Even though she went to culinary school and has a stack of cookbooks as high as our ceiling, my mother does not use recipes. So, for me, moving away from […]
Food & Drink
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FROM THE SNACKBOOK
The Alchemy of a Steamed Sweet Potato
A fluffy, custardy new companion for the season of comfort food
I don’t know about you, but it’s going to take me a while to remember what true wanderlust feels like. The last two years, painful and disorienting as they have […]
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 […]
KITCHEN TABLE
Mexico’s Earthy, Smoky, Special Sauce
Eduardo Rios simmers the mole his mother used to make
Eduardo Rios isn’t sure what he’ll be roasting for Christmas dinner. It might be a turkey. Or if he can find one, maybe a big fillet of cod. What he […]
COOK'S KITCHEN
The Joy of Cookie Chaos
A two-decade-long tradition starts as child’s play
Christmas movie marathons, finding the pickle ornament hidden in the tree, folding tamales, regifting fruitcakes — the holidays inspire all kinds of traditions. For almost 20 years, our son, Asher, […]
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 […]
FROM THE LARDER
A Cook’s Search for Economy Leads to a Superior Snack
Homemade crackers with warm spices, olives, and toasted pistachios
When I was in college, I liked to study in the uptown branch of the New Orleans Public Library on St. Charles Avenue. It occupied a sprawling, slightly decrepit mansion […]
GRACE
A Cook Learns One More Way to Do Thanksgiving
Finding joy in a gathering of close strangers
When I arrived at my mother’s with my cooler full of turkey stock, homemade cranberry relish, and cubed bread for stuffing, the food was not my worry. For a while […]
FROM THE SNACKBOOK
A Garlicky Deviation From Hanukkah Tradition
Crispy potato pancakes, creamy sauce — a miraculous combination
As a kid, I wasn’t sure how I felt about Hanukkah in November. Whenever that happened, it meant we got presents before everyone else. That was fun. On the other […]
THE HALF SHELL
Eating Oysters, With Gratitude
Some variations on oysters the Pilgrims could not have imagined
I won’t blame you if you have your doubts when I tell you that your Thanksgiving dinner might be more authentic if you served fish instead of turkey. There’s not […]
FROM THE LARDER
After Five Years, a Locally Blended Rye Is Ready
Toasty, caramel notes make a cocktail that’s perfect for a stormy night
The rain is coming down hard from a low, leaden sky, and the wind is whistling down Paradise Hollow so fiercely that we fear for the roof. On such a […]
KITCHEN TABLE
Pears Are for Pies
Add rosemary, raisins, and spices — hold the suet
If you are any kind of cook, chances are that in the weeks ahead you are going to be called on to make at least one pie. Showing up with […]
MAKING MEMORIES
A Sweet Bread for Remembrance and Reunion
Pan de muertos, with a large glass of bourbon
One year after my mother died, she was with me again, vividly. I was walking through a maze of graves lit by a sea of beeswax candles in a cemetery […]
KITCHEN TABLE
Pork Butt, Bistro Style
A gentle braise in red wine makes pork and beans seem fancy
Thoreau got lots right. An end-of-August journal entry he made in Concord in 1853 still resonates: “Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste […]
FROM THE LARDER
Jazz and Oysters Bring Two Festivals Home
Homemade salt pork meets Wellfleet oysters for a soup from the Mosquito Supper Club
In south Louisiana, where I come from, if you can eat it or dance to it, there’s probably a festival for it. We have festivals celebrating crawfish, gumbo, catfish, soybeans, […]
