Savor

Time has a flavor. It arrives first in texture, then in balance, and finally in memory. This essay explores how fermentation tastes when it is allowed to finish speaking.

The Judgment of Paris changed wine history, but its truth lives in the glass. Tasting the flagship wines of Chateau Montelena and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars today reveals how restraint, stewardship, and decision-making shape texture, structure, and pleasure—long after the applause fades.

Pleasure does not peak at fullness. It arrives just before. Drawing from Japanese philosophy, Chinese banquets, Korean banchan, and Old World traditions, this essay reflects on why balance, pacing, and restraint have always defined the most satisfying meals.

Sugar once defined indulgence. Today, curiosity does. From soup-flavored candy to umami-forward comfort snacks, savory pops reveal how the post-sugar palate is reshaping pleasure, nostalgia, and what we crave next.

Born in 1951, I’ve lived through diners, food pyramids, reversals, and reinventions. This is a reflection on what we were told to eat — and what quietly endured.

A Foodie deep dive into the Caesar salad—its origins, tableside tradition, and why restraint and technique still define a truly great version.

America, Smoked — Part IV: The Table and the Truth concludes our four-part journey through the people, places, and flavors that define American barbecue. From the pit to the pour, it’s a reminder that food is never just food — it’s how we find our way back to one another.

The fire fades, the glasses rise, and the stories linger. The final chapter of America, Smoked reminds us what barbecue was always about — the people.

America, Smoked — Part III: Sauce and Sanctuary continues our four-part journey through the flavors, fires, and faith behind American barbecue. From the pit to the plate, each chapter explores how smoke, sauce, and soul connect us more deeply to place — and to one another.

Sauce, smoke, and wood — the holy trinity of barbecue. Sometimes the secret isn’t in the recipe at all… it’s in knowing when to stop talking and grab another cold one.

The second in a four-part series exploring the craft behind the flame — how wood, time, and technique transform meat into meaning.

You don’t just watch smoke — you listen to it.

Part II of America, Smoked dives into the science and soul of barbecue, from oak and fire to buttermilk and memory.

Includes the Foodie in Paradise™ Smoked Chicken and Leola’s Cornbread recipes.

The first in a four-part series exploring the regions, rituals, and recipes that define American barbecue — and the patience that turns smoke into art.

There’s a sound a fire makes before it’s even born — a whisper between wood and flame.

This is where barbecue begins: not in heat, but in faith.

Part I of America, Smoked explores the patience, craft, and soul behind the nation’s oldest flavor.

The world’s best brewpubs are rewriting the rules of fine dining — proof that craft, connection, and honesty make the most satisfying pairings of all.

Both baking and roasting use dry heat — but one builds, the other reveals.

Learn how the difference in temperature, technique, and intention shapes the soul of every dish.

K-pop, K-drama, and Netflix didn’t just export songs and stories — they exported appetite. Here’s how Korean flavors conquered global cities, why they resonate so deeply, and the restaurants around the world that turn fermentation, fire, and ritual into unforgettable meals.

In 2026, the world’s most inspired kitchens aren’t asking what tastes good—they’re asking why it matters. From regenerative dining to emotional hospitality, intention is the new flavor of luxury.

Some meals fade with time. Others stay with you forever — not because of what was on the plate, but because of what surrounded it.