Sam Worley
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Articles by Sam Worley
Barbara Kingsolver Has a Grudge
Partita, by Barbara Kingsolver (Harper), is out October 6. Partita, by Barbara Kingsolver (Harper), is out October 6. A certain ingenuousness, an earnest impatience with the world’s many injustices, is a hallmark of Barbara Kingsolver’s novels. Her most effective characters are children or young adults, people who may credibly experience a simplistic moral awakening.
Allergic To Nuts? Try This Ingredient Swap For A Nut-Free Pesto
Powered by Yahoo Scout. Yahoo is using AI to generate key points from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Key takeaways Powered by Yahoo Scout. Yahoo is using AI to generate key points from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.
Culver's CurderBurger May Be Gone, But With This Tip It's Not Forgotten
Powered by Yahoo Scout. Yahoo is using AI to generate key points from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Key takeaways Powered by Yahoo Scout. Yahoo is using AI to generate key points from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.
Douglas Stuart Comes Into His Own
John of John, by Douglas Stuart (Grove), is out May 5. John of John, by Douglas Stuart (Grove), is out May 5. Douglas Stuart’s entry into the gay literary canon was swift, though it probably didn’t feel that way to the author. Stuart, a fashion designer, spent a decade chipping away at his first novel, which was rejected dozens of times before Grove published it in 2020 — whereupon Shuggie Bain became a finalist for the National Book Award and the winner of the Booker Prize.
What’s a Satirist to Do in Times Like These?
Vigil by George Saunders (Random House) is out January 27. “Have exported this grief. Some three thousand times,” Abraham Lincoln thinks in George Saunders’s Lincoln in the Bardo, contemplating the death of his young son as the Civil War rages in the background. “A mountain. Of boys. Someone’s boys.” It’s one of the most moving passages in the novel, which was published in 2017 to near-universal acclaim.
The Seasoning Secret You Need For Creamy Scrambled Eggs
For some, the pursuit of the perfect plate of soft scrambled eggs is a lifelong project. With so many variables affecting their quality, from heat to cooking time to what kind of pan you're using, you can find a ton of ways to upgrade your breakfast — and plenty of tips for making the creamiest eggs possible. But no matter how much rigor you bring to this endeavor, you're still working with just three building-block ingredients: eggs, salt, and whatever fat you use for cooking.
The Birds Are Back in Town: How One South Carolina Community Turned Stormwater Ponds into an Avian Paradise
“I waited an hour, freezing in the water": Diver spots sharks motionless on seabed. What happened next has never been filmed before The incredible footage was captured near New Caledonia in the south-west Pacific Ocean. Underwater cameras have recorded the first known footage of …
How to succeed in business...
Washington is nothing if not a networking town, which Ahmed Eltally knew even before he moved to the East Coast, looking to kick-start a career in international diplomacy.
Susan Choi Is Still Outlandishly Talented
Ten-year-old Louisa is walking on a beach on the Japanese coast at night with her father, a cantankerous college instructor named Serk. It’s 1978. They’ve left their sandals near a staircase leading to the village where they’ve been staying. Decades in the future, Louisa recalls the feeling of damp sand beneath her bare feet. Or does she?
Kristen Arnett Book Is A Paean to Gay Dirtbags
Kristen Arnett writes a hell of an opening scene. Her debut novel, 2019’s Mostly Dead Things, began with a studious description of a taxidermist skinning a white-tailed deer; in her newest, Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One, the curtain rises on a lesbian clown, hired to entertain a children’s party in suburban Orlando, slipping off into the bathroom for a sweaty assignation with the mother of the birthday boy.
Laila Lalami ‘The Dream Hotel’ Is Trump Era Horror
The Dream Hotel is a cautionary tale about what can happen when you don’t read the terms of service. In the near future of Laila Lalami’s unsettling, meticulously observed new novel, Americans are outfitting themselves with a neuroprosthetic implant called the Dreamsaver, marketed as a sleep aid.
What Happened To Stride Gum?
By Sam WorleyFeb. 17, 2025 8:15 am EST It was available for sale in the U.S. for less than 20 years, but Stride gum still blazed like a comet across the candy market before disappearing from sight. Or, to pick a more apt comparison, it blazed across the candy market like a guy who jumps out of an airplane without a parachute and then free-falls for 25,000 feet before landing in an enormous net somewhere in the California desert.
