Pantry Clean-Up: What to do with Garam Masala

When visiting Cape Cod, one of my favorite pilgrimages is to the Atlantic Spice Company, a wholesale distributor of high-quality herbs and spices. The deceptively stark warehouse is, on the inside, a Mecca for foodies. It is also the prime culprit of my pantry mayhem.

Whether it’s stocking up on discount staples, like salt and pepper, snatching up an item I’ve heard of, but never tried (this year it was bee pollen!), or shopping for a recipe-specific ingredient, I can’t get out of that place without an armload.

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In Love with Old School Mac and Cheese

By Katie Barreira

Every so often I get this crazy craving for one of my childhood favorites, macaroni and cheese. But not just any cheesy pasta will do. It must be that liquid-smooth and unnaturally tangy sauce, which can only come from dehydrated cheese. This admission has induced chest-clutching gasps of horror from my colleagues.

I, too, was indignant, refusing to believe that boxed macaroni and cheese, unlike so many of its processed pals, couldn’t be recreated, even improved, with wholesome ingredients and some culinary acumen. But as I tinkered with recipes and sampled grown-up versions of the stuff (from seemingly every chef in the city), I began to have my doubts.

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