The tragic loss of a culinary legend and a call to continue his tradition The Italian culinary journal Gambero Rosso wrote: “Andrea Paternoster, the innovative beekeeper who revolutionized the honey sector in Italy with his Thun honeys, died today, April 18, 2021.” Andrea was killed, tragically, at the age of 54, in an auto accident, barely over half […]

A rare and amazing chocolate made solely from wild cacao I’ve tasted a lot of chocolate over the last 20 and 30 years. We have a whole bunch of exceptional bean-to-bar (the chocolate equivalent of farm-to-table) offerings on hand at the Candy Store (and many at the Deli as well)—Askinosie, Goodnow, French Broad, Mirzam, and more. I happily eat […]

A longtime classic that’s as terrifically tasty as ever! Sicilian Sesame Semolina is one of the original breads that we’ve been baking at the Bakehouse since the fall of 1992, and it is still as wonderful as ever. I agree with Bakehouse managing partner Amy Emberling who said, “I really enjoy that bread—to eat and […]

A terrific taste of “traditional Roquefort” and the Roaring Twenties The year was 1924. It was roughly four years after the winding down of the Spanish flu pandemic. Women were winning the right to vote throughout much of the world. In New York, the Harlem Renaissance was in full swing. In a still-segregated America, Black writers […]

So good, I’ve been eating them right out of the can For years now I look forward to the late-July, early-August arrival of local heirloom tomatoes. I’ve long loved them and work to get as many into our cooking—at work and at home—as I can. That passion got even bigger still when Tammie started her […]

From the Masters to Michigan If you’ve been watching the golfers at the Masters, or reading a bit of the background about the event in the news, you’ll likely have come across at least a mention or two of the pimento cheese sandwiches that have been a staple at the Tournament since the middle of […]