My dad says he doesn’t like figs and it makes me want to club him over the head. How can you not love figs? Rich, heady, creamy flavor, absolutely bursting with sweet, summery juices, their smooth shape making them a joy to eat out of hand, figs are the luxurious summer eating experience. I look […]
Jada Calypso Brotman
Jada Brotman grew up in Arcata before moving to the U.K. and then New York City, where she cut a wide swath in the world of cheese. Insert joke here. She returned to the home of her fathers four years ago, and now works as a journalist and seasons her crepe pans in downtown Arcata.
Posted inEat + Drink
High on the Hog
Back when I lived in Brooklyn, shopping “locally” was a real problem. I made the effort to eat organically and locally, but it proved prohibitively difficult. There was no supermarket within walking distance so for daily purchases I had to content myself with the corner bodega. Whilst rich with such nominal luxuries as Bustelo coffee […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Winter Simmer
Are you tired of talking about the weather? If so, dear reader, I apologise because I really can’t avoid it if I am going to write about soup. As I write, the turgid slurry of chilled wind and water is pounding on the door, paying no mind to my terrier’s need for a walk or […]
Posted inEat + Drink
No Spit, No Problem
Just as here in the States we can go into any town, from a settlement to a city, and get a hamburger, so it is in Greece with shawarma. And not just in Greece; shawarma is available from chains, poky mom ‘n’ pop shops and jazzy lunch joints in most parts of Europe these days, […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Blinis, Darling
Russian dancers must walk around town with bricks attached to their ankles, their quads are so tough. In preparation for this article, I’ve gone down a rabbit hole of All Things Russian, and let me tell you, the thigh power required to do those squat kicks must be tremendous. Personally, after a typical Russian meal […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Good Golly, Khinkali
This winter has been a proper winter for the first time since I moved back from the East Coast in 2010. The drought-stricken pastures have been soaking up the water and the cow wallows are thick with mud. The hills have returned to their proper verdancy. It’s been cold enough that I don’t have apologize […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Bara Brith
Way back in the aughts, in bonny Scotland, there existed for one shining year possibly the Greatest Band Ever. I was fortunate enough to be part of this swell international gang, known as Yay Us!, which consisted of myself, two Tasmanians, a Scot and a Welsh woman. One of our greatest hits heard us all […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Georgia on My Mind
Have I ranted about how wonderful and totally-better-than-all-other-cuisines Georgian food is? Well, it is. So there. With their heady and profound combinations of marigold, cilantro, pomegranate molasses, fruit and, above all, walnuts, those gosh darn Georgians just serve up the tastiest dishes. I first heard of Georgian food in my college days when my bogglingly […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Pyramid Scheme
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was an Afghani restaurant in town? My father has some good stories from his 1966 visit to Afghanistan, mostly about food. Despite, or because of, the very high temperatures, the streets of Kabul were lined with tea vendors selling little cups of very hot sweet tea. I fantasize about […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Glamorous Berries
Even when I’m feeling fed up with food (not actual cooking, which I find simultaneously contemplative and entertaining, but with all the books and blogs and the smothering tide of information about the potential ethical and dietary consequences of what we eat), I always enjoy the beginning of summer fruit season. And for periods such […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Smoke it if You’ve Got it
Store-bought bacon, especially the high-end stuff, is so delicious that there’s little point in making it at home, except that homemade bacon is even better. I know it’s hard to imagine bacon being improved, but it’s more flavorful, fresher, more unctuously crispy and not full of unnecessary bletch. Curing your own pork belly is an […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Socca It to Me
I absolutely love love love socca, or farinata as it’s known in Italy, or faina in Uruguay. My pop calls it socca, which is the French word. The fried flatbread hails from Nice, but the concept is found in various Southern climes. Whatever you call it, it’s a simple delight. Socca is especially helpful in […]