A Practical Approach to Reducing Food Waste, According to Manhattan’s Marea

Marea, a sizable restaurant in Midtown Manhattan, did not reduce its food waste with “5 easy hacks” or some miracle composting machine. Instead, the restaurant addressed the issue practically and methodically—and it’s exactly how you could reduce waste…

Marea, a sizable restaurant in Midtown Manhattan, did not reduce its food waste with “5 easy hacks” or some miracle composting machine. Instead, the restaurant addressed the issue practically and methodically—and it’s exactly how you could reduce waste in your own kitchen.

Since 2022, Marea has operated as a “zero waste” restaurant, meaning that at least 90 percent of its produced waste is diverted from landfills. Instead of hauling its garbage to a New York City dumpster—which could end up rotting in Ohio—nearly all of this restaurant’s waste is sent to a commercial composting plant, where it’s processed and transformed into organic fertilizer.

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What Grows Together Goes Together: A Simple Wine & Food Pairing Guide

Food and wine pairing doesn’t necessarily require sommelier-level expertise, nor chemist-level abilities to calibrate a wine’s acids, tannins, or alcohol added to a dish. Not that a somm couldn’t lend a hand, but in a pinch, there’s a shortcut. The “wh…

Food and wine pairing doesn’t necessarily require sommelier-level expertise, nor chemist-level abilities to calibrate a wine’s acids, tannins, or alcohol added to a dish. Not that a somm couldn’t lend a hand, but in a pinch, there’s a shortcut. The “what grows together goes together” approach isn’t just a philosophy, it’s a practice that delivers.

Centuries ago in the Old World, people ate and drank locally by necessity, not because it was trendy to be able to cite which farm, butcher, or dairy your goods came from. What was nearby was what you had to work with. It makes sense that communities designed wines to work with the local fare, tailored recipes to work with the local wines, or created dishes utilizing regional wine within them. A great example: classic French Boeuf Bourguignon—or Burgundy beef—made with regional Burgundy wine and local beef.

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How to Shuck Oysters—Our Complete Guide

Everyone should learn how to shuck oysters. If you’ve never done it before, it might seem intimidating—a sharp knife and curved shell can leave little room for error—but with the right equipment, some patience, and proper technique, it’s very easy. If …

Everyone should learn how to shuck oysters. If you’ve never done it before, it might seem intimidating—a sharp knife and curved shell can leave little room for error—but with the right equipment, some patience, and proper technique, it’s very easy. If you can confidently open an oyster, there will be more opportunities for you to enjoy the shellfish, especially at home. Not only does this have a financial upside (oysters are often much more affordable when you buy and shuck them yourself), but shucking oysters is also guaranteed to improve any party. Crack open a few dozen oysters, serve them to friends, pour some drinks, and everyone—including yourself—will inevitably have a blast.

Buy Some Oysters

First, you obviously need oysters. Luckily, regardless of where you live, you’ll have them tomorrow if you buy them from an oyster farm with online delivery like Island Creek Oysters or Copps Island Oysters. If you’re curious about online oyster delivery and how it works, this article explains the logistics and benefits of direct-to-consumer oysters.

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Why a Simple Plantain Press Is My Most Treasured Kitchen Tool

Learning to fry plantains represents a coming-of-age ceremony for many young people across the African and Latinx diaspora. My Haitian grandmother officiated my first lesson, during a time when I so badly wanted to be a chef. I was in my first year of …

Learning to fry plantains represents a coming-of-age ceremony for many young people across the African and Latinx diaspora. My Haitian grandmother officiated my first lesson, during a time when I so badly wanted to be a chef. I was in my first year of culinary class in high school and, after a few months, I realized that learning the art of this technique would not come from my chef instructors. While I adored my teachers, their identities presented roadblocks to a broader cultural exploration—whiteness permeated all aspects of my high school culinary curriculum, from the recipes to the techniques and even the equipment. But I knew that learning to fry plantains held just as much weight as perfecting the French mother sauces. Thankfully, I took comfort in knowing that my grandmother stood as a resource to teach me.

Fried plantains show up on every occasion in our community, with a variety of dishes. They're added to plates packed with diri kole, Haiti’s national rice and beans dish, and stewed chicken; pikliz, a spicy, pickled Haitian condiment, always involves banan peze, or crispy fried green plantains. While the starchy disks come together within a few minutes, getting every step just right is crucial—especially the pressing. If the plantains are smashed too thin, they will be hard; too thick, and you risk an undercooked bite.

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The Absolute Best Way to Hack Box Cake Mix

In Absolute Best Tests, columnist Ella Quittner destroys the sanctity of her home kitchen in the name of the truth. She’s boiled dozens of eggs, mashed a concerning number of potatoes, and seared more Porterhouse steaks than she cares to recall. Today,…

In Absolute Best Tests, columnist Ella Quittner destroys the sanctity of her home kitchen in the name of the truth. She's boiled dozens of eggs, mashed a concerning number of potatoes, and seared more Porterhouse steaks than she cares to recall. Today, she tackles the childhood bake sale favorite: boxed cake mix.


