Imagine that Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen—a chatty, personal recipe blog that celebrates unfussy food—came into possession of a time machine. Then pretend she had a penchant for early-modern British cooking. In that alternate world, her website might read quite like Cooking in the Archives, a Philly-based website that revives dishes from 1600 to 1800, one recipe at a time. Intimidating culinary techniques that have faded or been forgotten are reborn and rendered tangible for a 21st-century audience. A door […]

Categories: food & drink • Tags: baking, holidays

This is the beginning of Germany’s sweetest season. When Franzi thinks about Christmas back home, what stands out is a profuse sense of quiet. “Christmas in Germany is one of a kind,” she says, “It’s a time for reflection,” Yet it’s also a time for community. Friends gather during Advent for kaffeeklatsch, or “coffee chatter”—aka, afternoon coffee and cake. This December, Amber Grain is creating a Jersey version, serving warm conversation, hot coffee from Revolution Coffee Roasters and traditional Christmas […]

Categories: food & drink • Tags: baking, holidays

Last St. Patrick’s Day, my holiday started with a gift. With a knock and a smile, my Irish-American neighbor, Ellen Hannan, bestowed me with the most Philly of St. Paddy’s treats: a box of Irish potatoes. In part, I believe, it was to correct an error that I had made a few days prior. When she had asked me if I liked them as we chatted on the porch, I’d stammered something about enjoying potatoes with my corned beef. “It’s lovely […]

Categories: food & drink • Tags: baking, holidays

On Fat Tuesday, starting early, lines thread around the mom-and-pop bakeries of greater Philadelphia. Drive out to Bucks County, parts of Jersey, or Pennsylvania Dutch Country and you’ll see the same. Doors swing in and out. The occasional snowflake drifts in, drawn like I am to the scent of sugar and sizzling fat. It’s Doughnut Day, and bakers have been working ‘round the clock to feed demand. Read more… Published February 13, 2017

Categories: food & drink • Tags: baking, holidays