Griot is considered a national dish of Haiti and all it takes is a taste to understand why. Adored by José Andrés, this dish is a wonderful mix of cooking techniques; marinated pork shoulder is slowly braised and then fried, leaving the meat tender and flavorful.
Venezuelan cuisine is a vibrant melting pot of its cultural influences, where Indigenous roots, African heritage, and Spanish flavors come together to create rich, satisfying dishes packed with character. Venezuela's food scene shares many similarities with those from other Latin American countries, but focuses more on building layers of sweet, savory, and tangy depth rather than turning up the heat with bold spices.
This family favorite is as simple as it's iconic - sponge cake rolled over vanilla ice cream, with a layer of raspberry jam between the two. Think Swiss roll, but from the frozen aisle. The dessert became so popular that more than 25 miles of Arctic Roll were sold per month during the 1980s.
Irish desserts are, in one word, resourceful. They have to be; in a nation that grappled for centuries with conflict, famine, and outright war, luxurious ingredients were not accessible to most people. Instead, the Irish turned to local ingredients like sea moss, apples, and an impressive array of dairy products to satisfy their cravings for something sweet.
Onsu, an Asian-inspired bake house and patisserie, opens its doors in Soho on January 15. The sweet treat haven at 55A Dean Street is fronted by chef Michael Kwan, a multi-title pastry champion and the former executive pastry chef of the Dorchester. Kwan's career has also included stints at Ladurée, Hakkasan, and the three-Michelin-starred The Fat Duck. The new spot will combine Asian flavours with classical European style baking.
Fresh Italian fare has landed at West Oakland's Prescott Market. Fatto a Mano Alimentari, which is still in soft opening mode, offers an assortment of pastas made daily spaghetti, bucatini, gnocchi, paccheri and the like with varied sauces, including beef bolognese, pomodoro and four cheese. If you're looking for something on the lighter side, try the grilled eggplants dressed with cucumbers, black olives, Feta cheese, hummus and a side of focaccia, or the Tuscan bean soup.
Anything bright and zingy is particularly welcome in January, even more so when it's in the form of cake. I always have an odd end of marzipan after the festive season, and this is a great way to use it up and bring that cosy almond flavour. The marzipan gets blitzed into the butter for a plush-textured loaf cake, and comes together in minutes thanks to simply putting everything in a food processor.
In accordance with the lunar calendar, Ramadan could start as early as Tuesday this year, which falls well before the switch to daylight saving time on March 8 in the United States. This means that iftar will begin around 5:30 p.m. for most of the country for nearly three weeks, leaving a short window after work to get a comforting, nourishing meal on the table.
