Some important ideas shared here - thanks Mitchell! As a cookbook author who can't afford to eat at higher-end restaurants more than about once/year, I am very much in agreement that home cooking not only deserves but *has to* be a part of the conversation.
My husband and I recently relocated to New Hampshire (for much the same reason y'all did, in fact-my physician husband took a job at DHMC) from a suburb of Dallas, Texas. The local food culture here is AMAZING compared to the corporate food culture that dominates suburban Dallas. I want to fully embrace it, but am struggling to get my overly frugal husband on board! The trick is to just keep cooking these beautiful ingredients simply and let them do the convincing. For example, the other night I roasted local asparagus with olive oil, sea salt and cracked pepper. He raved.
Your point about TV food shows made me think of when I first decided to transition from the food I grew up with (lots of prepared food) to cooking with real ingredients. Sara Moulton’s show on the, at the time new, Food Network was key to my cooking education. Sadly, there simply isn’t anything like that on Food Network anymore.
Thank you for the introduction to Ed and Sara’s newsletters. I’m always on the lookout for New England based newsletters. One that I enjoy on IG is North Ridge Farm. She grows most of her own food (NOT in my future), but also shares lots of recipes designed for the home cook.
I look forward to continuing to follow along as you continue to share about great food and your life in the Upper Valley.
This is a huge topic (meaning the topic that precedes grilled cheese, which is also a large topic -- I'm a Welsh Rabbit guy, which perhaps arguably doesn't quality, although long ago the cheese was melted on the toast, not cooked separately). For instance, how much do the expectations of US customers limit what a chef can do? Sara cited, for example, her customers' non-Italian ideas about the meaning of "al dente," and the way they see great ingredients very simply prepared as not special enough to serve in a restaurant. Italians come with very different limiting expectations, which are closely tied to the particular place, to its home cooking to be clear. You have to be careful about making a change to a dish.
(The fish cakes by the way were really delicious!)
Indeed, a big topic. And one I hope to ruminate on more as I keep writing. I don’t want people to think going deep = elevating. Knowledge is not in and of itself exclusionary. It’s how you use it, I guess.
Loved this article. I had the most wonderful Mother's Day dinner on Sunday. My daughter made homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. One of the best meals I've ever had.
Like Nate, I love a grilled cheese sandwich. It is my answer to my wife's favourite question for new acquaintances: what was your favourite lunch when you were young?
But am I alone in that I never want to "press the sandwich and compress it"? I like to keep the bread as fluffy as possible. Crispy top and bottom, fluffy middle, gooey centre. The best.
Although you do write "gently" press the sandwich, I know people who really squish the grilled cheese in the pan and compress it to half the size of the original components. Sure, it probably cooks faster that way, but I don't mind low and slow for my perfect grilled cheese!
This is how I make my grilled cheese though sometimes I mayo the outside instead of butter. What is the green stuff in the first gc picture? As a big fan of Ed Behr's writing and esp. Sara Jenkins' food, I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall at that gathering
Nice! I was going to mention the mayo on the outside technique, but things were running long. The green stuff was some pesto. That was an older photo. Same idea….Thanks for subscribing.
I loved this post and your reflections on food culture, especially the idea that elevating food in a “high culture” way can unintentionally exclude people. Your emphasis on home cooking, and on food as something that belongs in everyday life, not just restaurants or glossy media, really resonates.
Your comments about accessibility and inclusion also made me think about the work being done around food security and dignity in our own community, particularly where I work at the Upper Valley Haven. The Haven’s food programs are grounded in the same principles you describe: that good food should be available to everyone, that home cooking matters, and that food culture is strongest when it is shared across income levels rather than separated by them. In a region that values local agriculture and culinary creativity, there’s something powerful about connecting that broader food conversation to the realities of food access, affordability, and community support.
I would be thrilled to participate in future conversations in this vein, as a foodie, a consumer of local foods, and an advocate for the idea that good food should be available to ALL. I believe there’s meaningful overlap between celebrating home cooking, supporting local producers, and strengthening community food programs, and I’d welcome the opportunity to contribute to that dialogue in any way that would be helpful!
Thank you for the thoughtful writing and for continuing to expand the frame around what food culture can mean to all of us!
Some important ideas shared here - thanks Mitchell! As a cookbook author who can't afford to eat at higher-end restaurants more than about once/year, I am very much in agreement that home cooking not only deserves but *has to* be a part of the conversation.
