lsanderson | Bison, it's back...

Home Again on the Kitchen Range
By MARIAN BURROS

ON fancy china and in hot dog rolls and burger buns, buffalo is finally coming of age as an alternative red meat. But it almost didn’t happen.

The first time buffalo ranching took off, in the 1990s, the public wasn’t ready. People wanted only the fancy steaks and burgers; the other cuts were seen as tough and gamy, and producers couldn’t give them away. In 2000 the market collapsed. Bulls that had sold for $2,100 were going for $500. More

An Orchard in a Bottle, at 80 Proof
By ERIC ASIMOV

PORTLAND, Ore.

DON’T get Stephen R. McCarthy started on cocktails. At Clear Creek Distillery here, which he has operated for more than 20 years, he makes grappas and marcs, brandies and liqueurs. He makes a whiskey that is a dead ringer for an Islay single malt.

But his first love are the gorgeous, impeccably pure eaux de vie that he makes from pears and plums, cherries and raspberries, and even, in a distinctly Northwestern touch, from the springtime buds of Douglas firs. More

In the Fruit Belt, Selling Summer Off the Truck
By MICHELINE MAYNARD

BENTON HARBOR, Mich.

THE sky was still pitch-black and crickets chirped as trucks began pulling through the gates at the Benton Harbor Fruit Market well before 6 o’clock on a recent August morning.

As the drivers eased into their assigned stalls, the scent of summer produce began to pierce the muggy air: fat red tomatoes, just arriving at ripeness, voluptuous Red Haven peaches, their fuzzy skins colored deep red and gold, and tender bicolor sweet corn, piled high on truck beds. More

The Minimalist
To Toss the Shells Is to Discard Flavor
By MARK BITTMAN

SHRIMP shells pose a problem for good cooks. Leaving them on unquestionably enhances any shrimp dish, because their flavor is about as strong as that of the meat. Peeling shrimp at the table, however delicious, is a messy and sometimes finger-burning job. Removing the shells beforehand is easy enough, but for someone who cares about taste, discarding them seems akin to a sin.

(In some cases, you can eat the shells, which resolves this problem, but the shells must be thin and you and your guests adventuresome.)

Enter shrimp-shell stock, the most easily and quickly made stock there is, the one that provides the most punch for the least hassle.

To make it, take the shrimp shells, cover them in water — you can add aromatics like carrots and onions, but it’s hardly necessary — bring to a boil, simmer for a few minutes, and drain. When you are done you have essence of shrimp, a broth of a very high order, the perfect liquid for seafood risottos, stews and soups.

Recipe: Pasta With Shrimp Ragù