Welcome to Peckish — A food and cooking magazine run by Yale students.
Kombucha Power Rankings
In my ideal life I drink one to two kombuchas a day. The best kombucha brand you can buy bottles from is Synergy (I am still thinking about the kombucha I had on tap in Maine). TRAGICALLY, the Bow Wow no longer stocks it, and only has Health-Ade, which is notably worse and sometimes too funky, even for me.
Apple Pie
This delicious apple pie filled with caramelized apples and warm spices is perfect for Thanksgiving.
St. John
I left London last summer with several memorable restaurant experiences. St. John was one of them. I had begged my friend Eric—whose place I was staying at—to take me. A victim of theft, I was a financial dependent of my gracious friends during those final weeks in London. It is largely thanks to them that I enjoyed what should have been a stressful time.
Japan Through a Lens of Ramen
I grew up watching Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away, Totoro, Ponyo, and Howl’s Moving Castle, falling in love with the plotlines and the incredible detail within these animated films. Throughout these movies, Miyazaki presents Japanese cuisine in all its beauty, expertly showcasing its stunning presentation and making my mouth water at every abundant feast or delectable snack. Spirited Away especially captures the allure of these extravagant meals and simple delicacies unique to Japanese cuisine, cultivating my deep desire to visit Japan and experience this type of food firsthand.
Elena’s on Orange
Soft serve ice cream has always been more than a sweet treat for me – it’s a link to my childhood and a bridge between my family’s cultures. My dad, half-Norwegian and half-Greek, loved taking my sister and I for ice cream outings.
Strawberries
The first time I had a real strawberry was four years ago at Massaro Farms, a small New England organic farm in my hometown. Unlike bananas, peaches, and apples, a strawberry’s growth is stunted the moment it is picked. Most strawberries are ripped from their beds before maturity, so that their delicate flesh can withstand long journeys. Even if their skin is fully red, their cores are marred with streaky white scars. I used to think this was normal.
A Return to Grooveland
Back in New Haven, I once joked to a friend that the café was my monastery. Every afternoon, like a studious monk abiding by a strict schedule, I approached Chapel Street as two coffee shops enter my field of vision
Elementary School Saturday
The smell precedes it; wafting up the stairs at ten in the morning. Like a zombie, you rise from bed, still not quite awake. You know it before you see it. Pancakes.
Hen and Heifer
Hen and Heifer in Guilford stands as a small yet delightful haven for those seeking incredible pastries. The ambiance of this patisserie is inviting, a cozy space that draws you in with the aroma of freshly baked goods. The attention to detail in both the pastries and the décor sets a refined yet welcoming tone.
Pumpkin tart
This is a french twist on a pumpkin pie — I use traditional pastry dough instead of pie crust. It’s a sweeter change, but works really well with the pumpkin.
Summer at Layla
This past summer, I worked at a bakery in London. In the bakery, the day started long before sunrise. As soon as I arrived, I’d dive into the rhythm of the work – turning on the ovens, tipping out brioche dough to shape cardamom buns, meticulously garnishing pastries with carefully sliced fresh fruit. It was a far cry from my typical mornings of the past three years at Yale where my hands would normally be typing on my laptop instead of shaping a tray of baguettes.
London Tastes Like Home
I boarded the train from Heathrow in a slouched, disheveled, and jet-lagged state. Looking out the window, sunlight kissed broad patches of shimmering grass, brightened parents’ faces, and quickened the skips of frolicking children. In that moment, London seemed too good to be true.
A French Pâtissière tried the Cronut
About the time when Maud tried Dominique Ansel’s renowned creation.
Lemon Cake with Toasted Almonds and Cream
I promise if you make it, you will not be disappointed.
Everybody’s Crush, Chef Pol
The pastry chef who stole all of our hearts.
Best Date Night Restaurants
Anyone who knows me knows I love setting people up on blind dates. And because I love food so much, people often ask me to recommend date night restaurants. So! Here are the places I most usually suggest.
Venetian bacon and eggs
A love poem to carbonara.
Five Things I Shouldn’t Have Eaten
Sophie reflects on her life’s eats.
Olive Oil Seeded Granola
Phaedra’s base recipe for granola.