When you’re Black in America, racism is a constant. And as a queer Black woman working in restaurants, I’ve experienced it all firsthand. Sometimes it’s action and sometimes it’s words, but it all comes from the same place.

On my better days I find happiness in the simple acts of cooking: methodically chopping vegetables; pan-frying chicken in cast iron like my grandmother taught me; following the handwritten chocolate chip cookie recipe my mom left behind after she died. In the kitchen I can sometimes forget there are people out there who see my skin color as a threat.

Then I get that wake-up call—maybe it’s small, like a put-down from a white chef who feels threatened by Black talent, or maybe it’s big, like a Black man murdered on camera for using a counterfeit bill—and sudden...

For now all of our supply chains are flowing freely—we’re not experiencing a shortage of stock for the shop or the kitchen. We’ve been in touch with our POS vendor, though, who has assured us that things are fine if their employees work remotely. The news is top of mind for me, but we’re staying proactive. It’s the best thing I can do for our community. I can’t control how the city or government responds to the illness, but controlling what I can in my little All Together Now domain gives me a sense of calm. I know we’re doing what we can to take care of our employees and our community.

Current restaurant diarists include:

Brandon Jew, chef and owner of Mister Jiu’s, Moongate Lounge, and Mamahuhu in San Francisco
Jessie Comfort and Adrienne Elliott, managers at Kakao in Seat...

Next, strain through a clean t-shirt (a nut milk bag will allow too much sediment through) into your storage receptacle of choice. You can gently nudge the oat mixture through the cloth with the back of a spoon, but don’t push too hard or squeeze the leftover pulp, which contains the gluey starch compounds (although you can add the pulp to oatmeal or cookies, if you wish).

While I never found this basic recipe slimy, it wasn’t as creamy as I hoped. So, in my quarantine-allotted free time, I dove into a whirlwind of blender-supported recipe research and Osterized my way through an array of creamy additions. The Alt Milk Queens of my apartment obligingly closed their eyes and tasted the results.

First, I added 1 teaspoon canola oil (any neutral oil would work) to the blender with the o...

When I started making cocktails at home, I knew that I needed to stock my bar with two types of vermouth: dry and sweet. The brightness of dry vermouth gives structure to martinis, while sweet vermouth’s spicy, vanilla-y bittersweetness mellows out boozy Manhattans and Negronis.

There is, however, a world of vermouth beyond the sweet/dry binary. In fact, most vermouths don’t fit neatly into one category—they come in colors from blush pink to honey gold. Some are spicier, some are more floral, some are nearly as bitter as amari. And what I’m reaching for now is vermouth bianco.

All vermouths are made from a base of wine fortified with neutral alcohol and infused with various herbs, roots, citruses, and barks...

This is Highly Recommend, a column dedicated to what people in the food industry are obsessed with eating, drinking, and buying right now.

One of the strangest things about a global pandemic is that, for better or for worse, life keeps moving. Milestone holidays still have to happen—even though it feels like they shouldn’t be allowed to. Personally, I didn’t want to get another year older while I sat alone in my apartment watching The Sopranos, but, hey, that’s just how the cookie crumbles.

Then I stumbled upon Internet Cookies, a delivery service for one-of-a-kind baked goods, the one bright spot among the darkness of COVID-19. I’ve since sent them to friends for their birthdays, my mom on Mother’s Day, and myself (just because!)...

Line a fine-mesh sieve set over a measuring glass with cheesecloth. Heat butter, ginger, garlic, chiles de árbol, chipotle chile, cardamom, star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and peppercorns in a medium heavy saucepan over low until foaming and milk solids turn brown and begin to stick to bottom of pan, about 45 minutes.

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Melt remaining 2 Tbsp. ghee in same wok, then add a mustard seed. As soon as the oil around the seed starts to sizzle or the seed moves, carefully add remaining mustard seeds, then urad dal (if using) and asafetida. Quickly cover pan and cook, shaking, until mustard seeds start popping more gradually, about 30 seconds. Uncover pan and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until urad dal turns a reddish golden brown and smells nutty, about 45 seconds; watch it closely so dal doesn’t burn. (If you aren’t using the dal, cook mustard seeds and asafetida until seeds are popping, reduce heat to low, and immediately add curry leaves and chile as directed below.)

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Preheat oven to 325°. Line a 9×9″ baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on 2 sides. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk eggs, egg yolk, yogurt, milk, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, ¾ cup reserved ghee, and 1 tsp. reserved caramelized milk solids in a large bowl to combine. Sift in dry ingredients and fold just until no dry spots of flour remain (batter will be thick and slightly lumpy). Spoon half of batter into prepared pan; spread to edges. Sprinkle half of streusel evenly over, then dollop remaining batter on top and gently spread into an even layer. Sprinkle remaining streusel on top and gently pat to adhere to batter.

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The only thing better than a good recipe? When something’s so easy to make that you don’t even need one. Welcome to It’s That Simple, a column where we talk you through the process of making the dishes and drinks we can make with our eyes closed.

When we were younger, my parents would often take the family out for pho on the weekends in San Jose. Before the soupy noodles arrived at our table, we always had a moment to watch the other diners. As my parents talked, my older sister Tram and I would scout for the people ordering something a little different: Vietnamese egg coffee.

It’s similar to regular Vietnamese coffee, which has a layer of sweetened condensed milk at the bottom, but instead it’s topped with a mixture of whipped egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk, which winds up tasti...

Smash garlic and a small pinch of salt to a coarse paste with a mortar and pestle. Add chiles and lightly smash (the finer you pound the chiles, the spicier the dressing will be). Mix in lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and 1 Tbsp. water. (Or, finely chop garlic and salt, then chiles, on a cutting board and smash with the side of a chef’s knife. Mix in a bowl with remaining ingredients.)

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