Food & Wine November 2021

NV CHARLES HEIDSIECK BRUT RÉSERVE ($69) I recently tested out, again, how well Champagne pairs with caviar, thanks to an excellent new producer, Haute Caviar (hautecaviarcompany.com). So, how well? Let’s see: very, very well. Especially when the Champagne is as good as Heidsieck’s layered, toasty Brut Réserve. 2019 CASTELLO DI MONSANTO FABRIZIO BIANCHI CHARDONNAY ($30) On my first international trip in a long while, I headed to Chianti Classico. There, at Castello di Monsanto, proprietor Laura Bianchi poured me a surprise—her new (to the U.S.) and sublime Chardonnay, a bright, complex white perfect for fall dinners. 2018 STEFANO AMERIGHI CORTONA SYRAH ($35) In Rome, I had dinner with Federico De Cesare Viola, the editor of F&W’s Italian edition, who introduced me to this darkly intense Syrah from Tuscany. It was fantastic with a bowl of…

Come Together HOW DO YOU make sense of a world stranger than fiction? The best way I know is to turn off the news and turn on the stove. To cook something good. Recently, I had the pleasure of cooking a feast for the educators, administrators, and farmers of Jones Valley Teaching Farm, a not-for-profit organization based in Birmingham, Alabama. The meal celebrated the opening of JVTF’s Center for Food Education, a dynamic new campus with classrooms, a teaching kitchen, and a working farm, and as I filled a long table with food I’d made with ingredients grown right there, I forgot my worries. I cooked something good and filled my heart up in return. I’ve been involved with Jones Valley for nine years, half of them as a board member. With seven…

COASTAL COOL BLUE HUES AND NATURAL TEXTURES OFFER THE TABLE A BREEZY, BEACHY FEEL. WARM EMBRACE DUSKY PINKS AND EARTHY TONES EMPHASIZE THE WARMTH OF A HOLIDAY GATHERING. GARDEN PARTY EMBRACE THE WHIMSY OF THE NATURAL WORLD WITH THESE LEAFY ACCENTS AND TROPICAL PRINTS. SWEET AS PIE SOME OF THE BEST APPLIANCES FOR DESSERT-MAKING ADD THEIR OWN DOSES OF SWEETNESS THROUGH PINK AND BRIGHT CHERRY HUES. 1. SMEG HAND BLENDER Smeg has some of the most aesthetically pleasing retro appliances that don’t sacrifice quality—and this hand blender is no exception. With a twist and lock feature, it’s the perfect hack for whipping cream quickly for Thanksgiving pies. ($130, surlatable.com) 2. KITCHENAID CORDLESS HAND MIXER This hand mixer may be small, but it is mighty. With seven speeds, its beaters can handle consistencies from heavy batter to egg whites and can make…

AS SOMEONE WHOSE STRESS LEVELS already idle somewhere between making several to-do lists on any given day and experiencing the occasional anxiety dream about, say, using salt instead of sugar, the holidays don’t exactly bring out the best in me. While I’ve dabbled in all manner of anxiety-easing products over the years, I’ve yet to find anything that rivals Rose Los Angeles’ CBD Turkish delights. These colorful, delightfully chewy powdered cubes are infused with CBD, a chemical compound derived from the cannabis plant that can’t get you high (like THC) but is often used to relieve both the physical and mental symptoms of tension, depression, and stress. Plus, they’re beautiful enough to make any Narnia devotee swoon. When Nathan Cozzolino and Scott Barry launched Rose Los Angeles in 2018, CBD was…

SALT-ROASTED TURKEY BREAST MY LOVE FOR SALT was kindled at a young age. I spent summers with my grandfather in the Florida Panhandle, fishing and swimming in the bay behind his house. My favorite thing to do was to dive as far down as possible and fill my mouth with the cold, briny water; I’d hold my breath as long as I could before shooting to the surface. I’d float for a minute, my taste buds tingling, before taking a deep breath and doing it all over again. As a chef, I treasure those Florida summers as the first moments I began to fall in love with food and, most profoundly, with salt. Arguably the most versatile ingredient in any pantry, salt has capabilities far beyond seasoning. This recipe for Salt-Roasted Turkey…

DIWALI, ONE OF the biggest festivals of the Hindu calendar year, celebrates the victory of good over evil and light over darkness. Over five days, we light many small oil lamps called diyas as we celebrate and worship the goddess Lakshmi, asking her to bring us good fortune and blessings in the new year. Food is a very important part of Diwali. Everyone makes sweets and snacks, and we visit each other’s homes, sharing food and drink with family and friends. I grew up in Mumbai, but my family is originally from Rajasthan. At home, we cooked mostly Rajasthani food, but we had many neighbors and friends who were Maharashtrian, Gujarati, and Punjabi, so I learned to cook from all of them. One of my favorite snacks to make and share during…