cookware

Inspiring the well-equipped kitchen

Inspiring the well-equipped kitchen

Posted on by Pat and David
We've written before about the wonderful Paris kitchen supplies store, E. Dehillerin. Now we've met its match in Manhattan at J.B. Prince Company (36 East 31st Street, 6th floor, New York, NY; 212-683-3553; jbprince.com). Created in 1977 by German-born Judith B. Prince, the store isn't quite as old as Dehillerin (founded 1820). And it's moved around a bit. But the sixth floor showroom of its current incarnation is a vast toyland of kitchen tools and a treasure for the neighborhood.. Long-time staff member and CEO Tim Mussig purchased the company from Judith Prince when she retired recently. A former professional restaurant cook, he tends to hire staff with a similar background. Not only does the company carry all sorts of marvelously obscure kitchen tools, its...Read More
Shopping for cookware in the shadow of Escoffier

Shopping for cookware in the shadow of Escoffier

Posted on by Pat and David
When it comes to making food, the right tools make all the difference. A dull knife, a thin pot with hot spots, and trying to make do with a microwave when you really need a conventional oven are the kind of inconveniences that keep Grubhub and DoorDash in business. To cook with enthusiasm and joy is much easier with the proper batterie de cuisine, as the French call the arsenal of kitchen utensils, pots, and pans. And, let's face it, dinner tastes better when eaten on something other than paper plates and plastic cups. So save some extra room in your checked bag the next time you visit Paris. Two shops within steps of each other in the former Les Halles district of Paris sell...Read More
Cock-a-leekie soup inspires a Scottish pie

Cock-a-leekie soup inspires a Scottish pie

Posted on by Pat and David
Our mission with HungryTravelers is to bring the taste of travel back home. That means trying the characteristic and traditional dishes of a place and trying to re-create them in our home kitchen. One of the signatures of Scottish cuisine—sometime called Scotland's national soup—is a bowl of leeks and peppery chicken stock. It's been going under the name of cock-a-leekie soup since the 18th century, though there are printed examples of the recipe from two centuries earlier. Food historians suggest that it was originally a French chicken and onion soup that made its way to Scotland through the Bourbon connections to the Scottish throne. Weather and soil being what they are in Scotland, hardy leeks soon superseded fussy-to-grow onions. The traditional version of the dish...Read More
Maison Empereur is Ali Baba’s cave for foodies

Maison Empereur is Ali Baba’s cave for foodies

Posted on by Pat and David
Julia Child reportedly lamented her husband Paul's transfer from Paris to Marseille in the early 1950s, but she took solace in the cuisine of Provence. Perhaps she had already assembled a full kitchen battery at E. Dehillerin in Paris (edehillerin.fr). If not, she also had the riches of Maison Empereur (4, rue des Récolettes, +34 04-9154-0229, empereur.fr) at her fingertips in Marseille. Tucked into a corner of old Marseille a few hundred meters from the Old Port, this “hardware store” (quincaillerie) founded in 1827 claims to be the oldest in France. More than 90 percent of the products sold at Maison Empereur carry the Enterprises du Patrimoine Vivant label, a certification of excellence in traditional artisanry and industrial processes. Yes, you can buy nuts and...Read More