Abigail Schmitt

Featuring: Persimmon varieties, Hoshigaki Tradition, Kurogaki wood, Wagashi, Persimmon leaf tea, Astringent vs non-astringent fruit, natural sugar bloom (shisō), Kakinoha sushi, Persimmon Recipes

On making new friends, open-fire cooking and fresh venison meat. It was mid-November, and I had hired Paige to come out to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. We were headed out to cook with some of my favorite clients, hunters on their private land who hunt elk, deer, grouse, mushrooms, and more. Naturally this made both of us excited: I grew up bow hunting deer and shooting pheasants with my family in the Midwest, so cooking for a group like felt close to home, personal and nostalgic. They...

Honoring every ingredient by cooking mindfully, rethinking food waste, and staying accountable to the impact of my work. I’m listening to a Science Friday episode right now called “Where Does Plastic and Other Trash Go After We Throw It Away?” A conversation between journalist Alexander Clapp and host Flora Lichtman. It is scratching at questions I have had for years: What actually happens to our recycling? What is truly worth recycling anymore? Clapp recently released his book Waste Wars:...