A few years back, a couple of Somerville dwellers decided to host an Iron Chef-style competition between friends from all walks of life who share one thing in common: their love of good food. It's since become a popular tradition. Hosts Peter and Viva sel...

novella Originally uploaded by Farm City Novella Carpenter, an urban "squat" farmer in Oakland, CA, began her talk on urban agriculture last night at the Fort Point Arts Center by telling us she'd had a pretty weird trip to the East Coast so far. The ...

novella Originally uploaded by Farm City Novella Carpenter, an urban "squat" farmer in Oakland, CA, began her talk on urban agriculture last night at the Fort Point Arts Center by telling us she'd had a pretty weird trip to the East Coast so far. The ...

Though it’s become an integral part of Indian cuisine, the tandoor oven actually originated in Turkey. Today it is found throughout the Middle East, along with the Balkans, Central Asia, Armenia, Georgia, and elsewhere. It is traditionally a deep, cylin...

Two doyennes of the food world came together last night at the Brattle Theatre to discuss the release of their new cookbooks as well as the history of their long relationship (the venerable Ms. Jones, once Julia Child's editor and mentor at Alfred A. Knop...

We'd read on the Herb Lyceum's website to expect a magical night. And as four of us arrived on a chilly Saturday evening to a restored barn from the early 1900s, decorated with antiques, and three long tables set with candles, we could tell this promise w...

My friend Alli's recent trip to Paris (where she did not take a single picture, it must be noted) prompted her to cook an enormous pot of ratatouille and share with us the cheese and chocolates she brought back.As we spooned up portions of the fragrant st...

The first time I really became aware of sea urchins it was because I was spending the summer in Greece, and not stepping on one in the Aegean Ocean became a high priority. A little Greek girl taught me to call them echinos, which means both "sea urchin" a...

Ipswich's Crane Beach is one of my favorite summer weekend destinations. Little did I know that autumn here is spectacular too.Pumpkins for sale at Russell Orchards. Their annual Apples & Wine festival will be Nov. 7-8.Here you can also find the famou...

Ipswich's Crane Beach is one of my favorite summer weekend destinations. Little did I know that autumn here is spectacular too.Pumpkins for sale at Russell Orchards. Their annual Apples & Wine festival will be Nov. 7-8.Here you can also find the famou...

The New York Times recently called Portugal's affordable Douro Valley wines a "harbor in an economic tempest"--and with good reason. But Douro is not the only region in Portugal that is producing amazing wines at incredible value. As I found out at a wine...

Nothing reminds me of my mom more than making applesauce at home. First, because it was a staple of our family dinners growing up. My mom would plan our meals based on a color-code she learned in Home Ec class: one protein; one white (rice, potatoes); and...

Nothing reminds me of my mom more than making applesauce at home. First, because it was a staple of our family dinners growing up. My mom would plan our meals based on a color-code she learned in Home Ec class: one protein; one white (rice, potatoes); and...

Chef Gilson's pumpkin soup, made from local pumpkins.I've tasted my share of wines, but I'd never attended a coffee tasting until last week, when I was invited to a dinner hosted by Green Mountain Coffee at Garden at the Cellar in Cambridge.At the end of ...

Piattini has always been a reliable spot for a tasty bowl of pasta and a glass of wine in the Back Bay, and now it’s got a little sister—-a gelateria and café that opened just nextdoor on Newbury Street this weekend. I stopped in Saturday afternoon (...

When I finally stopped at Marliave in Downtown Crossing last Friday, I couldn't believe I'd let a place with so much character escape my notice for so long. It all started because a friend and I were looking for someplace quiet and cozy for an after-work ...

The Portuguese love egg-rich desserts, from flan-like pumpkin pudding pictured in the first photo to Pasteis de Nata, the famous egg custard tarts in puff pastry (see photo 2). They serve endless combinations of eggs and sugar, like the ovos moles (in pho...

Hors d'oeuvres at Quinta do Martelo Originally uploaded by andrea.calabretta Our local guide in the Azores warned me not to become addicted to piri-piri, the pleasantly tangy red pepper sauce that came alongside bread and homemade cheese before ev...

While traveling in the Azores last week, we noticed a family harvesting grapes just off the road on Terceira island. In the Azores, where the weather can be variable and sometimes harsh due to the islands' position in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, gra...