Ceramics Saturdays: The Poem Jars of David Drake

Boy, I would kill to be in NYC right now: there’s an exhibit on at the Met of the poem jars of David Drake, an enslaved ceramicist from South Carolina. Unusually, he signed his large-format storage jars, pitchers, and other vessels. Even more unusually, he etched short poems into many: (the one above reads “IContinue reading “Ceramics Saturdays: The Poem Jars of David Drake”

Baking in a Basque Oven

The area where I live is rich in Basque tradition, owing to a wave of immigration in the late 1800s by shepherds hired by the big sheep-ranching outfits here. (Little known fact: the Australian Shepherd dog is actually a Basque breed; the dogs immigrated from Australia alongside their Basque owners to work the sheep hereContinue reading “Baking in a Basque Oven”

Ceramics Saturdays: Makgeolli Cups from Jeewon Jeong

I’m so excited, you guys. I’m in the process of getting 8 of these little bowls from my friend Jeewon Jeong. I’m going to use them for makgeolli, but Jeewon says they’re a good size for rice, ice cream, etc. as well. Can’t wait! I’m planning on brewing a special batch of fall makgeolli toContinue reading “Ceramics Saturdays: Makgeolli Cups from Jeewon Jeong”

Unauthorized Uses: Secret Ingredient Edition

I have a few go-to ingredients when I need to punch up the flavor of a dish, and unusually for my cooking style—where I like to stick pretty close to whatever tradition I’m working from and not get too fusion-y—I use these ingredients completely indiscriminately. They’re flavor powerhouses, basically: Pomegranate molasses: This has a lip-smackingContinue reading “Unauthorized Uses: Secret Ingredient Edition”