Layer cake is among the most idealized of foods. How could fleecy layers of sweet crumb—painted with blankets of satin-soft buttercream and towering high on a pedestal—not be playing on an infinite loop in our minds? It has been the center of cinematic scenes of cultural import and is nestled deep in nostalgia for many of us. It's emblazoned across the covers of lauded culinary zines and cookbooks. It is pushed to the front of bakery display windows, casting its shadow onto forlorn cookies.

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It’s Been 14 Years Since I Went to Culinary School—These Are the Lessons I’ll Never Forget

It’s been 14 years since I enrolled in a year-long culinary school program, and I’ve regrettably lost more knowledge than I’ve retained. Rich little memories will occasionally resurface, however: finding a spiny sea urchin on top of a locker in the cha…

It's been 14 years since I enrolled in a year-long culinary school program, and I’ve regrettably lost more knowledge than I’ve retained. Rich little memories will occasionally resurface, however: finding a spiny sea urchin on top of a locker in the changing room one night after class; holding a kelp-like piece of vinegar mother and fearing it might crawl across my hand like an inchworm; watching the two googly eyes of a flatfish stare back while I destroyed filleted my first fish.

As my career path veered away from the professional kitchen and to the writing table, many of the hard-won rewards from that year of practice fell by the wayside in favor of long-held cooking habits. But it took some time and distance to realize I’d retained a few fundamentals that forever changed the way I cook and see food, even if the dishes I prepare week to week remain mostly the same.

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How to Make Beer Cocktails—No Recipe Required

If you’re unfamiliar with beer cocktails, it’s time you’re brought up to speed. These concoctions combine beer with other kinds of liquor to create something that’s more interesting but still refreshing. The case for loving beer cocktails is simple: Th…

If you’re unfamiliar with beer cocktails, it’s time you’re brought up to speed. These concoctions combine beer with other kinds of liquor to create something that’s more interesting but still refreshing. The case for loving beer cocktails is simple: They taste good, are easy to make, and—because they don’t require a recipe—can make you seem like the coolest, most laid-back version of yourself.

If beer combined with liquor doesn't immediately sound appetizing to you, that’s ok. In fact, it can even be a good thing: If you’ve ever been, met, or heard of a cool person before, you’ll know that having obscure tastes and preferences is part of the gig. But, unlike my weeklong foray into “foreign film” fandom, beer cocktails are more than an exercise in liking something different—they’re worthwhile and actually good.

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A Highly Useful Guide to Storing Cheese

This article is a part of Cheese Week—seven days of recipes and stories, all cheese—presented by our friends at Proudly Wisconsin Cheese.
When it comes to cheese, sometimes our eyes are bigger than our stomachs. Ideally, you shouldn’t buy more cheese …

This article is a part of Cheese Week—seven days of recipes and stories, all cheese—presented by our friends at Proudly Wisconsin Cheese.

When it comes to cheese, sometimes our eyes are bigger than our stomachs. Ideally, you shouldn't buy more cheese than you can consume in a few days. However, few of us have a strong enough will to resist the jewel-like beauties of the cheese aisle, despite their often hefty price tag. One thing's for sure: If you're dropping a bundle on a bunch of cheeses, you better make sure to keep them as fresh as possible for as long as possible.

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The Secret to Impressive Desserts? It’s in the Custard

From éclairs and mille-feuilles, to ornate berry tarts—picking out a custard-based, or more specifically, pastry cream-based confection from a lavish dessert case is the adult version of being a kid in a candy shop. But what if a kid (that’s you!) coul…

From éclairs and mille-feuilles, to ornate berry tarts—picking out a custard-based, or more specifically, pastry cream-based confection from a lavish dessert case is the adult version of being a kid in a candy shop. But what if a kid (that’s you!) could make their own candy (or rather, custard-filled desserts) at home? Crème patissière, despite its intimidating French patisserie origins, is shockingly simple to make, store, and apply to all your favorite homemade desserts.

It wasn’t until I watched Martha Stewart editor, Thomas Joseph, break down the process step by step that I realized this stuff is more beginner-friendly than most buttercream frosting recipes. A perfect, homemade pastry cream is as simple as measuring wet and dry ingredients, whisking them separately, and then whisking them together on the stove. No transferring hot milk to cold eggs. No double-boiling. And no scrambled egg messes. Once I mastered the process—after a single try, might I add—I transformed my home baking repertoire with funky-flavored pastry creams and custard-based desserts.

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How to Make Mozzarella at Home

For this episode of Dear Test Kitchen, former Test Kitchen Director Josh Cohen and cheese expert Elena Santogade whipped up a batch of perfect, creamy, fresh mozzarella. Watch them mix, stir, and stretch in the video below, then follow the recipe and s…

For this episode of Dear Test Kitchen, former Test Kitchen Director Josh Cohen and cheese expert Elena Santogade whipped up a batch of perfect, creamy, fresh mozzarella. Watch them mix, stir, and stretch in the video below, then follow the recipe and step-by-step guide to do it at home.


How to make fresh mozzarella at home

Photo by James Ransom
Photo by James Ransom

1. Make the Curd

Start by dissolving rennet (on the left) and citric acid (on the right) in water. We prefer the rennet tablets over the liquid rennet. You can order these ingredients online from New England Cheesemaking Supply Company, which also has some nifty cheesemaking kits.

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