I made these Brussels sprouts twice this week. Yes, this recipe’s a definite keeper, but also I had to make them a second time because the first time I was too distracted by what our new edition, Joey, was getting into to take pictures. And the distraction was totally justified; I took my eyes off [...]

About a month ago we had dinner with our friends Ruthie and Forrest, and Ruthie made this kale tart. While we were eating it she totally talked it down, saying how it wasn’t as good as it normally was and she had to leave out the cranberries, etc., but I loved it. So much so [...]

Bring this to Thanksgiving this year only if you want the majority of your family and friends to glower and sneer. It’s a slawlike salad of finely shredded kale and sliced brussels sprouts, topped with toasted walnuts and parmesan, and dressed in a mustard vinaigrette; Bon Appetit advertises that it will “cut through the richness [...]

I’ve been saving this one for a lull. It’s not like I haven’t been cooking over here (although I’ll be the first to admit that the scale has tilted sharply in favor of desserts, leaving actual food by the wayside), it’s just that a recent slew of ambitious recipes has failed to excite me as [...]

When you make these carrots (and you will make them), do yourself a favor and double the recipe because it’s really disappointing first of all to only have a teensy bit of them left over and more disappointing still to come home after a long, hard day of work and gym to discover that that [...]

In a bout of confidence, I decided to just wing it with these sweet potato latkes, and I must say I, we, were quite pleased with the results. Latkes are a bit of a tricky business. You need to make sure they hold together and aren’t too liquidy and that you’re frying them in the [...]

My sister-in-law’s father’s stuffing. We loved it so much when we had it for the first time a few years ago that I had to get the recipe. It’s vegetarian, which for whatever reason makes me really happy. On holidays and big gatherings where lots of food is involved, I always find myself thinking of [...]

This was so super delicious and pretty. Spicy, savory, sweet, nutty, herby, creamy, and seasonally appropriate. Basically perfect. Except for one thing. It’s so troublesome, I can’t put it out of my mind: the sage-hazelnut goat cheese looks like crumbled blue cheese. If you were approaching this dish at a buffet table, for instance, you’d [...]

I have to get something off my chest. I’d already been feeling guilty that I hadn’t posted a main course in a while because I know sometimes people are just like, gimme something to make for dinner tonight, and yo, where’s the beef? And then I was looking over my ridiculously long queue (I say [...]

We had some truly delicious spaghetti squash at a friend’s house the other night. It was simply prepared, mixed with tomato sauce and zucchini and garlic and onions and herbs and maybe peppers (I can’t remember exactly), but it was just so good and perfectly seasoned. I knew that if I attempted to replicate it [...]

Back in the early days of this blog, one of my first loyal readers (what up, Danny!) wrote me an email detailing an experience that had changed his life forever. A longtime fan of sweet potato fries paired with ranch, he was blown away by a new dip he’d been served with them in a [...]

I have a real big problem with Indian food, not because it gave me horrible, debilitating food poisoning the last two days of my honeymoon in Africa, but because whenever I try to cook it at home it just outright refuses to taste like anything even close to authentic. Great Indian food, especially when it’s [...]

I’m particularly fond of any recipe with dried fruit and nuts (wonder why?), and this is one I’ve made multiple times. The husband finds the greens a bit bitter, which they are. But he seems particularly sensitive to bitterness whereas I handle it pretty well. Like it, even.

This is, to me, what cheesesteak pie is to the husband. It’s the best thing ever. Since I made it, I’ve been thinking about it nonstop. I want to eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In fact, I’m eating it right now. I think I may have to go out and buy another butternut squash [...]

We may have to emphasize quantity over quality this week. I didn’t even know where to start. I have eight posts queued up and not one is expendable. For no justifiable reason I am panicked about this and maybe just maybe a bit scatterbrained. Also, I’m losing a lot of hair. Does that happen from [...]

What a charming little ragout this is with its pretty okra flowers. This is reassuring. This means it’s still summer, at least for today. I keep expecting to arrive at the farmer’s market and see that poof! all the corn and tomatoes have been replaced with sweet potatoes and butternut squash, but apparently it doesn’t [...]

Ahh. It does feel good to be back. I just spent 17 days in Israel with no computer, no cell phone, and no kitchen, feeling completely cut off from my normal life in the best possible way. What I treasure most about vacations are the totally inane daily decisions that take on such importance. Should [...]

As many of you know because you were there, I recently took a ‘lil cruise (where to? irrelevant), and delightfully stuffed my face with escargot soaked in pools of butter, greasy cheeseburgers, unlimited French fries and onion rings, milkshakes, chorizo pizza, midnight corn dogs (corn dogs!), sausage rolls, chocolate fondue…wow, I’ll stop now before I embarrass myself [...]

Summer is all about the cold or room temperature side dishes whipped up in the kitchen while (at the risk of being sexist here) your manly man is manning the grill. Here’s a classic three-bean salad for all your summer barbecue needs. It’s very sweet and tangy, with black-eyed peas added for a Southern twist, and because they’re [...]

It’s difficult to resist a pile of edibles that’s literally overflowing onto the asphalt, so when I spied these sugar snaps I felt compelled to help reduce the bounty. I like sugar snaps because they’re refreshing, and this recipe highlights their cool crunchiness. A recent unpleasant experience with fresh mint left me wary of the herb. (Fyi, fresh mint ice cream [...]

Ramp Risotto & Pickled Ramps So remember when I made mention of those wild leeks everyone goes crazy for in early spring? Well brace yourselves, people. I know it’s difficult, but try to reign in some of that enthusiasm because we don’t want anyone to get trampled now, do we? The ramps have arrived. (They actually [...]

Sometimes this happens. I’ll be on the fence about posting a recipe, and then I’ll have the leftovers, and realize that oh, yes. People must be told of this. Now I am not a fan of fennel in its raw form (licorice, blech!), which is what drew me to this dish initially. Clotilde, creator of [...]

I normally steer clear of stir-fries. Anything that requires me to move quickly in the kitchen is automatically ruled out because, according to most people who know me, I am as slow-moving as a sloth. Or a snail. Or a slug. Your choice, I’ll accept comparison to any of these fine creatures any day. However, [...]

Do not fear the anchovy! The anchovy is your friend! Maybe not worthy of bff status, but a friend nonetheless. I admit that, when whole, anchovies can be a tad frightening with their fuzzy little hairs, but, you know, we’ve all forgotten to shave before, and it’s really no cause for discrimination. Once you mince [...]

A wonderful way to eat spinach, indeedy! I made this recipe a couple weeks ago and loved the spices and the garlicky yogurt. Divine! See this is what I mean about Martha. I make spinach more than any other vegetable. It’s my go-to when I need a quick and easy side dish, and I always [...]

No bells and whistles here, just your path to simple, perfectly cooked Brussels sprouts. The trick here is in the preliminary blanching, which can be done up to 24 hours in advance of the final cooking. Next, the sprouts are heated in butter on the stovetop until sizzling, placed in the oven and baked, and [...]