Author Archives: Larry Sanderson

Food! Glorious Food!

The Full List of the 2024 James Beard Chef and Restaurant Award Winners
Restaurants and chefs from Washington, D.C., Portland, Ore., and New Orleans took home top honors.

“Best Chef: Midwest (Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin)

Christina Nguyen, Hai Hai, Minneapolis”
By KIM SEVERSON

CRITIC’S NOTEBOOK
Are These Really ‘the World’s 50 Best Restaurants’?
The places on this year’s “50 Best” list are endurance tests, theatrical spectacles, monuments to ego and — the two most frightening words in dining — “immersive experiences.”
By Pete Wells

Don’t Call It an ‘Ethnic’ Grocery Store
As Asian groceries like H Mart, Patel Brothers and 99 Ranch expand, they are reshaping American eating habits, and the American grocery market.
By PRIYA KRISHNA and TOMMY KHA

CLIMATE COACH
The one vegan food that tastes just like the real thing
Scientists finally made fake cheese taste good.
Advice by Michael J. Coren

OPINION
GUEST ESSAY
Our Desire for Inexpensive Food Is Putting Us in Danger
By David Quammen

Is the Sugar Substitute Xylitol Safe for Your Heart?
New research suggests the sweetener is linked to health issues. Here’s what to know.
By Knvul Sheikh

Is aspartame bad for you? What we know about the sweetener’s health risks
Some studies link the popular soda sweetener to higher cancer risk, but the links are weak and questions remain
Jessica Fu

ASK KENJI
What Is the Best Way to Cut an Onion?
The cookbook author Kenji López-Alt dives deep into a question of his own, with computer models and all.
By J. KENJI LÓPEZ-ALT

Is Black Wine the New Orange?
Once maligned, teinturier grapes — and the inky drinks they produce — are finding new fans. Here are the bottles to try.
By BECKY COOPER

NYT Critic’s Pick Movie(s)

I Used to Be Funny
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Comedy, Drama | Directed by Ally Pankiw
The film, which stars Rachel Sennott as a stand-up comedian, looks at the aftereffects of trauma on a character who wields quips as both weapon and shield.


Rachel Sennott in “I Used to Be Funny.”
By AMY NICHOLSON

Tuesday
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Fantasy | Directed by Daina Oniunas-Pusic
Julia Louis-Dreyfus journeys from denial to acceptance in this imaginative fantasy-drama about grief and motherhood.


Julia Louis-Dreyfus in “Tuesday.”
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS

Bad Boys: Ride or Die
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Thriller | Directed by Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah
In their latest buddy cop movie, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are still speeding through Miami. The franchise has rarely felt so assured, relaxed and knowingly funny.


Martin Lawrence and Will Smith in “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah.
By ROBERT DANIELS

Food! Glorious Food!

Can You Trademark a Potato? Take Our Food-Branding Quiz.
Whether a food brand gets special protection hinges on complicated (and not always consistent) legal calculations. How good are you at spotting a real trademark?
By KIM SEVERSON

Learn to Make the Juiciest Steak With This Hot Restaurant Trick
Basting your steaks with butter is the secret to perfectly cooked meat at home.


When this simple steak gets a quick butter baste, its center cooks gently and evenly, and its outside develops a beautiful bronze crust sticky with ginger, garlic and herbs.
By Eric Kim

A Pantry Pasta Perfect for the Season
Ali Slagle’s new lemon-garlic linguine is light, bright and ready for the bits and bobs of summer produce and herbs that need using up.
By MELISSA CLARK

‘Everyone Sat Stunned After the First Bite’
Chez Panisse’s blueberry cobbler has that effect.


By Mia Leimkuhler

How Healthy Are Avocados?
Here’s a highlight reel of their biggest nutritional benefits, plus delicious recipes to help you enjoy them.
By CAROLINE HOPKINS

The Most Delicious Way to Make Wild Salmon
Leaner than farmed fish and far more flavorful, wild salmon is in season now. Here’s how to cook and savor it.

A large fillet of salmon on a baking pan is surrounded by lemon wedges.
Wild salmon is so robustly flavored, it’s delicious with a simple squeeze of lemon juice.Credit…Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
By Ali Slagle

THE POUR
Why Are Wineries Around the World Seeking This Certification?
Certificates of social and environmental responsibility, like B Corp status, have become important markers for wineries that place values front and center.

