March 2008

Features

• International Wine Stores

  Buying wine abroad is a blast, but you have to know where to look.

• Chicago Star Chefs Watch

• Creating a Better Kitchen

  A preeminent designer divulges his must-haves

• Editor’s Letter

• A Donegal Son Returns

  When Virginia chef Cathal Armstrong goes home to his native Ireland, friends regale him with pints and fiddles—and the area’s best purveyors bring out delicious local ingredients for him to prepare a homecoming feast.

• Baker’s Tips: Cakes

• Baker’s Tips: Cookies

• Big Sugar’s Blockbuster Desserts

  For Hollywood celebrities like Nicollette Sheridan, the biggest hits might just be around the corner from their studios at Big Sugar Bakeshop, the fantastically inventive home of the doughnut muffin and the apple pie bar.

• Steve Corry: Secrets of a Resourceful Maine Chef

  All talented chefs rely on high-quality ingredients from top purveyors, but Portland chef Steve Corry has found the perfect source in neighbor and friend Taylor Griffin, who imports some of the world’s most extraordinary ingredients.

• Tea 101

  The path to a great tea experience starts with knowing the finest tea regions, the best importers and proper preparation.

• Tea User’s Guide: 10 Teas to Know

  A user’s guide to 10 teas, from the aristocratic, pure pu-erh to the populist blended teas like chai and scented ones like Earl Grey.

• Tea’s Time

  Now that first-flush Darjeelings and brews with mystical names like Iron Goddess of Mercy are turning up everywhere, budding tea connoisseurs have endless choices. Here, we uncover the best teas and sources.