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Photographer Eugene Mopsik has traded his camera lens for a slicing knife.

State of play: Mopsik is the self-proclaimed "loxsmith" at Biederman's Speciality Foods on Christian Street, which opened in late 2020.

Axios asked Mopsik a series of questions for our culinary advice series, Chef's Table:

🔪 Must-have tool in your home kitchen: A good knife. An 8-inch chef's knife does the trick, and make sure it's good and sharp.

🛒 Go-to grocery store: The Al-Jana food market on Bustleton Avenue has great Lebanese ingredients. For produce, I go to Anastasio Produce on 9th and Christian.

🌿 Most overlooked spice: Lebanese seven spice for grain salads, vegetables, meat dishes.

🐟 Favorite home-cooked meal: My sesame-crusted salmon.

🍽 Last restaurant you went to and your order: Tacconelli's Pizzeria.

☝ Quick tip for at-home cooks: Don't walk away from the stove.

🔌 How to unplug: I cook. I sail. I garden. In the winter, I light up the fireplace to unwind.

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