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 […]
Food & Drink
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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, […]
FROM THE SNACKBOOK
An Umami-Rich Pasta for the Changing Season
Don’t forget to warm up the bowl
That slight bite in the air — the one that makes you roll your shirtsleeves down, pull on a hat, and recognize the crunch of leaves as you walk — […]
KITCHEN TABLE
An Italian Apple Cake That Doesn’t Have to Wait for Dessert
Torte di Mele to serve with coffee and gossip
Dessert as a last after-dinner thing has never made a lot of sense to me. Pie for breakfast was something condoned by my grandmother — and she gardened and cooked […]
COOK'S KITCHEN
When a Tomato and Mayo Sandwich Takes a Trip to Tuscany
Tomatoes, herbs, Italian cheeses, and fennel baked in a buttery crust
I am seeing red! I don’t mean because of worldly triggers — anti-vaxers, Texas, or extreme climate events. The red I’m seeing right now is the cornucopia of tomatoes on […]
FROM THE LARDER
It’s a Big Year for Beach Plums, So Don’t Be Shy
Pick all you can, then put a little bit of summer in a jar
People on the Outer Cape can be secretive about their go-to stands of beach plum. But not this year — one of abundance for the wild shrubs named Prunus maritima […]
FROM THE LARDER
The Salty, Sweet Taste of a Wild Garden’s Possibilities
Gilded with honey and transformed by heat, feta becomes a luscious spread
I tend to look at things and see not only what they are but what they might become. It drives Christopher a little crazy, since it means that the check […]
FROM THE LARDER
Low Heat and Lots of Smoke Are Summer Magic for Meat
Sorry, Mark Bittman, but the season cannot end without barbecue, just this once
I’ve been trying to move our household in the direction of a plant-based diet, turning out dals and stir-frys and vegetable-stuffed tacos with gusto. I even made a seitan-based chili […]
KITCHEN TABLE
Bacon, Corn, and Onion Flatbread
Let the dough rise while you go for that leisurely evening swim
The late August wind has announced autumn, circling through the pine scrub. With fall beginning to overlap summer, every leisure moment counts. This is the time to ride the Atlantic’s […]