PlateItMAGAZINE

FOOD CULTURE CURATIONSpring 2014

Found FacesHuman Phenomena/The Exploratorium

8 IN THE KITCHEN

Chef Harold Dieterle takes us behind the burner at The Marrow, sharing an easy recipe that’s ripe and ready for Spring, as well as a few intimate surprises about himself.

“I love a good hug. Gotta be with both paws though. Don’t try and hug me with one arm.”

17 THE INTERVIEW

The original champion of creative greens, Dirt Candy’s Amanda Cohen explains the business of vegetable cuisine.

“You go to a vegetarian restaurant because it really fits in with how you view the world. Whereas for us, we really just like vegetables. I don’t care what you ate for breakfast...”

25 EAT ME

Where are we eating now?Wallflower, Uncle Boons, Flour + Water, and Cava.

“A tall porous crisp envelops deep pink tartare; raw beef collapses haphazardly on to an encircling wash of white horseradish cream...scoop gently!”

SPRING /The Fling Issue

4 Editor’s Letter 5 The Sauce 6 Drink Me 8 In The Kitchen11 Home Ec-ular Gastronomy 16 The Centerfold17 The Interview25 Eat Me 31 Read Me33 Around The Web

CONTACT US:

PlateItMag.com Facebook.com/PlateIt @PlateItMag

4 | Spring 2014

So who are we really? We are lusty gluttons with a lifetime membership to the clean plate club. We live to eat, so if our 401K’s look lean, it’s because we consume too much food and booze in general, and wholeheartedly plan to do it over and over again (our intestines are chock full of salary byproduct).

We’ve never met a pork product we didn’t fall hard for. We don’t ask for “dressing on the side,” and we are never embarrassed to take home leftovers (um, what else do you eat the morning after?).

We hope that the more you get to know us, the more you’ll love us. Here’s a cheat sheet so that you get to know us sooner, rather than later.

LOVE IT:Rachel – hot dogs Lesley – cheeseHATE IT: Rachel – chicken liver Lesley – green beansALCHOLIC ACHILLES HEEL: Rachel – Tito’s Vodka Lesley – It’s always the damn tequilaFAVORITE CONDIMENT: Rachel – Sir Kensington’s KetchupLesley – Horseradish, from Gold’s kosher white to wasabiFAVORITE KITCHEN TOOL: Rachel – a sharp knife, it does everything! Lesley – my butane torch, it burns everything!FAVORITE VEGGIE FRIENDLY RESTAURANT:Rachel – abc kitchen, balaboosta, colonie, narcissa (nyc)Lesley – blue hill, dirt candy, Kajitsu (nyc); vedge (philly)THE GREENS WE GET BEHIND: Rachel – brussels sprouts, kale, okraLesley – artichokes, arugula, leeks, sugar snap peas

We are less than thrilled to report that the human body does not thrive on animal fat alone. The bacon diet will not help you to feel better in the long run (not that we would dare mock the validity of an extremely tasty bacon diet, maybe once in a while?). You know what will keep your heart pumping blood through those arteries with gusto? Kale!

Yes, it’s tragic news. We want to eat our burgers with fries, not a side of broccoli, but we would be irresponsible food journalists to not reinforce the body ideal; a balance of grains, veggies, fruits and proteins.

Thus, we present our ‘Spring Fling’ with vegetables, otherwise known as the meat eater’s guide to living longer. We will avoid using the overworked words “farm to table” at all in this issue (and forevermore, if possible), instead we want to direct you towards “produce-driven” menus.

Spring is the perfect time to start experimenting with new recipes using in season starters like artichokes, asparagus, ramps and radishes. From our chemically creative version of a Spring pasta (Primavera with Pea Caviar, page 11) to cookbooks that make ‘meat free’ look interesting (page 31), vegetables are now taking over the dance floor.

Restaurants like Blue Hill, Dirt Candy (insight from vegetable samurai, Amanda Cohen, page 17), Manresa and Vedge have created a vegetable revolution. Jean-Georges Vongerichten will be opening ABC Home Grown, a vegetarian slash vegan version of the already veggie friendly ABC Kitchen. It’s a testament to how far vegetables have come in professional kitchens, and the popular response to these elevated dishes.

We are a small operation running on love, booze, and our last good meal...and you are always welcome at our table!

Lesley ElliottEditor-In-Chief

Rachel WaynbergCreative Director

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THE SAUCE Foodstuffs We FavorThe Sauce? What is the sauce? Well, it’s a lot like love (or cheese) in that it makes whatever exists in nature that is already wonderful even better, eclipsing all other previous notions of tasty.

Everything from horseradish to mayo can serve as a dip or dressing, it’s an easy way to outfit veggies for consumption. Consider it a saucy experiment.

Spark up veggies with this “killer condiment” from ISH, a company that began when Carolyn Sherman convinced her dad that his beet horseradish was

too good to keep a family secret. Hand-crafted in the Hudson Valley, this line has expanded to include other flavors like ginger and garlic ($16), all equally delicious. Nevertheless, our favorite for adding oomph to veggies is

made with freshly squeezed oranges and lemons, with added zest for what they like to call “an explosion of sunshine” in jar-form. Plus, it actually packs more vitamin C than an orange!

A little wine, a little olive oil, and a dollop of ‘The Mustard,’ equals the perfect pour on for everything from asparagus to zucchini. Sono Trading Company claims that the Champagne Garlic ($8) is their “most popular mustard,” and please allow us explain why. It’s sweet, but not too sweet. Tangy, but not overwhelmingly so. The garlic and champagne flavors attack your tongue with gutsy hustle, working

magic together as a thickening base for dressings, or sans manipulation à la sandwich.

Heartbreaking Dawns Mango Habanero Hot Sauce ($6.99) brings a taste of the tropics to any salad or slaw. Another Hudson Valley based business, Johnny and Nicole McLaughlin (a husband and wife team), used to bring their sauces to friend’s BBQ’s until finally realizing that they had a hit on their hands. A peppery fruity adventure, this all natural, gluten free and vegan friendly product has just enough heat to spice things up.

Empire Mayonnaise is whipping together some amazing combinations that make for completely dippable veggies. From creamy dressings to a superfied slaw, flavors like White Truffle, Sriracha, and the unexpected tang of Lime Pickle, offer a great foundation to work with ($6 - $8). This Brooklyn based company uses locally raised cage-free, pasture-raised eggs and the product is totally GMO-free.

