Sam Sifton, Writer And Chef, Is Set To 'Stir The Pot' At Guild Hall

Sam Sifton knows the importance of sitting down and enjoying a meal with loved ones—after preparing, cooking and serving the meal himself. He’ll discuss the significance of sharing food on Sunday, July 29, in East Hampton, when he’s a guest in Guild Hall’s “Stirring the Pot” series.

Mr. Sifton is the current food editor for The New York Times, the most recent in his long list of positions held at the paper. He has previously been a national editor, restaurant critic and culture editor, each position accompanied by vastly different responsibilities and daily routines.

As national editor, he traveled around the country dealing with “a firehose of news, constant and unrelenting.” Yet as he interviewed thousands of people, from senators to local business owners, he found that one common theme connected them all: “You’re traveling around the country talking to people, and oftentimes the easiest way to commence the conversation was to talk about food.

“I really believe, as a critic and as food editor, that food is as central to our culture as any of the arts, and it’s important in that sense,” he said.

Mr. Sifton has accomplished much in his first four years as food editor, including founding NYT Cooking, a “digital reinvention” of the NYT Cookbook that gives subscribers access to 18,000 recipes, with new additions every week.

He said that one of the greatest things about writing about food is that it interests everyone, and everybody has something to say about it.

“Sharing food and drink over a table is one of the most important things we do in civilization and as a society,” he added. “It’s a joy to write about that.”

Mr. Sifton publishes the “What to Cook” newsletter four times a week, featuring recipes new and old, all released on NYT Cooking in addition to being sent via email to 2.5 million subscribers. He said he writes the newsletters in a conversational style so readers will feel comfortable and excited about cooking.

He said he also wants readers to understand that people cook in the context of what’s going on in the world. “I also write about current events and cultural pursuits, like this is good music that might accompany a meal, or this is a good television show or film, or this is a good book you might want to read afterward.”

Mr. Sifton really wants to emphasize the fact that cooking is related to our daily lives—hence his new book, “See You On Sunday,” to be released within the year. In 2012, he published a book called “Thanksgiving: How to Cook It Well.”

“See You On Sunday” will be filled with recipes for family and friends. “It’s essentially an argument for cooking at home for your family and friends more often, an argument for taking the spirit of Thanksgiving, which I wrote about in my last book, and applying it to your life more regularly.”

Mr. Sifton emphasized the importance of using cooking to slow down and appreciate not only the food but the company. “It’s how we indicate to one another that something important is happening. That’s why we go on dates to restaurants, that’s why we have good catering at weddings, that’s why we cement business deals by going out to share a meal, that’s why it’s important to be at your mom’s house on Sunday for Sunday supper.”

He said he hopes his new book will make cooking more of a ritual in people’s lives and show just how much fun it can be.

Mr. Sifton, who has a house in Greenport on the North Fork, is quite familiar with the South Fork as well, and said he is excited to be coming to Guild Hall to be interviewed by fellow New York Times food writer Florence Fabricant, whose recipes have been included in Mr. Sifton’s “What to Cook.”

He said he greatly admires Ms. Fabricant and her food. “We should have a lot of fun. … I can’t promise fireworks, but we’re going to try!”

Sam Sifton will be interview by Florence Fabricant as part of the “Stirring the Pot” series at Guild Hall, 158 Main Street, East Hampton, on Sunday, July 29, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Admission is $20 for the public and $18 for members. To purchase tickets, call 631-324-4050 or visit guildhall.org.