Bread enthusiast. Vegetable lover. Omnivore. If the kitchen is your happy place, you're in good company. Let's hang.
A Caesar Salad Like No Other, Focaccia Croutons, A Crowd-Pleasing Appetizer & More
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Hi, Friends. This past Wednesday, I had dinner in NYC with my dear friend Lisa. We went to Danny's in the Flatiron, a restaurant I had never heard of but one I had no doubt would be good. Having spent over 20 years in the city, Lisa knows all the good spots and is never on fewer than half a dozen Resy waitlists, ready to pounce should something desirable opens up. Every time I leave NYC after a meal with Lisa, I find myself dreaming about something: the salad at Via Carota, the lasagna at I Sodi, the clams at Cervo's. This visit, it was the Caesar. In many ways, Danny's Caesar is classic: crisp Romaine, a blanket of grated parmesan, and exceptionally delicious homemade croutons, all tossed in a creamy, lemony dressing. But its defiance of tradition — its inclusion of Castelvetrano olives, thinly shaved celery root, everything bagel croutons — is what makes it so good. The olives, which are meaty but mild, and whose brininess works so well with the rich dressing, have me wondering if I'll ever make Caesar salad without them. I've shared a Danny's -inspired Caesar salad recipe over on my Pizza Substack, because, although we enjoyed this salad aside pasta*, it would make an excellent pizza night salad. In place of the everything bagel crisps, I made focaccia croutons, using very thinly sliced focaccia, flaky sea salt, and olive oil. And while I can't say my children appreciated the inclusion of celery root in their favorite salad, the focaccia croutons were wildly well-received: Find the recipe here:
*The pasta was lumache (snail-shaped, love it) tossed with bolognese, parmesan, and crispy pancetta. So good. Review of the Week
3-Ingredient Grilled Chicken "I made this recipe for our Memorial Day cookout, and it was the perfect way to get tasty thighs with so little effort. I let it marinate for about 14 hours with some good-quality EVOO and a cheap packet of taco seasoning. Nearly everyone commented on the chicken." — Michael PS: Another Favorite Grilled Chicken Recipe: Super-Easy Chicken Souvlaki
7 Recipes to Make This WeekFocaccia! Should you wish to make razor-thin focaccia croutons for the above-mentioned-odd-but-glorious Caesar Salad.
Chickpea Tomato and Cucumber Salad... very herby, inspired by tabbouleh. The Very Best Iced Tea... from a beloved old cookbook.
4-Ingredient Roasted Red Pepper Dressing: No peeling required! So easy and tasty.
Whipped Ricotta with Honey + Pistachios: a crowd-pleasing appetizer for all of your summer entertaining needs ... so good with the above focaccia 💯 Lemon-Blueberry Dutch Baby: The blueberries are getting so good.
Sourdough Discard (or Not!) Pancakes: The perfect way to start the weekend.
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Thank YouThank you to all who have ordered Pizza Night. If you haven't left a review yet, I would be so grateful if you did! 🙏🙏🍕🍕🥗🥗
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Hi. I'm Ali.
Bread enthusiast. Vegetable lover. Omnivore. If the kitchen is your happy place, you're in good company. Let's hang.
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