6 | Spring 2014

DRINK ME The Ins + Outs of BoozingWe love bartenders for their magical ability to transform the basic experience of drinking into ‘cocktailing,’ so if you are also a boozehound in search of the best, here’s where you’ll find it!

The ShakespeareMidtown, NYCChef Jason Hicks was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, which has given him a fortunate obsession with the traditional British Local. We like his Upper East Side bar, Jones Wood Foundry, which is inviting and has a great “communal room” for private parties. However, the Shakespeare is more of a true love at first sight situation. As soon as we peeked around the corner into the dimly lit, 14th century inspired tavern, we were completely hooked. Fish and chips, a fantasy level juicy burger, shepherd’s pie...bar bites here are pub perfect. what to drink: Most of the beer lists claims England or Scotland as origin, but Belgium, the U.S. and Ireland are all represented. Some big malty stouts and interesting sour red ales make for beer diversity, and everyone from fans of Trappist Ales to simple dry Cider seekers will be able to find a dream pint here. There’s also a nice selection of Scotch Whiskeys by the glass, like the Lagavulin 16 year old Islay Single Malt, and the Oban 14 year old (pronounced, O-bin, FYI).

Trick DogSan Francisco, CAThis low key lovely in the Mission opens at 3 p.m. and be advised, seats fill up fast. Local mixologist wunderkinds The Bon Vivants are leading the charge, their designs serving up a

studied experiment in industrial themed, nonchalant chic. Everything around you has been carefully curated, from the cocktails to the marble stairs, to the custom welded stools...even the eclectic collection of hardware fixtures seems to have a story to tell. Although there is excellent food on offer (Curried Cauliflower Steaks, sous-vide Beef “Tartare,” Scotch Eggs encased in brandade), this is first and foremost, a super cool bar. what to drink: The third interpretive cocktail menu in Trick Dog’s continually rotating selection centers on Astrological signs. Let the horoscope wheel guide you to drinks that capture a springtime vibe, such as the Taurus (with gin, vermouth, carrot, miso and coriander) and the Libra (a frothy concoction of tequila, tangerine, lime, egg white, dill and maccha). Classics also call, a Perfect Manhattan will indeed be perfect. If the bar is three deep, just wave at the ‘tender. He’ll be happy to pass you a menu over everyone’s head.

Amor y AmargoEast Village, NYCThis tiny slip of a bar manages maximum impact with a stellar seasonal cocktail menu that refuses to juice. All drinks offer a creative balancing act of booze on booze, no cranberry on tap here. A love of bitters (amargo =

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2 dashes Bittermens Habanero Shrub4 dashes maraschino liqueur 1/2 ounce Aveze1/2 ounce Yellow Chartreuse3/4 ounce gin3/4 ounce Banks Five Island RumStir, lemon twist

Combine all ingredients into a mixing glass and add ice. Stir to combine and strain with a Julep strainer.

Serve straight up and garnish with a lemon twist.

bitters) fuels the fires of invention, and last year Partner and Beverage Director Sother Teague revamped and added additional retail, further emphasizing the concept of a “bitters tasting room.” They sell the Bittermens line among many others (Bar Keep, Dr. Adams, Mad Fellows, The Bitter End) as well as tools of the trade like jiggers and swizzle sticks. Teague’s philosophy is that of a cocktail professor determined to empower. “Everything we use comes out of a bottle, so anything we make here, you can make at home.” He’s also a talented chef with over twenty years of experience; ask for the secret weekend brunch surprise.what to drink: The new Spring menu focuses more on citrus and herbal flavors, moving away from heavy maple and tobacco scented spirits. We loved the Marty McFly with vermouth, Génépi des Alpes, Amaro Abano, and Bénédictine herbal liqueur, as well as the Bi**as in Paris, a powerful glass of Spring infused cocktail candy. A “house favorite,” the Di Pompelmo is a remarkably well rounded “grapefruity tipple” combining tequila, Aperol, Citron Sauvage and Hopped Grapefruit Bitters. “Bespoke cocktails” can be the drinker’s or dealer’s choice, or you can take flight with a threesome of Fernet or Chartreuse. Get a “Double Buzz” on the weekends with a boost of caffeine and alcohol courtesy of guest baristas who pour cold brew cocktails.

So now we present a drink recipe with swank and swagger. After all, what could be better than a liquid reminder of Paris in the Springtime? N’est ce pas? Cocktail ballers, it’s ON.

Bi**as in Paris

8 | Spring 2014

Harold DieterleThe Marrow, NYC March 27, 2014

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IN THE KITCHEN Behind The Culinary Curtain

What’s the best meal you’ve ever eaten?

A birthday meal from my mom. Start with braised jumbo artichokes, then manicotti, and blueberry pie for dessert.

If you could spend a night working in the kitchen with any chef in the world, who would it be and why?

John Fraser. We act like two kindergarten kids when we cook together. Too silly.

What’s your favorite kitchen gadget/tool?

A citrus juicer.

What’s your favorite cookbook?

Thai Food by David Thompson.

One food you would never eat or never serve?

Raw bell peppers.

What’s something that your

colleagues would be surprised to learn about you?

I love a good hug. Gotta be with both paws though. Don’t try and hug me with one arm.

What’s your favorite travel destination for food?

Thailand.

It’s 3:00 a.m., your post drinking go to snack is...

Ben & Jerry’s Peanut Butter Cup ice cream.

The popularized portrait of a chef doesn’t truly capture the actual turmoil of living with the desire to make a restaurant succeed. Rarely do we get a glimpse of what happens in the kitchen; long days standing in extreme heat, menu and margin planning, purveying, staff training. Before they became recognizable names in the industry, they opened first restaurants, made mistakes, made sacrifices, celebrated success and on occasion, encountered failure.

Harold Dieterle may have achieved fame originally as the first winner of Bravo’s ‘Top Chef’ challenge (way back in 2006), but these days his renown is the result of years spent building an NYC empire. His impressive trio of restaurants each capture a unique side of his culinary persona. Perilla (2007) focuses on seasonality with an ever evolving menu of Modern American dishes that have both Asian and Mediterranean influences. Kin Shop (2010) capitalizes on his love of Thai flavors, incorporating a western mentality into the classics. The Marrow (2012) pays homage to his German and Italian family heritage, presenting a continental view of his kitchen prowess.

He has mastered the art of appealing to locals; it is as if these restaurants have been part of the surrounding neighborhood landscape for eons. Get to know the chef, then get to know his dish.

