Below you'll find a cross-section of my journalistic writing, which includes profiles, essays, travel and restaurant guides, cultural and environmental reporting, service pieces, and event coverage, along with a few related "behind the scenes" articles about what it's like to do this work.
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Forbes, December 1, 2024] This is the time of year when many of us prepare elaborate meals and indulge our cravings […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Resy, November 25, 2024] “Where do you want to go this time?” asked Tammy. With my birthday just over a month […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Saveur, in print (October 2024) and a slightly longer version on the website (November 21, 2024)] “Wine is storytelling,” says Brandy […]
- September 25, 2024 At the “Spain Talks” Climate Week event in New York City, I was presented with the Sustainability Ambassador Award by the Spanish government. […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by BBC Travel, September 6, 2024] A mosaic of stone and trees, the mountains stretched out toward the horizon while below me […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Forbes, July 29, 2024] Not so long ago, “fine dining” meant starting off your meal with a mixed drink before moving […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Forbes, July 22, 2024] The success of a food or drink business is predicated on many things—quality, flavor, price and market […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Forbes, July 15, 2024] Stumble into a discussion on great Canadian wines and you might assume the topic was ice wines, […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Condé Nast Traveler, July 11, 2024] The meadow is a vibrant shade of green, with stately trees rising high above a […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Forbes, July 9, 2024] From fermented garlic to banana-flavored seaweed, the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City can induce […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Forbes, July 1, 2024] It’s easy to take bananas for granted. Walk into any U.S. supermarket, no matter how poorly stocked, […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by BBC Travel, April 18, 2024] When viewed from a distance, the vineyards of Spain’s Lanzarote island show few signs of […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by BBC Travel, September 11, 2023] “I remember this Spanish guy screaming,” said chef-volunteer Karla Hoyos, describing the first time she met […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Wine Enthusiast, June 5, 2023] Sherry wines have long gotten a bad rap—tagged as fusty and old-fashioned. But no style in […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Condé Nast Traveler, March 10, 2023] As I sat in the dark, the anticipation threaded the air like a fine electrical […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Wine Enthusiast, March 10, 2023] To become a great master blender, it takes a sharp nose, discerning palate and vast storehouse […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by HEREIN for Marriott Residences, December 2022] Mention cuisine to a Belizean and you’ll soon be talking about culture. “My family comes […]
- By Sofia Perez – Photo by Mero Afonso [Published by BBC Travel, May 12, 2022] After its cathedral, Santiago de Compostela’s most visited destination is the […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Saveur, April 14, 2022] A 4.5-pound block of Cabrales from Asturias, Spain currently holds the Guinness World Record for most expensive […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Whetstone Journal, March 21, 2022 – Ed. Note: This piece received Honorable Mention in the food and drink category of the […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Literary Hub, July 13, 2020] “Dear God,” I silently begged, “please no more castles, cathedrals, or churches.” It was day two […]
- What makes a paella authentic? It’s complicated. But this recipe isn’t. By Sofia Perez [Published by The Wall Street Journal, June 18, 2020] I was baptized […]
- [Published by The Clark Hulings Fund for Visual Artists, August 5, 2019] How does a museum make a traditional art genre relevant to younger generations without […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Food52, April 30, 2019] Standing in my parents’ kitchen, I slipped the white chef’s apron over my head. As I tied […]
- [Published by The Clark Hulings Fund for Visual Artists, April 6, 2019] With more than 40 years of experience as an artist and educator, W.C. “Chip” […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Food & Wine, April 2019] Forget beer and cold brew. Are wine growlers the next big thing? Wine in a jug […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Art Business News, February 12, 2019] If you look at a sampling of the visual art that’s currently being produced in […]
