Cory Carman grew up in the Wallowa valley in eastern Oregon, the fourth generation on her family’s cattle ranch. On the wall in her office, she has a map of the surrounding land. She can point out which plots were purchased by her great-grandfather a century ago, and chart how the land was later split […]
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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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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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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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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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All chunks of Parmigiano Reggiano aren’t created equal—but you wouldn’t know that by looking at them. One 80-pound wheel of Parmesan looks pretty much like another. But there can be a world of difference in flavor between Parmesans made by different dairies. They’re all going to be good—but only a few are fantastic.
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What’s the best rice for risotto? If you ask that question in the US, you’ll probably hear it’s Arborio. But if you ask an Italian expert, odds are they’ll say Carnaroli. Both Arborio and Carnaroli were first grown in Italy in the middle of the 20th century, but Arborio was exported way sooner. By the […]
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