Copyright The New York Times
Hey, hey. Sometimes knowing the back story makes a recipe more delicious. Worst case, it gives you a chance to hold court at the family dinner table. There’s a strong argument to make that without Craig Claiborne, we wouldn’t have Yelp reviews. (You might consider this good news or bad.) In 1957, he became the food editor of The New York Times and invented modern-day restaurant criticism. Michelin may have been the first to award a restaurant a star, but Craig’s four-star system made it a cultural phenomenon. Some other things about Craig: He was a prolific cook, a tortured soul who drank too much and a gay son of the South. I once visited the historic marker in front of his childhood home in Indianola, Miss. He wrote and published thousands of recipes in his time, many of them influenced by France, as was the fashion in his day. But he always delivered the Southern goods. One of the most enduring is his and Pierre Franey’s recipe for smothered chicken, which Sam Sifton adapted. He offers some good variations on Craig’s original take. I can’t think of a more solid dish to make on a Sunday. Now, it’s a long way from leftover Halloween candy and acitrón, but Kate Medley is the Southern photographer who made that plaque in front of Craig Claiborne’s childhood home happen. She also created a book of photographs chronicling the gas station food of Mississippi. You can find so many other recipes at New York Times Cooking. If you want help with your account, believe me when I tell you the folks at cookingcare@nytimes.com are the ones to turn to. I’m assuming that, if you’ve read this far, you’re a fan, so I can share some news. Life sometimes shows up in the form of a severely messed-up knee. (Blame varsity sports and my mom’s genes!) I am getting a new one and have to bid this newsletter farewell to recover. Just remember the good times!
