Foods From Afar Hope to Catch the Eye of American Shoppers
Immigrant entrepreneurs are working with designers and brand strategists to create packaging that appeals to a wider range of consumers.

Yolélé offers products made of fonio, a cereal grain from West Africa, and they are now available at Whole Foods.
By Nina Roberts

Metal or glass for baking? Let’s clear a few things up.

By Becky Krystal

Yes, Ham Can Be a Surprisingly East Spring Project
A holiday ham, made at home, is within reach. You just need a bit of time, some wood smoke and a shoulder ham or pork loin.

This honey-cured, hickory-smoked shoulder ham is a stunning addition to your spring table
By Steven Raichlen

EAT
The Joy of Cooking With a Donabe
The Japanese clay vessel is perfect for hot pots like this chicken-meatball nabe.

By TEJAL RAO

A Stew That Captures the Essence of the Sea
A vibrant seafood stew, moqueca invigorates holiday menus and everyday meals alike.

A version of moqueca with large prawns and cod, served with rice.
By YEWANDE KOMOLAFE

FRONT BURNER
An Italian Prosciutto Makes Its American Debut
Culatta is made south of Parma, from a boneless thigh, the same cut used for culatello.

Tanara Culatta, three ounces, sliced ($16), murrayscheese.com.
By FLORENCE FABRICANT

ONE GOOD MEAL
A Lamb Tagine, Sweetened With Dates, for the First Days of Spring
The woodworker Sophie Sellu brings the same patience and care with which she makes her wares to this cherished recipe.

The finished dish is somehow both refined and rustic — much like Sellu’s woodworking.
By NICK MARINO

Von Diaz’s Essential Puerto Rican Recipes
The journalist and cookbook author, who grew up traveling between Atlanta and Puerto Rico, collects dishes that tell stories about life on the island, and the flavors that bring her back to it.

Von Diaz stirs a pot of sancocho, a stew found all over the Caribbean, as it simmers over an open fire at her home in North Carolina.
By Von Diaz

Delight In the Seasonal Green of Asparagus
Spring starts with “A” for asparagus, one of the most versatile of vegetables. (Apologies to artichokes.)

By FLORENCE FABRICANT

A GOOD APPETITE
These Lemony Pudding Cakes Are Magic in a Ramekin
Sweet and tangy, these easy desserts yield two textures — puffy and custardy — from one straightforward batter.

An airy sponge cake tops a creamy lemon curd in these simple treats.
By Melissa Clark

FRONT BURNER
Delightful Neat or on the Rocks
Jaisalmer India Craft Gin, newly available in the United States, is pleasant alone, or mingling with mixers.

Jaisalmer Indian Craft Gin, $49.99 for 750 milliliters, winechateau.com.
By FLORENCE FABRICANT

Sours That Walk the Line
The drink has countless variations, but a simple spirit-citrus-sweetener formula is at the heart of all of them.

By REBEKAH PEPPLER

Remembering Steven Spurrier, Whose Contest Shook the Wine World
His legacy will always be the Judgment of Paris tasting of 1976, but less well known was his advocacy for unheralded wines from all over the world.

Steven Spurrier was an author, educator, amusing public speaker and leader of wine tastings..
By Eric Asimov

Kent Taylor, Texas Roadhouse Founder and C.E.O., Dies at 65
Mr. Taylor died by suicide after suffering from post-Covid-19 symptoms, including severe tinnitus, the company said.

Kent Taylor, the founder and chief executive of the Texas Roadhouse restaurant chain, died on Thursday. He was turned down more than 80 times as he initially tried to find investors.
By Bryan Pietsch

Korean TV’s Unlikely Star: Subway Sandwiches
The sandwich chain’s aggressive use of product placement has made it a ubiquitous presence on the country’s television shows.
By SETH BERKMAN

Cook Without a Script
Embrace no-recipe recipes, or set yourself up for a big meal for St. Patrick’s Day.
By SAM SIFTON

A GOOD APPETITE
Getting the Best Out of Thick Asparagus
Wondering what to do with those stalks? Roast them with sweet slivered leeks and salty capers.

Thick and thin asparagus have their places in the kitchen, and the fat spears’ may just be in the oven.
By Melissa Clark

This Passover Recipe Tells the Story of a Family Tree
A wide-reaching family’s interpretations of a Moroccan Jewish recipe reflects their history.

