Tag: Pairings

When I first discovered how to match Asian cuisine with the finest tea, it was a gastronomic surprise. I remember sitting cross-legged at a low table in a typical Japanese restaurant, the tatami mat beneath me, as the server handed me a hot matcha and a delicious dish of...

I recall the very first dinner party I’d thrown. I was a bundle of nerves with a desperate desire to impress. There I was, gazing in my kitchen at an endless supply of ingredients for appetizers and cocktails, clueless as a penguin in a desert. It was the moment...

Since my doctor delivered the “C” bomb (celiac, not the other one), my life has been a never-ending game of “Will It Make Me Sick?” It’s similar to Russian Roulette with food, but less lethal and more… bloated. When I was initially diagnosed, I assumed my days of culinary...

Since my taste buds were tantalized by the complicated dance of flavors at a charming Parisian fromagerie, I have been utterly enchanted by the world of cheese. Particularly, the exotic cheese pairing with fruit has become a kind of personal crusade. I can remember the time when a drop...

As a self-proclaimed snack aficionado, my quest for the perfect midday nibble has often felt like a scene from a comedy show. Picture this: me, standing in the kitchen, a carrot stick in one hand and a can of soda in the other, the look of utter disappointment painted...

Every time I think back to the Great Bean Debacle of ’09, my stomach does a somersault. It was a dinner party that went down in personal history, where my attempt at a chili con carne turned into an epic tale of digestive woe. My guests and I learned...

Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve had a sweet tooth that could rival Willy Wonka’s most sugar-crazed Oompa Loompa. As I grew older, my palate evolved, but my love for the sweeter things in life remained unshaken. These days, I find myself indulging in the sophisticated world...

I remember the first time I set my mouth on fire with a ghost pepper. It was a culinary dare that I took on with the bravado of a matador stepping into the ring. As the heat built up to a crescendo that would make a volcano jealous, I...