IN MY FAMILY, dining out has become a complicated affair in which we can never quite come to a consensus. My daughter loves the ramen at PekoPeko, my middle son’s go-to is the ceviche at Puerto 511, while kibbeh nayeh, a beef tartare dish on the menu at Lebanese Taverna, is the favored food of his fiancee. To keep everyone content, I play ambassador in what can fast feel like a United Nations negotiation. Luckily for me, they’re not picky eaters, so wherever we go, especially with all the flavors now available across this region, all parties end up pleased.
My own upbringing was nowhere near as global. Growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, as our family of six gathered around a table of Jewish-American standards—roasted chicken, brisket, lox and bagels—I was aware that there was a world of food and flavors from faraway lands awaiting discovery. But, of course, back then, there was no internet for finding recipes, no Food Network featuring bowls of bibimbap or plates of korma, no Bon Appétit Instagram feed to follow, so my culinary education was limited by the borders of occasional travels: purple, pasty poi made from taro on a visit to see a childhood friend in Hawaii, coquilles Saint Jacques served in a scallop shell on my first trip to Paris at 17, fried plantains from a beach shack on a family trip to the Caribbean.
Long before Anthony Bourdain brought the world into our homes, around the dinner table, my father, who owned an international textile business, regaled us with stories of his exotic meals abroad: octopus and raw fish in Tokyo; chicken mole in Mexico; horsemeat and rabbit in France. As he told these tales, I’d stare at him in wide-eyed wonder—and, often, horror.
Denne historien er fra October 2019-utgaven av Baltimore magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra October 2019-utgaven av Baltimore magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Man With a Plan
The eternal optimism of Thibault Manekin.
SHOWER POWER
Locals let rain gardens soak up the storm.
THE SOFA QUEEN
Stuffed & Tufted’s Samantha Kuczynski relishes being the new face of upholstery.
The Starting Gate
At long last, plans are underway for a new “Home of the Preakness.”
CLEANING UP CITY HALL
Baltimore is the second most corrupt federal jurisdiction in the country. Can a city with our history be reformed?
THE HOMECOMING
For one family, it was time to start living in their house, not just existing there.
SUGAR RUSH
Baltimore gets a fresh batch of home-grown bakeries——and the line forms here.
GAMECHANGER SANDRA GIBSON
Executive Director, SNF Parkway Theatre & Maryland Film Festival
FROM THE GROUND UP
A new build gives a couple a house that finally feels like them.
AFTER GLOW
KEY HIGHWAY