By Joan Nathan

In Favor of a More Casual, More Forgiving Polenta
Well into the pandemic, Yotam Ottolenghi has allowed himself to relax in the kitchen. This comforting dish shows how good a thing that can be.

This recipe takes instant polenta to new heights.
By Yotam Ottolenghi

EAT
A Luscious Peanut-Butter Wafer Cake That Won’t Give You a Toothache
All the pleasure of the Nutty Buddy without the sugar overload.

Sturdy and silken: peanut-butter wafer cake.
By GABRIELLE HAMILTON

FRONT BURNER
A Greek Olive Oil Cake in Time for Easter
Kosterina’s new cake is festive for spring, covered with a layer of confectioners’ sugar or gussied up with sorbet.

Kosterina Extra Virgin Olive Oil Cake, $38, kosterina.com.
By FLORENCE FABRICANT

FRONT BURNER
This Mixer Adds Zip to Summer Coolers
A sparkling water flavored with lime and yuzu is a nice change of pace from tonic in a mixed drink.

Fever-Tree Sparkling Lime & Yuzu, four-pack of 6.8-ounce bottles about $5, fever-tree.com.
By FLORENCE FABRICANT

FRONT BURNER
Old World Wines Are Savored in ‘Noble Rot’
Dan Keeling and Mark Andrew’s new book covers old territory in a fresh way.

“The Noble Rot Book: Wine From Another Galaxy” by Dan Keeling and Mark Andrew (Quadrille, $45).
By FLORENCE FABRICANT

THE POUR
Does Wine Lose Its Spirit When the Alcohol Is Removed?
Nonalcoholic wines fill a need for the sober and occasionally abstinent, and the new generation of alcohol-free wines is promising.

Eins-Zwei-Zero is a series of alcohol-free wines from Leitz, a riesling specialist in the Rheingau region of Germany.
By Eric Asimov

Steven Spurrier, Who Upended Wine World With a Tasting, Dies at 79
In what came to be called the Judgment of Paris, he arranged for California and French wines to be compared in a blind tasting. The verdict was a shocker.

Steven Spurrier in his Paris wine shop in 1978, several years after he rocked the wine world with a blind tasting of California vs. French wines.
By Eric Asimov

UNHITCHED
A Former Culinary Couple Now Thrives as a Blended Family
For Gale Gand and Rick Tramonto, both chefs, their passion for food always came first. After their divorce, they’ve learned to prioritize family.
By LOUISE RAFKIN

The Virus Spread Where Restaurants Reopened or Mask Mandates Were Absent
C.D.C. researchers found that coronavirus infections and death rates rose in U.S. counties permitting in-person dining or not requiring masks.
By RONI CARYN RABIN

FRONT BURNER
An Ode to Irish Classics, in Chocolate
L.A. Burdick’s holiday collection riffs on Irish breakfast tea, whiskey and even stew, with some white chocolate sheep, too.

Irish Chocolate Assortment, $45 for one-half pound, $78 for one pound, burdickchocolate.com.
By FLORENCE FABRICANT

For Perfectly Light Schnitzel, Do This
J. Kenji López-Alt was looking for the secret to an evenly golden, puffed schnitzel. He found it, and his recipe puts a new spin on an Austrian technique.

In this schnitzel, steam inflates the breading layer, which separates from the cutlet and puffs before it fully crisps.
By J. KENJI LÓPEZ-ALT

FIVE WEEKNIGHT DISHES
These Eggs Live Up to the Hype
J. Kenji López-Alt’s scrambled eggs are a superb light supper, and so springy.

1. Extra-Creamy Scrambled Eggs
2. Skillet Hot Honey Chicken With Hearty Greens
3. Vegan Coconut-Ginger Black Beans
4. Pasta With Green Puttanesca
5. Shrimp Étouffée
   By EMILY WEINSTEIN

A GOOD APPETITE
Your Morning Granola Just Got an Upgrade
Filled with coconut and dried cherries, these breakfast treats from Frenchette Bakery are wholesome enough for breakfast, and sweet enough for dessert.

These breakfast bars won’t disappoint.
By Melissa Clark

Also from BMTN’s Turtinen: “A Minneapolis bagel shop has made Food & Wine’s list of Best Bagels in America. Rise Bagel Co., at 530 N 3rd St. in Minneapolis’ North Loop, made the magazine’s list of ‘nearly 50’ best bagels (it didn’t rank the bagels), which was published March 5. Food & Wine says 20 years ago, a list like this would probably have been New York-centric, but in the years since quality bagel makers have popped up all around the country, making ‘the kind of bagels you take home by the dozen, hot and fresh.”