10 | Spring 2014

2 heads of Hydro-Bibb lettuce4 tablespoons ripe mango, diced 4 tablespoons shaved Manchego Cheese3 tablespoons toasted Marcona almonds 1 shallot, minced 1 cup almond oil1 cup olive oil 1 cup Champagne vinegar 1 tablespoon chive, mincedSalt and pepper

To make the dressing:

In a bowl, whisk together the almond oil, olive oil and Champagne vinegar. Season generously with salt and pepper.

To make the salad:

Carefully cut out the core from each head of lettuce and separate the leaves, discarding any bruised or torn outer leaves. Rinse the leaves with cold water and dry lightly with paper toweling.

In a large bowl, gently add the lettuce, mango, almonds, shallots, and chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Dress the salad with the vinaigrette and gently fold to combine.

Thinly shave the cheese with a vegetable peeler and set aside.

To plate:

Arrange the Bibb lettuce on the bottom of each plate as a base and stack leaves on top. Gently place the remaining ingredients on top of that, adding the shaved Manchego last. Note: At the restaurant, Chef Dieterle finishes this dish with black truffle pecorino, adding a rich, earthy layer that plays nicely against the sweet mango. While Manchego is delicious and readily available in most markets, we highly recommend searching out this robust cheese with fungal flecks for a supercharged salad!

The Marrow’s Bibb Lettuce Salad

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HOME EC-ULAR GASTRONOMY

Spring Fling EditionMolecular Gastronomy. It looks harder than it is. It sounds even harder than it looks.

Although it may seem tricky to navigate, the chemical revolution is upon us, and some very famous chefs are doing very interesting things with stuff you’ve never heard of before. Turns out that the shifting of one substance into something else entirely, at the molecular level, isn’t really as complicated as you may think. It’s about precise measurements, having the right kitchen equipment, and an abundance of imagination.

Get yourself a kitchen scale that measures out the tiniest gram of powder; buy or hack master a sous vide machine; you’ll need an immersion blender; a smoking gun; a dehydrator; a butane torch; a couple of large plastic syringes; you’ll also have to work with unfamiliar cooking ingredients like meat glue and methyl cellulose (all easily procurable on line).

The ultimate goal is to combine everything you already know about cooking and infuse it with a twenty first century, culinary manifest destiny. Seek out what’s new and expand your kitchen horizons.

Endgame = you’ll be the Walter White of food.

New York restaurant Le Cirque first made Pasta Primavera popular, although rumor has it that the chef was so disappointed about the customer demand for this overtly simplistic dish, that he had a burner set up in the hallway....he wouldn’t allow it in his kitchen. We, however, hail it as an Italian-American icon that illustrates the spirit of invention!

EQUIPMENT REQUIRED: blender + immersion hand blender + digital kitchen scale + fine mesh strainer + silicon half-sphere mold + slotted spoon or mini-sieve + plastic syringe with standard cone tip + plastic syringe with small head for attachable tubing + 4 plastic tubes

Note: Measurements below are listed in metric units when necessary and in the Americanized standard system whenever possible. We want to avoid a hostile takeover of your cooking comfort zone.

12 | Spring 2014

(makes 4 servings)

For the Tomato Spheres:3/4 lb. tomatoes4 grams food grade calcium lactate gluconate 1 silicon half-sphere mold (ideally each half-sphere should be approximately 0.3 ounces in volume)1 cutting board that is slightly larger than the entire half-sphere mold

Cut the tomatoes into quarters. Remove and discard as much of the seeds as you can easily scoop out with your fingers or a spoon.

Place the seeded tomato quarters in a blender and process until fully liquid, approximately 3 minutes.

Strain the tomato juice through a fine sieve, discarding any solids after each pour. You should end up with 200 ml of tomato puree.

Add the calcium lactate gluconate to the tomato juice and mix with an immersion blender until fully combined.

First take the cutting board and be sure you have cleared space in your freezer so that the board can rest flat with the half-sphere mold on top of it. Line the cutting board with paper towels and place the half-sphere mold on top. Using a small spoon, fill each of the half-spheres with the tomato juice solution.

Carefully take the cutting board with the half-sphere mold on top and place it in the freezer for at least 3 hours.

For the Sodium Alignate Bath:

4 cups filtered, cold water4.5 grams sodium alginate1 microwave safe bowl

Combine the water and sodium alginate in the bowl and mix with an immersion blender until fully combined.

Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours. This will allow any air bubbles to dissipate.

Note: You’ll need to prepare the Tomato spheres and a sodium alginate bath 24 hours in advance of the time you wish to make the final dish.

Creating the Spheres:

Frozen tomato half-spheresSodium alginate bathWarm water bathSlotted spoon or mini-sieve

Remove the sodium alginate bath from the refrigerator and place in the microwave or 6 minutes so the temperature of the bath rises to 125-150 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fill a bowl with hot water from the tap and place next to the sodium alginate bath.

Begin by first testing the sphere creation process one at a time until

PASTA PRIMAVERA

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you get it right. Carefully remove one frozen sphere from the silicon mold and place gently in the sodium alginate bath. Be sure that the curved side of the sphere remains facing upwards (if not use a spoon or your fingers to gently reposition).

Leave in the sodium alginate bath for two minutes, then use a slotted spoon or mini-sieve to gently lift the sphere and place it in the warm water bath for a few moments.

Once you can remove the spheres

with a spoon without any loss of any outer skin integrity, you can create spheres in groups of 4 at a time for each plate.

Leave the individual spheres floating in the warm water bath until you are ready to plate them on the final dish. You’ll want to work quickly as the water will degrade the outer skin of the sphere.

For the Zucchini Noodles:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil1 celery rib, peeled and diced1 large garlic clove, peeled and smashed1/2 medium onion, diced1 bay leaf1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves1 1/2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves3/4 pound zucchini, cut into 1/2inch pieces3 cups low-sodium chicken stock 1 cup water

14 | Spring 2014

In a large Dutch oven or saucepan, melt the butter and the olive oil. Add the celery, garlic, onion, bay leaf, parsley and basil and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 10 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium. Stir in the zucchini and add the stock and water to cover. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until the zucchini is soft, about 15-20 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.

Carefully pour the zucchini liquid into a blender and mix on high until smooth and frothy. Add salt and pepper according to your personal taste.