Saskia de Rothschild, chief executive of Domaines Barons de Rothschild, with Eric Kohler, left, technical director of Château Lafite Rothschild, and Olivier Bonneau, the wine operations manager. All of its estates globally are now certified B Corps.
Saskia de Rothschild, chief executive of Domaines Barons de Rothschild, with Eric Kohler, left, technical director of Château Lafite Rothschild, and Olivier Bonneau, the wine operations manager. All of its estates globally are now certified B Corps.
BY ERIC ASIMOV

Terry Robards, 84, Dies; Lifted Fine Wines in America as a Times Critic
In columns and notably “The New York Times Book of Wine,” he introduced Americans to European and premium domestic varieties in the 1970s and ’80s.


Terry Robards in 2004. He was a financial reporter who turned his passion for wine and winemaking into a second career as a critic and author.
By CLAY RISEN

NYT Critic’s Pick Movie(s)

The Dead Don’t Hurt
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Drama, Western | Directed by Viggo Mortensen
Mortensen gives his film a nested, at times unnecessarily complicated structure, but with performances this good, it’s hard to mind much.


Viggo Mortensen not only stars in “The Dead Don’t Hurt” but also wrote it, directed it and composed the score.
By BEN KENIGSBERG

The Great Lillian Hall
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Drama | Directed by Michael Cristofer
Jessica Lange is ideally cast as a grande dame of the theater who is facing a reckoning in this well-crafted melodrama by Michael Cristofer.


Jessica Lange in “The Great Lillian Hall,” with Jesse Williams, standing behind her, reflected in the mirror.
By ELISABETH VINCENTELLI

In a Violent Nature
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Drama, Horror, Thriller | Directed by Chris Nash
Chris Nash’s ultraviolent horror movie is an unexpectedly serene, almost dreamlike meditation on a murderous psyche.


Ry Barrett in “In a Violent Nature.”
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS

Robot Dreams
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Animation, Drama, Family, Music | Directed by Pablo Berger
This animated film from Pablo Berger is a silent wonder that says everything about love.


The happy dog-robot pair in the animated film “Robot Dreams.”
By AMY NICHOLSON

Handling the Undead
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Drama, Horror, Mystery | Directed by Thea Hvistendahl
A zombie movie is wrapped in a gentle tale of mourning and love.


Renate Reinsve in “Handling the Undead.”
By ALISSA WILKINSON

MoviePass, MovieCrash
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Documentary, Comedy, Crime, Drama | Directed by Muta’Ali Muhammad
An illuminating documentary about the ill-fated (though now-revived) subscription service finds an unexpected story.


“MoviePass, MovieCrash,” a new documentary by Muta’Ali, premiering Wednesday on HBO, answers a lot of questions about what, exactly, happened to the to-good-to-be-true subscription company.
By ALISSA WILKINSON

— Of Possible Interest —

Backspot
Not Rated | Drama | Directed by D.W. Waterson
This queer high school movie, starring Devery Jacobs and Evan Rachel Wood, channels an after-school special without the coming-out trauma.
By LISA KENNEDY

Food! Glorious Food!

At These Restaurants, Feeding the Staff Comes First
The “family meal” tradition of serving workers before customers is getting new life as a perk, a motivator and a teaching tool.
By JULIA MOSKIN

The New Hospitality? Customers Can Sue Restaurants Over Pricing.
A California law aimed at banning hidden fees has put restaurant service charges at risk. But it could still change.
For restaurateurs like Michael and Kwini Reed, service charges have helped make ends meet for their restaurants, but a new California law would allow diners to sue them for such charges.
By MEGHAN MCCARRON

Is This the End of Instagram Cookware?
Once-hot direct-to-consumer pots and pans are up for grabs on secondhand marketplaces at steep discounts — or ending in the garbage.
By ELLA QUITTNER

IN THE GARDEN
Treat Your Palate and Feast Your Eyes on These Perennials
The author of “The Heirloom Gardener” offers tips for growing a garden of lush perennials you can put in a soup or add to a salad.


