Maple syrup is part of North American folklore, history and culture. Take it beyond breakfast.

The post Maple Syrup–Nature’s Sweet Treat appeared first on The Cook's Cook.

The son of a union carpenter, Matt was always interested in construction work and early-on dreamed of being a self-employed woodworker and craftsman. Construction work was a practical mode of employment for several years, before Matt learned blacksmithing by apprenticing with internationally recognized blacksmith John Fetty in Spencer, WV.  He didn’t give up woodworking but began to combine both crafts, eventually pivoting from construction to woodworking and furniture making.

Matt was honored by in the Tamarack Foundation, an organization that assists young craftspeople. After recovering from a construction-related accident, the foundation helped him to find outlets to sell his artisan products. “My full-time woodworking business literally started by accident.”  The Tamarack Foundation partnered with the WV Department of Commerce to send eight West Virginia artisans to the Buyer’s Market of American Craft 2012 in Philadelphia to expose artisan entrepreneurs to gallery owners from across the United States and beyond. Matt formed ThomasWork to shine a bright light on Appalachia. 

Today, ThomasWork is a sustainable family business, where Matt, his wife Terri, and their four children work together to produce beautiful objects sourced from local materials.

Some of our favorite creations include:

• BOOKMARKS: Laser cut with a crisp tree design, all bookmarks are made with Appalachian hardwoods, walnut and Sycamore.
• CUTTING BOARDS: Made with cherry hardwood lumber and sealed with a custom blend of beeswax and food safe mineral oil with ample space for food preparation and presentation.
• CHERRY WOOD BUTTER DISH AND SPREADER: Not only beautiful, but functional.
• SALT & PEPPER GRINDER HOLDERS Made from Maple and Walnut woods, They can be used for our grinders, or to serve loose salt and pepper.

Find ThomasWork on the web and social on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter

Proud to be included in curated Appalachian Mercantile subscription boxes. from J.Q. Dickinson Salt Works. 

The Cook’s Cook in Partnership with Appalachian Mercantile

The post ThomasWork appeared first on The Cook's Cook.

The post The Girl with the Knife Tattoos appeared first on The Cook's Cook.

The post Matzo Balls: Classic Comfort Food appeared first on The Cook's Cook.

The post Remembering Jordan Almonds appeared first on The Cook's Cook.

The post Green Chile and Ramp Hot Sauce by Lindera Farms appeared first on The Cook's Cook.

Revealed over 3,500 years ago, Zoroastrianism was one of the first monotheistic religions known to mankind. In spite of it being so old, it is a living religion for just under 200,000 Parsis (Indo-Iranian) who have now settled and practice their faith around the world.

The post What is Parsi Food? appeared first on The Cook's Cook.

The post Artisans of Appalachia appeared first on The Cook's Cook.

The post Hawaiian-style Ahi Poke – A Test of a Cook’s Knifework appeared first on The Cook's Cook.

The post The Essential Knife Guide for Dedicated Home Cooks appeared first on The Cook's Cook.

By day — and a lot of times by night — I’m a television producer. It’s a career I adore. It’s given me stories and adventures and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. But it is a relatively “in person” kind of job.

And then March of 2020 came Covid and work slowed. Thankfully for me it didn’t stop, but we all found different ways to fill our stay-at-home time.

The post My Bunker Breakfast appeared first on The Cook's Cook.