Creating the Noodles:

4 cups zucchini basil mixture16 grams agar agarCold water bath

It is easiest and more effective to create the noodles in batches using 1 cup of the zucchini basil mixture at a time.

Place 1 cup of the zucchini basil mixture in a small saucepan combined with 4 grams of the agar agar. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a silicon spatula or whisk. Once the mixture boils, remove from the heat.

Attach a tube to the syringe and remove the syringe plunger. Using a spoon, carefully fill the syringe about 3/4 full of the zucchini mixture. Reinsert the syringe plunger and gently fill the tube with the mixture by slowly pushing down the syringe plunger with even pressure. Try and avoid any air gaps within the tube, as this will break the noodle into smaller pieces.

Once the tube is full, remove it from the syringe and submerge in the cold water bath. Repeat the fill process with the remaining three tubes. Leave the tubes in the cold water for two minutes.

If there is any zucchini mixture left in the syringe, extrude it back into the saucepan.

Prepare the syringe by pulling the plunger all the way back. Remove one of

the tubes from the cold-water bath and dry it quickly with a paper towel. Attach one end of the tube to the syringe. Prepare the plate on which you will serve the ‘Primavera.’

Slowly press the plunger down to extrude the noodle. You want to apply an even pressure to be sure that the noodle doesn’t break apart. As the noodle begins to extrude, you can carefully move the open end of the tube around above the plate to create an aesthetically pleasant plating effect. At a certain point, the pressure you have placed on the plunger will be sufficient and you will see the noodle moving on its own. Refrain from placing additional pressure at this point unless the noodle stops moving.

Remove the tube, pull the plunger of the syringe back into starting position and repeat the extrusion process with the remaining three tubes.

Once this is complete, you can repeat the process with any remaining zucchini mixture in the

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saucepan. Each cup of zucchini mixture should be enough to create 4-6 individual noodles.

Once you have created all the noodles from one cup of mixture, wipe out the saucepan and begin the process again from the beginning.

For the PeaCaviar:

100 grams shelled sugar snap peas125 grams water

Place the peas in a blender. Heat the water in a small saucepan. As soon as the water boils, remove from the heat and pour into the blender. Mix for four minutes.

Strain the pea juice through a fine sieve, discarding any solids after each pour.

For the Sodium Alignate Solution:325 grams filtered water3 grams sodium alginate

Combine the filtered water and sodium alginate and mix with an immersion blender until fully combined.

Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours. This will allow any air bubbles to dissipate.

Note: You’ll need to prepare the sodium alginate solution 24 hours in advance of the time you wish to make the final dish.

For the Calcium Chloride Bath:

2 cups water2.5 grams calcium chloride

Combine the water and calcium chloride in a deep, non-reactive bowl and mix with an immersion blender until fully combined.

Creating the Caviar:6 grams pea juice6 grams dry vermouth6 grams sodium alginate solutionCalcium chloride bathWater bath

Combine the pea juice and vermouth in a small bowl. Add

the sodium alginate solution and mix gently with a spoon until the texture is thick and slightly gelatinous. Use the back of the spoon to smooth out any visible air bubbles.

Fill an injection needle and slowly drop the solution into the calcium chloride bath from a height of 3-5 inches.

Let the caviar sit for about 1-2 minutes, then lift it out gently with a slotted spoon or fine sieve and place into a water bath to rinse.

To assemble final dish:Begin by making the zucchini noodles, then move on to the tomato spheres. Lastly, make the peas and then construct the dish as you would a plate of pasta. Sprinkle black pepper on top of the tomato spheres and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

16 | Spring 2014

THE CENTERFOLD you know you want a piece

The Brussels Sprout Taco at Empellón Cocina is everybody’s “type;” even those who are usually overwhelmingly attracted to carnitas will find this pretty dish to be delicious.

Rounded mounds of baby sprouts remain firm on the inside yet give way easily, falling to pieces in your mouth. The vegetal aroma of charred leaves brings a smoky lingering layer that coats your tongue. A thick yet smooth as can be paste of almond mole is drizzled both over and under these little green gems, an abundant nuttiness melding with the veggies. They add a smattering of queso fresco for a salty, milky synthesis, while a soft tortilla hugs and holds it all together, keeping the heart of this taco warm and moist. Do those sprouts looked sunburned? Nope, they are just too hot to handle!

Us: What are your biggest turn ons?

The Centerfold: “Smoked Cashew Salsa, crema, siracha, a gentle squeeze of lime. And a classic marg, of course.”

Us: What are your biggest turns offs?

The Centerfold: “Fruit juicy salsas, they are smothering and make my leaves soggy.”

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When you land on Dirt Candy’s home page, the invisible voice of Chef Amanda Cohen advises, “anyone can cook a hamburger, leave the vegetables to the professionals.” She’s made good on that statement creating a new opportunity within the industry, welcome to the age of the vegetarian restaurant with mass appeal. In addition to waving a magic veggie wand, she’s a media darling whose witty commentary has covered everything from women in the kitchen to the perils of chef fetishism, earning her a loyal fan base (she recently started writing a mouthpiece column for Eater, entitled, “Dispatches From Dirt Candy”).

This personality heft is woven throughout her cookbook, which is more cartoon and less serious cooking bible, and if you haven’t read it, you should, because there is no better way to get to know her. She is now moving the currently miniscule Dirt Candy into a larger space that will push her dreams of vegetable stardom forward. How did this story of vegetarian domination begin? Read on. Then, turn the page for a recipe that takes springtime fresh asparagus to the next level.

You’ve often described your restaurant not as vegetarian, but as a place for people who eat vegetables, what makes the difference?

It’s a fine line, the difference. We are not a ‘lifestyle’ restaurant, which is what I think a lot of vegetarian restaurants are. I think there’s a place for that, where it’s a little bit more about politics and the environment and your health. You go to a vegetarian restaurant because it really fits in with how you view the world. Whereas for us, we really just like vegetables. I don’t care what you ate for breakfast and I don’t care what you are going to eat for dinner tomorrow night. At that moment, I just want you to eat and hopefully love my vegetables.

When do you think the trend shifted so drastically in support of vegetable focused restaurants?

I kind of think it happened when we opened. Before that

there were no restaurants dedicated to vegetables in the United States. In general, most restaurants were dedicated to fish or chicken, really dedicated to protein. We were the first restaurant to come out and say ‘look, we are a vegetable restaurant.’ I think after seeing our initial success, other restaurants thought ‘oh, there really is a need for this,’ and they started getting more creative with their vegetable options.

