Food for Thought

When I’m dining anywhere more ambitious than a greasy-spoon type place, if the waiter asks me how the food is, I’m going to tell him the truth, and yes, I will, when called for, send it back. I understand that this is really tough for a lot of people, that they would rather eat their meal stark naked than complain about their food, but I would like to say to diners everywhere: it’s ok to turn your nose up as long as you do it nicely. Read more...

Last week I marked my one year anniversary graduation from culinary school with a post about my decision to enroll. I also described the good, the bad, and the ugly of life as a chef, detailing what a difficult way it is to earn your daily bread. Without meaning to sound cynical, I probably painted a rather grim picture for those who might be considering similar steps. Read more...

Sitting on my desk right now is a box of dog biscuits. The list of ingredients is about as long and dense as the first paragraph of The Brothers Karamazov, but fortunately that was translated into a language that I understand. Read more...

I may have been born and raised in America, but what I think of as "comfort food" always comes from the Far East. Finally, I've found a stand-in for the Chinese grandmother I never had to teach me to make the soul-satisfying dishes of my childhood. Read more...

I am sick. But, oh, I shall prevail! Today, I’m pulling out the big guns and turning to that undeniable, cross-cultural simmering miracle in a pot—say it with me, folks: Chicken soup! Read more...

How a trip to Puglia wound up in a glass jar on my counter... Read more...

Love throwing dinner parties, and pour over a dozen cookbooks in planning the perfect menu that will—and does—blow your friends away? Tivo Chopped and know you could do better? Know all the insider scoop on Grub Street, and would gladly blow a paycheck on a first-class meal? Ready to invest nearly 50K for the opportunity to dice carrots into perfect 5mm cubes for an insane French taskmaster? If all these describe you, maybe you’re thinking you should finally take that job and shove it, you ain’t workin’ there no more? Read more...

In my book group, hosting not only means having the group meet in your home and supplying nosh-ables, but the extra added twist of trying to skew said nosh-ables toward the theme from the book, which is not always as easy as it sounds. Read more...

When we can’t speak each other’s languages, everyone seems to understand and translate hunger and hankering. It’s the great equalizer. My high school Spanish is rusty, but when I amble down the street to the Oaxacan taco spot I love a few blocks from my house, I don’t have any trouble making myself understood. It’s kind of beautiful. It makes me think every nation should have a separate food ambassador at the U.N. Read more...

While the ethical eating discussion continues to heat up, and thinking eaters arrive at a place they are comfortable with on a scale from committed vegan to unapologetic carnivore, many of us find ourselves looking for solutions to family-style eating that accommodate a range of dietary needs. Read more...