Americas & Caribbean
Do you know the difference between Memphis and Texas barbecue? How to crack a Chesapeake crab, and where to get the best corned beef hash? Maybe you're curious to know what chocolate was first used for, or want to learn what should be done with adobo. Have a salteña with a strong Cuban cordito and take the plunge.
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Latino menus - what's is that stuff? - 28 Jul 2010
Que? Some of the terms on Latin American menus may be confusing enough to discouraging ordering. And you'd miss a treat. read more...
Bourbon unburbled - 28 Jul 2010
What is Bourbon? A dark American whiskey originating in Bourbon County, Kentucky. And a Mint Julep? The perfect summer Bourbon cocktail. read more...
Yogurt - the good stuff - 15 Jul 2010
I'm in despair over American yogurt. It seems that any old fat-free white dairy solution can be called yogurt. Do its eaters know what they're missing? read more...
Western Market - 14 Jul 2010
It's good to have Western Market open again. I mean, it's so picturesque! But that's not the only reason to go to this out-of-time store on Western Avenue, the dividing line between Chevy Chase and DC. Primarily a small deli offshoot of a catering company based upstairs, it does great home-made soups and pastries, as well as salads and sandwiches. read more...
Chesapeake crabs - a shell shucked summer - 17 Jun 2010
The 2,300 square miles of the Chesapeake Bay make an exceptional breeding ground for fish and crabs. The purity of the bay is threatened by run off from fertilizers and industrial pollution. But it still supports some wonderful crabs. Mind you, when I was backpacking through Vietnam, I passed a fish processing plant called The Chesapeake Bay Crab Company. So who knows where the crabs you shuck this summer are coming from... read more...
Robert Weland - Chef of Poste - 20 May 2010
Chef Robert Weland makes his own charcuterie — and more — at his Penn Quarter restaurant, Poste. He grows his herbs and tomatoes in the garden beside the restaurant and he hosts a weekly Market to Market dinner, taking small groups on a tour of the Penn Quarter Farmer's Market then cooks a 5-course meal with the produce. read more...
Asparagus - just so much grass... - 28 Apr 2010
Asparagus, like tomatoes, are a vegetable that really should be eaten only in season and from a pick-your-own supplier. But outside France and England, there aren't too many of them. Still, when spring, it's proper season comes, make the most of it. For starters (forgive the pun), try Todd Gray's Equinox Restaurant recipe for asparagus soup. read more...
Fish: New Orleans-style Barbecue Shrimp - 28 Apr 2010
This is a dish to impress from Jeff Tunks, owner-chef of Acadiana that's not hard to prepare, and a good deal can be done ahead of time. read more...
Grilled Mediterranean Sardines with Lemon and Olive Persillade - 28 Apr 2010
Now we're moving into grilling season, try this recipe from BlackSalt. Serve them with crusty fresh bread warm from the oven. (The persillade is delicious over broiled chicken or lamb, too.) read more...
Chocolate - dark secrets - 23 Apr 2010
Think of chocolate and you think of Belgium, Switzerland, France. Or your thighs. Of course you might now think of David Edwards' Le Whif (see the article on the Home page). But if you'd prefer the real McKoy, here's all you need to know. read more...
Arrowine - 23 Apr 2010
"I'm getting blackberries, I'm getting pepper, I'm getting tarmac, I'm getting $100,000 a year to talk about wine like this"...Some eonophiles can drive you bonkers. But if you want the right wine without a pretentious sales pitch, to go with an unusual lump of artisan cheese, head to Arrowine and get them both there. read more...
La Salvadorenita - 25 Mar 2010
This unprepossessing supermarket with a low red tiled roof on Georgia Avenue is popular with the local Latino community for its assortment of dried fish, from a very large, split, golden-skinned creature to regular-sized fish, none of which were familiar to me and whose names the friendly owner and other customers couldn't name in English for laughing their heads off. read more...
Cakes - to order or make beautiful - 10 Mar 2010
Baking cake for a celebration, cupcakes for school or work? Or need someone else to do it for you? Here's all you need to keep you in cake. read more...
It may look like a Big Mac but it isn't. - 10 Mar 2010
You think you know junk food when you see it? Betcha you're wrong... read more...
Plaza Market - 16 Feb 2010
This Latin American market has been in Wheaton for years. Its shelves are stuffed with ingredients that, if they're not familiar, the owners are happy to explain to you and how they should be used. Some of them, like the choclo from Peru (pictured), sold dried, might inspire some different cooking adventures. read more...
Sam Dunn of Saltwater's winning, de-chilling, chili - 16 Feb 2010
This is an 'award-winning' chili recipe says Shoestring magazine, from the Martha's Vineyard's cook-off in the 2010 Big Chili Contests. It comes from Sam Dunn, owner-chef of the island's Saltwater restaurant and native Washingtonian. The secret, he says, is to slow cook it in a crockpot.
I leave you to do the math to make it in smaller quantities. But why would you? It's perishing outside. You have enough friends...A winter wedding, perhaps...A winter banquet, maybe. And if not, arrange one and if necessary, rent the people. The recipe's worth it, and despite the lengthy list of ingredients, not lengthy in execution. read more...
Chilies - the hot stuff - 16 Feb 2010
Chilies are addictive. Hillary Clinton apparently had hot sauce added to her food at the White House, while NPR political analyst Cokie Roberts is said to travel with a bottle in her purse. read more...
Potatoes - earthy delights - 27 Jan 2010
Potatoes get such a bad rap. But they're one of the world's most versatile and nutritious ingredients. Here are some spud, tatty and tater facts. read more...
Chestnuts and chestnut stuffing - 21 Dec 2009
Whether you roast them at an open fire (remembering to stab them with the point of a knife so they don't burst) or include them in a turkey stuffing, chestnuts are a key winter solstice ingredient. read more...
New Year celebrations - something different & where to buy it - 21 Dec 2009
Want to spice up your New Year festivities? Try one of the traditions from another part of the world. read more...
It may be sacrilege to say so, but I did have a moment's wonder at Julie Powell dedicating a whole year to cooking out Julia Childs. Life is surely too short. But I admired her staying power. Most cookbooks contain only a handful of recipes you actually want to tackle - though heaven forfend that I should level this criticism towards Mastering the Art of French Cookery.Anyway, here's someone who really slackened my jaw. Meet Todd Wilbur, who spends his time to trying to recreate food made by the industrial giants. He wants to cook Krispy Kremes just like the factory. He wants to clone Big Macs, Yoo Hoo chocolate drinks, and dozens more junk foods, to taste just like the real (or unreal) McKoy.
Papaya and lime - natural partners
Chew On This: The FDA - eggs on its face
Hey, mixologists! An organic whisky's coming!
Two women to watch
Monster ice cubes
Jelly - the jewel-like vogue dessert
Jelly - the new old dessert
My favorite markets - Wagshal's Delicatessen
Supermarkets bring the farm in
Chew On This: The water diet!
Gluten - what is it?
Chestnut flour products for the gluten intolerant
Chew On This: Eat dark chocolate twice a week!
Pea Vichyssoise
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