So as you say, there were really no restaurants like

THE INTERVIEW Peeling the Onion

18 | Spring 2014

Dirt Candy around when you opened in 2008. You didn’t begin your career as a vegetarian chef, were you concerned about opening a restaurant with such a singular focus?

Absolutely, it was terrifying. But you know, opening a restaurant is terrifying period,

so it kind of didn’t matter. It’s one of the reasons we started off with a really small restaurant. We wanted to make

sure that if nobody appreciated

what we were doing, we’d still be able to survive. We had no

idea what the reception would be. It really was sort of touch and go at the beginning, with lots of ‘scares.’ We were really

worried that this wasn’t going to be a ‘thing,’ but in the end we were very lucky.

Do you remember a specific time

when you thought the tides had turned and you knew you were going to be successful, get people in, tables filled?

I’m not sure if restaurants ever don’t worry. It’s touch and go every single day. For most restaurants, when you open, you have a lot of money due right at the beginning. And it’s expensive. You know there are going to be unforeseen costs and things you didn’t expect. You get your first payroll bill and you’re like ‘oh my god, I have to pay so many taxes.’ Even though you know that

upfront, it’s hard. So there are all these moments when you’re opening where it just feels like the money is pouring out of you, and you’re not making enough. Within the first six months we finally felt that we were starting to do okay. We weren’t making a lot of money, but at least we weren’t losing money any more. About four months into it, that was in January, which is traditionally a really bad month for restaurants, we were actually full. January was our best month. And then the same with February. So, we could take a pause and judge and say ‘I think we’re going to make it for at least the next couple of months.’

You celebrated Dirt Candy’s fifth anniversary last year, can you tell us a little about the evolution of the restaurant from opening day to the present concept?

I think we really found our personality in the last couple years. When we opened we knew we were going to be focused on vegetables, but we didn’t know how much. I wasn’t sure it was going to be our defining trait. So each dish on the menu is based on a vegetable.

That’s not how it actually was when we first opened. We had a name and there was a vegetable associated with it, but it wasn’t single vegetable focused. Within a couple of months, we thought ‘oh these dishes that are sort of uni-vegetable are the ones that people are really gravitating towards.’ So our focus shifted with that, and we kept building on it. We’ve become a lot more experimental and also a lot more comfortable with our experimentation. When I first started putting new dishes on the menu it would take me six months, and we would test each one of them night after night to try and gauge the customer reaction to them. Now, I feel like there’s so much trust between us, the cooks, and the customers, that they are a lot more willing to try our more experimental dishes. I think they actually like them more than they would have if we had put them on at the

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beginning. We get to have a lot more fun.

How does a dish go from inspiration, to execution, to making the cut and appearing on your menu?

It starts either with an idea for a dish that I want to redo with the vegetable, or it starts with a vegetable that I haven’t used in a while, or maybe never used, and try to figure out a way to get it on the menu. Jumping off from that point, we throw out a ton of ideas and try and figure out how we can fix this, how we can make this work. By now we’ve gone through a ton of vegetables, so we have basically an internal database of what each vegetable can do and what flavors we can pull out of it. We don’t have to start from scratch any more. When we were first doing a carrot dish and thought ‘what would happen if we roasted a carrot for six hours,’ well now we already have all that information, so it’s a little faster process. So we take what we know about the vegetable and we start playing with it. We put the dish together. Whatever I thought it was going to be in my imagination we get it on the plate, and then we all look at it and say ‘ugh, that’s awful!’ Then we go back to the drawing board. What we mostly do at that point is take

things off. It’s like a woman with her jewelry, always take off one piece. We’re always refining the dish over and over until it’s very focused.

Can you tell us about a specific recipe that went from ‘eh’ to ‘OMG?’

The best example of that would be I had wanted to do a dish with broccoli. I had this iconic cauliflower and waffles dish that had been on the menu for two years, which is really longer than I ever want to leave a dish on the menu. So I needed a vegetable that could really stand up to cauliflower, one that had as many different textures and flavors and a lot of fun things we could do with it. Broccoli seemed like the best bet. I had this idea that I wanted to do of like a barbecued broccoli plate. We’d make the broccoli look like ribs and serve it with a barbecue sauce, and we’d have broccoli Parker House rolls to go along with it. So I took a long time testing this dish, and it just wasn’t coming together. We’d look at it on the plate and think ‘it’s not disgusting – but it’s nowhere near delicious.’ Somehow the broccoli stalk

ended up in the broccoli bun. We looked at it and thought ‘oh that’s the dish we’re trying to get to.’ So that’s how our broccoli dog sort of came about. Then we realized we could pare it down and make something exciting. There were five different barbecue sauces on the plate, and I thought we probably just need one now. One mustard sauce that goes so well, as mustard is a good pairing with broccoli. These things tend to come together on their own. ‘I think we can add broccoli sauerkraut and get some fermented flavors into this. And we have the bun, and instead of doing super popular kale chips that you see everywhere now, we can do that with broccoli rabe leaves.’ We dehydrate broccoli rabe leaves and we put salt and vinegar powder on them. The whole process comes together like that. And it tends to make sense as we get more and more into the dish. It almost makes itself.

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Let’s talk about Dirt Candy, ‘the cookbook.’ What made you decide to release a graphic novel as opposed to a straightforward, traditional cookbook?

You know related to your earlier question, when we were defining ourselves as a vegetable restaurant we also defined ourselves as a restaurant that had a personality. We weren’t anonymous. We had our blog and people sort of knew our voice before they even came in to eat. I think we kind of got this label of being a fun and very energetic restaurant. It was partially to do with the blog and partially to do with the set up of the restaurant. It’s so tiny so you get to know your serving staff, and due to the size and open kitchen you get to know the kitchen staff, and you get to know the people you sit next to. It becomes sort of a joyous dining experience. When we were approached about doing a cookbook, one of the things that I kept insisting upon was that it had to represent the restaurant. I didn’t want it just to be vegetarian cooking 101 for everybody. There are lots of great books out there that already do that. It had to be something that really brought the cookbook to life. As we kept talking and trying to figure this out, the idea popped into our heads of doing a

graphic novel. It actually came out of a fight where somebody said ‘well you should just do a graphic novel cookbook.’ We all stopped what we were doing and were like ‘oh, that’s actually perfect.’ It’s like the world stopped for a second and we could all picture what this would look like. Nobody had ever done it before. Also it’s a really exciting way to capture the energy of the restaurant and make what we wanted to do possible, to put our restaurant recipes into cookbook form, which is rare. By doing it with the visuals it would become more accessible, and we could put so much more information on one page than you would normally get in a traditional cookbook.

