Category Archives: Food Writing

Ralph Nader The Seventeen Traditions In the Arabic language, words of endearment are derived from the world of food. “How delicious you are,” parents tell their children, or “How tasty,” or “How tender.” Sounds funny in English, but in Arabic … Continue reading →

Dharamjit Singh Indian Cookery (1970) An intriguing piece of culinary history from the headnote to Bhooni Kitcheri (Kedgeree with Lentils). Kitcheri (which manes ‘a porridge’ or colloquially, ‘a bit of a mess’) is the prototype of kedgeree. However in India, … Continue reading →

Anissa Helou Levant: Recipes and Memories from the Middle East In those days we ground the beans for every brew and we did it in a beautiful narrow cylindrical brass grinder that had geometric patterns etched all over. I carefully … Continue reading →

Warren Peltier The Ancient Art of Tea: Wisdom from the Old Chinese Tea Masters From Feng Ke Bin on “Yi Cha” — Properties for Tasting Tea One of seven tea taboos Busy and hectic lifestyle. When one is busy with … Continue reading →

Ten-Minute Bento Megumi Fujii Sweet-and-Sour Lotus Root 1 lotus root (renkon) A –> 2 Tbsp each rice vinegar, soup broth (or water) 1 Tbsp sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1 red chilli pepper, minced <– A Vinegar 1. Quarter lotus root … Continue reading →

Marcella Hazan More Classic Italian Cooking Good cooking is the successful exercise of the sense of touch, of time, of smell, of taste, of color. Tools are an extension of these senses, not a substitute. All those devices that do … Continue reading →

Marcella Hazan More Classic Italian Cooking Cooking, like any other art, is a form of love. Marketing is the wooing stage, which one must approach with a discerning eye and a ready heart. What takes place in the kitchen later … Continue reading →

As I wait for the moka pot to produce its espresso in the morning, I am reading by instalments Marcella Hazan’s The Classic Italian Cookbook in paperback. I love the smell of the book. I love her opinionated headnotes to … Continue reading →

Jeremy Round The Independent Cook The book is dedicated to seasonal eating and is divided into months. In the November headnote, Round concludes “Hallowe’en ushers in the baked potato and sausage season.” This is so memorable because of its idiosyncrasy … Continue reading →