...I know there are more compelling examples of fortitude than me braising chicken. Like a paraplegic racing uphill in a tricked-out wheelchair on marathon day, or my late grandfather, who at 90 walked down and up 20-odd flights in the pitch darkness of New York City's 2003 blackout to get groceries for his wife. But turn a spotlight on any accomplishment, however minor, and it seems like a triumph. Away from that glare, though, there's only the struggle....

American food and travel writer. Goode covers just about every aspect of food and drink: pancakes and pasta, salsa and sushi, cocktails and coffee. A former editor of Epicurious.com, his reviews and recipes have appeared in the New York Times, Gourmet, Bon Appétit, Time Out New York, the Village Voice, and many other publications. He provided the introduction to Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking (2007) and co-wrote, along with Adam Perry Lang, the best-selling Serious Barbecue (2009). He is presently working with the chef Roberto Santibanez on a Mexican cookbook. See also jjgoode.com.