FRONT BURNER
A New Aperitif With Cherry Flavor
Haus’s latest aperitif is a spiced cherry that would be well suited to a manhattan.

Haus is mostly sold online, $35 a bottle (750 milliliters) or $40 for four 200 milliliter (6.76 ounce) samplers.

Haus Apéritifs, drink.haus.
By FLORENCE FABRICANT

THOSE WE’VE LOST
Anna Majani, Grande Dame of Fine Chocolate, Dies at 85
She turned chocolates from her family company, founded in the 18th century, into design objects. She died of Covid-19.

Anna Majani was 18 when she started working at her family’s chocolate company. Over the years she became its creative heart.
When Anna Majani first stepped into her family’s factory in Bologna, Italy, to begin work among the cocoa toasters, marble tables and molds for chocolates eaten by kings and poets, nobody took her seriously.

It was 1954. She was a woman. She was all of 18. And she had caused a scandal in town, becoming pregnant by a soccer player at 15.

But Ms. Majani stayed on, rose to vice president and became the company’s creative heart, earning credit for turning her family’s chocolates into design objects and imbuing the brand with her charisma.
By EMMA BUBOLA

David Mintz, Whose Tofutti Made Bean Curd Cool, Dies at 89
He set out to create an ice cream substitute for people who keep kosher. He created a phenomenon, also loved by vegans, diabetics and people with milk allergies.

David Mintz, chairman and chief executive of Tofutti Brands, in 1984. His company went from distributing pint containers of its signature frozen vanilla soy-based dessert to developing some 35 plant-based products.
Late in the 1970s he had to close Mintz’s Buffet, his restaurant on Third Avenue, because the block was being razed to build Trump Plaza. When he was offered the option to transplant his restaurant to the Upper West Side, he sought Rabbi Schneerson’s guidance. The rabbi’s secretary, Rabbi Leibel Groner, called him back, Mr. Mintz recalled, and said: “Get a pencil and paper and write it down. This is very important.”

“I was very excited,” Mr. Mintz said. “This was the answer I was waiting for. Then he dictated to me, ‘The rebbe says, “Absolutely not.” The rebbe says you should continue with your experiments with the pareve ice cream and God will help you to be very successful.’”
By SAM ROBERTS

How the Cookbooks of 2020 Tell the Stories of Our Pandemic Kitchens
From beans and baking projects to vegan and global recipes, the year’s best sellers show the ways home cooking changed, and what may lie ahead.

Comfort, Speed and Dessert: The Best Sellers
The top 10 cookbooks for 2020 on the New York Times best-seller list.

1. “Magnolia Table Volume 2: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering,” by Joanna Gaines. (William Morrow & Company)

2. “Modern Comfort Food: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook,” by Ina Garten. (Clarkson Potter)

3. “The Happy in a Hurry Cookbook: 100-Plus Fast and Easy New Recipes That Taste Like Home,” by Steve and Kathy Doocy. (William Morrow)

4. “Magnolia Table: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering,” by Joanna Gaines. (William Morrow )

5. “Salt Fat Acid Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking,” by Samin Nosrat. (Simon & Schuster)

6. “The Blue Zones Kitchen: 100 Recipes to Live to 100,” by Dan Buettner. (National Geographic)

7. “Dessert Person: Recipes and Guidance for Baking with Confidence,” by Claire Saffitz. (Clarkson Potter)

8. “Skinnytaste Meal Prep: Healthy Make-Ahead Meals and Freezer Recipes to Simplify Your Life,” by Gina Homolka with Heather K. Jones. (Clarkson Potter)

9. “True Comfort: More Than 100 Cozy Recipes Free of Gluten and Refined Sugar,” by Kristin Cavallari. (Rodale)

10. “Just Feed Me: Simply Delicious Recipes from My Heart to Your Plate,” by Jessie James Decker. (Dey Street)

By Kim Severson

CRITIC’S NOTEBOOK
Will Fish Sauce and Charred Oranges Return the World Covid Took From Me?
Regaining my sense of smell is tedious and slow, but I’m using the only therapy proven to work.
By TEJAL RAO

How to Pretend You’re in the Riviera Maya, Mexico, Today
You might not be able to travel on spring break this year, but you can immerse yourself in Maya culture from home.

