Spanish Broths for More Than Paella

A line of first-rate Spanish broths (chicken, fish and vegetable for soups and stews, and more focused mixtures meant for paella, specifically seafood paella) is now available. There’s even one for black, squid ink paella. These broths, made in Barcelona, are free of additives and preservatives and deliver good flavor. For paella, I might simmer…

Japanese Food From a Swedish Kitchen

Sofia Hellsten is Swedish, but, having lived in Japan, she’s devoted to Japanese food and dining. Her new book explores the simple everyday meals she craves, especially when not in Japan. They’re the sort of nourishing, comforting plates that are easily made and frequently feature vegetables. They’re also enjoyable to serve one or two but…

Add a Sprinkle to Breakfast

There’s nothing new about buckwheat, a seed (not really a grain) that’s most comfortable growing in cooler and high-altitude climates worldwide. But the form in which Emily Griffith is selling them is innovative. While living in Australia, she discovered sprouted buckwheat and created Lil Bucks, a company to make and sell the crunchy, earthy-tasting seeds.…

Meal Kits From the Chef Dan Barber

Like a number of other chefs and restaurants, Dan Barber, the chef and an owner of Blue Hill in Manhattan, and Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Westchester County, is assembling market boxes for pickup. Each will contain ingredients and cooking instructions for a dish that will serve two to four people. Though the ingredients…

A Handy Measure

You need a drink, but you — not some mixologist — are in charge. Though professionals prefer little metal measuring containers, this set of one-and-a-half ounce glass ones, with markings for a half-ounce and an ounce, is very easy to use. And having several means that you can combine multiple spirits without rinsing in between.…

Why Mundane Moments Truly Matter

My mother and I have sipped tea with maharanis, swapped stories with Burmese nuns and bumped through the streets of Bangkok on midnight tuk tuks — but the delight we return to, again and again, is the moon. “Go outside and take a look,” she’ll command over text, and I’ll stumble out the door to…