​What happens when the restaurant widely believed to be the best in the world implodes? Seems like we’re about to find out.. Noma, which opened in 2003 and has earned a generous sprinkling of Michelin stars since 2011, opened its long anticipated Los Angeles residency on March 11. In the weeks leading up to opening night, discourse burbled along healthily. Angelenos’ eyes bulged at the $1,500-a-head price tag. They gossiped about the private school at which Noma might enroll its relocated chef’s children. Critics wondered how successful this next iteration of Noma might be. Simultaneously, a much more serious conversation came to a boil on Instagram as former chefs and interns at Noma posted allegations of abuse against founder René Redzepi.. This week we’re getting into the ins and outs of the Noma controversy. How did we get here, and where do things stand amid the public outcry against its founder and figurehead? —Sam Stone, staff writer. Noma announces LA residency to mixed reactions. The near-instantaneous sellout of tickets to Noma’s LA residency, where the team plans to transport its Copenhagen-born ethos to Silver Lake for four months, might suggest unanimous enthusiasm—in a vacuum. On the contrary, LA chefs expressed mixed feelings: optimism that the pop-up would bring visibility to the local dining scene, and apprehension that it could siphon reservations away from their restaurants.. Chefs who formerly worked under Redzepi took to social media with more troubled reactions.. Former workers allege abuse from chef René Redzepi, culminating in a New York Times investigation. The Instagram page of Jason Ignacio White, a former head of Noma’s fermentation lab, is plastered with screenshots of anonymous DMs, all allegedly from former Noma chefs who experienced abuse and exploitation at the hands of Redzepi. They began to flow in after White began sharing criticism of Noma and its head chef on his account in early February.. The New York Times followed the trail, publishing an investigation on March 7 (just four days before the pop-up’s opening) that “independently [interviewed] 35 former employees, whose accounts trace a pattern of physical punishment Mr. Redzepi inflicted on his staff,” writes reporter Julia Moskin. “Between 2009 and 2017, they said, he punched employees in the face, jabbed them with kitchen implements, and slammed them against walls. They described lasting trauma from layers of psychological abuse, including intimidation, body shaming and public ridicule. Mr. Redzepi, they said, threatened to use his influence to get them blacklisted from restaurants around the world, to have their families deported, or to get their wives fired from their jobs at other businesses.”. Redzepi responded in a statement to the Times, writing: “Although I don’t recognize all details in these stories, I can see enough of my past behavior reflected in them to understand that my actions were harmful to people who worked  

​Outside of the festive season, I’m not usually hand-washing much glassware, but I do clean my knives nearly every day. And let me tell you, this special sponge happens to fit perfectly around sharp blades too. It glides seamlessly along both sides of a knife (or kitchen shears) at once, neither tearing, snagging, nor slipping along the way. Once I realized it worked so well on my santoku (decidedly not a wine glass), nothing was safe. The Mitt left my little glass prep bowls, mini tongs, jiggers, measuring spoons, and thermometer probes sparkling clean. Honestly, the more I used it, the more uses I found for it. It’s like a precise extension of your hand in the sink. Bonus: it’s dishwasher-safe, so it’s a cinch to sanitize.. Now, you might be thinking, “I too can fold a sponge in half and approximate this utility.” And, yes, you can. But approximate is the keyword here. The Mitt’s open-cell foam structure means it dries quickly (less chance of mold) and, most importantly, it means it is precisely flexible enough to clean fragile things well. It doesn’t force you to squeeze too hard to fit the form of your glass. The shape is so intuitive to hold and use, it makes me wonder why all of my other sponges are just rectangles. It’s a Goldilocks sponge, not a unitasker, but it is still particularly great at the thing it is specifically designed to do.. So I will be keeping my Mitt sinkside, right on its handy little sponge rest, no matter the season. I will be spreading the word too. I think they make the loveliest hostess gift, paired with a bottle of your favorite drink, of course.. Keep those wine glasses shining  

​Performance can tell you something too. You might notice suboptimal baked goods when using past-their-peak whole grain flours, for example. Bread dough can feel different as you knead it, or cookies might spread more as they bake. Determining when flour is past its prime takes a bit of baker’s intuition, Jampel says. Overall, if there’s any evidence of the above, toss it in the compost bin.. One complicating note about clumps: Gluten-free flours can be prone to clumping because of their high starch content. Don’t be deterred—if you can whisk out the clumps and it doesn’t smell off, it should be fine.. How long do different types of flour last?. All-purpose and refined flours: 12–18 months. Refined flour includes most white flours (all-purpose, bread, cake, pastry, 00). It has the most forgiving shelf life of all flour types, provided it is kept dry and free of insect infestation.. Self-rising flour: 12 months. Self-rising flour is the exception among refined flours. Baking powder, the leavening agent in self-rising flour, can lose potency starting on or after the flour’s best-by date. As a result, Jampel cautions, your cakes or biscuits might not rise properly.. Whole grain flours: 3–6 months. The term whole grain covers a variety of milled flours and grains, including rye and spelt flours, as well as buckwheat (which is technically a seed). All whole grain flours contain the bran and germ (the bits processed out of refined flours). These are what make whole grain flours distinct in flavor and rich in nutrients—but they are also why whole grain flours deteriorate at a faster rate. Different grains spoil at different rates, which is why the shelf life of whole grain flours can vary from bag to bag.. Nut flours: 4–6 months. Almond flour, walnut flour, and other flours made from ground nuts, as well as coconut flour (the pulverized dried meat of a coconut), also have a higher fat content than refined flour. Jampel stresses that the expiration dates on this type of flour are worth heeding. Once turned, old flour will smell and taste off (often compared to the smell of wet cardboard or Play-Doh). And that flavor will carry through to anything you bake with it.. How to store flour for maximum freshness. Refined flour is fairly shelf-stable. Stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry pantry, most white flours will keep for a year or more without major changes in flavor or performance. Whole grain flours are more perishable and usually last only two to three months in the pantry.. Colder storage can extend that timeline. Refrigerating flour slows oxidation and helps deter pests like weevils and pantry moths. If you go this route, transfer the flour to an airtight container first so it doesn’t absorb moisture or stray fridge odors.. For longer-term storage, the freezer works best—especially for more volatile flours. Many bakers store whole grain, nut, or coconut flours in a zip-top bag in the freezer to slow the natural oils fr  

