Roots and Grubs

“Cardamom Like Orange Pits,” P-I 21 Oct 1959.

My research project has taken me to the microfilm at the central library, where I have unearthed many important facts. All of these are actual headlines from the Times or P-I: “Man should always order for woman,” P-I 21 Oct 1959. “In a group the men still give the orders, but if the party is […]

“Honestly, there is no restaurant in New York right now that gives me more pleasure than Momofuku,” wrote Alison Cook of the Houston Chronicle in April, when chef David Chang was named one of Food & Wine magazine’s best new chefs. Upon reading this, I realized that there is no restaurant in New York—and few […]

And for once I’m not being sarcastic. Next year, Pike Place Market will turn 100. I’ve already written more than enough about how important the Market is to our family in particular, and Seattle in general. In doing some research recently, however, I learned more about just how close the Market came to being killed […]

Iris has taken a sudden interest in the natural world. During dinner, which was chicken enchiladas, she asked, “How does the chicken make chicken?” That is one way of putting it. Later, we were outside talking about mammals. Iris was asking for an exhaustive list of every type of mammal. Luckily, we were distracted by […]