We tend to remember the Champagne and forget how many decisions went into the bottle. Frédéric Panaïotis spent years making those decisions at Ruinart, and his work deserves a proper toast.

A négociant might make wine from purchased grapes or sell bottles another producer has finished. The distinction tells you much more than vineyard ownership.

There’s a lot of animal left after the ribeyes sell. Here’s how whole-animal butchers turn their knowledge into useful cuts, sausages, cooking advice, and a better plan for dinner.

Nicolas Potel’s career took him from Volnay to businesses and wines that reached far beyond Burgundy. I look at the work he built, the labels that can confuse us, and the people who remembered him.

Butter gives us a surprising amount to talk about, from fermentation and grass-fed milk to pastry and the salt on our bread. I look at what changes the flavor and why the particular butter matters more than its passport.

Lard helped make American pie crusts, then acquired a century of baggage. Here’s how advertising, convenience, and changing ideas about fat reshaped its place in the kitchen, and why some cooks never stopped using it.

I love salt, but its history goes well beyond seasoning. Ancient mines, compulsory purchases, Gandhi’s march, and the people doing the work all connect through the same useful mineral.

I wanted to know what ancient Egyptians ate and ended up reading about bread rations, busy breweries, grain accountants, and the names on Tutankhamun’s wine jars.

A cookout plate can hold five different foods at once. Here are the wines I’d choose for burgers, hot dogs, corn and dessert, and how sauces and toppings change the pairing.

Red Lobster’s comeback involves a new owner, familiar dishes, new ideas and a great deal of restaurant work. Here’s what has changed under Damola Adamolekun, with a 2026 update.