Author Archives: Mike Major

For some families, dinner is the tie that binds them. Being able to not only dine with your relatives but also to compose the food together is quality time that results in lifelong memories. For a large Greek family like that of COOK veteran Frances Vavloukis, this could not be any truer. So much so that this class marks the 4th time she has brought either her sister, Katerina, or her cousin, Irene. Guests knew they were going to get an amazing meal; what they didn’t know was that they’d become part of the family by the night’s end.

When it comes to traveling, there’s no better way to experience a culture’s food than by eating like a local. Locals don’t always visit the high end, stylized food that gets all the press, but more than not, partake in some of the easiest accessible food to them – street food. Think New York hot dogs, Belgian pommes frites, Greek gyros. India boasts entries to this category that rival any of the items that live in the “pantheon” of the food found while roaming city roadways.  It’s from this catalog that Chef Chetna Macawan of Spice Culture Cooking drew from when she graced COOK with her presence.

We’ve talked about the warm months and the bounty they produce (pun intended) a few times in the last couple of months. From general recipes to enjoy in the moment to preservation methods, there is no shortage of ways to enjoy your favorite summer fruits and vegetables. There will, on occasion, be times that an over-abundance of produce present themselves. Samar Lazarri of Stoa Takeaway and Sara May, stopped by last week to discuss this phenomenon and how to take advantage of the surplus.