What Happened To Stride Gum?
packs of various gum brands, including Stride, in a pile - ungvar/Shutterstock Generate Key Takeaways It was available for sale in the U.S. for less than 20 years, but Stride gum still blazed like a comet across the candy market before disappearing from sight. Or, to pick a more apt comparison, it blazed across the candy market like a guy who jumps out of an airplane without a parachute and then free-falls for 25,000 feet before landing in an enormous net somewhere in the California desert.
Kamala Harris' Go-To Breakfast Meal Is So Simple - Mashed Original
By Sam WorleyFeb. 16, 2025 10:30 am EST Andrew Harnik/Getty Images Kamala Harris loves cooking. She's a real foodie who's happy to dole out advice on everything from roasting chicken to crafting the perfect tuna melt. But for breakfast, Harris likes to keep it simple. In October 2024, when Harris appeared on football champ Shannon Sharpe's "Club Shay Shay" podcast in the lead-up to the presidential election, the former vice president admitted that her morning meal is "not very exciting." Her go-to?
The One Swap That Makes Brooklyn Blackout Cake Even Tastier Original
By Sam WorleyFeb. 10, 2025 2:15 pm EST Here's the real tragedy of Brooklyn blackout cake: Nobody is ever going to taste the real thing. Generally speaking, the dessert combines layers of moist devil's food cake with a chocolate-pudding filling, covered with a rich, ganache-like frosting and finally coated with chocolate-cake crumbs. This famous creation came from the kitchen of Ebinger's, a family-owned Brooklyn bakery that was wildly popular in the 20th century.
Try Making Cabbage The Japanese Way And You'll Never Go Back
By Sam WorleyFeb. 10, 2025 6:15 am EST At long last, cabbage is getting the respect it's owed. Long relegated to gloopy, sugary coleslaws or boiled to death on the stove, this cruciferous vegetable has a satisfying crunch, tons of nutrients, and a mild, lightly peppery flavor that plays well in all sorts of preparations. In other words, cabbage can be very good. But can it be hard to resist?
Try Making Cabbage The Japanese Way And You'll Never Go Back
1 hour ago 5 Weeknight Dinners To Make When You Need Something Fast and Delicious Every Monday, our editors bring you Simply (Weeknight) Recipes, five quick and easy dinner recipes to make this week. Because I was raised in a … 13 hours ago PHOTOS: Victoria kicks off the Year of the Snake in style The streets of Chinatown in downtown Victoria came alive today (Feb.
Try Making Cabbage The Japanese Way And You'll Never Go Back
Cut head of cabbage - Westend61/Getty Images Generate Key Takeaways At long last, cabbage is getting the respect it's owed. Long relegated to gloopy, sugary coleslaws or boiled to death on the stove, this cruciferous vegetable has a satisfying crunch, tons of nutrients, and a mild, lightly peppery flavor that plays well in all sorts of preparations. In other words, more people are acknowledging that cabbage can be very good. But can it be hard to resist?
Ingredients That'll Be Sure To Spice Up Your Nacho Cheese Sauce Original
By Sam WorleyFeb. 3, 2025 4:15 pm EST SYED IBAD RM/Shutterstock To be clear, there is nothing wrong with nacho cheese sauce. All cheese is good cheese, and nachos can be optimized in endless ways. You can bake sheet pan nachos and load them with cheeses and pulled pork, or engineer them to taste just like Taco Bell's triple-layer nachos (with just five ingredients). There are also subtler ways to make a difference with a platter of nachos. We're talking about spice.
A New Orleans Chef's Advice For The Best Tasting Roux Original
By Sam WorleyFeb. 3, 2025 12:15 pm EST Lauripatterson/Getty Images Roux is one of the fundamental building blocks of European-American cuisine. Literally: This combination of cooked fat and flour, used to thicken sauces and stews, is the basis of three of the five French "mother" sauces — velouté, espagnole, and béchamel. It's a critical ingredient in mac and cheese, clam chowder, lasagna, and much more.
Do This With Parmesan Cheese Lids Instead Of Tossing Them In The Trash - Mashed Original
By Sam WorleyFeb. 2, 2025 10:30 am EST Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock Honestly, whoever invented shelf-stable Parmesan has already given us a lot. First, that cheese doesn't even need to be refrigerated. It's already grated for you. And, though it's got some haters, pre-grated Parm also has tons of fans, many of whom remember it from childhood as the garnish for spaghetti and meatballs. But did you know that, even after the cheese is gone, those plastic Parm containers still have more to offer?
