by David Salerno | Mar 29, 2024 | Blog, Culinary Anthropology, Events
If you’ve been to a Korean BBQ, you might have seen the word Ssam. What is it? The word Ssam translates to “wrapped” and is usually done with leafy vegetables. Common veggies include red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, and perilla...
by David Salerno | Mar 29, 2024 | Blog, Culinary Anthropology, Events
From an American Italian Household and through the French Culinary School Something about Korean food and cooking is that it is very communal. Sometimes, it takes the form of families, neighbors, and communities making kimchi, a group gathering around a boiling bowl...
by David Salerno | May 17, 2023 | Blog, Cooking Tips and Tricks, Culinary Anthropology
This “Holy Trinity” is the mirepoix of Louisiana Cajun and Creole cooking. So how did we get here? The French settlers of the region came with their mirepoix of carrot, onion and celery. Chances are, while both the carrot and bell pepper were capable of...
by David Salerno | May 4, 2023 | Blog, Cooking Tips and Tricks, Culinary Anthropology
Lifting the cloche on another piece of food history, this week we discuss the origins of Alfredo sauce. At first glance this sauce may beg the question, “is this sauce even Italian?” Noodles with butter and cheese? Sure, but it’s a far cry from the...
by David Salerno | May 3, 2023 | Blog, Cooking Tips and Tricks, Culinary Anthropology
We’re going back to our butchery class to answer the question, what is ham? I can tell you that growing up, a lot of the families I knew would have ham on Easter, and I can also tell you that most would have ham without knowing the reasoning behind it. Ham is...
by David Salerno | Apr 4, 2023 | Blog, Cooking Tips and Tricks, Culinary Anthropology
Al pastor tacos come directly from Lebanese immigrating to Puebla, Mexico. Without going down a huge historical rabbit hole, these immigrants left due to the fall and disintegration of the Ottoman empire. If you’ve ever seen the way the meat is cooked for the...
