cuisine
From street-food to fine dining, traditional Italian to Asian-Fusion, being well-versed in global cuisine is the first step to culinary mastery.
Red, Bread, Redemption
The first time I really ate a tomato was years after the first time I’d tried one. For most of my childhood, tomatoes seemed like a cruel joke: ruby red, shiny and promising, begging to be tasted, only to deliver a flavorless, mealy mouthful of lies. Sliced up straight from the fridge or surrounded by ice of questionable hygiene in the salad bar of our local pizza place, the tomatoes of my youth in the 90s were, frankly, a travesty. I can’t remember a single kid I knew who liked tomatoes. I knew people who liked brussel sprouts, but not tomatoes. For a long time, all I wanted for lunch was a cheese and pickle sandwich, and I was known to eat blue cheese and radishes as an after school snack, but tomatoes? No thanks.
By Megan Malcolm4 years ago in Feast
Ice Cold Summer
You always knew summertime in the South was just different. The temperatures steadily climbed and by 10:00 am the heat was nearly unbearable, but you couldn’t not be outside. Lemonade and ice water flowed endlessly as shouts of laughter intermingled with the smell of chlorine. The kids, against better judgment, practiced their most outrageous dives at the community pool.
By Tamara Golden4 years ago in Feast
The Perfect Summer
The Perfect Summer Drip, drip, drip. Water flew off my body as I raced out of the pool. “Food is ready!” Someone yelled as everyone flocked to gather around the table. The smell of the barbecue filled my nose with all the memories of summer's past. My heart was full. Summer was finally here!
By Keala Asher4 years ago in Feast
Cheetos
My daughter loves Cheetos. Since the first day she was able to eat solid foods, I believe. I wonder if kids are just born with a predisposition for loving the powdery, orange puffs. “What kind of chips do you want with your peanut butter sandwich?” I’d ask, always met with the same answer: Cheetos.
By Kristina Henry4 years ago in Feast
Ode to Yellow Watermelon
Memories are fickle things. Two people recalling the same event can weave drastically different images since each person focuses on different details. My siblings and I grew up experiencing the world in the same way. If one were to ask either of them what summertime brings to mind, their answers would likely not be the same as mine.
By Teresa Gonzales4 years ago in Feast
The Simplicity of Watermelon
Summer as a child. One of the purest, simplest times imaginable. No school, no homework, none of the crippling social anxiety borne of having to interact with the same people day after day, and never really figuring out how to talk to them...
By Brittany Bailey4 years ago in Feast
Playing Pretend
I am easily bored. But also easily entertained. I have been an advocate for year-round school for as long as I can remember. Summer was just too long for me, but school was also too long. I liked the structure. Couldn't I get more and longer breaks throughout the year? Stretch it out?
By Janelle Polcyn4 years ago in Feast
Snowballs
My all-time favorite summer treat is a heaping, freshly-shaven, juicy snowball. I have enjoyed these for as long as I can remember; they were a mainstay of my childhood, and their necessity has carried over into my adult life. It’s comparable to a snow cone or shaved ice, and I’ve come to learn the term “snowball” is native to the Baltimore region. It’s an obvious way to mitigate the summer heat, a great excuse for indulging in empty calories, and an integral facet of Maryland summertime culture.
By Nicholas Pietrowski4 years ago in Feast
