Short essays and notes on food, history, and the kitchen.
Where ideas live before they cool into a book.
- Recipe NoteMay 21, 2026 · Recipes · 4 min
Swedish Meatballs
Delight in the comfort of homemade Swedish meatballs served with creamy gravy and lingonberry jam.
- Recipe NoteMay 21, 2026 · Recipes · 4 min
Tafelspitz
Tafelspitz is an Austrian dish of poached beef served with broth and root vegetables, showcasing techniques in poaching and broth-making.
- Recipe NoteMay 21, 2026 · Recipes · 4 min
Tagine de Poulet aux Olives et Citron
Moroccan chicken tagine slow-braised with olives and preserved lemons, showcasing techniques of flavor layering and ingredient pairing.
- Food HistoryMay 21, 2026 · Food History · 5 min
Three Tea Traditions: How the Same Plant Became Three Civilizations
Camellia sinensis, a single species, became Chinese connoisseurship under Lu Yu in the 8th century, Japanese ritual under Sen no Rikyu in the 16th, and the British imperial commodity that triggered the Opium Wars in the 19th. The leaf was the same. What three societies made of it was opposite.
- Recipe NoteMay 21, 2026 · Recipes · 3 min
Tiroler Gröstl
Tiroler Gröstl is an Austrian dish made by sautéing cooked potatoes, beef, and onions together, utilizing leftover ingredients.
- Recipe NoteMay 21, 2026 · Recipes · 3 min
Tres Leches Cake
A luscious Tres Leches Cake soaked in three types of milk, topped with whipped cream and a hint of cinnamon.
- Recipe NoteMay 21, 2026 · Recipes · 3 min
Vitello Tonnato
Vitello Tonnato is a classic Italian cold starter featuring tender veal paired with a creamy tuna sauce.
- Recipe NoteMay 21, 2026 · Recipes · 3 min
Wiener Schnitzel
This classic Wiener Schnitzel features thin, breaded veal cutlets, perfectly fried for a golden, crispy finish.
- Recipe NoteMay 21, 2026 · Recipes · 3 min
Zaalouk
Zaalouk is a delicious Moroccan eggplant-tomato salad seasoned with cumin and paprika, perfect as a make-ahead side.
- Recipe NoteMay 20, 2026 · Recipes · 4 min
Aglio e Olio
Aglio e Olio is a simple yet flavorful Italian pasta dish made with just four ingredients: spaghetti, garlic, olive oil, and chili flakes.
- Recipe NoteMay 20, 2026 · Recipes · 3 min
Baklava
This baklava recipe combines layers of flaky phyllo dough with a rich blend of nuts and honey for a decadent Middle Eastern treat.
- Recipe NoteMay 20, 2026 · Recipes · 4 min
Basque Burnt Cheesecake
Basque burnt cheesecake features a creamy interior and a deeply caramelized top, emphasizing moisture control and texture contrast.
- Recipe NoteMay 20, 2026 · Recipes · 4 min
Cauliflower Gratin
A creamy and cheesy cauliflower gratin that showcases the classic French technique of béchamel.
- Recipe NoteMay 20, 2026 · Recipes · 3 min
Cauliflower Cream Soup
A velvety cauliflower cream soup that highlights the vegetable's delicate flavor in a classic French style.
- Recipe NoteMay 20, 2026 · Recipes · 4 min
Cherry Clafoutis
Cherry clafoutis is a French dessert made by integrating cherries into a custard batter, then baking until set.
- Recipe NoteMay 20, 2026 · Recipes · 3 min
Chickpea Grain Bowl
Chickpea grain bowl combines cooked grains, chickpeas, and assorted vegetables, providing a balanced meal rich in plant protein and nutrients.
- Recipe NoteMay 20, 2026 · Recipes · 4 min
Chinese Eggplant Stir-Fry
This Chinese Eggplant Stir-Fry features tender eggplant sautéed to perfection in a flavorful sauce, embodying home-style Chinese cooking.
- Food HistoryMay 20, 2026 · Food History · 5 min
The Evolution of Japanese Dashi: A Thousand-Year Optimization
Heian aristocrats simmered fish bones into thin broths. Muromachi-era cooks combined kombu and katsuobushi for the first time. Edo-period Osaka standardized the proportions. And in 1908 a Tokyo chemist named Kikunae Ikeda isolated the molecule responsible for the taste — and called it umami.
- Recipe NoteMay 20, 2026 · Recipes · 4 min
Fennel Stock
Fennel stock is a vegetable broth made by simmering fennel fronds, bulbs, and aromatics in water to extract flavor for plant-based dishes.
- Recipe NoteMay 20, 2026 · Recipes · 4 min
Financier
Financiers are small French almond cakes made with browned butter and almond flour, known for their moist texture and rich flavor.