The greatest unifying thread in all cultures is food. Sharing food is an integral part of preserving tradition. The meals that children are raised on will be remembered long after they and their parents are gone – the food shared at family holidays, gatherings and special occasions is all a part of our genetic code. […]
It wasn’t until my visit to the Olduvai Gorge in the Great Rift Valley in Tanzania that I fully understood where humans really came from and began to contemplate the two remaining questions in the famous three-part phrase: “Who are we? Where did we come from? And where are we going?” We are ‘the wise […]
As Hurricane Sandy barrels into the mid-Atlantic region today and onward, the so called “superstorm” or “Frankenstorm” has three major components feeding into that may enable it to become what some experts are calling ‘bad,’ or absolute ‘devastation’: An unusual pattern pushing the storm northwest instead of northeast and out to sea; a cold front […]
The modern use of the word ‘epicure’ describes a person who is knowledgeable in the art of sensory pleasure – most notably relating to food and wine. But the real Epicureans, however, believed that all life is suffering, and so the purpose of this life is to experience pleasure. The “vertebrae” (so to speak) of […]
Terroir is a Euro-centric concept and is not a word usually used daily in American culture. However, people who adore great flavor worldwide are becoming increasingly more aware of a simplistic version of this complex topic. Not surprisingly, the French coined the term terroir. Translated from French to English as “land,” the word terroir simply refers to the […]
In the late 15th century in Amsterdam, an already very busy and notoriously savvy businessman was seeking a new venture. This man was not new to a busy schedule – he had been the mayor of Amsterdam 13 times. His name was Nicolaas Witsen. There were many professions guiding Witsen’s brave and innovative spirit. When not performing […]
There is a difference between styles of the classic French baguette. A fresh look at the most famous bread on earth, including: how to differentiate previously frozen from fresh, the artisan boulangeries that make them, the best time of day to buy, and other great info from a notable American food writer and guide living on the left bank […]
We love coffee on weekends, late nights of work, to cap off dinner parties – and our brew pot is most likely often used and rarely cleaned. So, why and how to clean your at-home coffee pot: Why to clean it: Coffee residue left from habitual use becomes built up acid and bacteria which breaks […]
Paris: food mecca. Rive Gauche – the most fashionable place in Paris. Next time you are there, find these five fabulous food shops from the 7th Arrondissement. Le Comptoir des Saints Pères, formerly Michaud Le Comptoir des Saints Pères, formerly Michaud. A tiny Parisian cafe with a long history. A favorite of Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald who […]
World on a Fork 