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
