Chefs – CYNTHIA D. BERTELSEN

A Handbook for Historic Recipe Reconstruction and Cookbook Analysis: “A Hastiness of Cooks”

April 13, 2019

Did you know that you can cook from hundreds of historic cookbooks without spending a lot of money, except perhaps for your monthly internet fee? Or maybe even for free, if you use the computers at a public library? There are vast digital collections of historic cookbooks and manuscripts just waiting for you to use. … More A Handbook for Historic Recipe Reconstruction and Cookbook Analysis: “A Hastiness of Cooks”

The Death of Anthony Bourdain

June 8, 2018

I forget where exactly I was when I read Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential. But I’ll never forget the writing, the cool depiction of the parade of characters – chefs, waitresses, line cooks, dopers, and so on. Tony, I think he liked being called that, could tramp through the Chaco of Paraguay with the same ease he … More The Death of Anthony Bourdain

The Power and the Glories of Eating Alone

April 8, 2016

King Louis XIV did it. M. F. K. Fisher did it. The faceless man in Edward Hopper’s painting, “Nighthawks,” did it. Mr. Bean did it, too. And so did I. Daring to eat a proper meal alone in public probably ranks as one of the few acts that cause normally confident people to quiver a … More The Power and the Glories of Eating Alone

France and America: Why Paris Haunts Us So

November 18, 2015

It’s been several days now, the media stream moves onward, darting here and there to other news, other disasters. And yet I remain static, stuck, still mulling over the attacks on Paris, mourning the loss of all those lives, as well as the so-very-French joie de vivre. Why does Paris haunt me, and others, so? In the hours and … More France and America: Why Paris Haunts Us So

Vivre en l’Outre-Mer, or, The Trials of Living in French Congo ca. 1923: Part III

June 6, 2015

Once settled into their bungalow overlooking Stanley Pool in Brazzaville, the Vassals faced the problem of hiring household help, especially a cook. Unlike many Europeans, they found a cook who knew his business, of whom Gabrielle wrote: I am glad, too, to have a change from German cooking.* Our primitive black Matamba is far superior … More Vivre en l’Outre-Mer, or, The Trials of Living in French Congo ca. 1923: Part III

Les Rêves de Julia (Julia’s Dreams): Meditations and Memories

December 7, 2013

Food and cooking serve as metaphors for life and love. Each plays a huge role in the way I see and photograph the world. I seek to nourish both eye and soul with my photography, in much the same way I feed bodies through my cooking. The work of food photographer Penny de los Santos … More Les Rêves de Julia (Julia’s Dreams): Meditations and Memories

Eating Dessert at the White House + A Word about Dallas, November 22, 1963*

November 21, 2013

Bill Yosses, the current White House pastry chef says pie is the all-time favorite in the Obama White House, but adds that “The dessert that was the biggest hit last year was a sugar cookie in the shape of the First Family’s dog, Bo. This year we have a black and yellow bumblebee to celebrate … More Eating Dessert at the White House + A Word about Dallas, November 22, 1963*

The South is Rising Again: The 2013 James Beard Nominees

February 20, 2013

In the culinary world, the equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize or the Oscars comes down to the James Beard Awards. This year, the list of nominees includes a large number of Southern chefs, restaurants, and other food-related entities. What’s so fascinating about this list lies in the evidence of increasing diversity – it’s not all … More The South is Rising Again: The 2013 James Beard Nominees