I’m always looking for bargains so the labels change all the time, but I usually have a dry gewurtztraminer, a sauvignon blanc, a light young red, a heavier older red, and a cheap Bordeaux or similar (specifically to go...

gravy (I noted that it was too smooth to have been homemade, but good none the less). The sides ranged from exquisite (wonderful sticky candied sweet potatoes)to average (mac and cheese that could have used a bit more cheese to...

cheese (of the Chihuahua type), chiles en raja (strips of green chile) and several leaves of the papalo. I have posted previously on papalo (linked below) and find the pungent anise-ey fragrance of this lovely herb unforgettable...

is a rectangular shaped hunk of deliciousness. It consists of macaroni, cheese, eggs and finely ground meat (beef I think) and a few other things (spices) that I could not identify. The whole thing was baked perfectly. It was...

(although the concept is of course an outrage). Or use your own damn clams, and adapt the rest of the recipe as necessary. Culination is a dynamic and evolving process. Whatever works. Just don’t use tomatoes. The New England...

to at least start the research and study process.

as above. Though I haven’t gone to many birria specialty joints; only had it at general-purpose restaurants. Favorite cheese: Oaxacan cheese at Guelaguetza. Favorite drink: Guelaguetza’s squash drink. Favorite fish...

, squeaky fresh horenso (spinach) topped with fried garlic shavings and kuro-gama (black roasted sesame seeds). I think I tasted some butter or cheese in the filling too. The couple down the bar looked on with envy and tried to...

Don’t know about the best but I like the bread at Angeli Cafe, West Hollywood, the sandwiches at Say Cheese, Silverlake and the carne asada burrito at Yuca’s, Los Feliz.

I’m not sure if this counts... I went to a cheese steak shop, starving and with only enough cash for a sub. So I order it, move down the line and wait for it to cook. It was a pretty miserly amount of meat/onions, but I...

, a good wine cellar, unusual cheeses, really a meal that is orchestrated so that the food and wine always seem to arrive at the right time and the wine always seems to last until the last course is complete. Michelin details...

or unwelcome (as a matter of fact, I find you to be extraordinarily diplomatic) — but like most people I gave more weight to those who agreed with me, and for that I owe you an apology. Give me a day or two to process what...

of a culture, whether ethnic or geographical, that provides real meaning to the food, other than just the ingredients and even the recipe and process. It still is, and ought to be, that Philly cheese steaks are best in Philly,...

). This process can be accelerated for certain personality types, but it’s a deep cultural structure. Finally, there is a mysterious transformation, in which the tourist turned expatriate turned true New Yorker becomes...

as China or India, no matter how much you dislike it. Anyhow, my craving for burgers has since abated, and I now long for good soda bread and Stinking Bishop cheese, so I will make my way to Neal’s on the morrow. -Alex