sign up for such a grueling assignment. However, in spite of many inherent challenges, this work brings joy and deep satisfaction to the […]

Before garlic matures into the pungent dried bulb we buy at the grocery store, it spends its childhood as a delicate, lightly perfumed stalk known as green garlic or spring garlic. Garlic cloves are planted in the fall, hibernate over the winter, and emerge in the spring. Early in its life, garlic is mostly green […]

A “country lawn.” That’s how my grandmother always describes the expanse of lush green grass behind my house. Like describing an apartment in a rental ad as a “charming and vintage” instead of “small and old,” calling ours a “country lawn” is polite way of saying there are weeds in our yard, lots of weeds. […]

When I announced that I would be getting remarried on April Fool’s Day and cooking the food for my own wedding reception, many people thought I was joking. In truth, I was just carrying on a family tradition. We have a long family history of hosting elaborate gatherings with attendance sometimes exceeding 100. Events of […]

For much of our modern gastronomic history, many of our beliefs about food were driven by what people were not supposed to eat. Foods take turns as the villain of the moment, and regular folks end up mired in a web of confusion and shame just trying to figure out what to make for dinner. […]

My first experience with fermented fish was not a good one. Halley’s Comet pays us a visit approximately every 75 years and the last time was 33 years ago. I wanted to optimally experience this once-in-a-lifetime event. One of the best viewing areas was French Polynesia so I booked passage on the Aranui, a freighter […]

The American Heart Association recommends eating two servings of fish per week based on numerous studies indicating that consuming fish is good for your heart. Fish is a rich source of omega-3 fats, which are known to help lower blood pressure and improve blood vessel function, as well as vitamin D and selenium, important nutrients […]