Expert Interview

Artisan. Artisanal. What do these words really mean, especially now they’ve been co-opted by big companies like Domino’s Pizza? We asked some of our favorite local food producers what they think of when they hear the term “artisan” and hope you’ll join in the conversation, too.These five small business owners make some of the finest bread, preserves, ice cream, and confections we have ever tasted.

Babies need constant care, but a mama can’t forget to care for herself. Stylist and herbalist Darienne Sutton offers a week of homemade body care — simple little luxuries like belly butter, facial oils, and eye masks for the morning after those 3 a.m. wakeups. These are dreamy homemade gifts for mothers of all ages. I was always drawn to the idea of natural healing, although back in the ’80s it was really very fringe.

We don’t often write about buzzy new restaurants, but we couldn’t help catching a little bit of the fever around Babu Ji. The Alphabet City spot, which opened last summer, has been widely credited for shaking up the Indian food establishment with its cheeky decor and delicate, flavorful fare.

Last year, Union Square Café, a mainstay of the New York dining scene and the first jewel in Danny Meyer’s culinary empire, announced it would be closing its doors at 21 East 16th Street, where it had resided for more than 30 years. But there’s good news: The New American restaurant, which has earned myriad awards, stars, and nods of recognition, will be relocating to new digs just a few blocks away and will open sometime this spring.

What’s not to love about Tex-Mex? The Lone Star State’s take on comfort food is saucy, cheesy, and all-around awesome — even if it is sometimes misunderstood. To help clear up what real Tex-Mex is and how to guarantee Tex-Mex success in your home kitchen, we reached out to Lisa Fain, aka The Homesick Texan. The two-time cookbook author and James Beard Award-winning blogger is a seventh-generation Texan (even if she does call New York home) and expert on all things Tex-Mex.

So, you’re on the road to somewhere wonderful and you can’t tell if it’s the excitement about reaching your final destination that’s making you dizzy or, wait … nope, it’s actually hunger. In your rush to get out the door and be on your way to the lake, beach, country, mountains — wherever it is, not here — you forgot to pack snacks. Unfortunately, you’re short on options, so the gas station it is.

Haymarket Whiskey Bar is my kind of bar. It’s the kind of dive bar that’s got character in spades — witness pinball and skeeball machines, a giant moose head, and a neon blue bar — but it’s not so grungey that you feel like you don’t want to put your hands on the fluorescent-lit bar (or if you do, you’d have to whip out your bottle of Purell). It also has the best collection of bourbon in Louisville.

San Francisco is one of the most exciting food cities in the United States. If you’ve made the trip, chances are you’ve filled your belly with everything from clam chowder in a sourdough bowl and Zuni Cafe’s roast chicken to horchata bubble tea and toast slathered with homemade preserves at The Mill. Maybe you’ve even ventured across the Bay to Oakland, which is quietly gaining a reputation as a serious food destination. (Perhaps even better than San Francisco?

There are the cookbooks you use every day, and then there are the ones that may not spend much time on your kitchen counter, yet can profoundly inspire the way you view food and the world around you. A member of the latter tribe, René Redzepi’s new A Work in Progress is in fact a collection of three books: a stunningly beautiful collection of recipes, a pocket-size book of behind-the-scenes snapshots, and an intimate journal written by Redzepi over the course of a year.

Love to travel but don’t have a companion? No worries. More and more, traveling alone is an active choice, with women leading the way, according to Mary Bond of The Gutsy Traveler. (In fact, when it comes to travel, women are leading the way, period. Bond notes that 75 percent of those taking cultural, adventure, or nature trips are women, while women-only travel companies have increased by 230 percent.

The dress, the flowers, the venue — yes, those are important decisions when planning a wedding, but for food-lovers, the biggest question is: What will we eat? Most couples are looking for a wedding caterer who provides great food, covers all the services they need, and is open to their feedback, but assessing potential caterers can be confusing. How do you know what you need if you’ve never planned a wedding before?

No one understands hangovers better than those who spend their working lives among an endless supply of booze. While you’re probably aware of the general go-to hangover remedies — a Bloody Mary; Gatorade; a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich — what can the experts tell us? Their suggestions stray from the usual coconut water and breakfast burrito.

The genius of the Tumblr Sad Desk Lunch is immediately obvious to anyone who has ever had a job that involved a lot of lunches eaten in front of the computer at work, mindlessly scrolling through Pinterest or food blogs while trying to ignore ringing phones and loud co-workers. It’s hard to have a happy lunch at your desk. This week we are talking to experts about their best lunches to pack for work or school.

Folks in my Oakland, CA, neighborhood know about chef Tanya Holland because of her popular restaurants Brown Sugar Kitchen and B Side BBQ but her fame has spread much wider than our shared city. Maybe you recognize her from her appearances on The Talk and The Chew, or perhaps you’re a diehard Food & Wine fan like Ms. Holland herself, in which case you probably saw her Thanksgiving spread last November.

Since our conversation with him two years ago, Christopher Boffoli has been busy photographing a whole universe of tiny people interacting with giant food in surprising, funny and illuminating ways. And with the release of his new book, Big Appetites, you can finally have a your own collection of his photographs to pore over and share with your friends.

David Lebovitz, acclaimed pastry chef, cookbook author and blogger, welcomed me into his almost-renovated Parisian kitchen (see his original kitchen here). He was as delightful in person as he is on the page and screen, even amidst ongoing construction. Join me for a brief interview and catch-up session with one of our favorite bon vivants.David Lebovitz first enchanted me with his many informative, reliable cookbooks then caught me hook, line and sinker with his eponymous blog.

Feeling a little burned out on the food bloggers’ version of Valentine’s Day? One too many heart-shaped pepperoni, perhaps? This week we are asking experts to share their ideal Valentine’s Day menus and today the blogger behind the Tumblr and Twitter handle, S— Food Bloggers Say, gives voice to the bitter, the burned out, the ones who just don’t buy into this holiday. No candles. No roses.

Of all the food myths my parents told me — and there were a lot — the one I never questioned was the idea that the crust is the healthiest part of the bread. My parents always said it was, and the crust was brown and didn’t taste as good as the center, so of course my 7-year-old self believed it was the healthy part.

What does the self-proclaimed "Whole30 headmistress" eat on a daily basis? Find out.

We’re past January now, which means that we’re over the hump of Diet and Resolution Season — that annual stretch when everyone starts to feel pressured into Doing Something about their diet, their activity levels, or both. If you’re just hopping onto that bandwagon and are considering trying the keto lifestyle, read this first. We talked to three nutritionists who have some reservations to consider.

Name: Teeny Lamothe, pie baker extraordinaire and aspiring small business owner Location: Washington, DC Last month Apartment Therapy introduced you to 29-year-old pie baker Teeny Lamoth and her adorable apartment in Woodley Park. When we learned that Teeny went on a cross-country “pie tour” and apprenticed herself to pie shops along the way, we had to know more!