Walnut Torte
I lived in Louisiana for three and a half years and ate my share of pecan pies while there. I’ve made quite a few of them too, from plain ones to chocolate and Bourbon variations—nut and caramel flavors go well with dessert wines. But no matter how good the pie, all these baking and eating efforts never replaced the walnut torte I grew up on … Continue reading Walnut Torte
The Meaning of Manipulation
In a panel I moderated recently on What’s to Know About Modernist Cuisine, the subject of manipulation came up. Food scientist Cesar Vega was the first to mention it, which made sense given his background and the fact that he is the editor in chief of a book called The Kitchen as Laboratory. Chefs Alex Talbot and Aki Kamozawa of Ideas in Food then stated … Continue reading The Meaning of Manipulation
Beaten, Seared, and Sauced
These days, it’s rare that I get to read a book that will keep me up at night because I just can’t put it down, not because I need to finish it to construct an argument around it for a presentation or my dissertation. Jonathan Dixon’s Beaten, Seared, and Sauced: On Becoming a Chef at the Culinary Institute of America initially caught my attention because … Continue reading Beaten, Seared, and Sauced
What to Say About Modernist Cuisine
I wrote an article about Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking, an interview with Nathan Myhrvold, and a profile of co-author Maxime Bilet for the ICE newsletter. I’ll post some of that when it comes out, but this is more of a stream-of-consciousness post to try and understand why it was so hard to write about a book I’ve been hearing about since … Continue reading What to Say About Modernist Cuisine
For Grant Achatz, Focus is on Emotions, Interactions
“Being creative as a chef is not mimicking what you see in Tokyo or Bangkok,” said Grant Achatz, the chef-owner of Alinea in Chicago, at the Institute of Culinary Education last night. “It’s being inspired by that. It’s reactions to influences, whether those are reading a book, walking down the street, or looking up something online. Creativity is really unpredictable, and can come from anywhere.” … Continue reading For Grant Achatz, Focus is on Emotions, Interactions
When Bourbon Gets in a New York State of Mind
Prohibition, which was in place between 1920 and 1933 and forbade the production, sale, and importation of alcohol, all but killed the vigorous spirit industry that had taken root in the United States until then. Most distilleries were forced to close. The ones that remained open, as did Buffalo Trace in Kentucky, were allowed to do so under special licenses to distill bourbon for medicinal … Continue reading When Bourbon Gets in a New York State of Mind
Culinary Careers
Culinary Careers: How to Get Your Dream Job in Food, with Advice from Top Culinary Professionals (Clarkson Potter) is now out! This book is the culmination of nearly two years of work, from proposal to publication. Institute of Culinary Education President Rick Smilow and I conceived Culinary Careers as a comprehensive guide to help students, career changers, prep cooks looking to move up, weary chefs … Continue reading Culinary Careers
Eating St. Louis
This post has sat in my draft folder for a couple of weeks and I have experienced many great meals since, but St. Louis provided enough culinary pleasure that I want to share it. I was fortunate to present at the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association conference in early April. With even more good fortune, my presentation, Cooking by the Book: New American Cuisine and … Continue reading Eating St. Louis
Working with Natural Discoveries in the Kitchen: Ángel León
This afternoon, Blue Hill and the French Culinary Institute hosted a demonstration by chef Ángel León of Aponiente in El Puerto de Santa Maria, Andalucía, Spain, featuring his work with products from the ocean. León is the son of a fisherman and serves creative seafood preparation in his 25-seat fine dining restaurant, inspired by the great knowledge of the sea and its products that he … Continue reading Working with Natural Discoveries in the Kitchen: Ángel León
Vacherin au Four
One of the best and simplest dinners you can have on a cold, snowy day is Vacherin au Four–a flavorful cheese that is baked until melted, and is then laddled onto boiled potatoes. Vacherin Mont d’Or, a cheese from the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, is the one and only cheese for such preparation, thanks in part to the round pine box in which it … Continue reading Vacherin au Four
Pots and Plumes 