A salad of sorrel, sweet cicely and dandelion greens garnished with violas is part of the spring harvest from the perennial edible-filled garden of John Forti, a horticulturist, garden historian and ethnobotanist.
By MARGARET ROACH

MY TEN
Harry Hamlin Got Into Gardening Because of ‘The Martian’
“If he can do it on Mars,” said the actor, now starring in the cooking show “In the Kitchen With Harry Hamlin,” “I can do it in my backyard.”
By KATHRYN SHATTUCK

A GOOD APPETITE
Melissa Clark’s Go-To Pizza Recipe for Busy Nights
This olive oil-enriched recipe is the fastest version you can make from scratch — and it’s one of the best.

A rectangular pizza covered in arugula sits on a metal sheet pan with one slice removed.
Toppings can be added either before or after the pizza is baked, opening the door to possibility.
By Melissa Clark

Americans love their prawns. So how healthy are they — for us and for the planet?
By ERIK VANCE

Simple, Summery, Spicy Grilled Shrimp
And if it’s cool and overcast: bo ssam, cured and slow roasted and served with lettuce, rice and a raft of condiments.


By SAM SIFTON

The Only Ice Cream Recipe You’ll Ever Need
That’s it. That’s the recipe title. Happy summer.


By MIA LEIMKUHLER

Say Hello to Our Summer 100
The 100 recipes (shrimp scampi with tomatoes and corn, watermelon chaat, perfect peach cobbler) to cook on repeat all summer.
By EMILY WEINSTEIN

The Ingredient That Unites My Favorite Salads
A good salad can transport you, but the truly great ones all have one thing in common: plenty of cheese.


By Eric Kim

The Brewing Tradition Passed From Mother to Daughter
The beerlike beverage called suwe or tella is brewed in Eritrea and Ethiopia, as well as in diasporic communities like Dallas and Fort Worth.

Fatean Gojela with her granddaughter, Ava, preparing suwe, a traditional Eritraen drink, at home.
Fatean Gojela with her granddaughter, Ava, preparing suwe, a traditional Eritraen drink, at home.
By Charlie Scudder

For the Best Nonalcoholic Wines, Look to Germany
Rosé is one of the nonalcoholic wines produced by Wine Estate Carl Jung.

NYT Critic’s Pick Movie(s)

Hit Man
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Action, Comedy, Crime, Romance | Directed by Richard Linklater
Glen Powell stars in one of the year’s funniest, sexiest, most enjoyable movies — and somehow it’s surprisingly deep, too.


Adria Arjona and Glen Powell in “Hit Man.”
By ALISSA WILKINSON

Food! Glorious Food!

Team Steady acquires eyesore at Franklin and Lyndale, looks to revitalize it
Dan Netter

HEADWAY
How Free School Meals Went Mainstream
Over the past decade, many more schools started to offer free meals to all children, regardless of family income.
By Susan Shain

POLICING & JUSTICE
Here’s what you need to know about the Feeding Our Future trial as it enters its fifth week
The Feeding Our Future trial could conclude at the end of May or in mid-June.
by Joey Peters

How Wild Rice Forecasts Climate Change
Manoomin, a crop vital to the Indigenous peoples of the Upper Midwest, has been threatened in recent years. But careful stewardship is helping to bring it back.
By Kevin Noble Maillard

T 25
The 25 Essential Pasta Dishes to Eat in Italy
Two chefs, one cookbook author, a culinary historian and a food writer made a list of the country’s most delicious meals, from carbonara in Rome to ravioli in Campania.
By DEBORAH DUNN, VICKY BENNISON, MARIANNA CERINI, ROBYN ECKHARDT, LAUREL EVANS, KRISTINA GILL, ANDREW SEAN GREER, LEE MARSHALL, ELIZABETH MINCHILLI, MARINA O’LOUGHLIN, KATIE PARLA, RACHEL RODDY, ERIC SYLVERS, LAURA MAY TODD and ENEA ARIENTI

A Dreamy Bean Dip in Under 30 Minutes
Topped with deeply browned onions, this snack is as simple or complex as you make it.