The Riviera Maya, a popular vacation corridor, is the Caribbean coastline south of Cancún to Tulum, where El Castillo, perched above the sea, is among the ancient ruins.
By STEPHANIE ROSENBLOOM

FRONT BURNER
This Cheese Is Made for Aging
The latest raw cow’s milk from Meadow Creek is an eight-month aged cheese named for Appalachia.

By FLORENCE FABRICANT

FRONT BURNER
Venison All the Way From Hawaii
Maui Nui sells various cuts from Axis deer, and the harvest helps combat erosion that has affected the island’s coral reefs.

Maui Nui Venison, mauinuivenison.com.
By FLORENCE FABRICANT

FRONT BURNER
This Book Covers the Hard Stuff
“American Cider” looks at the history of the beverage, and it discusses how it is made, too.

“American Cider: A Modern Guide to a Historic Beverage,” by Dan Pucci and Craig Cavallo (Ballantine Books, $18).
By FLORENCE FABRICANT

Stop and Make This Rice Pudding
Warm and smoky with spices, this take, from Sara Mardanbigi and Edgar Rico of Nixta Taqueria, is worth making — and soon.

By SAM SIFTON

Under Fire, a Portland Chef Tries to Build a Fairer Workplace
Gregory Gourdet has revamped his plans for a Haitian kitchen, after being caught up in a citywide furor over the treatment of restaurant workers.
By BRETT ANDERSON

Annie’s Pledges to Purge a Class of Chemicals From Its Mac and Cheese
The move comes nearly four years after a study showed that chemicals believed to cause health problems in children and reproductive issues in adults were found in mass-market macaroni and cheese packets.
By MICHAEL CORKERY

Where the Rare Citrus Grows
For French chefs and perfumers, a government-run grove on Corsica — home to some 900 varieties — has become a place of pilgrimage.

A selection of fruit from the Citrus Biological Resource Center in San Giuliano, Corsica, including, clockwise from top left, Corsican citrons, makrut limes, Meyer lemons, Timor pomelos, Okitsu Satsuma mandarins, bergamot oranges, Clanor sweet oranges, clementines, Page mandarins, Samuyao papedas, Clemendor mandarins, Star Ruby grapefruits, Chinotto sour oranges, variegated lemons, variegated sour oranges, Fukushu kumquats, Buddha’s hand citrons, Hong Kong kumquats, Brown River finger limes and Faustrime finger lime hybrids.
By ZOEY POLL

The (Surprising) Rise of the Sheet Pan
How did this unflashy piece of equipment become a home cooking star? (It has something to do with Martha Stewart.)
By GENEVIEVE KO

For Maximum Flavor, Make These Spice Blends at Home
Grind these five versatile, beloved mixes ahead of time, then keep them on hand for cooking that’s full of verve and depth.

Clockwise from left, five spice, garam masala, sweet baking spice, baharat and za’atar.
By MELISSA CLARK

‘Stop this madness’: NYT angers Italians with ‘smoky tomato carbonara’ recipe
Recipe using bacon and parmesan cheese attracts ire of chefs, foodies and farmers’ association

Coldiretti said pasta carbonara was one of the most ‘betrayed’ Italian recipes abroad.
Angela Giuffrida Rome correspondent

Just Desserts
We asked, you answered: Here are five reasonably easy desserts for the week ahead.
By EMILY WEINSTEIN

Jay-Z and LVMH, Two of the World’s Biggest Brands, Go Into Business
LVMH, owner of Dom Pérignon, will acquire half of Armand de Brignac, Jay-Z’s Champagne line known as Ace of Spades.
By KATHERINE ROSMAN and VANESSA FRIEDMAN

THE WORLD THROUGH A LENS
An Inside Look at Cuba’s Constant Struggle for Clean Water
Across the country, battling water scarcity requires a vast array of workers, from inspectors and fumigators to truck drivers and pipe layers.
By SANNE DERKS

Our 17 Coziest Vegetarian Soups
These heartening recipes are here to convince you that comfort is best served by the spoonful.

