Tag: Food & Dining

Cheddar From Cheddar: Meet the Cheesemaking Couple Who Brought a World-Famous Cheese Back to Its Home

In their small riverside dairy, cheerful cheesemakers Katherine and John Spencer are unlikely standard bearers for one of the world’s oldest food processes. The couple are the last cheesemakers in their village—which wouldn’t be very remarkable if that village wasn’t called Cheddar. Among the leafy lanes and rolling farmland of Somerset, in England’s rural West…


Leidenheimer Baking Company: A 125-Year-Old New Orleans Tradition

New Orleans is passionate about its bread, especially when it comes to the po-boy. Some say the city’s signature sandwich, usually stuffed with fried oysters, shrimp, roast beef, sausage, or meatballs, isn’t the real deal unless it’s served on a locally baked Leidenheimer loaf. “The most important part of the po-boy is the bread,” said…


Fried Sandwich Cookies

These fried cookies are like magic: soft and sweet on the inside, crisp and golden on the outside. I use Maria cookies, Spanish biscuits that are readily available in the supermarket, but any plain, unflavored cookie or cracker would work as well. I have used different graham crackers and cheese crackers with great results. Spread…


Oven-Baked Herbed Potato Pancakes

Frozen shredded potatoes turn into elegant pancakes when mixed with fresh herbs, an egg, and a touch of parmesan cheese. It’s all about the presentation, right? Shape the mixture into silver dollar-sized pancakes to bake on a cookie sheet, as I do here, or press it into small muffin tins. Young cooks can help form…


Pan-Seared Salmon With Faux Hollandaise

Fresh salmon is delicious and easily cooked on a non-stick pan to perfection. I love this simple way of cooking fish, as it allows its pure, unique flavor to come through. I like my salmon medium-rare, and so I cook it on one side for 2 minutes and the other for 5 minutes, for crispy…


Three Sisters on a Mission to Make Tahini an American Pantry Staple

Say the word “tahini,” and most Americans might conjure up an image of a jar gathering dust on the bottom shelf of the international aisle in the grocery store. Press them for one of its uses, and the answers will generally be one of two foods: hummus or tahini sauce. Amy Zitelman, one of the…


Rachella’s Tahini Carrot Cake

This recipe from Omri’s mom, Rachella, is the one that woke me and my sisters to the power of tahini. The cake is super moist and rich. The tahini gives it a nutty aftertaste, and because the tahini reduces the amount of oil in the recipe, this cake never gets greasy the way many carrot…


Tahini-Dressed Tuna, Chicken, Egg, or Whatever Salad

Tahini is a natural replacement for mayonnaise. So whatever your reason—health, change of pace, or you just don’t dig mayo—this recipe is for you. Whipping up a quick tahini sauce ups the nutrition of your everyday tuna, chicken, or egg salad—a small change with a great effect. Serves 2 1 small garlic clove, minced with…


Mom’s Chicken With Turmeric Tahini, Chickpeas, and Onions

This easy sheet-pan dinner exudes exotic aromas and makes an exciting colorful presentation. It smells like the butter chicken I get from my favorite Indian restaurant. As it roasts, the sauce sets up on the chicken, giving you a thick, crunchy-on-the-edges, chewy-moist-in-the-middle texture—amazing. Serves 4 1 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) chicken, cut into parts, or…


Ask a Chef: Shining a Spotlight on the Humble Egg

Eggs are a classic breakfast item, but they’re also a versatile ingredient that adds heft, flavor, and texture to many dishes. Here, chefs share recipes that feature eggs in both savory and sweet delights, sure to make for a lovely springtime meal. Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict From Nicole Johnson Food writer and founder, Or Whatever…