A Literary Culinary Journal
by Leonor White
I recently discovered a farm-to-
table restaurant in the West Village. I was looking for an upscale lunch at an affordable price to dine with my family. Mas (la grillade) is the sister restaurant to Mas (farmhouse), but, as the name indicates, focuses on grilled meats.
During lunch hours, a seasonal menu of locally grown foods cooked solely over wood fires of oak, apple and other hardwoods is served. This menu is comprised of three courses: appetizer, main course and desert, and it all comes at a very reasonable price, $27. Lunch à la carte is also available, but I would recommend opting for the menu, as you get a chance to experience Chef Galen Zamarra’s seasonal favorites. The restaurant is also open for dinner, and just as for lunch, there is a prix fixe menu (but for a higher price, $68), as well as an à la carte dining.
We went for lunch on a Saturday, and it did not disappoint. The restaurant is simply but tastefully decorated, making a bold statement with regards to its farm-to-table concept. As the menus arrived, we all had our eyes fixed on the first item in the menu: “Grilled Pear and Sunchoke Soup with Mint, Black Truffle and Hen of the Woods Mushrooms.” Despite the fact that there were other appetizers to choose from, such as the “Grilled Trumpet Royale Mushrooms with a Salad of Mizuna, Grilled Onion Vinaigrette, and Croutons,” we all thought that the soup sounded divine, and it was indeed. The grilled pear and sunchoke flavors made for a distinctive taste; the soup was sprinkled with mint and black truffles and topped with mushroom croutons.
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by Jonell Galloway
There’s probably no better short overview of Wendell Berry‘s views on agriculture and sustainability than Mark Bittman‘s interview of Berry in The New York Times in 2012.
Wendell Berry speaking in Frankfort, Indiana
Here are a few excerpts about agriculture and sustainability:
“That’s one of Wendell’s recurring themes: Listen to the land.”
“If you imitate nature, you’ll use the land wisely.”
“The two great aims of industrialism — replacement of people by technology and concentration of wealth into the hands of a small plutocracy — seem close to fulfillment.”
Mark Bittman (Photo credit: rebuildingdemocracy)
“You can describe the predicament that we’re in as an emergency, and your trial is to learn to be patient in an emergency.”
“[N]o great feat is going to happen to change all this; you’re going to have to humble yourself to be willing to do it one little bit at a time. You can’t make people do this. What you have to do is notice that they’re already doing it.”
“I’ve been thinking about that question about what city people can do. The main thing is to realize that country people can’t invent a better agriculture by ourselves. Industrial agriculture wasn’t invented by us, and we can’t uninvent it. We’ll need some help with that.”
Read The New York Times entire article here.
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ilian began his career in photography as a news photographer before moving to London and starting a new career in commercial photography, developing his own unique style, balancing commercial appeal with an acutely artistic eye.
He has over 15 years’ experience working in editorial and commercial projects, specialising in food and drink, still life and product photography, both locally and internationally. He shoots from his Cheshire-based kitchen studio. His clients are magazines, hotels, restaurants and food companies such Mornflakes, Felicini Restaurants, Metropolitan Hotel, Casino Flamingo, AstraZeneca, Manchester University, Sofia airport, etc.
His work appears in BBC GoodFood, Olive, Professional Photographer, Digital Photographer and The Rock magazines. His style is simple, clean and graphic, based on natural light. A passionate and talented cook himself, the enjoyment ilian takes from food and drink shines through in his images.
Click to see more of ilian’s outstanding work.
ilian has had more than ten solo photo exhibitions, the most successful ones being:
1998 ”Old Houses” – Sofia and 1999 Los Angeles
1999 “War in Kosovo” – Sofia
2000 “Mount ATHOS” – Sofia, London, Vienna, Thessaloniki, Warsaw, Bratislava and Plovdiv
2004 ‘Ballet Portraits’ – Sofia
2012 “Edible Art” – London, Moscow, Manchester, St. Petersburg, Sofia
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E. F. Schumacher
A timely quote by the British economist E. F. Schumacher
“If greed were not the master of modern man — ably assisted by envy — how could it be that the frenzy of economism does not abate as higher “standards of living” are attained, and that it is precisely the richest societies which pursue their economic advantage with the greatest ruthlessness? How could we explain the almost universal refusal on the part of the rulers of the rich societies — where organized along private enterprise or collective enterprise lines — to work towards the humanisation of work? It is only necessary to assert that something would reduce the “standard of living” and every debate is instantly closed. That soul-destroying, meaningless, mechanical, monotonous, moronic work is an insult to human nature which must necessarily and inevitably produce either escapism or aggression, and that no amount of of “bread and circuses” can compensate for the damage done–these are facts which are neither denied nor acknowledged but are met with an unbreakable conspiracy of silence — because to deny them would be too obviously absurd and to acknowledge them would condemn the central preoccupation of modern society as a crime against humanity.”― E.F. Schumacher, Small Is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered
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For Lail Hossain, cooking is an explosion of creativity. As a busy working mom, she is enthusiastic about modifying a laborious step of an old recipe, and experimenting with different ethnic recipes by adding her own spin to it, yet keeping the recipes simple, healthy, and delicious. Originally from Bangladesh, a committed lover of family, food and creativity, Lail shares her journey in her blog With A Spin. She is also very passionate about introducing Bangladeshi cooking to the international culinary scene.
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by Renu Chhabra
Food is capable of feeding far more than a rumbling stomach.–Anthony Beal
I have seen this acorn squash change from deep green to light golden on my kitchen counter over the last two weeks. Waiting for my much needed attention, it endured the neglect. I had a new idea about how to cook it every time I looked at it, so I would set it aside for yet another day. I loved seeing it sitting there turning into this beautiful objet d’art with a new stroke of color every day.
I enjoyed the the entire process, from start to finish, just as Monet enjoyed painting the same haystacks and façades day after day, in different lights.
Who would have thought a simple experience like this could also bring such curiosity? Every time I looked at it, I wondered if it would survive another day. Or would another stroke of green be lost. I touched it, inspected it, and set it aside, saying to myself, “I will make something tomorrow. Definitely.”
And it waited patiently for me, just like the Rouen Cathedral waited for Monet, looking more beautiful each day, and maintaining its freshness!
With half a dozen ideas in my mind about how to cook it, I settled for a simple recipe of roasting it and flavoring with some sweet and fragrant flavors like orange zest and toasted fennel seeds. I then combined the two with sweet paprika and sea salt to make a spice blend to toss into after roasting. Another wonderful spice blend with citrus! My new year started with spice blends.
After tossing the roasted squash, I finished it with a garnish of freshly ground cumin and parsley and a squeeze of lemon (optional). Simple and flavorful, this recipe takes very little time to make. If you have any left over, use it in your favorite grain or salad.
Herbs and spices are good for our health. Fennel seeds have wonderful healing qualities. They help digestion and have antioxidant properties. Fennel is also chewed as mouth freshener. I sometimes make fennel tea that is quite relaxing. Have it with a little honey. It’s delicious and calming.
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Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul is filled with Mexican folk art and crafts, like the pottery she used to make this mosaic in the kitchen:
English: Museo Frida Kahlo in the Casa Azul (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
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You can see more of Lail’s work at With a Spin.
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Meet Jonell Galloway, a freelance writer and editor specialized in French cuisine. 