Curl up with a warming bowl of garlicky white bean and tomato soup from Ali Slagle.
By ALEXA WEIBEL

5 Recipes for Mardi Gras at Home
Mardi Gras looks a little different this year, but these recipes will help you get into the spirit.
By SARA BONISTEEL

Say It With Carbonara
You could say “I love you” with chocolate, but isn’t a bacony, eggy, cheesy pasta so much better?
By EMILY WEINSTEIN

A GOOD APPETITE
There’s No Better Time for Maximalist Brownies
Stuffed or topped with the likes of sugared coconut, pecan pie filling or salted pretzels, these brownies are not about subtlety.

It’s time to take your brownies over the top.
By MELISSA CLARK

EAT
A Brazilian Treat for Home Cooks in a Hurry
Brigadeiros are sweet, fudgy, and easy to make. Keep them in your freezer to eat anytime.

By TEJAL RAO

‘Rock stars of American cheese’: the enduring legacy of Cowgirl Creamery

Peggy Smith, left, and Sue Conley of Cowgirl Creamery. Photograph: Courtesy of Cowgirl Creamery
Over the course of two decades, Sue Conley and Peggy Smith created a beloved California brand – and helped redefine our relationship to food
Charlotte Simmonds in Oakland

THE POUR
How to Think About Wine Vintages
Conventional wisdom can often lead consumers away from delicious wines. Better to think of individual years in terms of character than of quality.
By ERIC ASIMOV

S. Prestley Blake, a Founder of Friendly’s, Dies at 106
With a $547 loan from their parents, he and a brother opened the Friendly Ice Cream Shop in 1935, then built it into a chain of hundreds of restaurants.

S. Prestley Blake outside a Friendly’s restaurant in Port St. Lucie, Fla., in 2001. He and his brother started the business with a $547 loan from their parents.
By DANIEL E. SLOTNIK

Maria Guarnaschelli, Book Editor Who Changed What We Cook, Dies at 79
She introduced Americans to new cuisines and helped transform cooking from a domestic chore to a cultural touchstone, inspiring her daughter, Alex, to be a chef.

Maria Guarnaschelli in 1997 in her office at Scribner while she was overseeing a major revision of the best-selling “Joy of Cooking.”
By JULIA MOSKIN

Restaurants Find a New Revenue Source: Feeding the Hungry
What began as an emergency measure in the pandemic’s early days has turned into a long-term business plan that could help many kitchens keep running.
By JANE BLACK

The Birria Boom Is Complicated, but Simply Delicious
With infinite variations, the regional Mexican stew is now a TikTok and Instagram star in Los Angeles and beyond.

Food trends come and go, but a bowl of birria with warm corn tortillas will never lose its appeal.
By TEJAL RAO

Meet the Proseccos You’ll Be Drinking This Summer
Italy has given Prosecco rosé the stamp of approval, and producers are starting to send these pink bubblies to America.

By FLORENCE FABRICANT

AN APPRECIATION
Remembering Joe Allen, Who Fed Broadway in Untheatrical Style
The theater district restaurateur was famously reserved, but I caught some close-up glimpses from the next bar stool.

By PETER KHOURY

Joe Allen, Theater District Restaurateur, Is Dead at 87
His restaurant Joe Allen and another he opened next door, Orso, have been popular hangouts for celebrities and celebrity-watchers and the flagships of an international empire.

Joe Allen at his regular spot at the bar at Joe Allen, the popular Manhattan theater district restaurant he opened in 1965, before his block was christened Restaurant Row.
By JOYCE PURNICK

June Rose Bellamy, Adventurous Burmese Princess, Dies at 88
She traveled the world, hosted a TV show in the Philippines, married a dictator (out of patriotism, she said) and, among other things, opened a cooking school in Italy.

June Rose Bellamy in 2017 at Sesto On Arno, one of her favorite restaurants in Florence, where she started her own cooking school.
By PENELOPE GREEN

Obituaries
Maria Guarnaschelli, influential cookbook editor, dies at 79

Maria Guarnaschelli, right, with her daughter, chef Alex Guarnaschelli, in New York in 2013.
By Emily Langer

How America’s Food System Could Change Under Biden
New school meal standards? Help for small farmers? Maybe, but first the new administration has to deal with hunger, food safety and a diminished U.S.D.A.
“It’s like, we know you want us to jump from serving meat to going vegan,” Mr. Nischan said. “But man, we got to get the stove fixed first.”
By Kim Severson

IN THE GARDEN
The Year-Round Garden
As one intrepid gardener in Nova Scotia discovered, you can extend the growing season more than you may think — if you have the right tools.
By MARGARET ROACH

FRONT BURNER
Marcus Samuelsson Talks Food at the Whitney

The chef joins the museum’s director, Adam D. Weinberg, for two discussions about the intersection of food and culture.
Food, Culture and What’s Next talk, 6 p.m., Feb. 9, whitney.org.
By FLORENCE FABRICANT

FRONT BURNER
Message in a Chocolate Box
Truffolie’s Valentine’s Day chocolates carry a customizable secret message, revealed once all the pieces are eaten.