Which Came First: The Blondie Or The Brownie? It's Complicated Original
By Sam WorleyFeb. 1, 2025 8:15 am EST Static Media/Shutterstock/Getty Which came first, the blondie or the brownie? That's not just complicated — it might be a bit of a trick question. Let's start with the brownie. The most widely touted theory places its invention in Chicago during the late 19th century — specifically, in the kitchen of the Palmer House, a downtown hotel that wealthy industrialist Potter Palmer had given as a wedding gift to his wife, Bertha.
Wagyu Vs Kobe Beef: Which Is More Expensive? Original
By Sam WorleyJan. 27, 2025 12:15 pm EST Mironov Vladimir/Shutterstock If you to need to know the difference between wagyu and Kobe beef, you're probably in decent financial shape. Though these labels refer to separate things, both indicate that you're dealing with some of the world's best meat — and, therefore, some of the most expensive.
The Uncertain Origins Of Melon Bread Original
By Sam WorleyJan. 27, 2025 6:15 am EST There are some things we know for sure about melon bread. This yeasted baked good has nothing to do with cantaloupe or any other melon. Its most distinguishing feature is the crunchy, sugary coating on top. Part of a broader category of sweet breads called "kashipan," melon bread is beloved in Japan and perfect for anyone needing a little pick-me-up.
The Italian Ingredient To Use For Even Fluffier Scrambled Eggs - Mashed Original
By Sam WorleyJan. 23, 2025 4:15 pm EST For a dish so simple, scrambled eggs inspire a surprising amount of debate. It all comes down to what other ingredients you should add beyond the main attraction: milk or water? Some argue for whisking in a splash of milk or cream, saying it promotes, well, creaminess. Others claim water is best because it makes eggs fluffier. Advertisement What if we told you, though, that the answer to this perennial question is... neither.
Food Trends That Won't Survive 2025 - Mashed Original
By Sam WorleyJan. 22, 2025 4:15 pm EST Part of food's appeal has always been visual — but that's never been as true as it is right now. Today, we're not just admiring gorgeous layer cakes in bakery windows as we stroll down the avenue, or peeking through restaurant windows to see what's on diners' plates. We're watching video after video of those layer cakes.
The Absolute Best Way To Wash Grapes Original
By Sam Worley Jan. 22, 2025 8:15 am EST Washing produce is a cooking step many folks are tempted to skip, but the experts who say it's necessary aren't lying. Your produce may have picked up bugs or bacteria, either in the soil itself or en route to the supermarket. These risks include E. coli, listeria, and salmonella, and according to the CDC, almost half of food-borne illnesses in the U.S. come from fresh produce.
The Easy Way To Keep Your Turkey Burger From Crumbling Original
By Sam WorleyJan. 18, 2025 10:30 am EST Lauripatterson/Getty Images Turkey burgers have a lot going for them. First, the richly flavored meat itself has a ton of dinnertime potential — beyond that one annual holiday on which it's typically consumed. It's a pretty virtuous protein, too, providing important nutrients (B-complex vitamins, iron, potassium) while being generally healthier and better for the environment than beef.
The Absolute Best Way To Cook French Toast For A Crowd - Mashed Original
By Sam WorleyJan. 9, 2025 4:15 pm EST Claudia Casal/Getty Images The biggest drawback to French toast is that it's best made-to-order and served hot. That might seem like a challenge if you've got a bunch of hungry mouths to feed. However, it doesn't need to be a deal-breaker — just ask chef Kaleena Bliss. A veteran of high-end establishments in the Pacific Northwest, she now heads the kitchen at Cindy's, the restaurant in the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel.
The Butcher Shop Origins Of Iowa's Loose Meat Sandwich Original
By Sam WorleyJan. 9, 2025 8:15 am EST Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock If you're visiting Iowa, chances are you're going to come across the loose meat sandwich — one of the Hawkeye State's most famous foods. How famous? It even made its way onto the sitcom "Roseanne." In one plot line, the characters open a restaurant serving this messy creation, which Roseanne describes as a "sloppy Joe, but without the slop." That's a decent definition.
How To Store Jícama For Ultimate Freshness Original
By Sam Worley Dec. 24, 2024 2:15 pm EST Anybody who's eaten jícama knows that it's an easy vegetable to love. Its flavor is so mild and its texture so perfectly crunchy that it's a natural ingredient for slaws and other super-fresh preparations. Is it an easy vegetable to store, though? One would hope: These things can grow up to 5 pounds, so you very well may end up with leftovers. Luckily, like other root vegetables, jícama keeps pretty well.
