Homely Cooking: The Beauty of the Ugly Celery Root
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Chefs and home cooks agree: celery root is an ugly–but tasty–vegetable. David Leite discovers some of the many uses for the Ugly Betty of the produce world.
Carving Away the Mystery of the Thanksgiving Turkey
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Confused about fresh turkey, frozen turkey, kosher turkey, organic turkey, free-range turkey, and basted turkey? This turkey guide explains it all for you.
Whether Fresh or Canned, Pumpkin Takes the Cake
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This pumpkin cake with maple cream cheese frosting, well, takes the cake. Canned pumpkin makes it easy, the cream cheese frosting makes it delicious.
Waving my Potato Freak Flag
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David Leite shows his true colors as a card-carrying member of the potato-loving freak party. His latest obsession: potato-bacon pizza.
Mad Martinis (Not!)
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Writer and cocktail expert Kara Newman is a fan of Mad Men but not its bone-dry martinis. Instead, her cocktail for watching Mad Men is the Fiery Almond.
When Advertising Works, It Works
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The ads for the 2009 Sydney International Food Festival–flags made of indigenous ingredients–has David Leite almost nostalgic for his Mad Men days.
Baby Boy A
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Before our son, Graham, was born, I started daydreaming about his culinary education. His first course always seemed obvious: My firstborn would be a boob man from the start. Yes, I’d teach it myself, with equipment provided and fuel replenished by nature. Only it never occurred to me in all the hours spent obsessing over what foods he might prefer later, or whether he’d be unreasonably picky, that there might be a glitch—like being born unable to eat.
Beg, Borrow, or Steal: Butterfly Covered Casserole by Nambé
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Nambe, a leader is functional cooking design, has created a sleek, sexy covered Butterfly Casserole dish and an equally stunning Butterfly baker.
Manchup: Cape Verde’s National Dish is a Savory Mix
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Food history editor, Gay Allen, discovers the root of manchup, Cape Verde’s beloved dish. Manchup is a rustic dish filled with meats, beans, and grains.
Reserve Some Frosting, Stir in Nuts for Glamour
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This year we said no presents. My mom and my sister. My aunt and my uncle. My cousins. It’s not that we’ve been taking humbug lessons. All year we give each other “presents.” When we see something someone in the family might like, we buy it and send it along. Now, for the holidays, we’ve [...]
The Author and the Wonderful, Horrible, No Fun, Very Good Day
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Nothing’s finer than getting a book published. Nothing’s worse than the day it comes out. David Leite documents the highs and woes of publishing.
Tomato Harvest, Kind of
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David Leite’s first tomato harvest proves smaller than hoped for. The tomatoes are luscious and ripe, but few in number. A harvest or a tasty travesty.
Some Like It Pink
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Who Knew that L.A. Has Its own Version of the Classic Sno Ball.
Where Do I Sign?
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Signing his first cookbook, David Leite is unsure of where to place his John Hancock. A frantic search through books in his library turns up the answer.
What We’re Eating: Cookie Swap
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The Christmas tradition of a cookie swap gets the year-round treatment in Usher’s new book that’s filled incredible treats. Editor Tish Boyle reports.
Craig Claiborne and the Invention of Food Journalism
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John T. Edge, Anne Mendelson, Betty Fussell, Molly O’Neill, and David Leite talk about NY Times writer Craig Claiborne and the future of food journalism.
What We’re Eating: Takashi’s Noodles
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This week we cook from the cookbook Takashi’s Noodles written by Takashi Yagihashi, chef of his eponymous restaurant in Chicago.
The Pan Snob
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David Leite faces his phobia of pans with a hole in them, as he refers to Bundt pans, when he’s elected to bake an Ina Garten cake for a Hollywood party.
A Sweet History: Portugal’s Pastéis de Tentúgal
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The Portuguese Tentugal pastries, cigar-shaped treats wrapped in frittery pastry and filled with sweet eggy custard, were first made in convents.
Speck Mountain
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James Sturz finds the sublime and the funny in the Italian province of South Tyrol, home of the Speck Festival and its famous speck ham mountain.
What We’re Eating x 7
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For the launch of our new web design, we’re featuring recipes from seven new cookbooks.
Portugal’s Wine Regions Get a New Look
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A new map of the Portuguese DOC and wine regions has been issued by ViniPortugal. It makes understanding the intriguing wine regions of Portugal much easier.
Meat: The Pleasures of the Flesh
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Novelist, essayist, and food writer James Sturz writes about the pleasures of flesh—both animal and human—and their sometimes disquieting similarity.
The Uncommon Origins of the Common Fork
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Chad Ward, an expert in all things cutlery, turns his attention to the history of the world’s most taken-for-granted eating implement.
Matzo Meal and the Foundation of Ancient Egypt
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Elissa Atlman finds brotherhood and understanding in, of all places, The Ten Commandments, while making matzo meal sponge cake for Passover.
