Truffles: The Mozart of Mushrooms: The truffle has been prized for millennia, lauded by those lucky enough to encounter the rare and capricious jewel. The Roman philosopher and historian Pliny wrote how they were ‘born spontaneously and live without roots, in an aura of mystery’. His fellow Italian, the composer Rossini, called them ‘The Mozart of mushrooms’ 1800 years later, … [Read more...]
Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #94
The worst mistake everybody makes when cooking steak, according to Anthony Bourdain: World-famous food guy Anthony Bourdain has a new book out called "Appetites," and he recently appeared on the Marc Maron "WTF" podcastto talk about it. During his conversation with Maron, Bourdain talks about how a lot of people just don't know how to cook, and he offers some tips. At one point … [Read more...]
Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #93
Mastering the Art of French Dining: From childhood, the French are raised to appreciate the art of dining, and the many rituals that accompany it—even public school lunches include a cheese course. Part of the reason you’re traveling to France is, presumably, to tap into that gastronomic reverence. But knowing how to do it right is tricky, particularly if you don’t speak the … [Read more...]
Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #92
The restaurant that employs grandmas instead of chefs: What’s better than grandma’s cooking? Well, nothing. Which is the raison d'etre of Staten Island's Enoteca Maria. The brilliant brainstorm belongs to owner Jody Scaravella, who started out a decade ago with just Italian nonnas but has branched out to include 30 grandmas from around the world; think Argentina, Algeria, … [Read more...]
The story of Gelinaz! and what’s in store for the future: ‘Being creative and continuing to surprise people’
Go back 10 years and the world of food and gastronomy was completely different to what we know today. The World's 50 Best Restaurants was not as influential as it is today, high-end restaurants were still extremely formal, social media and sharing was in its infancy and many of the world's top chefs were still obsessing with trying to 'copyright' their creations. But … [Read more...]