Truffolie chocolates, 12 for $40, 24 for $75, truffolie.com.
By FLORENCE FABRICANT

FRONT BURNER
A Food Course for Home-Schooling
Spoons Across America has created a nine-class Food Exploration Project, suitable for students ages 8 to 11.

Spoons Across America, spoonsacrossamerica.org.
By FLORENCE FABRICANT

These Recipes Are So Smart
Cook with a few sharp shortcuts, clever techniques and ingredients in new contexts.
By EMILY WEINSTEIN

A Rare Menu That Tells the Truth: The Pork? Greasy. The Beef? Meh.
A Montreal restaurateur’s self-lacerating style has drawn worldwide attention, perhaps striking a collective chord of humility in the pandemic.

Feigang Fei’s Montreal restaurant, Cuisine AuntDai, got a welcome lift this month after a tweet about his bluntly honest online menu went viral.
By Dan Bilefsky

Tet Is Full of Traditions, but You Can Have It Your Way
Plenty of rule-bending and innovation has been brought to Vietnamese Lunar New Year feasts as the diaspora has grown.

Bright pickled shallots and crisp scallions balance the richness of suon kho, northern Vietnamese pork ribs that are grilled then braised in a savory caramel sauce.

‘Christina Nguyen, 36, the chef of Hai Hai in Minneapolis, went rogue during Tet even as a child. When she was young — and picky — she avoided the requisite sticky rice cakes at big family feasts and ate only her favorites, like fried cha gio spring rolls and tender steamed banh beo rice cakes. At those gatherings, Ms. Nguyen gambled away her li xi, small red envelopes containing crisp new bills, in a popular dice game called bau cua tom ca. That childhood food and rebellious fun now inspire her restaurant’s Tet menu, which last year included fried spring rolls filled with venison, a nod to the stag that appears on the dice and mat in the game.’

As a child, Nguyen Phan Que Mai celebrated Tet in southern Vietnam, where the golden flowers of Mai trees bloom around Lunar New Year.

Family elders hand out li xi, envelopes filled with money in the form of fresh new bills or coins, to children who offer them New Year’s wishes.

Bau cua tom ca, which means “gourd crab shrimp fish,” is a Vietnamese game where players bet on which dice images will match the pictures on the board.

Four generations of the Tran family celebrate Tet in Oregon, including Lisa Tran, right; her paternal grandmother, Chau Thi Nguyen, center; and her mother, Mai Nguyen.

For southern Vietnamese thit heo kho trung, boiled eggs simmered with the braised pork, are served whole to diners who then split them in their bowls of rice.

By ANDREA NGUYEN
Recipes: Thit Heo Kho Trung (Pork and Eggs in Caramel Sauce) or Pressure Cooker Version | Suon Kho (Pork Ribs in Savory Caramel Sauce) | Dua Hanh (Pickled Shallots) | Dua Gia (Pickled Bean Sprout Salad) | Keo Lac Vung (Peanut and Sesame Candy)

Now’s the Time for Homemade Dumplings
For Lunar New Year, shape savory and sweet Chinese dumplings at home.

Chile crisp, a spicy-crunchy condiment originally from China’s Guizhou Province, seasons the tofu-and-vegetable filling in these dumplings and the accompanying dipping sauce.
By GENEVIEVE KO

A GOOD APPETITE
There’s Nothing Better Than This Cheesy Potato Soup
Silky-smooth and simple to make, it gets verve and heat from homemade pickled jalapeños.

You don’t have to add the pickled jalapeños, but they really take the soup over the top.
By MELISSA CLARK

CULINARY ARTS
The Story of John Young, the Original King of Buffalo Wings
His restaurants closed and his glory faded, but a historical reclamation effort is bringing new attention to the secret sauce he perfected.
Text by Rachel Wharton
Illustrations by Koren Shadmi

EAT
Saying Goodbye With Beans
In her final column for the magazine, Samin Nosrat makes the case for cooking beans the old-fashioned way.

