Category Archives: Food Writing

Nigel Slater. Real Fast Food. On improvization… If you get halfway through a recipe and find that the crucial ingredient is missing, then you must experiment or starve. He goes on to observe in a variation on the adage that … Continue reading →

Reversing paragraphs in our source — evoking taste then its source. First the explication: It’s this breeze, the legend states, that makes up the secret ingredient of Prosciutto di Parma, drying the ham to its signature sweetness and making it … Continue reading →

Christine McFadden. The Essential Kitchen. It’s a book about tools. In which we learn more about their design and purpose. For instance, the rough texture underneath ramekins: Porcelain ramekins These smooth, straight-sided ramekins are used for individual soufflés, as well … Continue reading →

This is a description of cooking technique but it in its regard for the appropriate procedures and outcomes can serve as analogy to writing. Crisp and Golden vs. Soft and Moist Do you want ingredients — such as onions or … Continue reading →

Originally appearing in the journal Petits Propos Culinaires The name of the confection in its various forms — French massepain, Italian marzapana, Spanish mazapana — has been a puzzle. “Pain” or “pana,” it is thought, means bread. But what about … Continue reading →

“Pistachio Music” The moon has risen full, softly illuminating the inky sky above a pistachio orchard near Aleppo, in Syria. […] The farmer stands at the edge of the orchard, waiting. He thinks tonight the bright green nuts may grow … Continue reading →

Julia Child on crème anglaise This is the basic custard sauce that you want to have in your repertoire, to transform any plain pastry or poached or fresh fruit into a special dessert. Crème anglaise is an essential component of … Continue reading →