In your cookbook, the five year old inner child of Amanda Cohen admittedly hated veggies, what do you want to tell vegetable naysayers?

You have to give vegetables a chance again. I’m not always

sure kids are programmed to like vegetables. For adults it’s always worth revisiting a vegetable. The thing is, you probably didn’t have it cooked the way you would like. If you’re of a certain age, your poor mom was probably cooking for say five kids, and boiling Brussels sprouts for an hour. That is not delicious. There are ways to make Brussels sprouts delicious. So it is worth revisiting something that you haven’t eaten for years.

You are about to upgrade to a newer, more powerful Dirt Candy, what lessons have you learned about food and dining since opening your first restaurant?

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Something I didn’t really take into consideration was the customer experience. That’s something I’ve learned a lot about. I’ve started dealing with customers and what customers want. For example we deal with the temperature. We have to make sure the new dining room is really comfortable for everyone in every single seat. If you’re sitting next to the window in the winter it gets really cold. In the new place it has these huge, gorgeous windows, but those are going to become the least desirable place to sit when it gets cold. Things that I never thought about in the first restaurant are now priorities, like radiant heat. I need to figure out a way to get double doors in here so it’s not friggin’ cold when the doors open. And I have this open kitchen, how am I going to be able to cool the whole dining room down with this open kitchen? That’s really where money is going to. In the old place my perspective was something like ‘I need a really pretty kitchen.’ After spending five years in the front of house and back of house, you start to absorb and figure out what works and what doesn’t work.

Can you give us some more details on the bigger and badder version of Dirt Candy?

That’s exactly it. It’s going

to be bigger and badder and even more fun. We’re going to have a really big kitchen, so we’ll be able to do so much more. One of the problems with the original Dirt Candy is that it’s so small. We can’t get new dishes on fast enough, there’s just not enough space. With the new restaurant we get to have more equipment, more fridges, a walk-in and a bigger staff. All that allows everybody on the kitchen side to be able to relax and grow some. For the diners, the biggest complaint that we get is that it’s too small and you’re sitting on top of your neighbor. So, here we give everyone a wide area around the tables. It’s going to be a lot more comfortable. The original always felt like a ‘starter’ restaurant and hopefully we are now growing into an adult restaurant. I want people to be able to come and sit for a couple of hours and enjoy themselves.

When do you anticipate opening?

Hopefully in the late Fall.

Any clues on what will happen to the current space?

Not sure yet – it might be a wine bar. We’re still trying to figure it out, we want to see how we manage running two spaces at the same time. My

personal thing is I’d like to open a discotheque, but since it’s only 300 square feet, not so sure that will work.

Where do you like to eat on the rare night out?

I like to try the new places and see what’s happening in the food world. We had dinner at Piora in the West Village and it was amazing. We had an incredible meal at Uncle Boons, whatever is new I try to get to. I wish I had the time to go back to restaurants. I’m jealous of my customers that come to Dirt Candy and are regulars. That seems like it would be so much fun to do.

Given the trend of people drinking their vegetables and juice dieting, smoothies: a blend of miracle proportions of the dumbing down of vegetables?

I think it is giving vegetables a bad name. Maybe not so much dumbing them down, but I feel like when we use vegetables as ‘medicines’ or with all those cleanses, it takes away from the glory they can be as a meal. It becomes a little dangerous. If you want people to eat vegetables, you can’t speak to them only as a ‘cleanse’ or ‘medicine’ or something you do to make yourself healthy. Hopefully they want to eat vegetables because they’re delicious.

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Adapted and reprinted from the book DIRT CANDY. Copyright © 2012 by Amanda Cohen. Artwork copyright © 2012 by Ryan Dunlavey. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House LLC.

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EAT ME The Ins + Outs of Consumption

We eat out quite a lot, with both fervor and intent. And our plan is cover anything and everything worthy, from sea to shining sea. We will be leaning towards cover-age of the NYC dining scene, both because this where we are based, and because we feel the big city sets the pace for the rest of the country. That said, if there is a fantastic restaurant in the middle of nowhere that you need to know about, we will write about it.

New restaurants, old favorites...whatever is on our plate will hopefully come to be on your future eating agenda. Here’s where we’re eating!

WallflowerWest Village, NYCA quiet opening for this fantastic yet unassuming new restaurant makes sense, the ideal embodiment of a wallflower (except this time, take notice). Upon entering, you will be greeted by a framed view of the small yet well appointed kitchen, and if you arrive early enough, snag a seat at the bar to witness the action. A collaboration between a bartender with cocktail chops, Xavier Herit (Daniel, Experimental Cocktail Club) and a chef who has returned to the loving restaurant arms of Manhattan after a Brooklyn based gig (Maison Premiere), this spot serves drinks worthy of the most discerning booze geek, and plates some truly gorgeous French seasonal fare. It’s dimly lit, with white washed exposed brick walls and bright orange banquettes. Tin ceiling tiles suffuse an overall golden glow. If cozy met gluttony and they went on a date, it would be here.

what to eat: Pace yourself. There are many attractions on the menu, so start with a drink and organize a game plan. Cocktailing should come first; you can then move on to the well edited, primarily French list of reds and whites. We experienced a childlike glee when drinking the complicated Sho Sho, which summons the soul of a rootbeer float despite

YELLOWTAIL CRUDO

the strange ingredient line up including

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Akanone Carrot Shochu, sherry, lime juice, carrot ginger syrup, and of course, Virgil’s Root

Beer. The Shush, with pineapple, strawberry syrup and chipolte pepper infused vodka makes for a too easy to drink punch, while the John Doe, with Rittenhouse 100 Rye Whiskey and

THE SHO SHO

green chartreuse, is great for lengthy sipping. Starters are easy on the eyes, the refined Yellowtail Crudo makes a Mediterranean match with Moroccan spiced cauliflower. Meyer lemon adds brightness and ramps up the spice. A tall porous crisp envelops deep pink tartare; raw beef collapses haphazardly