By SAMIN NOSRAT

America’s First Moonshine, Applejack, Returns in Sleeker Style
From the Blue Ridge Mountains to Vermont, new distillers are reviving a drink that vanished during Prohibition, giving it the age and polish of a fine brandy.

Chris Montana of Du Nord Spirits, in Minneapolis, said the pandemic poses an existential threat to craft distilleries across the United States. Some have survived by producing high-alcohol hand sanitizer.
By JULIA MOSKIN

20 Wines Under $20: Postcards From Around the World
In a pandemic era, when traveling is largely out of the question, these wines, good values all, can take you on a trip around the globe.

Artomaña Arabako Txakolina Xarmant 2019 $19.99
Alkoomi Frankland River “Black Label” Riesling 2018 $19.96
Maître de Chai Clements Hills Red Table Wine 2018 $19.99
Odoardi Calabria Vino Rosso 1480 L’Inizio 2015 $14.99
Cacique Maravilla Pipeño País 2019 1 liter $18.99
Feudo Montoni Sicilia Catarratto Masso 2018 $19.99
Patrick Jasmin Collines Rhodaniennes La Chevalière 2016 $19.99
Argatia Macedonia Haroula 2017 $18.99
Ver Sacrum Valle de Uco G.S.M. 2018 $19.96
Weszeli Kamptal Langenlois Grüner Veltliner 2019 $19.99
Domaine Tatsis Macedonia Limnio 2018 $19.99
Château de Villeneuve Saumur Champigny 2018 $19.99
Fattoria San Lorenzo Marche Bianco di Gino 2019 $17.99
Haarmeyer Clarksburg St. Rey Chenin Blanc Sutter Ranch Vineyard 2019 $18.96
Grosjean Vallée d’Aoste Torrette 2019 $19.96
Cascina Fontana Dolcetto d’Alba 2019 $19.99
Elizabeth Spencer Mendocino Sauvignon Blanc Special Cuvée 2019 $16.99
Von Winning Pfalz Riesling Winnings 2018 $18.96
Casa de Saima Bairrada Baga Tonel 10 2018 $19.96
Toro Albalá Montilla-Moriles Eléctrico Fino del Lagar Saca de Primavera NV 500 milliliters $18.99
By Eric Asimov

Cooks Turned Instagram Into the World’s Greatest Takeout Menu
During the pandemic, entrepreneurial chefs have reshaped food culture across the country with tiny, homegrown pop-ups that thrive on social media.
By TEJAL RAO

How America’s Food System Could Change Under Biden
New school meal standards? Help for small farmers? Maybe, but first the new administration has to deal with hunger, food safety and a diminished U.S.D.A.
By KIM SEVERSON

FRONT BURNER
A Taste of Carnival in New Orleans
The parades are canceled and visitors discouraged, but celebrate the season with a king cake shipped to your door.

Brennan’s is sending king cakes nationwide this Carnival season.
Brennan’s King Cakes, $20 plus shipping, brennansneworleans.com/events/kingcakesbybrennans;

Mardi Gras in a Box, $135 plus shipping, bayoubakeryva.com/mardi-gras-box.
By Florence Fabricant

FRONT BURNER
The Impermanence of Beauty
A new cookbook from the restaurant Kajitsu in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan highlights the intricacies of a vegan-style of Japanese cooking.

“Kajitsu: A Shojin Restaurant’s Season in the City” (FUKA Honten, $90), kitchenartsandletters.com.
By FLORENCE FABRICANT

FRONT BURNER
Anita Lo Teaches a Dumpling Class for Lunar New Year
The chef will demonstrate how to make pork-and-shrimp dumplings on the website 100 Pleats.

Anita LoCredit…
Lunar New Year Dumpling Class, Feb. 12, 6:30 to 7:45 p.m., $49.99 per device, 100pleats.com/group.
By FLORENCE FABRICANT

Savor Soup Made From Scratch
With this foundation of vegetables and water, delicious, homemade soup doesn’t have to be complicated. Adding personality is up to you.

Carrot-Ginger soup
By FLORENCE FABRICANT

EAT
Treat Yourself to a Parisian Aperitif That Is Easy to Make at Home
In France, savory cakes salé are served as a light nibble before dinner. They’re remarkably versatile and come together in a snap.

