I’ve long suspected that air travel is unnatural, and the physical effects of being hurtled through the air in a metal tube across several time zones get worse as I […]
GARDEN PLOT
Planting Garlic Is a Down Payment on Spring
Each clove will give you two crops come summer
The early morning air is crisp and clear. As I head out to the kitchen garden, brisk winds following on the heels of a faraway tropical storm carry swirls of […]
FROM THE LARDER
An Oyster Feast
How do you top Wellfleet’s best bivalves? Buttery, bacony, peppery answers from three local farmers
If you listen carefully right now you will hear whole beds of Wellfleet oysters fattening themselves up for a winter that many of them won’t see. That’s because thousands of […]
LONDON DISPATCH
A Cross-Cultural Curry to Come Home To
At Dishoom in London, a reminder of the gifts of flavors immigrants bring
I know it’s a mistake to leave the Outer Cape in September or October, missing the glorious weather we wait for all summer long. But Christopher had a work trip. […]
FROM THE LARDER
Sweet, Salty Tomates d’Été au Fromage Bleu
Garden tomatoes and salty cheese meet in a Montréalais skillet
A couple of weeks ago my mother told me that she had had entirely enough tomatoes for the summer and was now tossing ripe ones from her garden straight into […]
FROM THE LARDER
Beach Day Summer Rolls
A cool, crunchy, herby, satisfying lunch wrapped up in a neat little package
I’ll own that I have a reputation as a high-maintenance beachgoer. All summer long, Christopher heads out to find a spot on the sand between Long Nook and Ballston with […]
FROM THE LARDER
A Puerto Rican Pernil Makes a Barbecue for a Crowd
Garlicky marinated pork shoulder, slow-roasted on the grill
One thing I’m realizing now that Truro is truly our home is that there are of lots of people we will only get to catch up with in the summer. […]
INCIDENTALLY
No Quesadillas?
We were having lunch on the upper deck of the Bookstore Restaurant in Wellfleet on a fine day in July. At the next table was a family with three young […]
CIVIL RIGHTS
The Narrowing of the Public Square
An ominous decision from the Supreme Court on serving same-sex couples
The Supreme Court’s June decision in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, allowing businesses to refuse to serve same-sex couples based on religious objections, took me back to a day in […]
MEET THE MAKER
Jacques van der Vyver Makes This Cape His Terroir
Truro Vineyards has a new vintner from South Africa’s Western Cape
TRURO — I’m not sure what to expect as I pull into Truro Vineyards to meet the new senior winemaker, briefed by an online industry publication’s profile that called him […]
FROM THE LARDER
A Garlicky Aioli Is the Centerpiece of a Summer Spread
Serve on the porch with mismatched plates and plenty of room for whoever is around
It was Wa’reen who taught me how to make aioli. A taciturn African-American woman from New Orleans’s historically Creole 7th Ward, Wa’reen was the cook who ran the hors d’oeuvres […]
INCIDENTALLY
Pretty in Pink
I was the only customer in the Truro Post Office when I pulled my mail out of our box and found it included a large rolled-up Manila envelope. I didn’t […]
FROM THE LARDER
A Walk in the Woods for Nettle Soup
Foraging gives a cook a break from all that produce-aisle plastic
Once again, I sigh as I browse the produce aisle at the grocery store. There, standing between me and the blueberries or kale or lettuce, is so much plastic. Those […]
FROM THE LARDER
Subtle and Ethereal Homemade Ricotta
Make it once and you’ll understand why it’s worth the trip
It’s the end of our stay in my other hometown. We fill the car with our suitcases plus all our Mardi Gras accoutrements, including wigs, hats, a sequined dress, and […]
FROM THE LARDER
A Coconut Cake That’s a Celebration, No Matter What
Agnes Bouquet’s recipe for special occasions
My grandmother possessed a solid repertoire of braises, etouffeés, and gumbos. Her fried chicken set the gold standard to which I still aspire. She must have cooked her way through […]