RICOTTA & FENNEL

on to an encircling wash of white horseradish cream...scoop gently! Smooth ricotta is served with firm slices of fennel and dressed with fronds; littered with golden raisins, this is not your average cheese ball. Speaking of cheese, Wallflower’s candy bar size slice of delicious ‘head cheese’ has a rounded lump of huckleberry agrodolce

BEEF TARTARE

perched at both ends. Rabbit terrine with

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ESCARGOT

wild mushrooms, pork rillettes and country pâté are all executed sublimely. It’s a picnic for your mouth. Uncle Boons Nolita, NYCMatt Danzer and Ann Redding never planned on opening a Thai restaurant together, but the crowd pleasing chatter about Boons continues to bellow one year later. These Per Se kitchen alums are accustomed to high end cuisine, so this represents a vocational shift for the couple to casual, family style service. Redding grew up in Thailand and several of the recipes are actually courtesy of her relatives (our thanks to Uncle Boon) or (thanks, Uncle Boon). The layout is long and skinny, and although it’s a tight space, the surrounding vibrant chatter creates a homey din. Worn in mementos line the walls; vintage Thai paintings, prints and photographs transport you to a foreign land where Ahaan Kap Klaem (‘drinking snacks’ of Thailand) are officially on the menu.

what to eat: Begin with any kind of crispy riblet, whether it be beef or pork belly (offerings change frequently). The accompanying “caramel” dip uses fish sauce as the base, creating a big bang of sweet and salty umami. Plump, coiled rounds of broiled green curry snails

with crispy garlic evoke classic escargot, but manifest way more flavor moxie. Mee Krob, sweetbreads with a noodle “salad,” includes peanuts and small nuggets of crunchy dried shrimp for a textural bite, and it’s also available as a vegetarian option. If you are a fan of frog, the legs here are marinated in garlic and soy and served atop a beautifully messy mound of translucent noodles, intertwined with lemongrass and fresh Thai

FROG LEGS

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herbs. Northern style golden curry has homemade egg noodles with chicken leg meat, pickled mustard greens and coconut milk. It’s a delicious, approachable appeal to popular Thai food expectations, whereas the

unexpected crispy duck in a soy anise broth with caramelized tangerine, garlic chive and a duck egg, will surprise and delight. Charcoal grilled goodies like Mommy Pai’s special

PRAHOM HUA JAI

pork and rice sour sausage, head-on prawns and baby octopus are great additions as

simple sides. Order the Kao Pat Pu, traditional crab fried rice, to complete your plate. The cocktails work exceedingly well to enhance rather than fight the food; the Prahom Hua Jai, a papaya and ginger rum daiquiri, is sweet and sassy, while the sparkling limeade and tamarind margarita are refreshing and zesty. In need of something to curtail the spice? We highly recommend you inquire after the Beer Slushie.

Flour + WaterSan Francisco, CAIf you want a reservation it requires serious advance planning, this is one of those

restaurants that remains popular even five years after opening day. You can also wait in line as they keep the front communal table and the bar available for walk ins, just be there by five o’clock to join the queue. Chef Thomas McNaughton (Quince, Gary Danko, Central Kitchen) honed his pasta making skills in Bologna, he bakes Neapolitan style pizza in an open, wood burning oven and serves Italian wine almost exclusively. Clearly they want to be your neighborhood go to trattoria, but the food is so beyond spectacular that to bestow that understated moniker would be a terrible waste. McNaughton is a three-time Beard Rising Star Chef nominee, and it shows.what to eat: Start with an aperitivi to accompany your antipasti. We suggest the herbed ricotta with transparently thin waves of lardo, artichokes, kohlrabi, cardoons and a musty saba reduction. Fried smelts and halibut make for an above average fritto misto; dip into the lemony onion aioli with careless abandon. The angolotti stuffed with tender suckling pig is a revelation, but we fell extremely hard for an item that we begged

RICOTTA & ARTICHOKES

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for off the tasting menu (and we encourage you to do the same), the green garlic tagliarini with mussels, clams, mizuna and bone marrow. Pizzas get fired up in an eight hundred plus degree oven, leaving the edges bubbled with crispy char. It’s impossible to choose a favorite, but the chinghiale version, topped with wild boar lonza, bitter radicchio

CHOCOLATE BUDINO

and creamy caciocavallo cheese certainly made a case for stardom. Order the chocolate

CHINGHIALE PIZZA

budino served with an “espresso cream” and a liberal sprinkling of sea salt flakes. This is a dessert so popular that once upon a time, when they removed it from the menu, there was public outcry. Thankfully, it’s back in play. Ask for a copy of “tonight’s playlist” on your way out, to make the delicious memories last.

CavaPortsmouth, NHHidden in a brick alley walkway between Penhallow and Market Streets in downtown Portsmouth, Cava Tapas & Wine Bar is one of those serendipitous finds. Chef and Owner Gregg Sessler, formerly the executive chef and wine buyer at The Caprice in Tiburon, California, pioneered the small dish approach in this area way back in 2008. Fast forward six years, and he is still making his mark on the lively local foodscape with a modern interpretation of traditional tapas. Cava’s menu is constantly evolving, but emphasizes

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SPRING GARLIC SOUP

fresh seasonal ingredients. The “Chef’s Table” is a little bar area surrounding the kitchen that seats up to four, it’s the perfect seat for a behind the scenes experience. In the summer, ask for a table outside next to the lush vertical garden. what to eat: A yellowfin tuna cruda “springs” to life

HARISSA SHRIMP

with fresh radish, hearts of palm, and an unexpected flourish of salty, grassy, gnarled sea beans. Another springtime highlight is the smooth purée of garlicky soup accented with a small dollop of fennel pollen crème fraiche. A heavenly scattering of fried chicken skin crumbs makes for a blast of crunchy texture and further adds a rich, fatty layer of flavor.

A delicate curl of prawn, tail tucked under, is saturated with the scent of harissa. Resting on a mix of roasted olives, piquillo peppers and white beans with classic Spanish sofrito, you’ll want to divide and conquer

MEYER LEMON TART

that shrimp body, scooping up a little of everything on your fork. Cauliflower “steak” is a seasonally appropriate triumph with fiddleheads and crispy stinging nettle, the addition of morel mushrooms packs a meaty punch. We loved the Meyer lemon mini tart for dessert, a citrus burst with hints of cardamom and rose.

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READ ME Veggie Friendly BookshelfVegetarian, Vegan, Raw...these are no longer dirty words! In fact, meat eaters should start taking lessons on how to integrate veggies and grains. It’s time to trick our brains into thinking more about how healthy eating impacts our lives.