Should You Buy Your Christmas Ham From Costco? Here's What You Need To Know Original
By Sam Worley Dec. 20, 2024 1:15 pm EST Elena Veselova/Shutterstock It's ham season, or as some call it, Christmastime — when many in the U.S. go looking for some gorgeous, juicy cut of meat to serve as a centerpiece on the holiday table. Ham is a traditional option, and as a bonus, there's a good story behind its prominence at Christmas. But once you've appreciated that story, you've still gotta get the ham.
A Primer On The Ingredients That Make A Perfect Paella Original
By Sam WorleyDec. 9, 2024 7:15 am EST If you're looking for great paella, you could do worse than to visit The National Hotel Miami Beach. There, executive chef Sergio Chamizo serves several variations on the beloved Spanish rice dish, including artichoke and wild mushroom paella. No time for a Florida foray? No problem: Chamizo gave Mashed the inside scoop on perfect paella — which starts, he says, with the quality of the ingredients.
Our Favorite Orange Soda Brand Absolutely Crushes Sunkist Original
By Sam WorleyDec. 6, 2024 8:15 am EST If you're anything like us, you can vividly conjure the flavor of Sunkist soda even if you haven't put a bottle of this liquid to your lips for 20 years: treacly, fizzy, like something formulated in a lab to taste "orange" more than something that has any meaningful relationship to the actual fruit growing on a citrus tree. In short, it's the kind of taste you love as a kid.
Idaho's Oldest Restaurant Has Been Around Since The Days Of Wyatt Earp - Mashed Original
By Sam WorleyDec. 4, 2024 1:15 pm EST In the 1880s, the discovery of gold sparked a boom around Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. One of the beneficiaries of this gold rush? The Snake Pit, a restaurant that opened in 1879 or 1880 and today is the oldest eatery in the state, boasting a comforting menu of steaks and sandwiches, a selection of craft beer and cocktails, and a healthy dose of rustic charm. From the outside, the Snake Pit looks like a two-story wood hunting lodge.
Where In The World Will You Find Beer On McDonald's Menus (And Why)? Original
By Sam WorleyDec. 2, 2024 2:15 pm EST In 2016, when McDonald's announced that it would start serving beer at a new outlet in South Korea, it made headlines in the U.S. — and why not? Mickey D's is way more famous for its Big Macs than for doling out foamy pours.
A Celebrity Baker Recommends Some Vegan Substitutes For Making Cookies - Mashed Original
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. By Sam WorleyNov. 30, 2024 4:30 pm EST Times used to be tough for vegan bakers: For butter, you had Earth Balance, and that was about it. For eggs, some kind of weird egg replacer from the food co-op. Instead of milk chocolate, you reached for the ... carob? And you ended up with a chocolate chip cookie that, while possibly pleasant-tasting, was rarely in danger of winning any awards.
Russian Blini Vs French Crepes: How Are These Regional Delicacies Different? - Mashed Original
By Sam WorleyNov. 29, 2024 4:30 pm EST Flatbreads must be a universal culinary creation, or something close to it. Just thinking about the general concept of starch mixed with liquid into a dough, then griddled on a hot surface or baked in the oven, you can come up with several different foods from around the world.
The Major Knife Mistake To Avoid When Using A Cutting Board Original
We're not here to shame anybody, so let's begin with a confession: I have definitely made this major knife mistake many times in the past, and probably will make it many times in the future. Partially that's because it's so easy to do. Say you're cutting up a bunch of vegetables to put into a pot of soup.
A British Crisp Sandwich Is Almost Too Simple To Make - The Takeout Original
If you are a person with a love of sandwiches, a craving for carbohydrates, and very little food in the house, you may find your salvation in one very simple British snack: the crisp butty. Or, translated into American English, the potato chip sandwich. A longtime U.K. fave, the sandwich gained global popularity in 2022 when an Instagram post about it from Nigella Lawson went viral, with nearly 2 million views to date.
The Sweet Layer You Need For Crispy, Not Soggy, Pie Crust - The Takeout Original
Pie may be one of the most perfect desserts that humanity has yet invented, but it's not always as easy as... well, you know. There's the crust, for one — an intimidating order for many home bakers, but completely doable once you get the hang of it (check out our tips for a perfect pie crust).
