Why we call the good stuff “gravy”
I must’ve been nine or ten, doing a community theatre production of “How to Eat Like a Child – And Other Lessons in Not Being a Grown-up.” (To this day, I still find myself mumbling, “Like a child, like a…
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Restaurant matchbooks strike again – Salon.com
Maybe it’s nostalgia — maybe it’s trendy aesthetics — or perhaps just old-school marketing, but restaurants across the country are bringing back the beloved matchbook. You know the ones. Sitting in a bowl on the edge of the host stand…
Gift guide: Treats and tools for cooks, hosts and travelers
It’s gifting season, and the options for home cooks, entertainers, travelers — and the people who love them — feel almost endless. To help narrow the field, we rounded up a handful of thoughtful splurges that earn their keep year-round.…
A magical maple-pumpkin pasta sauce
I’ve been reading “The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again” by Catherine Price, and it’s been quietly radicalizing my afternoons. Price’s thesis is simple, but unsettling: modern digital life — especially social media — is turbocharging our anxieties…
Celebrate Thanksgiving like Ina Garten
If you’re a longtime fan of “Barefoot Contessa,” you’re probably well-acquainted with Ina Garten’s signature and iconic catchphrase: “How easy is that?” It underscores Garten’s prevailing mission to simplify even the most daunting tasks with style, whether that’s preparing a…
Toasty, buttery and tender: The heart yearns for caramelized pears this fall
When it comes to quintessential fall produce, apples and pumpkin take center stage like clockwork. But behind closed curtains stands the humble pear — a pome fruit that enjoys its peak season during the autumnal months, despite being available year-round.…
The tender food of “Frankenstein”
Before he learns speech, before he learns cruelty, before he learns the terrible weight of a creator’s indifference, The Creature in “Frankenstein” learns hunger. And then — astonishingly — he learns generosity. Guillermo del Toro renders this with a small…
The big, bold allure of Malaysian food
My life is guided by my stomach. I’ll base entire trips off a craving for a specific flavor or dish that pops up in my dreams, leaving my stomach growling in the morning. After country hopping around Asia for the…
Starbucks workers strike on “Red Cup Day”
You may have to hold off on your first taste of Starbucks’ peppermint mocha this year. The coffee giant dropped its holiday menu on Thursday, which also marks the famous Red Cup Day, on which Starbucks Rewards members can claim…
Better oatmeal, made at home
For years, the egg has ruled the breakfast table like a sun god—worshipped, aestheticized, endlessly fiddled with by men in starched aprons and women with ring lights. Everyone has their method: Alton Brown swears by a dollop of mayonnaise; Martha…