Fajitas were born out of necessity and thrift on the dusty ranches of the Texas–Mexico border. In the 1930s vaqueros were paid in part with less‑desirable cuts of beef—the skirt or ‘faja’—which they marinated with citrus and spices, grilled quickly over mesquite coals and wrapped in warm tortillas. The word itself comes from the Spanish […]
Ice cream has deep roots—ancient Persians chilled sweetened syrup in snow, Chinese cooks froze milk and rice into a congealed treat, and European courts served flavoured ices in silver chalices. But the idea of layering ice cream into a pie is distinctly American and tied to the growth of home refrigeration. In the first half […]
Pinot Noir is often called the heartbreak grape, not because of its flavour but because of how notoriously difficult it is to grow. Its clusters are tight like a pinecone, which is why medieval Burgundian monks named it ‘pinot’ from the French word for pine; its skins are thin, its vines are sensitive and it […]