Why Chocolate Owns Valentine’s Day There are foods that whisper. Chocolate does not.Chocolate announces itself—boldly, unapologetically, and with centuries of myth, ritual, and pleasure attached. Which is why Valentine’s Day has belonged to chocolate for as long as anyone can remember. Long before heart-shaped boxes…
IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU CAME FROM. America’s favorite foods tell the story of who we are, where we come from, and how regional dishes and traditions shape the way the nation eats. Ask that question at any table, anywhere in the world, and…
Every so often, a recipe appears out of nowhere — the culinary equivalent of someone tapping you on the shoulder saying, “You really need to try this.” Not from a centuries-old cookbook or a grandmother in a tiled Istanbul kitchen (though wouldn’t that be lovely),…
The meatball may be the most democratic food on earth. Every culture has one. Every grandmother has a version. Every immigrant story seems to involve rolling something—meat, fish, grains, vegetables, sometimes just bread and hope—into a small, round shape and simmering it until the kitchen…
Eggplant Parmigiano. Eggplant Parmigiano is a dish that behaves like a side but eats like a main—vegetarian, generous, deeply satisfying, and completely uninterested in being “lightened” into submission. This is Italian cooking at its most honest: fried slices layered with tomato, basil, and just enough…
Over the holidays, I jumped at the opportunity to make French Onion Soup. Locked in the house on a streak of days when, if it wasn’t snowing, it was cold, and rain-soaked, I had plenty of time to make this French classic the way it…
Oceania Allura: A Ship That Evolves, Learns, Delights I recently flew to Florida for a 3-day spin on the world’s newest luxury cruise ship, Oceania Allura. I wrote all about it for www.CruiseNews.com, where I am a Senior Contributor. (By the way, if you want…
If you are going to make Christmas cookies, why not make the best ones anyone ever tasted? Since Andrew is one of the greatest Cookie Bakers of all time, it wasn’t easy to come up with this list. So we went to the numbers and…
Some dishes come back into rotation every winter… Quiet classics that warm you from the inside out. Ribollita is one of those dishes. This hearty Tuscan vegetable stew delivers everything a cold-weather dinner should: deeply satisfying, wildly flavorful, and, dare I say, so healthy it…
This is my absolute favorite Thanksgiving recipe…Turkey Tetrazini! Rich and creamy, filled with Turkey, mushrooms, and Pennsylvania egg noodles, this is the ultimate recipe for leftover Turkey. It is such a favorite that I have been known to cook a turkey or turkey breast…
With a little planning, we can make all 5 of our best Thanksgiving recipes ever! I can’t think of a year when we don’t look forward to Thanksgiving. It’s just days away from the big day but there’s always room for a last-minute addition. Something…
As a steak connoisseur, few things ruin a dining experience more than cutting into a piece of steak, only to discover it’s not to your liking. It might not be cooked enough, or it could be overcooked, and it may even be chewy or lacking…
The last day of Riviera Travel’s MS Jane Austen Normandy cruise deposited me in Paris for a great steak with secret sauce I can never get enough of. A sweet, civilized encore after cider country, Monet’s gardens, and the D-Day beaches. Oddly enough, for a…
It’s only fitting that La Couronne — literally “The Crown” — wears its title proudly. Founded in 1345, it’s not only the oldest restaurant in France but a living museum of everything deliciously French. See it here by clicking on this link. IMG_7133 I arrived…
CULINARY CRUISING: RIVERSIDE RAVEL IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE
Lyon, one beautiful city Three years ago, my friend Kimberly moved to Europe from Montclair, New Jersey. Her husband had been assigned by his American company to run their European division which has its headquarters in the third largest city in France: Lyon. Kimberly, Peter…
Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, married her husband Jeffrey when she was 20 years old. Jeffrey Garten was all of 22. A few years ago, Ina published a cookbook called “Cooking for Jeffrey (A barefoot contessa cookbook, Clarkson Potter 2016). It was her tenth and…
Why Chocolate Owns Valentine’s Day There are foods that whisper. Chocolate does not.Chocolate announces itself—boldly, unapologetically, and with centuries of myth, ritual, and pleasure attached. Which is why Valentine’s Day has belonged to chocolate for as long as anyone can remember. Long before heart-shaped boxes…
With a little planning, we can make all 5 of our best Thanksgiving recipes ever! I can’t think of a year when we don’t look forward to Thanksgiving. It’s just days away from the big day but there’s always room for a last-minute addition. Something…
Brisket, Fingerlings & Maple-Glazed Carrots: A High Holy Day Feast Made Easy The Jewish High Holy Days are a time of reflection, family, and—let’s be honest—serious food. Few dishes are more beloved than brisket. It’s the ultimate in Jewish cooking, appearing on Rosh Hashanah and…
Minestrone alla Milanese is named for Italy’s most sophisticated city…certainly not the home of ‘cucina povera’ I’ve always had a soft spot for Italian dishes in the category of cucina povera—the so-called “food of the poor.” It’s proof that humble ingredients, cooked with care, can…
We Missed National Meatball Day! But These 12 Best Meatball Recipes Are Worth the Wait March 9th came and went, and with it, the gods of whoever invents National Fill-in-the-Blank Days crowned the humble yet mighty meatball! We may be a few days late to…