- [Published by The Clark Hulings Fund for Visual Artists, November 20, 2018] Born in Southern China, painter Mian Situ received his formal art training in his […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Food & Wine, March 2018] My short item ran in Food & Wine‘s photography issue, as part of a larger piece […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Literary Hub, November 2, 2017] This story began on April 15th, 2016. The exact date is marked forever in my memory […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Zester Daily, November 14, 2016] When it comes to Northern California culinary destinations, San Francisco and Napa Valley get much of the […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Zester Daily, September 22, 2016] When my friend Andoni Luis Aduriz first invited me to dinner in Spain’s Basque countryside years ago, […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Zester Daily, June 1, 2016] “Fire is a language all its own. It’s magical. Mysterious.” No, these are not the words of […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Wine Enthusiast, May 2016] In its “Wine Lovers’ Guide to Spain,” Wine Enthusiast dedicated an entire issue to the subject of Spanish food and […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by TheGuardian.com, April 12, 2016] The day my mother discovered fresh chestnuts at a fruit market in our New York City neighborhood, she […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Americans for the Arts blog, December 1, 2015] How does a hardworking artist become an economically thriving one? In today’s art […]
- By Pete Dulin [Published by Feast.com, March 5, 2015] Avant-garde Chef Ferran Adrià of famed restaurant el Bulli not only created stunning food, but also drawings […]
- By Sofia Perez An opulent Caribbean resort where the food is equal parts Old World and New [Published by Saveur.com, January 21, 2015] Like its Caribbean neighbors, […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Zester Daily, December 31, 2014] “Don’t use anything better — no brioche! no pain de mie! — in some attempt to make […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Zester Daily, November 4, 2014] Dear Kale: Your 15 minutes are up. Signed, Cauliflower While doing research online, I came across several […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Zester Daily, October 9, 2014] When people talk about eating local food, the first thing that comes to mind is often produce-related—shopping […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Zester Daily, September 2, 2014] When I decided to join a community-supported agriculture (CSA) group last year, I had many reasons […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Saveur.com, August 11, 2014] In a pop culture moment when the world’s celebrated chefs are routinely compared to rock stars, the next […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Epicurious, April 1, 2014] While the term “conclave” is usually associated with a meeting of Catholic cardinals to select the next pope, […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Saveur, April 2014] In the center of Barcelona’s Boqueria market, past the beehive arrangements of produce but before the dangling haunches of pork, is the […]
- [Broadcast on Charlie Rose, March 14, 2014] I had the good fortune of serving as the interpreter for Catalan chef Ferran Adrià on his North American […]
- [Streamed live by 92nd St Y on Demand, March 13, 2014] It was my privilege to serve as the interpreter for the world-renowned Catalan chef during […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by ZesterDaily.com, March 5, 2014] If you’re someone who likes to experiment in the kitchen, you know that inspiration can strike in unexpected […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Saveur.com, March 4, 2014] Crystal-clear waters. White-sand beaches. Salt-rimmed margaritas. Canadian beef experts. One of these things is definitely not like the […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Saveur.com, February 18, 2014] It won’t take long after arriving in Spain’s Basque Country to understand why it has become a destination […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by ZesterDaily.com, October 29, 2013] Seated in the center of a jai alai court, surrounded by men in berets and young girls dressed […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by ZesterDaily.com, September 17, 2013] As we approach the floating dock, Chris Quartuccio cuts the boat’s engine, and the steady hum of […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by ZesterDaily.com, August 7, 2013] There’s nothing understated about the vehicle. A converted school bus painted lime green and adorned with images […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Saveur.com, January 2013] From couples’ cabanas to mountain biking, Aruba’s Marriott Resort has something for everyone. A trip to the Caribbean means […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Saveur.com, August 2012] This elegant, eco-friendly inn on the Maine coast offers suites with top-of-the-line, fully-equipped kitchens, if you want to cook […]
