What is lost when families are not involved in selecting the dishes they cook? For one thing, it means that they are not sharing food drawn from their own store of recipes, their heritage, or even regional specialties. I was born to an Indian father and a Chinese mother, but spent my childhood around the […]
cooking
Posted inNonfiction, Quotes
Cooking’s Eternal Struggle: Who Am I Doing This For?
I made my decision not to cook anymore two weeks ago, and I have stuck to it. I have a feeling I have done this before, but this time, I really mean it. I am tired of the struggle to win and impress, to impress even myself, to be engaged mentally with food, which, if […]
Posted inNonfiction, Quotes
Tamar Adler, in Praise of Small Decisions
I always give people this advice when people ask me how to do things—and it’s not like I’m in a position to advise people on how to do anything. But I feel like we try to make these big decisions, and really we only have to make small decisions, in all moments. I don’t understand […]
Posted inNonfiction, Quotes, Uncategorized
An Abstract Symphony of Flavors
As much as [Hervé] This has spent his career chiselling deductions down to the molecular bone of physical chemistry, he is still entranced by the art involved in making something delicious. He talked volumes, veering between the intricacies of the chemistry of emulsions and the delights of a meal prepared with care and served with […]
Posted inNonfiction, Quotes
The Part of Culinary School Nobody Tells You About
Laurie Woolever, in The Billfold, on how she ended up becoming Anthony Bourdain’s assistant: With my dad’s help, I took out a loan and did a 6-month professional course at the French Culinary Institute, while continuing to work part-time for the family for a few months. I soon learned that I was poorly equipped to […]