My husband and I recently relocated to New Hampshire (for much the same reason y'all did, in fact-my physician husband took a job at DHMC) from a suburb of Dallas, Texas. The local food culture here is AMAZING compared to the corporate food culture that dominates suburban Dallas. I want to fully embrace it, but am struggling to get my overly frugal husband on board! The trick is to just keep cooking these beautiful ingredients simply and let them do the convincing. For example, the other night I roasted local asparagus with olive oil, sea salt and cracked pepper. He raved.
Your point about TV food shows made me think of when I first decided to transition from the food I grew up with (lots of prepared food) to cooking with real ingredients. Sara Moulton’s show on the, at the time new, Food Network was key to my cooking education. Sadly, there simply isn’t anything like that on Food Network anymore.
Thank you for the introduction to Ed and Sara’s newsletters. I’m always on the lookout for New England based newsletters. One that I enjoy on IG is North Ridge Farm. She grows most of her own food (NOT in my future), but also shares lots of recipes designed for the home cook.
I look forward to continuing to follow along as you continue to share about great food and your life in the Upper Valley.
Welcome to the UV Marianna!!!!
Thank you!
This is a huge topic (meaning the topic that precedes grilled cheese, which is also a large topic -- I'm a Welsh Rabbit guy, which perhaps arguably doesn't quality, although long ago the cheese was melted on the toast, not cooked separately). For instance, how much do the expectations of US customers limit what a chef can do? Sara cited, for example, her customers' non-Italian ideas about the meaning of "al dente," and the way they see great ingredients very simply prepared as not special enough to serve in a restaurant. Italians come with very different limiting expectations, which are closely tied to the particular place, to its home cooking to be clear. You have to be careful about making a change to a dish.
(The fish cakes by the way were really delicious!)
Indeed, a big topic. And one I hope to ruminate on more as I keep writing. I don’t want people to think going deep = elevating. Knowledge is not in and of itself exclusionary. It’s how you use it, I guess.
That pesto looks so good, what a great idea!
Loved this article. I had the most wonderful Mother's Day dinner on Sunday. My daughter made homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. One of the best meals I've ever had.
I should have mentioned tomato soup. Such a classic pairing! Like oysters and Sauvignon blanc (haha). Thank you!
Like Nate, I love a grilled cheese sandwich. It is my answer to my wife's favourite question for new acquaintances: what was your favourite lunch when you were young?
But am I alone in that I never want to "press the sandwich and compress it"? I like to keep the bread as fluffy as possible. Crispy top and bottom, fluffy middle, gooey centre. The best.
Although you do write "gently" press the sandwich, I know people who really squish the grilled cheese in the pan and compress it to half the size of the original components. Sure, it probably cooks faster that way, but I don't mind low and slow for my perfect grilled cheese!
thought it was pesto but you didn't mention it , great story and I'm making the grilled cheese now
This is how I make my grilled cheese though sometimes I mayo the outside instead of butter. What is the green stuff in the first gc picture? As a big fan of Ed Behr's writing and esp. Sara Jenkins' food, I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall at that gathering
Nice! I was going to mention the mayo on the outside technique, but things were running long. The green stuff was some pesto. That was an older photo. Same idea….Thanks for subscribing.
Now that you're a NH resident, I'd love to see NHPTV produce a series with you on home cooking!
How fun would that be?
You could bring such a different perspective! They already produce Ciao Italia...
Mitchell,
I loved this post and your reflections on food culture, especially the idea that elevating food in a “high culture” way can unintentionally exclude people. Your emphasis on home cooking, and on food as something that belongs in everyday life, not just restaurants or glossy media, really resonates.
Your comments about accessibility and inclusion also made me think about the work being done around food security and dignity in our own community, particularly where I work at the Upper Valley Haven. The Haven’s food programs are grounded in the same principles you describe: that good food should be available to everyone, that home cooking matters, and that food culture is strongest when it is shared across income levels rather than separated by them. In a region that values local agriculture and culinary creativity, there’s something powerful about connecting that broader food conversation to the realities of food access, affordability, and community support.
I would be thrilled to participate in future conversations in this vein, as a foodie, a consumer of local foods, and an advocate for the idea that good food should be available to ALL. I believe there’s meaningful overlap between celebrating home cooking, supporting local producers, and strengthening community food programs, and I’d welcome the opportunity to contribute to that dialogue in any way that would be helpful!
Thank you for the thoughtful writing and for continuing to expand the frame around what food culture can mean to all of us!
https://uppervalleyhaven.org/programs/food-market/
Laura Gillespie
Director of Development & Communications
Upper Valley Haven