Black Mitcham peppermint was first cultivated around 1750 in the county of Surrey’s Mitcham district, just southwest of London. The “black” part of the name comes from the dark color of the plants. Under grey English skies, the deep purple undersides of the leaves can appear black in some crops. For 200 years, Black Mitcham […]
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Forget the pineapple. These hams start with heritage Duroc pork raised outdoors on pasture on a single farm in northern Indiana. They’re cured and smoked by the meat mavens at Smoking Goose. The result? They’re showstoppers without the extra garnishes.
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Allan Benton’s bacon is powerful. Salty, smoky stuff, it’s by far the most intense bacon we sell. After tasting it for the first time, I imagined Allan Benton to be a big, burly guy, with thick, tattooed forearms and a bushy beard. But as the old adage goes, never judge a smoker by his bacon. […]
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Molise is one of Italy’s forgotten provinces. Sandwiched between Abruzzo and Puglia, a two hour drive due east of Rome, Molise doesn’t have any fashionable cities, no luxury waterfront, zero famous foods. What it has are ingredients. Grapes, wheat, and olives, which, for the most part, are sold in bulk for companies in other more […]
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In Brooklyn, you know it’s officially springtime that week in April when suddenly ramps start showing up on the menu at every restaurant in town. But what exactly are ramps, and why are they the darling of so many hip chefs? And what’s a home cook to do to enjoy ramps the 49 weeks of […]
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Even among the most exceptional foods, there are a few makers that go beyond the standard. There’s Champagne, and then there’s vintage Dom Perignon. There’s Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and then there’s Valserena. There’s jamón Ibérico de bellota—the crown jewel of Spanish cured ham—and then there’s Arturo Sanchez.
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In my book The Guide to Good Leading, I write about our definition of local food. It is less about geography and mostly about having a positive relationship with those from whom we buy, and to those we sell. Since black peppercorns don’t grow in Michigan, that means we buy it from someone with whom […]
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Of all the boxes of chocolate you’ve ever received, were you more impressed with the colorful box or the chocolates inside? Let me put that another way. When you think back on that box of chocolates, do you remember how pretty it was, or do you remember the way the velvety, almost-bitter dark chocolate ganache […]
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1. Butter tastes better You can’t tell just from looking at a cookie or a piece of cake whether it’s been baked with butter or shortening. The bottom line on baked goods’ flavor is that butter tastes better. It’s also about ten times more costly, so many bakeries make the choice to use less expensive […]
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Torrone is the Italian word for nougat with nuts mixed in (and like most things, it sounds much better in Italian). It’s been made in northern Italy since at least the 1400s. Though today you might find it year round, it started as a Christmas indulgence. These days most of it is mass-produced by machines. […]
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