Eat peanut noodles! And cold overnight oats! And watermelon gazpacho! (And make a sourdough starter from scratch... see below :)) Hi Friends, I would be lying if I said I had turned my oven off, stocked up on cucumbers and watermelons, and turned to all of my favorite no-cook recipes, because it has been very rainy and not summer-like at all here in Upstate New York. But apparently the heat is coming! And depending on where you are, you might already be experiencing it. If you are, I can't...
10 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Friends, Nearly every other week, I make a batch of these slow-cooker chickpeas, and I am always astonished by how delicious they taste straight from the pot: perfectly cooked and seasoned, all for about five minutes of effort. In the winter, those chickpeas often become this curry or these taco bowls, and in the summer, I dress them with this cilantro-lime vinaigrette or toss them into this favorite chopped salad. My latest favorite use for them is in this herby tabbouleh-inspired salad,...
17 days ago • 3 min read
Hi Friends, When I read Susan Spungen describe this pan as her “ride or die” grill accessory in a recent newsletter all about grilling, I ordered it immediately. It worked perfectly for these turkey burgers, which are very wet and prone to sticking/sliding through grill grates: I've since ordered two more for Father's Day gifts along with this bean spoon, which is back in stock, and which I just love. It's thrilling scooping beans out of a pot with an oversized spoon! If you're still looking...
24 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Friends, After dining at Ops in Brooklyn several summers ago, I returned home dreaming about the salad, the sole salad on the menu, an artful arrangement of Little Gems and radicchio drizzled with a roasted red pepper dressing. Ops, I learned, uses a mix of peppers, several vinegars, and herbs in their dressing, and I worried recreating it at home would be a challenge. Much to my surprise, it was not, thanks to the roasted red peppers, which lend so much depth of flavor on their own — both...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hi Friends, Last week, in this salsa post, I shared a photo of three-ingredient grilled chicken tacos and promised to share "the recipe" soon. I've hesitated to share it sooner because it's hardly a recipe — it's taco seasoning + olive oil — and the last time I shared a recipe calling for taco seasoning, I received a comment from a woman who said, among other things, that my blog was "no longer relevant" to her. Simplified in a factory, she wrote, thanks but no thanks. Pointing to the "high...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hi Friends, I started making this salsa last July. It's a simplified version of this fresh enchilada sauce recipe, and when the tomatoes are at their peak, it is irresistible, the kind of sauce you want to spoon over everything. And last summer and fall, as a family, we did: we spooned it over tacos, mostly these, but also over a variation made with grilled chicken (the recipe for which I will share soon as it's so fast and delicious ... see photo below). We drizzled it over rice and bean...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Friends, good morning. Last night, I pulled an undated bag of frost-coated currant scones from the freezer. Given their very past-prime appearance, my expectations were low, and I questioned whether I should bother reheating them, but I pushed on this morning, crossed my fingers, and threw them in the oven. Friends, they are so good! I love a scone, and I love this one so very much: punctuated with tiny currants, it's perfectly sweet and lightly lemony. What's more, it doesn't taste at all...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
... build a sourdough starter from scratch! Friends, if you've ever wanted to build a sourdough starter from scratch or if you've tried in the past and failed, it's time to try again! We've had a glorious few days of sunny skies and warm weather here in Upstate New York, and my starter hasn't been happier in months. I'm not feeding it any differently; it's thriving simply because the temperature outside has risen. This got me thinking: if the weather here is finally looking bright (despite...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Friends, hello. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend. We are back from Vermont, and I am missing sitting on my cousin's screened-in porch admiring the view. This week I worked on a rosemary-olive sourdough recipe (using this recipe as a base), and while it was a little heavy, it was very tasty. More on this soon: I also put together a little Mother's Day gift guide. A few things I’m excited about include the season’s latest cookbooks as well as this bright blue tortilla press (so...
2 months ago • 1 min read