The Salmon Variety That Fish Skeptics Should Give A Try - The Takeout Original
There are plenty of good reasons to eat fish generally, and salmon specifically: It's healthy, for one, packed with beneficial fatty acids and other nutritious compounds. If you know what to look for, it's sustainable — fish has a much smaller environmental footprint than, say, beef. It's often quite affordable, especially if you're buying canned or tinned fish (which you should then be arranging onto a beautiful seafood charcuterie board). In many respects, fish is the perfect protein.
Prime Rib Vs. Rib Roast: What's The Difference Between These Meats? - Mashed Original
By Sam WorleyNov. 25, 2024 4:30 pm EST Trying to make sense of the many, many different cuts of beef you can buy at the market isn't for the faint of heart. These are big animals, after all, and butchery is a precise trade. It has to be: An average 1,200-pound steer yields about 750 pounds of beef, and that's a whole lot of meat to cut into usable pieces. Some classification system is needed.
Give Tomato Soup A Richer Flavor By Raiding Your Stash Of Condiments Original
Tomato soup's inoffensiveness is kind of its biggest selling point: Not for nothing is a steaming bowl of Campbell's associated with cozy lunches and sick days home from school. Made from little more than pureed tomatoes, salt, and sugar — plus a whisper of seasonings like garlic and celery — tomato soup is mild-tasting by design. That's why everyone loves it. That same quality means it's also a blank canvas, agreeable to whatever you want to doctor it up with. The best place to start?
The Brilliant Trick To Prevent Wooden Skewers From Burning On The Grill - The Takeout Original
When it comes to grilling (the easiest type of cooking), wooden skewers have obvious advantages. They're cheap, they're disposable, and (because they're made of wood) you don't need to feel too bad about the fact they're disposable. (If you're worried about sustainability, feel reassured by the fact that wooden skewers are typically made with bamboo — an especially eco-friendly material.) On the other hand, the fact that disposable grill skewers are made of wood can also be a disadvantage.
Parchment Paper Is The Unexpected Secret To A Better Poach - The Takeout Original
Years ago, at a garage sale, I came across an amazing kitchenware deal: a large cast-iron skillet and a beautiful Dutch oven, both from the legendary company Le Creuset (whose color palette is extensive), for $12. Purchased new, these items would have cost hundreds. There was only one drawback — no lid on that Dutch oven. Problem? Not really: I had the materials to make one at home. Not that I was heating up a forge and casting iron in my apartment kitchen.
The Unexpected Ingredient For Flavor-Packed Roasted Vegetables - The Takeout Original
True fans know that there's little you can't do with mayonnaise. This stuff's not just a condiment: It's a full-fledged ingredient, a matrix of oil and egg whose unique properties make it useful in the kitchen far beyond its traditional role as a cold sandwich spread. If you're making grilled cheese sandwiches, for instance, you'd be wise to use mayo rather than butter on the outside of it.
Do You Have To Wash Brand New Dishes Before You Use Them? Original
It's a common experience: You bring home a bundle of brand-new dishes or cooking implements — something special for a fun dinner party, maybe. A few replacements for chipped flatware. Some fancy new kitchen tools. Here's another common experience, at least in my household: You feel you should wash those dishes or utensils straightaway, and yet ... wouldn't it be easier just to put them in the cupboard? Aren't they brand-new, after all? Do you really need to wash them? In a word: Yes.
Make A Stand-Out Chocolate Cake With Two Unconventional Ingredients - The Takeout Original
If you're even a casual baker, you probably already have the ingredients in your kitchen for a pretty decent chocolate cake: cocoa powder, eggs, flour, and so on. But here's a hot tip — you probably also have the ingredients on hand for a really great chocolate cake. You just might not be storing them with the baking supplies. One of these ingredients may seem counterintuitive. It's mayonnaise.
Blood Orange Vs. Navel Vs. Cara Cara: How Do They Differ? Original
Static Media / Shutterstock / Getty Images By Sam WorleyNov. 21, 2024 11:15 am EST Whether they're zested over a cake or piled in a bowl for easy snacking, oranges are a fan favorite in the citrus world, with varieties ranging from standard navels to pink-hued Cara Caras to deep-scarlet blood oranges. All of these are different types of the same fruit, but what exactly sets each kind apart? First, a quick primer on the orange.
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