The Rare Books Room downtown at The Strand Bookstore, served as the perfect backdrop to discuss Yes, Chef—the room was nothing short of magical, with a library rich in content, an audience feasting on the words of Marcus and his hostess and a thick summer air that settled over the space causing us all to lean in a little closer. Sitting in front of stacks that included first editions written and signed by Stephen King and volumes of The New Yorker, Marcus spoke candidly about the stories that fill the pages of his memoir and reminded the audience that his world truly is an inspiring one. Read More

Photo: Fabienne D.

Trends come and go in the world of pastries. For awhile, cupcakes ruled the world,  making appearances throughout pop culture and the ovens of single girls everywhere, we can thank Carrie Bradshaw for that. Whoopie Pies moonlighted for a minute and now the French Macaron seems to be the trend for the sugar-induced.

Macarons are actually Italian in origin, dating back to 1533 during the reign of the Medici family. The original macarons were simple almond cookies, with the word sharing its etymology with “macaroni”–both meaning fine dough. It wasn’t until Catherine Medici married Duc d’Orleans who would later become King Henry II of France that these meringue cookies took on status as a French treasure. For a long time macarons stayed simple and didn’t become a sandwiched treat until the 20th century when French pastry became much more sophisticated and whimsical.  Read More

Photo: Payton Chung

While Harlem has some great advantages, there is a different, yet slightly similar appeal to another neighborhood with an equally rich cultural background; the Lower East Side.

LES does not always have the prettiest streets, the most convenient of bus routes or the glitz and glam of some other neighborhoods, but what it lacks in those departments it makes up for in authenticity, grittiness and character. During the day it is like any other neighborhood; bodegas are on every corner with the community cat taking perch, sandwich shops serve up lunch and boutiques sell the best commodities they have to offer. At night, the neighborhood’s lights attract New Yorkers away from their homes and to the vibrant scene that gives this town the nickname, The City that Never Sleeps.

This is an old neighborhood, one with residents that have never left, stores that have stayed open for decades and a deli that has been in business since 1888. It was once a farm, then a tenement neighborhood, then a working-class Jewish community that now shares the streets with Latinos, Chinese, Bangladeshis, Japanese, Ukranians and countless other immigrants.This was once called Little Germany, Corlears Hook and Crown Point. Now its comprised of the East Village, NoLIta, Chinatown, Alphabet City, Bowery and Little Italy. This is the neighborhood of immigrants, the history of America.

Any history buff would find days worth of exploring in this part of town, the Tenement Museum on Delancey and Orchard offers a wonderful series of walking tours, but truly the best love affair to have with this neighborhood is found in restaurants. There is no other part of the city that showcases such a wide selection of food in a radius of this size. Read More

Photo: Garrett Ziegler

By: Ashley Bode

Some would say that New Yorkers take certain things too seriously.  When in reference to food, this is entirely a good thing. Take the bagel for example; found on nearly every corner, in every street-side coffee stand, in the display case of every deli and behind the counter at a majority of bodegas; this is for sure a breakfast food that this city could not live without. There are annual surveys of the five boroughs to find the best bagel, a hundred or so variations on the original recipe and few bad seeds in the bunch. It is no wonder that the Atkins Diet was not popular in this carb-loving crowd.

Like most great foods, the bagel has a storied past shrouded in legend. Read More

Photo: Bread for the World

By: Ashley Bode

Last week, school lunches made great strides toward becoming more healthful. The USDA announced new guidelines for subsidized school lunches, showing the first changes to the program in over 15 years, changes that have become part of The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. The Act is a piece of legislation that allows the USDA to improve lunch and breakfast programs for school children through nutrition and a hunger safety net, a first in over 30 years.

Mark Bittman chronicles the pros and cons in his opinion piece for the New York Times, continually providing readers with an educated discussion on the way food systems operate in the US.  He is quick to note that the new rules, which lessen the importance of protein-centric meals and increase fruit and veggie portions, are less than perfect, but also are the biggest step made toward a nutritional based program for children in desperate need. Read More

Photo: Jazz Guy

By: Ashley Bode

One of the greatest challenges in preparing traditional dishes can be finding the right ingredients; in particular, the right spices. New York City is plentiful in both many nationalities and their corresponding food traditions. Spices are no different.

On Lexington Avenue, between 28th and 29th streets in Little India on the border of Murray Hill,also known as Curry Hill, sits a particular spice-infused institution that that can help. Since 1944, Kalustyan’s has been providing generations of New Yorkers with an array of spices that is hard to match. Originally, the spice shop was home to only Indian spices and groceries, but has since taken the title of an international specialty food and spice shop.

The tiny storefront is misleading, as any visitor will notice. Once inside, it feels as though you’ve stepped into a cave that is hiding the finest of jewels on earth.    Read More

Photo: Gwen Harlow

By: Ashley Bode

There are several restaurants throughout the country that serve as cultural landmarks and sources of inspiration for all restauranteurs.  Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse is the icon for California Cuisine and Farm to Table dining, Daniel and Le Cirque are the cornerstones of the French American culinary adventure and Dooky Chase Restaurant in New Orleans owns the category of Soul food.

Soul food has its roots in the South, so it would be fitting that the center of the movement is located in the heart of the Bayou.  In the 1950s, Leah Chase worked her way into her husband’s family restaurant, Dooky Chase, using her experience working in restaurants situated in the white dominant French Quarter. Read More

Photo: Gracie

When people hear the phrase Asian Food most are inclined to instantly think of Sushi, General Tsaos Chicken and Jasmine Tea; but there is so much more to the food belonging to the world’s most populated continent.

As New Yorkers we have the privilege of indulging in cuisine from any country, including the countries in Asia. Korea town is known for Korean-style fried chicken, Kim Chi and barbecue. China town offers dumplings of all shapes and sizes, pork buns, corn cakes and bubble tea. Midtown hosts several Japanese restaurants made for the late-night crowd looking for Yakatori feasts of noodles and sake. My personal favorite Asian Food however, is less known, yet still maintains a cult-like following: Banh Mi, or Vietnamese sandwiches. Read More

Photo: wallyg

By: Ashley Bode

When it comes to food, the Lower East Side is mostly recognized as an area in Manhattan staying true to its immigrant roots, keeping the traditions and history of the city alive. But there’s a new, younger crew of LES eaters and restaurateurs that help maintain the neighborhood’s relevance and food destination label.

Nighttime down on Clinton Street can almost have a sleepy feel to it, for a Manhattan neighborhood. Only blocks away from the rowdy bar-goers and Houston traffic, the sidewalks are relatively quiet and the shop windows dimly lit. Here you’ll find two of the neighborhood’s best spots. The first, WD50 is more than noteworthy. WD50 is the award winning brainchild of Wylie Dufresne Read More

Photo: Southern Foodways Alliance

By: Ashley Bode

This week in our Soul Food Series, we discuss soul food in Chicago and its traditional approach to this historic cuisine. Chicago is a city that is rich in food culture. This Midwestern mecca has so many flavors to offer that if may be hard to decide which one best represents the city. Perhaps the most important of these food traditions is soul food, a part of the city’s DNA that is irreplaceable, but recently has begun to evolve.

The emergence of soul food in Chicago came during a time many know as The Great Migration. From 1910 to 1930 more than 1.5 million African Americans migrated from Southern roots to Midwest, West and Northern cities. Read More