I want to get this out of the way at the get-go: I was raised on SpaghettiOs, and I loved them. Surely you remember Chef Boyardee with his jaunty toque, […]
ACCOMMODATION
Shouldn’t We Be More Alarmed?
Overall, Americans do not seem to be shocked by recent shifts in politics and society
I lie awake at night more often than I’d like to admit wondering if this is how it felt in 1933 at the end of Germany’s Weimar Republic. Did people […]
FROM THE LARDER
A Couple’s Flavorful Connections Between the Cape and Kalamata
Fresh Greek olive oil is the secret to a silky gazpacho
Olive oil may have always been ubiquitous in some lucky American subcultures, but it wasn’t in mine. I remember the first time my mother ran across olive oil on an […]
FROM THE LARDER
Neighborly Recipes for Midsummer Parties and Family Visits
Cold carrot soup and pound cake as a palette for berries from a community cookbook
Almost everything seemed to go quiet as those early days of the pandemic unfolded. But messages kept coming from Wellfleet Preservation Hall. Word from there was a comfort, reminding me […]
BOOK REVIEW
A Place of Quiet Beauty Reveals Its Lively Past
Sharon Dunn combines poetry and history in writing about Bound Brook Island
In the same week that we came to live in a cottage halfway between Lombard and Paradise hollows, on the Wellfleet-Truro line, Christopher and I took a walk on Bound […]
NOLA DISPATCH
At Casamento’s, the Next Best Thing to My Mother’s Oyster Loaf
Layered, butter-crisped oysters that make more than a mere sandwich
NEW ORLEANS — As I step in from the bright-hot sun that is beating down on the sidewalk here and settle into the cool dimness of Casamento’s, I am reminded […]
FROM THE LARDER
Moqueca, With a Side of Optimism
Brazil’s lime-and-coconut-creamy, spicy fish stew
“Don’t worry,” said Nete Balbino the first time we met. I was frazzled, trying to organize the move that would settle Christopher and me in a new cottage as Truro […]
MAZATLÁN DISPATCH
Aguachiles With Mexican Shrimp — or Cape Cod Sea Scallops
Spring break defined by a plate of fresh seafood, seasoned with lime and chiles
Apparently, shrimp is Mazatlán’s superpower. I have been hearing about the glories of the seafood of Sinaloa, particularly its shrimp, for months from Wellfleet neighbors who spend time on Mexico’s […]
FROM THE LARDER
Pierogi to Make a Babcia Proud
Folding cheese and potato dumplings, we find the world becomes smaller
We cross paths regularly on our respective early morning coffee runs in Wellfleet. Now, without masks, it seems easier to strike up a conversation. She’s holding a copy of the […]
FROM THE LARDER
Colcannon Made With Kale
A buttery mash of potatoes and greens for St. Patrick’s Day
When my sister-in-law and brother invited Christopher and me to join them on a hiking trip across Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula, you might be surprised to know, I didn’t say yes […]
FOOD MEMORIES
When It Was Pie Day All Day
Remembering the irresistible allure of a potentially pagan practice
The thing about being raised a Baptist in south Louisiana was that you ended up missing out on half the fun. Most of the idiosyncratic practices and traditions that gave […]
FROM THE LARDER
Homemade Garlic Sausage, Spiked With Cognac and a Pinch of Nutmeg
Memories of a small-town butcher shop inspire a kitchen project for a winter weekend
Light fluffy snow swirls brightly as I head out for a walk on the rail bed where I see lots of coyote tracks. When I get back to the frost-covered […]
FROM THE LARDER
Soup for Breakfast, Abroad and at Home
What to do when you cannot face another bowl of oatmeal
I head downstairs for breakfast, round the corner of the first-floor landing, and find myself eyeball to eyeball with a water buffalo. Clearly, I’m not in Truro anymore. The buffalo […]
FROM THE LARDER
Arnaud’s French 75 for 2021’s Twilight
Creating a new ritual with a classic cocktail
I’m partial to rituals to mark the parameters of life, to give contour to my days and punctuate some moments as special, worthy of celebration. They remind me to pause […]
FROM THE LARDER
Homemade Granola Makes a Not-Too-Sweet Gift
Breakfast that’s good enough to eat for dessert
Several years ago, we attended a memorable dinner at the famed New York restaurant Eleven Madison Park. This was before Covid shut down the world, and before the restaurant raised […]
