A Taste of Now

Good morning. I love the green I’m seeing at the tips of the hardwoods, the bright harlequin vibrancy of the alliums along the stream beds, the way the grass in the park is starting to thrive again after a long winter of abuse at the feet of dogs. Here’s spring garlic at the market, funky…

The Best Ways to Cook Asparagus

The first blush of asparagus season never gets old. Every April, seeing those violet-tipped bunches at the farmers’ market sends my pulse zipping and my mind whirling. Dreaming up new ways of preparing them is almost as thrilling as eating them, though clearly not as satiating. Because asparagus cook so quickly and are delightful at…

Three Gluten-Free Friendly Restaurants

Last week I dedicated the newsletter to quickly answering seven reader questions, but some questions come up so frequently that they deserve a newsletter all their own. And by far, the query that has appeared in my inbox with the greatest frequency has been about gluten-free dining. More than 2 million Americans have been diagnosed…

The History Behind Queso Fundido

Sofia Head grew up watching her grandfather lead the carne asadas, her family cookouts, in Monterrey, Mexico. He manned a charcoal grill for hours, cooking carne asada for dozens of relatives. One of her favorite dishes was his queso fundido: melted Chihuahua cheese in a cast-iron skillet that he left on his grill until the…