My father was 8 years old when Russian authorities invaded his town in Poland, murdered his father, and shipped most of the family — my dad, his mother, and 3 of his 4 siblings — off on a train. Stuffed in a car with many other families, they began a days-long journey without food or … Continue reading Out of the Woods
A hot and crowded train station in Florence, Italy. It’s 1997. There’s no such thing as social media, email barely exists, and cell phones are mainly for the rich. Ten days ago in Amsterdam, I made plans to meet my friend Elliot here at noon, but it was a long shot either of us would … Continue reading The Old World
In the cold winter months, cooking can quickly become redundant. Fresh produce on this side of the country is practically non-existent during this time, and as much as I love my proteins, I can only eat steak, chicken, or fish so many times in a given week. So, it is a rare but welcome moment … Continue reading Eleven Madison Park: Venison with Beets
Beets: you either love them or hate them. The once-forgotten root vegetable went through a renaissance at the start of this decade, eventually showing up everywhere from trendy hotspots to fine dining institutions. But, by now they are kind of played out. I mean, how many times can you eat a beet and goat cheese … Continue reading Eleven Madison Park: Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Caraway
Back of the House 