Culinary Storytelling
Do you have a story idea and need someone to write it? Let’s work together!
photo credit: Daniëlle Siobhán
Cooking with LACMA: Stains Cobb Salad Inspired by Ed Ruscha
In the late 1960s, tired of oil painting on canvas, Ed Ruscha began experimenting with unconventional materials in his art practice. One of these experiments resulted in a boxed set of 75 single sheets of stained paper. (LACMA Unframed)
The World on Three Plates
In the 16th century, Spanish and Portuguese conquistadors colonized the Americas and the Philippines. In the blink of an eye, the world was more interconnected than ever. (LACMA Unframed)
HomeState’s Mission to Nurture Its Neighbors
In Los Angeles, HomeState aims to care for its community and staff in response to the Covid-19 crisis. (Life & Thyme)
Maite Gomez-Rejón interviews researcher Lenore Newman who shares experiences and insights from the writing of her new book, “Lost Feast: Culinary Extinction and the Future of Food.” (Life & Thyme Post and online)
Chinese New Year 101: The Year of the Rat
Four industry professionals in Los Angeles share bits of history, personal traditions—and a fair share of superstitions—related to the Chinese New Year, one of the most important holidays in China. (Life & Thyme)
The Draycott: Where London Meets L.A.
Thinking about a traditional British holiday meal, we head to The Draycott in Pacific Palisades to see a modernity in how London meets Los Angeles - with some classic recipes to boot. (Edible LA)
Chef Adam Sobel’s Ode to Sicily
In Los Angeles, Chef Adam Sobel marries California bounty with Sicilian imports to create a singular experience for diners at his restaurant, Cal Mare. (Life & Thyme)
Quesabirria: A Family Affair at Pobres Tacos
On Los Angeles’ Pico Boulevard, Pobres Tacos embodies the spirit of immigrant entrepreneurs in the city’s long celebrated multicultural history. (Life & Thyme)
Why Are So Many Drinks Called Horchata?
An ancient medical elixir is the ancestor of a family of drinks. (Gastro Obscura)
South Texas Meets Mexico City Bread Culture
Two brothers, David and José Cáceres, bring their passion for central Mexico’s bread history to San Antonio. (Life & Thyme)
A Pot of Chili and the Invention of Tex-Mex Cuisine
In Texas, the development of a new kind of regional Mexican cuisine began in the hands of a group of entrepreneurial women and in their spicy bowls of chili con carne. (Life & Thyme)
Mexico’s Early Cookbooks
An essay on the history of cookbooks and food writing in Mexico. (Oxford Research Encyclopedia on Latin American History)
Helen Evans Brown & California Cooking
A culinary history reflects on the often forgotten works of Helen Evans Brown and their influence on modern California cuisine. (Edible LA)
Beyond the Barista
Four individuals work across a spectrum of platforms to bring positive change to the coffee industry and its people. (Life & Thyme)
Jeremy Fox’s New American at Birdie G’s
Chef Jeremy Fox takes a trip down memory lane through photography and food in anticipation of his new Los Angeles restaurant, Birdie G’s. (Life & Thyme)
The Power of the Sugar Sculpture: Luxury and Spectacle
Food was spectacle in early modern Europe and ingredients were used as a tool to delineate social status. (Eaten Magazine)
Behind Convent Walls: Sweet Habits
A long history of convent-based confectionary has bequeathed a tradition of sweets in Mexican culture, evidenced by these recipes for hallelujahs and rompope. (Life & Thyme)
Cocktails and Legends
In an often trend-obsessed city, let’s always remember the classics. (Edible LA)
Influential African Americans in Food History
A brief introduction to some of the most influential and inspiring African American figures in U.S. culinary history. (Life & Thyme)
Mexico’s First Female Cookbook Author
An essay on Vicenta Torres de Rubio, author of the groundbreaking 1896 cookbook, Cocina Michoacana. (Eaten Magazine)
In Los Angeles, Leslie Mialma of Winsome leads a concha crawl through the city’s traditional bakeries, giving a window into pastries past, present and future. (Life & Thyme)
Through centuries of evolution and exploration, the humble cacao bean and its many derivatives have enchanted cultures all over the globe. (Life & Thyme)
Cookbooks capture the eccentricities of former eras. Sometimes recipes for Plague Water were not uncommon. (Life & Thyme)