Here’s our recommended cookbook list, featuring beautiful examples of recipe creativity. We are out to prove to you that veggies can indeed be delicious. Don’t worry, the road to longevity, capacity, and stamina is just a few roots away.

The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Vegetable Cookbook is a “vegetable forward” cookbook that offers wonderful recipes that will help meat eaters work more produce into their diets. Based upon the veggie bounty on their

farm, Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge are making an organic lifestyle something to be truly envied. Divided by seasonality, you’ll find Spring recipes for Jerusalem Artichoke Pancakes,

Rhubarb Soda Floats, Radishes with Sorrel Butter and Baked Spinach Custards.

The Rome Sustainable Food Project is a gastro-fire born out of true hunger; The American Academy in Rome, prestigious bestower of highly regarded fellowships, had really shitty food. Alice Waters suggested a culinary overhaul in 2007 and now Chez Panisse alum Christopher Boswell oversees the kitchen. His book, Verdure, offers vegetable recipes in the

style of “la cucina povera,” the simple food of the poor that developed over centuries in Italy’s agricultural communities. These days, they harvest about 6,000 pounds of fruit and veggies “that are started from seed.” Recipes are divided by season. “Spring” brings you several variations on Asparagus (Brown Butter, Basil Oil, Eggs), but “Winter” recipes like Shaved Fennel with Citrus ride the in between season vegetable wave.

Amanda Cohen’s inner cartoon princess is disappointed that she pursued the difficult life of a chef instead, but we are all the better for it! Her graphic novel styled cookbook highlights popular dishes from Dirt Candy, the NYC based restaurant that masks vegetarian fare as edible art. It’s extremely fun to read, and presents gorgeous ways to make your veggies more attractive. From a Portobello Mousse with Pear and Fennel Compote, to Smoked Cauliflower and Waffles

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with a Horseradish Cream Sauce, her recipes will transform your notions of vegetarian food (If you missed it, see page 00 for her Asparagus Paella recipe!).

Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby are the husband and wife team behind Vedge, a restaurant in Philly that is reinventing the culinary expectations of modern veganism. Beautiful recipes treat veggies with extreme dignity, and non-vegans will be coaxed comfortably into new territory with recipes resembling

plates you already know and love. Salt-Roasted Golden Beets with Dill, Capers, Avocado and Red Onion, “takes its cue from lox and bagels.” The Poutine with Porcini Gravy offers a healthier path to fried potato

satisfaction; sour cream coated tofu replaces the traditional cheese curd topping. A section on cocktails includes an easy as can be recipe for homemade bitters.

Popular blogger Clotilde Dusoulier’s French Market Cookbook was born in the kitchen of

her Parisian apartment. Although the author is not a vegetarian, she does choose to eat less fish and meal on the whole, and her collection of recipes and inspirational food musings on chocolateandzucchini.com emphasize this healthy outlook. Seasonal subdivision allows you to focus on current recipes that work with Spring veggies, like an Asparagus Buckwheat Tart, or the “Poor Man’s Bouillabaisse” with peas, new potatoes and baby turnips, topped with a poached egg.

Plant Food by Matthew Kenney and his team of veggie forward thinkers have created a cookbook that will make you reconsider the delicious level of eating raw foods. The recipes are arranged by the method of preparation - smoked, cured, fermented, sweetened...every dish is plated with modern artistic splendor. From Carrot “Gnocchi” with Peas, Mint and Horseradish Crumbs, to Heirloom Tomatoes with Peaches and Basil Ice, ingredients are meant to have both visual and flavor impact.

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AROUND THE WEB We Give Good Internet

We cruise all day long, so you don’t have to. Instead, just check out our list of cyberspace faves, from online provisions to kitchen gadgets you’ll covet. The things we love we now pass along to you!

We’ll also give a nod to the emerging power of self-sufficiency, highlighting the culinary company upstarts that we are currently following on crowdsourcing sites. Today’s bright idea is tomorrow’s coolest appliance, or cookbook, or restaurant success story…let’s support our peers! Power to the (food) people.

AqualibriumAfter a successful Kickstarter campaign, The Aqualibrium Garden launched into business bringing aquaponic and hydroponic gardening into your home. Snap-on aquarium window covers and LED grow lights are included as part of the package, so this contained indoor ecosystem arrives in ready shape. It’s a fish tank and garden combined, resembling a clear giant vase. Plant roots soak up nutrients generated by the fish, so you can grow veggies and herbs in the comfort of your living room. Experience the ultimate in locavore eating.

ForagersIt began as a Brooklyn based grocery store committed to “shortening the distance between farm and fork,” but they were having difficulty finding enough well priced organic produce. So in 2009, they decided to grown their own! Utilizing twenty-eight acres of virgin land in Columbia County, they started to clear, to dig, to plant...and fast forward to present day, when Foragers has both an

online presence and an additional Manhattan location that serves as a restaurant and a venue for special events. So if you can’t make it to DUMBO to shop at the original, farm fresh can be a virtual reality. Create a gift basket of organic items or invest in Forager’s private label products, like biodynamic semolina pasta.

MutariAdam Armstrong spent two years in the Peace Corps working in the jungles of Panama, where an indigenous group called the Ngobe exposed him to the cultural roots of cacao. He wanted to help the community provide a self sustaining economic opportunity, and thus rural farmers are now artisan chocolate makers. These hot chocolate mixes are crafted with single origin cacao and whole stone ground organic ingredients. From Peruvian Dark Peppermint to Aztec Elixir, each bottle is vegan and gluten free. The funding campaign is on now, and the company expects to begin delivery in October.

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Page 17: AMANDA COHEN portrait, photography © Stephen Elledge.

Page 29: CAVA text and photography by Eric Taubert.

CreditsCoverOn our COVER, “Found Faces” is part of a current exhibit that demonstrates the evolution of human pattern recognition. The Exploratorium, located in San Francisco, is a “learning laboratory” where both kids and adults can find something fun to play with.

They are equally dedicated to the Science Of Cooking, check out this extension site where “The Accidental Scientist” covers the art of pickling, explains everything you ever wanted to know about the sucrose molecules in candy, and even advises on what to do about bitter eggplant (hint - osmosis!).

“Discover how a pinch of curiosity can improve your cooking! Explore recipes, activities, and webcasts that will enhance your understanding of the science behind food and cooking.”

For more information, please visit The Exploratorium’s website.

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