Always Hungry

FROM THE DECEMBER, 2006 ISSUE

Cooking Up a Little Christmas Cheer

Do we get depressed in December because of the holidays, or do we have holidays in December because we’re depressed? Pete Wells contemplates the Christmas blues and their perfect antidote: a magnificent standing rib roast.
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November, 2006

New Era of the Recipe Burglar

Pete Wells explores the mysterious world of kitchen spies, copycat chefs and copyright lawyers who might, one day soon, change the way we eat.

October, 2006

A Wine Dummy Becomes Cellar-Smart

Pete Wells doesn't know a lot about wine, but he knows what he likes. Or so he thought before a tasting session with a pro challenged his assumptions.

May, 2006

The World's Best Chocolate

After trying a chocolate so good it leaves him speechless, Pete Wells goes on an urgent tasting mission to cult Tuscan chocolatier Amedei.

April, 2006

Does Wine Taste Better with Food?

To answer this question, Pete Wells explores the geeky world of sensory science—and learns taste is as much in the mind as the mouth.

March, 2006

In the Belly of the Blog

Columnist Pete Wells looks beyond the boring "cheese-sandwich" genre of blog to celebrate the idiosyncratic ones that make him say Wow.

December, 2005

Lard: The New Health Food?

Startled by news about the dangers of trans fats, writer Pete Wells happily contemplates the return of good old-fashioned lard.

November, 2005

Can a Great Restaurant Be Cloned?

When a restaurateur opens a second place—then a third, then a fourth—what's gained, what's lost? Pete Wells ponders this at Manhattan's Megu, the 32nd restaurant from Japanese visionary Koji Imai.

October, 2005

White Wine: Too Darn Cold?

It's a question so obvious that no one thinks to ask it: Why do we chill white wine? Increasingly puzzled by this practice, Pete Wells investigates.

July, 2005

Putting Le Bec-Fin to the Test

Pete Wells has fantasized about eating at Le Bec-Fin for over 20 years. But can reality ever live up to the dream?

June, 2005

Raising a Baby with a Four-Star Palate | Four-Star Baby Food

Determined to introduce his infant son to one of life's great pleasures, Pete Wells decides to learn everything he can about his baby's tiny taste buds. Dexter cheerfully cooperates.

May, 2005

Mixing It Up With a Cocktail Purist

In her reverence for vintage cocktails, mixologist Audrey Saunders is part scholar and part priestess. Pete Wells visits her sanctum.

April, 2005

The Pantry Forager

Pete Wells squeezes sustenance and pleasure out of stale bread, sprouting onions and a two-year-old box of lentils as he investigates a Brooklyn-style cucina povera.