Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Feast.
Chasing Flavors Across the Globe
In 2012, a summer viral infection caused damage to my olfactory nerve. I was unable to smell, a condition called anosmia. At first, I thought I was just still congested and within a week or two, I’d regain my sense of smell. But when we went to a family member’s wedding a few weeks out and I could neither detect the scent of the beautiful flowers at the venue or the flavors of the special celebration meal I knew something was wrong. Then came something called parosmia, which was a distorted sense of smell and flavors. The air smelled foul, and I wasn’t able to sleep breathing in the odors of what seemed like being in a dumpster full of garbage. Things like wine, citrus fruits, melons and cucumbers tasted like what I would imagine eating a dirty diaper is like. Everything else I couldn’t smell.
By Beth Imperial-Rogers5 years ago in Feast
Connecting with Great Food, People and Places, Provence . Top Story - July 2021.
On a glorious New England summer day I prepare a French meal I will soon serve to a group of close friends on my well-worn tablecloth that sports sunflowers and lavender. As I lay out this precious keepsake, I'm immediately transported back to Provence.
By Felicity Harley5 years ago in Feast
Biscuit Perfection
In my professional cooking career, I've worked in fast food, fine dining, casual dining, and even a small sandwich and ice cream shop. I cooked cuisine from all over the world (or at least bastardized American versions of it). Probably my favorite things to cook, are the staples from my child hood. One of those foods, and probably the most requested by my family and friends is fresh biscuits (savory scones to any of our friends from the UK). Every culture on earth has some sort of traditional bread that they make, some are very time consuming or difficult to make, but biscuits are among the simplest and easiest to do. The basic recipe comes to about $.25 per biscuit (depending on the size of the cutter you can make more small biscuits to make them cheaper per unit), and take only about thirty minutes including cooking time. I was recently, discussing love language with family and friends. Love language is the non-verbal ways that you show love to those you care about, and also it is what makes you feel loved when you receive it from loved ones. Most people have cues from their childhood that take them back to their earliest days of comfort and well-being. For me this is making food. I love to cook for family and friends. There is something about the smell of biscuits cooking that takes me to a special place, and bringing that joy to those I love makes me just as happy.
By Brian Amonette5 years ago in Feast
Where Pacifism & Terrorism Collide --Find the Tastiest Soup In all the Land
This post is part of the Vocal Cooks Collaborate series. Click Here for an index of all the recipe posts. The latest recipes are Judy Kalchik's Holy Fierce Salted Caramel Cheesecake, Batman! and Mariann Carroll's Egg Roll Shanghai Robot.
By Maria Calderoni5 years ago in Feast
Guamanian Barbeque
The Chamorro language of Guam is now a dead language- with fewer than 10,000 native speakers and even fewer who learn it as a first language, my dad is among a dying breed. I feel a duty to continue learning and sharing as much as I can about the culture, the language, and the food.
By Devin Zamora5 years ago in Feast
A Simple Cup of Coffee and another Bowl of Rice
I am going to start with an honest confession, I’m not here to mention the intense sushi, the type that swims near Monterey Bay, oh what the freshness! Nor am I going to describe the awesome Mammoth Mountain Irish potato pancakes filled with bursting cheese and spinach. I want to talk about food that I traveled to, but in a different way. It's probably gonna sound like I’m bragging, but I believe in this simple kind of plain and honest hunger. And I believe that the culture that drove these three honest dishes deserves some honor. So a simple cup of coffee, another bowl of rice, and a bit of french bread ended up perfect.
By Gary Lougheed5 years ago in Feast
What's Cooking?
To say I am a bad cook is an understatement. I've been kicked out of a dozen kitchens so far. Dad was the cook in our family - he was an army cook, so he knew how to get food out fast, efficiently, and with minimal fuss. There was no time to teach his kid, Mom was coming home soon and needed food. Mom was the teacher, but also not a great cook, and no time to learn, when there was teaching to do and papers to grade. So I was shoved to the side, with my curious questions and habit of being in exactly the wrong place when he was holding a heavy pot.
By Meredith Harmon5 years ago in Feast
Humid Streets, Crowded Shops, Aromatic Eats
I stand on the side of a busy road, the rikshaws are rushing past me in frantic ways. The summer of Punjab is humid and hot, I see a family standing next to me, the father holding the plate of Gol Gappe, while the mother and kids indulge in the savoury treat. Mt grandpa is bargaining with the street vendor, I assume fifty rupees for a plate is far too much, the humid street has an aroma which I could never forget. The cardamom and clove dance as the hidden notes of fennel roam the crowded street. My grandpa, after a couple of rounds of bargaining finally hands me my first plate of Gol Gappe. Hollow, round semolina puffed into a ball, poked at the top to fill the cavity with warm potatoes and sweet tamarind sauce. The savoury spicy water composed of cumin, chillies, and mint filled the balls. I saw the family next to me, devour a ball in one bite, I attempted to do the same and the water came crashing down my face, the chillies, in particular, were not fun.
By ceemone sidhu5 years ago in Feast
