The Seduction of Food

Imagine this: a thick, juicy slab of well-marbled steak seared to perfection, served with a generous serving of seasoned au jus sauce. Or if you’re more of a dessert person, then visualize a portion of silky-smooth crème brulee, quivering with the weight of its luxurious lightness. Now imagine eating some of that steak....

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Confessions of a Food Editor

I’ve received lots of email from you great people out there who ask or tell me one of the following things: 1. That I’m so lucky to eat for a living 2. Are all my meals free? It’s my principle to always answer email, so some of you reading this may already know what I’m about to tell everyone else. Consider...

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These Brothers Are Bakers

At its most basic, bread is a simple mixture made from yeast, flour, water, and perhaps some salt. Most breads that make use of a leavener include yeast breads, batter breads, and quick breads. The difference here lies in whether the dough is kneaded to activate gluten formation, stirred vigorously, or derives its rising power from...

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A Baker and Her Breads

I started baking bread back when I was in culinary school. While we were slaving away in the hot kitchen, the baking students would always send up some of their freshly-baked breads, which we would promptly gobble down. I think it was up until that time that I had never known just how glorious fresh-from-the-oven bread felt in the...

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