The Blog

Few things give us as much joy as finding a new magazine subscription to add to our collection. (Sincere apologies to our tenacious postal workers.)

Cherry Bombe is the new digest from Harper’s BAZAAR alums Kerry Diamond and Claudia Wu, and its focus is on women in the culinary field. Thanks to their ingenuity (and some help from Kickstarter) the biannual publication turned out beautifully.

We caught up with Kerry, a PR exec and restaurateur, and Claudia, graphic designer and creative maven, about all things food.  

So we know how to boil water, grill chicken, the usual basics. What’s the next place to start if we want to throw together a standout meal?

Kerry: Anything goes, as long as you don’t overdo it. Pizza and a nice bottle of Champagne with friends is more fun than a five-course meal you slaved over. (It helps that I live across the street from a great pizza place.)

Claudia: Starting with quality, seasonal ingredients is important. The less you need to process food and the less it has to travel, the better. I love shopping farmers’ markets to find inspiration on what to eat.

What are your most dogeared, underscored, practically spineless cookbooks?

Kerry: I had a copy of Kathleen’s Bake Shop cookbook that I loved until it literally fell apart. I had to buy a second copy. If you find one, make the carrot cake. It’s epic.

Claudia: The Better Homes and Garden Cookbook was my childhood cooking/baking bible. Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything comes in handy. Martha Stewart Baking Handbook. Currently, Modern Mediterranean by Melia Marden.

One recipe you haven’t quite been able to master in the kitchen:

Kerry: Just one? 

Claudia: I’m currently trying to perfect a macaroon recipe and am enjoying eating the “bad” results. I’m basing it on a favorite store-bought macaroon that I can’t find any longer, so I’m experimenting with the ratios of the ingredients on the package. 

The one food you absolutely, nu-uh, no way cannot stomach:

Kerry: Brains. I just can’t go there.

Claudia: Ditto. I don’t eat meat, but the thought of eating sweet breads scares me. And bugs.

Your most memorable meal is:

Kerry: When I worked for Lancôme, we had a company lunch at the Jules Verne restaurant at the top of the Eiffel Tower. It’s an Alain Ducasse restaurant, and I love everything he does. And then that view. Honestly, they could serve you anything and it would still be brilliant because of that view. 

Claudia: It’s a tie between Blue Hill at Stone Barns and Daniel. Both meals were in beautiful environments, and the menus are so carefully considered. Definitely food that’s hard for the home cook to make! Also, Hartwood in Tulum. We went two nights in a row so we could try everything that was on the menu.

The oddest item in your fridge or pantry:

Kerry: Caudalie Beauty Elixir Toner.

Claudia: Xanthan Gum. According to the package: Made from the outer layer of a tiny, inactive bacterium called Xanthomonas campestris.

Preferred midnight snack:

Kerry: Häagen-Dazs Caramel Cone. 

Claudia: Xanthan Gum. Just kidding. Chocolate macaroons.

Food-related guilty pleasure:

Kerry: I try not to associate food with guilt.

Claudia: I agree. Everything is okay in moderation. But I do love chocolate.

Thank you so much, Kerry and Claudia. Check out Cherry Bombe’s site for retailers where you can snap up the first issue. 

 

Tags: cherry bombe, food, magazine