Few cuisines in the world possess the depth, diversity, and history of Indian food. Its recipes have been refined over centuries, shaped by countless regions, cultures, religions, climates, and traditions. With a culinary heritage this rich, innovation can be a risky proposition. Push too far toward modernity and you risk losing the very qualities that made the cuisine beloved in the first place. Remain too rooted in tradition and there is little opportunity to surprise diner

This was my logic: Pizza is delicious. Since pizza is Italian, the best place to eat delicious pizza would be in Italy. Pizza, at least as we recognize it today, was invented in Naples, Italy. Therefore, I will find the best pizza in the world in Naples. The last step is where I went wrong, but not by much. Pizza was indeed invented in Naples, which is part of the Campania region of Southern Italy. Within Campania, and not terribly far from Naples, I found what may very

From Accra, I traveled west to Cape Coast. This and the next post are dedicated to this region and activities I suggest if you are visiting. My first adventure in Cape Coast was a cooking class (information on that is in my last post) in which palm oil was used in just about every dish. I was intent on learning about this ingredient, so rich with earthy flavor, and used almost exclusively in African cooking, so I visited a local producer and learned about the process of maki

This post is part of my "Greatest Hits" series, where I feature the very best restaurants I have had the privilege of dining at. These are places that transcend a great meal and become destinations in their own right. One such restaurant is Lo Scoglio da Tommaso, on Italy's stunning Sorrento Peninsula. Located in the tiny fishing village of Marina del Cantone in Massa Lubrense, Lo Scoglio sits on a dramatic stretch of coastline overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea between Sorrento