When my husband and I moved here from New York, I thought I’d miss the specialty markets. In Manhattan, you could find chile crisp or harissa at nearly any hour. But one winter afternoon not long after we settled in, I went hunting for dried porcini mushrooms to make Mark Bittman’s black bean burgers. Giant in Flourtown didn’t have them. Fresh Market didn’t either. But there they were at Weavers Way Co-op on the pillar opposite the fresh mushrooms — concentrated earthiness in a bag waiting above the dried ancho chiles. I remember standing there and thinking: this place gets it.
Amy Cheng is a J.D. Candidate with a background in journalism at notable outlets including The Washington Post and NPR. She focuses on government, politics, public policy, and security policy, exploring the intersections of these critical areas. Her work has been featured in The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Washington Post, Yahoo News, The Independent, and several other prominent publications.
