Grist for the Mill: Winter 2021
Dear Reader,
Welcome to Edible Rhody COOKS!, a special celebration issue of cooking traditions and kitchen wisdom to inspire our broad community of passionate cooks and eaters. One of the greatest gifts cooking has to offer is the seemingly limitless opportunity to learn and be creative. Whether you’re hurriedly slinging out a weeknight supper or spending a Saturday on a major cooking project, you are gaining expertise in science, math and artistry through heat, measurements, timing, ingredients and plating. You’re also building traditions and meaningful ways to share and commune over anything from the simplest of meals to the most elaborate in your repertoire.
One of the joys of food and cooking is how they bring people together. In this issue, you are welcomed into the homes of Rhode Islanders, some new faces and some familiar, who all share a love of food and cooking traditions, either those from their homelands or those that have blossomed organically here in Li’l Rhody.
You’ll meet Jesús de la Torre and learn how and why his family makes tamales on Christmas Eve and other special holidays. His tradition is a labor of love typically requiring days in the making. It comes with the know-how of past generations that de la Torre shares generously with his friends and family—and now he shares his story of tamales with us.
Enjoying foods from home can be comforting, too, and so it is with Maha Chamseddine. She makes authentic dishes from her native Lebanon, specifically in the style of her home city of Saida, for customers of her convenience store and deli, which is a hidden gem in Newport’s Fifth Ward. Her story will make you salivate over the tabbouleh, falafel and baba ghanoush; her determination as a single mother and business owner will inspire you as well.
Two familiar faces you’ll see in this issue are Olga Bravo and Becky Wagner, of the former Olga’s Cup and Saucer, who create a stunning paella filled with seafood from our local waters. Find out what they’ve been doing since closing their beloved café and bakery and how these two busy, creative women prepare a meal cooked over fire and gather with friends to share in the bounty.
Ever wonder what ingredient is a must-have for your pantry or what are the most important tools needed to outfit your kitchen? We gathered valuable advice for you from some of Rhode Island’s seasoned kitchen pros to inspire you to keep cooking. In fact, they shared so many helpful cooking tips and tricks, they’ve overflowed these pages and spilled over onto our website: Be sure to check out the bonus guide—on anything from brining and braising to the best spices to have in the cupboard to the best ways to save time and effort when you’re busy cooking.
Despite my own cooking foibles—the souffle that came out as a frittata; the time I added tablespoons (not teaspoons) of baking soda to the shortcakes; the infamous chocolate dessert flop during the lockdown when I stubbornly continued beyond any reasonable number of substitutions (talk about a science experiment!)—there is plenty of good cooking still ahead. One thing I have learned is that, even if it’s not all perfect, the act of breaking bread together with friends and family, of maintaining new and cherished traditions over food, is an act of love that everyone likes to share.
Our best wishes to you from Edible Rhody for a healthy and happy holiday season and a Happy New Year filled with good flavors, new tastes and the time to slow down and enjoy them.
