Tucson is humble. In my story for FineDiningLovers.com last year I called out its culinary highlights, from the genius of its indigenous peoples who were (and are) able to grow foods in the desert to the burgeoning fine dining scene that doesn't know how good it is. It … [Read more...] about The Best of Tucson Drinking and Dining: Tito & Pep, Villa Peru, Downtown Kitchen & Cocktail and Mezcal at Reforma
gluten free
“Waiter, There’s a Vegan at my Table”: Montreal’s Top Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants and Meals
If you're American, you might be feeling that bit of rising panic, that comes up your throat like one too many Tequila sours. It's almost the holidays and you know a vegan. Whether it's for American Thanksgiving or you're a keener planning a Christmas party or dinner, vegans … [Read more...] about “Waiter, There’s a Vegan at my Table”: Montreal’s Top Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants and Meals
New York Restaurants: From a Speakeasy Sake Bar to Smorgasburg to Superior Seafood to Vegan Sushi
My entire recent trip to New York felt like wandering down the rabbit, which we did when we went to Sakagura, a speakeasy-style sake bar (no cell reception, so no texting friends if they're late) in a residential building where you need to sign in with facial recognition. So … [Read more...] about New York Restaurants: From a Speakeasy Sake Bar to Smorgasburg to Superior Seafood to Vegan Sushi
Caramel Banana Pudding Cake (Vegan and Gluten Free)
This banana caramel pudding cake is about 10 times more delicious than it looks. I usually don't make these for breakfast (why not?), so the lighting is generally bad, especially when I make it in my Le Creuset (it still gives me shivers to write that – I feel as though I'm now a … [Read more...] about Caramel Banana Pudding Cake (Vegan and Gluten Free)
Homemade Soba Noodles: 100% Buckwheat Gluten Free Pasta with Dashi Soba Broth
I am not a soba making noodle master. This is a soba making master: Unfortunately, I watched this after making my own noodles. Fortunately, I had a pasta maker. What that meant was that the noodles looked awesome but were horribly over-mixed and dense. The process was … [Read more...] about Homemade Soba Noodles: 100% Buckwheat Gluten Free Pasta with Dashi Soba Broth
Toasted Cinnamon Sticks from Flavor Flours by Alice Medrich (and the interview transcription)
One of the highlights of my food journalism career thus far is my 2015 interview with Alice Medrich, the Queen of Chocolate and James Beard Award-winning cookbook author and baking instructor. What's stuck with my from that interview the most – more than the idea of hydrating … [Read more...] about Toasted Cinnamon Sticks from Flavor Flours by Alice Medrich (and the interview transcription)
Local and Delicious Holiday Gifts for Foodies in Montreal
Want to gift something local and delicious this holiday season? Fortunately, Montreal has an awesome artisanal scene of jams, chocolates and other sweets – and "a ring to rule them all...and in the sweetness bind them"? (Aka an online boutique that sells all local foodie … [Read more...] about Local and Delicious Holiday Gifts for Foodies in Montreal
Inspiration and Bacheoffe: Alsatian Meat and Vegetable Stew
I don't eat a lot of pork or beef, which is why it's a bit strange that a conversation with a recently arrived Alsatian in Montreal inspired me to both buy a Le Creuset casserole (second hand...I don't have that kind of cash) and scour recipe books to get to the heart (pun … [Read more...] about Inspiration and Bacheoffe: Alsatian Meat and Vegetable Stew
Butter Basted Sustainable Salmon with Hazelnut-Parsley Pesto
When you buy an absolutely giant whole sustainable salmon to filet for a food photographer, you end up with a lot of salmon. That's not a problem for me. It is a problem for my freezer, which lacks space because freezing a fresh batch of jam in ice cube trays is a heck of a lot … [Read more...] about Butter Basted Sustainable Salmon with Hazelnut-Parsley Pesto
How to Throw a Vegan Ethiopian Dinner Party and Make Your Friends Eat Off the Table
All I'd told my dinner party guests was that I'd be making an Ethiopian feast. Gluten free injera from scratch and a multitude of berbere-spiced stewed dishes. What I didn't tell them was that we were going to eat the meal with our hands...directly off of the table. Yes, I took … [Read more...] about How to Throw a Vegan Ethiopian Dinner Party and Make Your Friends Eat Off the Table