By DORIE GREENSPAN

A GOOD APPETITE
It’s Casserole Season. For That, There’s Polenta Lasagna.
Thoroughly miserable weather calls for thoroughly cozy dishes, preferably covered in mozzarella.

Instead of sheets of pasta, this lasagna has layers of polenta.
By MELISSA CLARK

The Crispiest, Creamiest Vegan Pasta
With just a little effort, this no-waste creamy leek pasta delivers a ton of texture and flavor.

The leek greens are boiled and then puréed into a sauce for this pasta.
By ALEXA WEIBEL

LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION
I Recommend Eating Chips
When our horizons are narrow, junk food — shelf-stable, reliably flavored and yet endlessly unique — offers us a taste of infinity.
By SAM ANDERSON

How High-End Restaurants Have Failed Black Female Chefs
Training and advancement as a chef can be hard to find in American fine-dining restaurants, according to Black women who have tried.
By Korsha Wilson

EAT
The Case for Stewed Tripe
There’s abundant offal to be had at the supermarket, and this spicy, slurpable dish is exactly how you should cook it.
By GABRIELLE HAMILTON

SHOPPING GUIDE
Shopping for Kettles
It’s not just for boiling water — so choose something with a little style.

When you’re buying a kettle, “look at it as art, as well as a functional element,” said Sarah Blank, a kitchen designer in Greenwich, Conn. (The Corvo EKG Electric Kettle is $149 at Fellow.)
By TIM MCKEOUGH

A GOOD APPETITE
This Spicy White Bean Soup Is a Poem in a Pot
Filled with winter greens, savory beans and just a little bit of turkey, this piquant soup is both hearty and light.

Lemony white bean soup with turkey and greens.
By Melissa Clark

FRONT BURNER
An Online Lesson in Olive Oil
The Museum of Food and Drink in Brooklyn hosts a discussion, with experts from Tuscany and Calabria, Italy.
Food for Thought: First Pressed, an Olive Oil Exploration presented by MOFAD and the Greene Space, Jan. 25, 8 to 9:30 p.m., $15 or $65 including a tin of olive oil (limited supplies), mofad.org.
By FLORENCE FABRICANT

FRONT BURNER
Dream of France, Through Recipes

“Plat du Jour,” a new cookbook by Susan Herrmann Loomis, includes seasonally focused recipes like beef bourguignon.
“Plat du Jour: French Dinners Made Easy” by Susan Herrmann Loomis (Countryman Press, $30).
By FLORENCE FABRICANT

FRONT BURNER
The Easiest Paella Comes From a Kit

Meg Grace Larcom, the chef of the Boqueria restaurants, teaches a virtual paella class next month, and it includes a ready-to-make meal kit.
Boqueria Paella Kit and class, $150, includes shipping; $100 without the class, order by Feb. 18 for national delivery; fully cooked paella for local pickup or delivery, with seafood, vegetables or chicken and chorizo, $24 to $48, depending on the variety and size, boqueriarestaurant.com.
By FLORENCE FABRICANT

FRONT BURNER
The Tea’s the Thing

A new tea blend from Harney & Sons raises money for Shakespeare’s Globe in London.
A Midsummer Night’s Tea, 20 sachets, $12, 800-832-8463, harney.com.
By FLORENCE FABRICANT

A Foolproof Path to Dinner, by Way of Korea
J. Kenji López-Alt puts his fridge odds and ends to work in crunchy, savory, wildly adaptable jeon.

This sauerkraut jeon is perfect for busy weeknights.
By J. Kenji López-Alt

FRONT BURNER
A New Cassis to Sip or Mix

Current Cassis, from a producer in Greene County, N.Y., is less syrupy than French crème de cassis.
Current Cassis, $28 for 375 milliliters, upstreamwine.com, currentcassis.com.
By FLORENCE FABRICANT

THOSE WE’VE LOST
Thomas Verdillo, 77, Dies; Restaurateur Went from Red Sauce to Blue Ribbon
He put a refined twist on traditional Italian-American cooking at his South Brooklyn restaurant, Tommaso. He died of complications of Covid-19.

Thomas Verdillo was the owner, head chief, sommelier and chief tenor at his restaurant, Tommaso, in Brooklyn.
By GLENN RIFKIN