​Extra flavorful vegan chili. In my years on this earth, I have made a lot of bean chili. Sometimes black beans, sometimes pintos. Sometimes tomatoey, sometimes tomatillo-y. Sometimes a lot of veg, sometimes very little. They’ve all been fine. Good for the freezer but nothing to write home (here) about. Then I tasted my coworker Jesse Szewczyk’s Vegan Chili in the Test Kitchen. With smoky chipotles and cocoa powder, it’s just as satisfying as a chili with meat. It’s also just as easy as the vegetarian versions I’ve been making, but approximately 17 times more flavorful. To stretch the mixture even further (and because they were languishing in the pantry), I threw in a couple cans of lentils. A nourishing meal I’ll look forward to thawing for lunch for months to come. —E.L.. Vegan Chili. All the smoky savoriness of chili con carne, without the meat.. View Recipe. Sweet corn in winter. For those nights when the winter blues hit a little too hard, I turn to my freezer for some out-of-season brightness. Mine is mostly filled with fruit and veggies (crammed in alongside a tower of butter sticks) and, among the assorted bags, I always keep some charred corn. While senior Test Kitchen editor Shilpa Uskokovic’s Miso-Brown-Butter Rice Cakes With Corn absolutely shines in late summer with fresh kernels, it’s equally satisfying to pull together during a once-in-a-decade blizzard with the frozen stuff. Paired with Korean rice cakes, almost a stick of butter, and a pantry powerhouse sauce (miso, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and toasted sesame oil), each bowl tastes like a ray of sunshine. —Kelsey Jane Youngman, senior service editor. Miso-Brown-Butter Rice Cakes With Corn. Crispy-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside rice cakes play well as a pasta substitute in this comforting vegetarian one-skillet meal.. View Recipe. Repeat-worthy chicken and couscous. My weekly comfort meal is this One-Pan Garlicky Chicken Couscous by Carolina Gelen. I make it like clockwork. But this week my oven broke, so I needed to split the dish up, making the chicken in the air fryer (which unlocked a new level of crispy goodness) and the grains on the stove (I opted for rice since I was out of couscous). Both elements get topped with a tangy dill sauce, which I like to double and mix into salads the next day. Though the schmaltzy edge was missed, it was still chef’s kiss. —Abi Lieff, assistant to the editor in chief. Bitter veg season. There are only a few weeks left to enjoy peak bitter vegetable season, a joyous time of year! Wanting to take advantage of radicchio’s vibrant offerings, I turned to this hearty salad. I used Castelfranco leaves since it’s a sweeter and milder variety, and substituted the brussels sprouts with red endive for even more crunch. The subtle bitterness is complemented with creamy cheese and a mouth-puckering lemon dressing. Any white bean will do—I opted for cannellini since it has a delicate bite. —Marisa Alia Malanga, resea  

​This matzo ball recipe proves you don’t need seltzer, baking powder, egg whites, or even a delicate touch to get great results. Eggs, matzo meal, broth, and schmaltz come together to produce tender, reliably fluffy dumplings.. Schmaltz (chicken fat) adds rich savoriness and that familiar comforting flavor, while dill and black pepper bring freshness and bite. When cookbook author Molly Baz was developing the recipe, she learned that giving the matzo ball mixture an adequate rest in the fridge and gently simmering the shaped dumplings were the keys to light, perfectly puffed matzo balls—no gimmicks, no tricks. Don’t worry about handling the mixture too much either; rolling the balls firmly into smooth spheres won’t make them dense.. This recipe was developed to go with BA’s Best Matzo Ball Soup.. Why do I need to chill the mixture? Resting the mixture for at least 35 minutes allows the matzo meal to absorb the liquid. The mixture will seem loose at first, but will firm up as it hydrates, helping the balls hold their shape and cook up light rather than dense.. Why cook matzo balls in salted water instead of soup? Matzo balls absorb the liquid they cook in like sponges. Simmering them in well-seasoned water gives them flavor while keeping your soup broth clear.. How salty should the cooking water be? Think pasta water: salty but not briny. If you’re sensitive to salt, you can reduce the amount slightly.. Why didn’t my matzo balls puff up? They need a gentle simmer and enough time to cook through. A rolling boil can toughen them—or worse, cause them to disintegrate. Keep the pot covered and cook for the full 30–40 minutes; removing the matzo balls early can leave the centers dense.. Can I substitute schmaltz? Yes. Neutral oil or light olive oil works if you don’t have schmaltz, though you’ll lose some of the classic chicken-y flavor. You could also swap in beef tallow for a meatier-tasting dumpling (best with beef broth).