Anyone familiar with the Philly food world knows that pride and community are the currents that make this an amazing place to eat. Yet, COVID-19 has had visceral effects, from shuttered restaurants and a takeout shift to supply chain disruptions, which have people reconsidering the role of a diversified local food system. With an eye on the future, we reached out to five Philadelphians who play a role in the local food world to take the pulse of the city […]

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Readers of Edible Jersey have long known that the state’s farms are essential businesses. In a densely populated state, we are fortunate to be supported by a diverse range of farms offering direct access to everything from just-picked produce to farmstead cheeses and fresh dairy. Like no time in recent memory, farmers must think on their feet. Many of the state’s growers rely on sales to restaurants, schools and businesses that have closed or scaled back operations. Our farmers are also grappling […]

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In the push-pull of the current moment, centering rituals can take on new meaning. For some, this means jogging. Others find solace in the kitchen. Haddonfield-based tea and wellness expert Alexis Siemonsdraws on her earliest memories when called to go inward. “My first memory of tea was my mom drinking it in the morning,” she says. Siemons mom was both a doctor and a mom—in other words, a superwoman deserving of downtime. “When it was nice, she would go outside, have […]

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Shelter-in-place cooking can feel like an amazing escape or an obligation. If you’ve already cooked through your own go-tos, these cookbooks will offer a jolt of inspiration. FOR BAKERS: Modern Jewish Baker, Shannon Sarna As the reality of shelter-in-place sets in, cookbook author and editor of The Nosher Shannon Sarna hosted a Zoom challah class. While she demoed braiding techniques, her youngest daughter strolled into the scene—and it was kind of perfect. In that moment, Sarna was all of us, wrestling pets and […]

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Somewhere during the span days since Covid-19 upended—well, everything—the Twitter-verse noted a nuance in this popular Mr. Rogers quote: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” Rogers’ words are inspiring on their merits. Yet here’s the thing: He was talking to kids, which means it’s us, the adults, who are being called on to help. […]

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SINCE 2014, THE FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA’S Culinary Literacy Center has been a hotspot for innovative food education. Every month’s roster of classes is rooted in the center’s mission to advance literacy through food. In some cases, that’s literal. Since 2015, the Edible Alphabet program has welcomed English language learners, including immigrants and refugees, to the library’s kitchen classroom for free six- to eight-week courses that blend culinary and language lessons. People from around the world prepare a shared meal, led […]

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