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The Masters of Food & Drink

In the peak of summer, what’s better than a slow-cooked meal, cold beer, and fine ice cream? To answer that question, we’re revisiting some of our favorite masters of food and libations. We begin with three: Paula Wolfert, who introduced the West to the magic of old-world clay-pot cooking; the boys of Method Beer, who are pushing the limits of alcohol science; and Andrea Soban, a master gelatiere from gelato’s birthplace–the mountains of Northern Italy.

The Secrets of an Italian Gelato Master

Gelato, it turns out, is a very different creature from ice cream. And there is a reason that the best gelato tastes so creamy yet still light, so balanced, so indescribably perfect. The secret—according to master gelatieri Andrea Soban of Valenza, Italy—involves patience, exceptional ingredients, and a fine-tuned knowledge of food chemistry.

Story and photography by ERLA ZWINGLE

Rum’s Revenge

In Brooklyn, a former nuclear engineer borrows from the Caribbean’s traditional methods of distilling rum, reviving America’s first spirit in the process.

By BRYCE T. BAUER

Paula Wolfert and the Clay Pot Mystique

A gastro-scientific investigation of why cooks believe food tastes better (note: much better) when it’s cooked in a ceramic pot. Tour guide: Paula Wolfert, the legendary queen of American clay-pot cooking.

Written by TODD OPPENHEIMER
Photography by CLAIRE BLOOMBERG

The Drought Fighter

On a frigid, eight-acre farm just outside downtown Sebastopol, Paul Kaiser has devised a hyper-intensive form of organic agriculture that is grossing more than $100,000 an acre. And, he believes, saving the planet at the same time. Yet a number of farming experts see trouble on his horizon.

By TODD OPPENHEIMER

Other Topics In This Theme

How Far Can Beer Science Go?

Where else would you expect to find a band of techno-scientific beer geeks except in the industrial side of San Francisco, Ground Zero for start-ups? Join our fermentation correspondent as she travels to the outer edges of beer flavors with the boys of Method Beer.

By GRACE RUBENSTEIN

Spoonism

“How I stumbled upon the world’s most perfect eating utensil”: Owen Edwards pays homage to the humble, essential spoon, particularly the version designed by the legendary Massimo Vignelli.

By OWEN EDWARDS
Photography by CLAIRE BLOOMBERG

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