White Chicken Chili
Food & Nutrition

White Chicken Chili

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more details. This creamy white chicken chili is made with shredded chicken, hearty beans, green chiles, corn and a delicious blend of seasonings. It’s a warm and cozy dinner that’s ready in under an hour and you can make it on the stovetop or in the slow cooker. This one-pot white chicken chili is a wonderful variation of the classic chili with tender chicken, white beans and corn in a rich and creamy broth. The great thing about this chili is each person can make it their own with the toppings they love like tortilla strips, sliced avocados, shredded cheese, sour cream, or jalapenos. Pair the chili with some crusty bread for a hearty dinner on a cold day. This recipe uses rotisserie or leftove...
The Zuni Café Cookbook Is Canon
Food & Nutrition

The Zuni Café Cookbook Is Canon

I started working at Zuni Café in 2015, approximately a year and a half after the passing of legendary chef-owner Judy Rodgers. It was still a time full of grief, and Judy’s spirit was as palpable as the lingering, heady aroma from the wood-fired oven outside her iconic Bay Area restaurant. Her book, The Zuni Café Cookbook, published in 2002 by W. W. Norton, occupied a prideful place near the entrance. Above it was a framed photo of Judy, hair tied up, smiling in her chef’s whites as if she were watching, insisting that  diners and even we as workers      deserve the best. After their first month, every new cook would receive a copy of the book from the chef de cuisine, and it immediately became a bible-like resource for me. Since opening in 197...
A Baked Pasta With Major Spanakopita Vibes
Food & Nutrition

A Baked Pasta With Major Spanakopita Vibes

Baked pasta is one of my favorite dishes. Or, rather, baked pasta is one of my favorite ways to consume cheese, therefore making it one of my favorite dishes. There’s something inherently nostalgic, joyful even, about pasta bakes—the cheesiness, the crispy edges, the oddly satisfying squelching sound of the sauce being stirred into the pasta. While macaroni and cheese is probably the most beloved iteration, pasta bakes come in many forms. My take on baked pasta pairs hearty winter vegetables like cauliflower and kale with a creamy sauce and a very generous topping of feta cheese for spanakopita vibes. It has all the richness of my favorite macaroni and cheese—only lighter, brighter, and a little bit greener. It may be hard to imagine that vegeta...
AGENTS OF CHANGE
Lifestyle & Arts

AGENTS OF CHANGE

Screen + Sound + Stage Text by Ranjabati Das. Photography by Ali Monis Naqvi. Art Direction and Styling by Akanksha Pandey. Hair and Make-Up by Seerath Sheikh Kabir; assisted by Dixita Dhargalkar. 1. On Vibhav Sawant (Oberon): net dress and ball, from Savio Jon.2. On Shreya Mukund Prabhu (Hermia): dome body dress, from Quod; bandhni scarf, from Savio Jon.3. On Prajakta Kavlekar (Titania): top with box pleats, from Fool Dost; front-zipped black skirt, from Margn; red handloom scarf (tucked into the skirt), from Sirohi; green yoga gear (used as sash), stylist’s own.4. On Keatan Jadhav (Demitrius): front knot shirt, from WIP Clothing; carved wooden face, from Savio Jon.5. Mandar Jog (Puck)6. On Shiv Pranav Damodar Alavani (Nick Bottom)...
Salmon the Fish and Why It Is So Good to Cook
Food & Nutrition

Salmon the Fish and Why It Is So Good to Cook

Coho Salmon Why Salmon Is So Popular For Cooking I'm don't think I'm going out on a limb when I say salmon is one of the most popular fish for cooking. On my site, I have detailed instructions on how to cook salmon including grilling, roasting, poaching, pan frying and more but I thought it would be fun to look at salmon, the fish. Salmon is a type of fish that is commonly found in the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, as well as in many rivers and streams around the world. It is a popular food source for both humans and other animals, and it is also widely used in aquaculture. Salmon is a versatile fish that can be cooked in a variety of ways, making it a favorite of many chefs and home cooks. There are several species of salmon, including Atlantic salmon, Chinook sal...
Ayo Balogun’s Nigerian Dinner Party Upload
Food & Nutrition

Ayo Balogun’s Nigerian Dinner Party Upload

Ayo Balogun loves dinner parties, so much so that he throws them several times per week—and he does it for complete strangers. You’d be understandably mistaken if you thought the venue where he hosts these parties was his living room, the walls of which are crammed with oversize photos of his parents, his uncle, and other family members. It’s actually his Brooklyn restaurant, Dept of Culture, a 15-seat, single-room space that consists of a giant communal table and a kitchen near the intersection of Nostrand Avenue and Quincy Street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. Chef Balogun, a native of Kwara, Nigeria, opened Dept of Culture in January 2022, and it’s had a consistent and profound presence in the NYC dining scene ever since, earning a J...
Beef Enchiladas
Food & Nutrition

Beef Enchiladas

Beef Published: September 24, 2023   |   Updated: September 22, 2023   |   Comment This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more details. This easy ground beef enchiladas recipe takes simple ingredients and transforms them into delicious enchiladas smothered in sauce and cheese. It’s great for family weeknight dinners served with your favorite toppings. Beef enchiladas is a Tex-Mex inspired recipe made with taco-seasoned ground beef, onions, garlic, and green chiles as a tasty and flavor-packed filling. Pick your favorite kind of tortillas, arrange them in a casserole dish and smother them generously with enchilada sauce and a Mexican cheese blend. Bake until they are warm and toasty and all that cheese has melted. Then...
What Makes a Good Vending Machine?
Food & Nutrition

What Makes a Good Vending Machine?

Lately I’ve been spending time on Vending Machine TikTok. It’s a soothing, optimistic place where small-business owners rule the land and glinting, aluminum-packaged cheese snacks are omnipresent. In the videos, which regularly rack up millions of views, vending machine owners unlock their machines and count up their dollars, coins, and card-reader funds, tallying everything to a grand total and giving us a peek behind the clear glass curtain. The amounts of money earned in the TikToks are vastly different: sometimes $4 in four days, sometimes $288.76 in 20 days. Sometimes operators don’t check the machine for a while and unnoticed malfunctions lead to months of disuse. Even though I am 31—which is 85 in TikTok years—I got a little obsessed with...
Anchovies Pack a Punch of Flavor
Food & Nutrition

Anchovies Pack a Punch of Flavor

Tin of Anchovies What Are Anchovies? Anchovies, small, silvery fish that pack a punch of flavor, have a storied history in the culinary world. These tiny, oily fish belong to the Engraulidae family and are found in temperate waters around the globe. Despite their diminutive size, anchovies have left an indelible mark on various cuisines, adding a distinctive and intense taste to a wide array of dishes. What Do Anchovies Taste Like? Anchovies are renowned for their distinctive and intense flavor. The taste of anchovies is characterized by a combination of saltiness, umami, and a slightly fishy and briny profile. The saltiness comes from the curing process, during which anchovies are typically preserved in salt. This process not only helps in preservation but also enhan...
All About Soup
Food & Nutrition

All About Soup

Everything You Need to Know About Soup Soup is a warm and comforting dish that has been a staple in many cultures and cuisines for centuries. At its most basic level, soup is a liquid dish made by simmering vegetables, meat, or other ingredients in a broth or water. However, the possibilities for soup are endless, and it can be made in countless variations to suit any taste preference. One of the great things about soup is its versatility. It can be a simple, nourishing meal or paired with bread, crackers, or other accompaniments to create a more substantial meal. Soup can be served hot or cold, depending on the recipe and the season, and it can be adapted to suit a wide range of dietary needs and restrictions. There are many different types of soup, each with its unique fla...