- Career Building: A wine that came out of an unlikely career By Sofia Perez [Published by TastingTable.com, November 3, 2011] Maggie Harrison’s career path is best described […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Saveur, October 2010] You can’t tell the story of Spanish food without talking about the Moors—Arabs and Berbers from North Africa […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by TastingTable, August 25, 2010] History has a way of repeating itself. In the wine world, we’re grateful for the pattern, particularly […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Papeles de Cocina (VI Edición), March 2010] [Note: I wrote this article in English for a journal in Spain, and it was later translated […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Saveur, May 2009] The idea of preparing an appetizer just by opening a can might sound hopelessly 1950s to many Americans […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Food Arts, May 2008] Pamplona, Spain— “My grandmother owned a winery in Málaga, but wasn’t allowed to go into the bodega […]
- An American chef brings a taste of the South to Spain By Sofia Perez [Published in the James Beard Foundation’s Beard Bites, November 2007] “I’d like […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Apicius, November 2007] [Note: I originally wrote this article in English, for publication in a Spanish magazine, and it was later […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Food Arts, October 2007] A drive through the hills of the Basque Country, in northern Spain, reveals the color green in […]
- [Editorial Note: I traveled to West Sweden to report this feature piece in August 2007, while I was still Saveur’s editor-at-large. As a “summer in Scandinavia” […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Saveur.com, June 6, 2007] As I flipped through a recently released cookbook featuring recipe titles like “Cheesy Sleazy” and “Rock ‘n’ […]
- For centuries, the language and culture of Spain’s Basque region have distinguished its people—and food has bound them together By Sofia Perez [Published by Saveur, May […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Saveur.com, March 16, 2007] Writing about food and drink, and those who create it, is a privilege, but not just for […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Concierge.com, March 2007] The following is an excerpt from the full Bilbao/Basque Country guide that I wrote for Concierge.com. RESTAURANTS Many […]
- Galicia’s hearty caldo gallego warms both body and soul By Sofia Perez [Published by Saveur, January/February 2007] Caldo gallego is tailor-made for the dark days of […]
- Dateline: Sweden By Sofia Perez [Published by Epicurious.com, August 3, 2006] Even the most reserved people need to unleash their inner silliness from time to time, […]
- Dateline: Kitchens Nationwide By Sofia Perez [Published by Epicurious.com, June 12, 2006] National Puerto Rican Day was marked yesterday across the United States—since 1995, Puerto Ricans […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by The New York Times, May 24, 2006] Several years ago Douglas Coffin, a caterer in New Haven, built a portable bread […]
- Dateline: Santiago de Compostela, Spain By Sofia Perez [Published by Epicurious.com, April 20, 2006] When Americans think of traditional Spanish food, they usually picture Andalusia’s iconic […]
- Dateline: Madrid, Spain By Sofia Perez [Published by Epicurious.com, March 27, 2006] Over the past five years, the world has taken notice of the many playful […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by The New York Times, January 25, 2006] (MADRID) It’s as if Eric Clapton went to Mississippi to tell Robert Johnson how […]
- Koldo Rodero took over his family’s tradition-bound restaurant and, against all odds, is creating some of the best and most exciting food in Spain. By Sofia […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Gourmet, January 2005] You’ve heard of tasting menus, but chef Homaro Cantu of Moto, in Chicago, has taken them one step […]
- Looking for ways to spice up your Thanksgiving menu? Then take a page from a cookbook filled with recipes that are as distinctly Latin as they […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Gourmet, June 2004] Rock n’ roll built a shrine to its own history. Even mustard has its own museum. Why not […]
- Sometimes sweet, sometimes stinging, onions are a delicious common denominator in cuisines around the globe By Sofia Perez [Published by Gourmet, March 2004] When I was […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by Pastry Art & Design, May 2003] “Don’t go to New York with a big head, and don’t think they know nothing […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published July/August 2002 in Skylights: The In-Flight Magazine of Spirit Airlines] Like the immigrants who poured into New York City in the 19th […]
- By Sofia Perez [Published by E: The Environmental Magazine, May/June 2002] To a java junkie, there is no such thing as too much coffee, but when […]
