taste

On Wednesday, Juneteenth, Kendrick Lamar threw himself a party. Dubbed “the Pop Out: Ken and Friends,” the concert—held at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles—served as a celebration of West Coast hip-hop, and a “victory lap” for Lamar after he…

The experiment began quite simply: We popped open a few cans of Mountain Dew, put some Hawkwind and Blue Oyster Cult on the turntable, grabbed our bags of polyhedral dice, and asked ChatGPT, essentially, “Shall we play a game?” Initially,…

Whether you get it off the block or grab handfuls from a bag, grated cheese is an important food. The tiny teeth of the grater transform it from a solid state into fluffy clouds of parmesan or piles of cheddar that melt the moment they make…

What came first, the milkshake or the smoothie? Maybe they developed simultaneously, but I like to think the milkshake paved the way and that’s why smoothies feel like dessert even when they’re packed with kale and wheatgrass. And while it…

I cannot function without butter. I keep at least two types on hand at all times—one for cooking and one for snacking. But I also like to keep a few compound butters around for easy entertaining, even if I’m only entertaining myself in my…

Eating a frozen pizza for supper can feel a little like giving up, but you can’t deny the convenience factor, nor the nostalgic, juvenile appeal. It is, after all, still pizza. I would never judge or belittle someone for enjoying their…

Whether it’s a wedge of snacking cheese or a scoop of “I live alone” ganache, having a small treat available at a moment’s notice is good for everyone. The best treats taste great on their own but also play well with others for an excellent…

Bitter is good. Burnt ends, blackened catfish, crème brûlée, and the giant charred bubble on your pizza pie are just a few examples of how good it can be. The palate can taste five flavors—sweet, salty, bitter, savory, and umami—and the…

A few years ago, I read somewhere that Italians never use onions and garlic in their marinara; it’s always one or the other. Like so many black-and-white cooking “rules” you come across online, this one didn’t stand up to cursory…

Making really good meatballs isn’t exactly rocket surgery. As long as you season them aggressively and use a light touch while mixing, you’ll be good to go. But I recently discovered an easy way to make an already delicious dish even…