The once humble, now glamorous (and mightily expensive) strawberry is the topic of Cathy Erway's latest Shelve It column, and I'm so happy she tackled this subject. After all, the strawberry is America's number-one selling berry, by a long shot, and it's used in so many ways in our kitchens—yogurts, shortcakes, general snacking, smoothies, boozier things.
We live in an era of artisanal, hyperlocal food fixation, and Cathy's writing taps into how fruit FOMO can be a real thing. It may be difficult for many to remember that strawberries are a seasonal produce item, especially given the omnipresence of those big plastic boxes from Driscoll's. But they are seasonal, and they offer very different levels of sweetness and aesthetic…perfection. And customers are now willing to pay top dollar for products with names like Florida Pearl and Oishii. I hope you will give Cathy's piece, "The Designer Strawberry Has Arrived," a read—and maybe get out of a fruit rut too.
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In Southern Cooking, Global Flavors, Top Chef alum Kenny Gilbert (one of Oprah's personal chefs) mines the diversity of the American South. It's a great read, and you should check out our Monday Interview with Kenny.
One of my favorite writers around, Joshua David Stein, tells the story of Cobble Hill butcher Staubitz Market and its struggle to stay relevant (and open) in its swiftly gentrifying Brooklyn neighborhood.
Writing for VinePair, my go-to expert, Aaron Goldfarb, defines the "tater" era of bourbon drinking and trading. I don't drink, but honestly, when Aaron digs into spirits subcultures, I stop and click.
Writing in Eater, Aimee Levitt profiles the cookbook Manifold Destiny, which was published in 1989 and dared to ask, "Why not use your car engine as a stove?"
Briny tarako and spicy mentaiko, easily found at Korean and Japanese markets, adds saltiness and umami to potatoes, pasta, and cream cheese.
Bon Appétit has a great package diving into America's bagel boom, focusing particularly on areas outside New York City. I still think the best bagels are in Montreal, but that's just me!
For America's best teriyaki, head to...Portland, Oregon? Will Matsuda makes a great case.
Summer is here, and it's a great reminder that you can cook that steak to medium…cold. Grilling steak for tomorrow's salad or sandwich isn't leftovers, but meal prep for the lazy and overheated.
There's a pie for the pastry dough hater in your life. Cookies save the day for those who feud with flaky pastry perfection.
There's no brownie like a Cosmic Brownie. Little Debbie's best item (sorry, Zebra Cakes) is worth re-creating—and, dare we say, improving—at home.
We all love The Bear, which means we all love Lionel Boyce. The multitalented writer, actor, and former Odd Future member's sweet, truly hilarious depiction of Marcus, a middling line cook turned burgeoning pastry chef, stole hearts and laughs in Season One. The show's new season, streaming now, pushes Lionel to further culinary and comedic heights, and he talked about it when he joined This Is TASTE.
The burger god George Motz is one entertaining guy—with some takes. On one really entertaining podcast episode, he defines the origins of the burger in America, tackles Shake Shack vs. In-N-Out (there is, of course, a right answer), discusses the good and bad about ketchup, and shares at-home grilling dos and don'ts.
John deBary is a bartender extraordinaire, a cookbook author, a spokesperson for the bar and restaurant world, and one of our favorite guests on the show. He's back to talk about his really great new book, Saved by the Bellini: & Other 90s-Inspired Cocktails.
On a recent episode of the great podcast Everything Cookbooks, I got to spend some time speaking with two of my favorite food writers, Kristin Donnelly and Molly Stevens, about what it's like to make a documentary-style cookbook.
Lucas Sin doing videos for Bon Appétit is like…the best food media decision this year. Check out his 3 a.m. tour of Hong Kong dim sum.
Follow along with our cooking (and let us know about your cooking) on Instagram. You can follow us at @taste and see what the editors are up to at @mattrodbard, @elorasharon, and @alizarae.
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