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

Florida Oranges, and Other White House Desserts

August 28, 2017

Desserts and sweets served in the White House reflect the culinary history of the United States. The patterns of cooking, eating, and serving food in the White House originally relied heavily on the British heritage of the Thirteen Colonies, a pattern that generally continues until the present day. Although wars and economic depressions plagued the … More Florida Oranges, and Other White House Desserts

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

Science: The Missing Ingredient in the So-Called Art of Cooking

May 17, 2015

Every chef should be a scientist too. How so? Cooking changes the chemical and structure of food. Therefore, understanding these changes would help a lot when perched in front of the stove, whisk or wooden spoon in hand. Over the last several weeks, I’ve watched more episodes of the popular American TV program, “Chopped,” than I … More Science: The Missing Ingredient in the So-Called Art of Cooking