By YOTAM OTTOLENGHI

THE POUR
Despite War, Ukrainian Wines Are Finding a Global Audience
These bottles, reflecting thousands of years of winemaking history and a fresh wave of energy, are now arriving in the U.S.


Sergiy Klimov, an author and ambassador for Ukrainian wines, in Kyiv. He says the history of winemaking in the region stretches back 6,000 years.
By Eric Asimov

Jasper White, Chef Who Lifted New England Cuisine, Dies at 69
At Restaurant Jasper in the North End of Boston, and later with a small chain of family-friendly seafood establishments, he focused relentlessly on regional ingredients.


Jasper White in 2007 at his Summer Shack restaurant in Cambridge, Mass., one of three in a chain. His signature dish was pan-roasted lobster.
By Julia Moskin

NYT Critic’s Pick Movie(s)

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
NYT Critic’s Pick | RAction, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller | Directed by George Miller
The fifth installment of George Miller’s series delivers an origin story of Furiosa, the hard-bitten driver played here by Anya Taylor-Joy.


The character keeps her hair in the prequel.
By MANOHLA DARGIS

In Our Day
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Drama | Directed by Hong Sang-soo
The Korean director Hong Sang-soo winds together the slenderest strands of two intersecting stories to make a tender film about simple pleasures.


A scene from “In Our Day,” with the poet Uiju (Ki Joo-bong), left, socializing with two students.
By BRANDON YU

Food! Glorious Food!

Advice for picky eaters: Liking a variety of foods linked with brain health
Rather than focusing on specific diets, the scientists examined the link between the foods individuals liked and disliked and their cognitive health.
By Teddy Amenabar

Dozens of Red Lobster Restaurants Are Auctioning Off Equipment
The seafood chain has been losing money for years. The liquidator behind the auction said more than 50 of its U.S. locations had closed.
By MIKE IVES

Mid-May Means Maximalist Asparagus
My recipe for seared asparagus with cashews is just the thing when you want a pan full of punchy, crunchy additions.


By MELISSA CLARK

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
An Issue All About Pasta and What It Means to Eat It
The dish, in all its many forms, has become synonymous with Italy’s culture.
By HANYA YANAGIHARA

How a ‘Strange,’ ‘Evil’ Fruit Came to Define Italy’s Cuisine
When tomatoes first arrived in Europe 500 years ago, they were considered dangerous. Then in Naples they gave rise to pasta al pomodoro.
By LIGAYA MISHAN and ANTHONY COTSIFAS

What Is Italy’s Most Prized Stuffed Pasta?
Each region could well argue for its own, but one may have the strongest case.
By DAWN DAVIS and SHARON RADISCH

A GOOD APPETITE
This Easy Pasta Doubles Up on Eggs
Speedy, savory and pantry-friendly, this dish celebrates buttery egg noodles by topping them with sour cream, scallions and runny eggs.


A take on lokshen mit kaese, this jammy egg pasta is full of brightness from fresh herbs.
By Melissa Clark

This Impressive Cake Has Many Layers
Strawberry cake, a Southern staple, is full of meaning.


By LISA DONOVAN

THE POUR
10 Terrific 2022 Beaujolais to Drink Now, or in a Few Years
Beaujolais, and its prices, are not what they used to be. Instead of bemoaning what has been lost, the wines today ought to be celebrated.


By Eric Asimov

NYT Critic’s Pick Movie(s)

A Prince
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Drama | Directed by Pierre Creton
Sex, death and domination fuel this beautifully enigmatic pastoral drama from France, which presents the gay coming-of-age of an apprentice gardener.


Vincent Barré and Pierre Creton in “A Prince.”
By BEATRICE LOAYZA

Gasoline Rainbow
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Adventure | Directed by Bill Ross IV, Turner Ross
This semi-fictional tale of a road trip for weirdos is full of joy.


From left, Micah Bunch, Makai Garza, Tony Aburto, Nichole Dukes and Nathaly Garcia in “Gasoline Rainbow.”
By ALISSA WILKINSON

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
NYT Critic’s Pick | PG-13 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi | Directed by Wes Ball
The latest installment in an excellent series finds mythology turning into power.


From left, Raka (Peter Macon), Noa (Owen Teague) and Nova (Freya Allan) in “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.”
By ALISSA WILKINSON