For a Cheese Lover, Two New Books

A couple of tidy little informative guides to cheese have just been published. Anne Saxelby, one of New York’s premier cheesemongers, gives her 52 rules for cheese as it is today, starting with shopping. She goes on to serving, eating and storing what you buy and finally covering details about milks, cheese production and cheese’s…

A West Coast Kouign-Amann

High-quality, crusty sourdough loaves shipped directly to your door are no longer uncommon. Manresa Bread, with several locations in the California Bay Area, has mailed its breads nationwide since 2016, but now the bakery has added a flaky, buttery and sugary Breton confection, kouign-amann (pronounced queen-am-AHN). They make it in an eight-inch round. The kouign-amann…

Culinary Historians Turn to Zoom

The pandemic has forced the Culinary Historians of New York into Zoom mode for their programs. But there’s an upside: Instead of a reception at which snacks relevant to the lecture are served, the recipes are sent in advance, so participants can prepare and enjoy the food during the session. Next up will be Ben…

An Around the World Kind of Rum

Rum is made in dozens of countries, each contributing a particular style to the drink. The terroir of the sugar cane, the way the rum is made and distilled, aging conditions and proof all affect the result, often distinctive enough to make the drink characteristic of its origins. Plantation Isle of Fiji Double Barrel Rum…

Finding Strength in Sofrito in Puerto Rico

From her home in Cayey, P.R., the chef Natalia Vallejo speaks with measured sadness about shutting down Cocina al Fondo, her intimate farm-to-table restaurant in San Juan. But the closing amid this particular crisis feels different than if there had been a storm. After a hurricane, people typically gather, forming a rebulú — a spontaneous,…

CDC Says Nurses Are at High Risk for Covid-19

Among health care workers, nurses in particular have been at significant risk of contracting Covid-19, according to a new analysis of hospitalized patients by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The findings were released Monday as a surge of new hospitalizations swept the country, with several states hitting record levels of cases. About 6…