The funny thing about travel is that sometimes the smallest discoveries stay with you longer than the grand monuments. Aboard Scenic Pearl, one of Scenic River Cruises most dazzling itineraries, I spent several wonderful days sailing through Holland and Belgium, exploring places that have drawn…
A Restaurant-Worthy Seafood Dinner in 30 Minutes There are certain chefs whose influence lingers long after you have left their kitchens, their restaurants, or in my case, their cookbooks. Alfred Portale was one of them. In the years when The Gotham Bar and Grill Cookbook…
The unofficial start of summer has always amused me. Somewhere around Memorial Day weekend, every American north of Baltimore and south of the Canadian border collectively decides that weather is now a minor inconvenience. Out come the shorts, the sandals, and the determined grill masters…
A Northern Italian asparagus lasagna with salmon, shrimp, and lemon béchamel—and the Umbrian family table that changed how I’ve eaten ever since. An Italian Family Table in Assisi Taught Me That Meals Matter We had barely landed in Rome when all twenty-eight of us in…
The legendary “Baked” brownie becomes the perfect kitchen project for Dad, the kids… and one very lucky mother The Sweetest Gifts Rarely Come in Boxes Some gifts arrive in velvet boxes. Some come wrapped in tissue paper from department stores where nobody remembers your name.…
After a winter that seemed determined to outstay its welcome, Pasta Primavera is the dish that snaps you back to life. Not gently—decisively. A bowl of pasta that looks like a farmers’ market collided with the sea, all glossed in a light, silky Parmesan sauce…
THE PURE JOY OF ASPARAGUS There is always a moment—out here in Bridgehampton, usually just as the farm stands begin to wake up—when asparagus appears and you know the season has turned. Not the calendar. The plate. I’ve got photographs of asparagus grown less than…
A Creamy Weeknight Pasta That Brings Spring to the Table Long before I was introduced to Pasta e Piselli, one of my earliest food memories began in a garden in Victoria, British Columbia. My grandfather grew peas, and at some point—early enough that everything still…
THIS IS ONE OF THE EASIEST, MOST LUXURIOUS FISH DISHES YOU CAN MAKE IN 30 MINUTES Chilean sea bass isn’t Chilean. It isn’t bass. And for years, no one wanted to eat it. Then came one of the most successful rebrands in culinary history—and suddenly…
Dorie Greenspan Always Shows Up at Christmas In this house, Dorie Greenspan is something close to a deity. Every Christmas season, right on cue, she publishes a new book just as I’m running out of baking gifts for Andrew—who already owns just about every baking…
SOME RECIPES CHANGE YOUR LIFE. THIS ONE CHANGED MINE Long before Chewing The Fat existed, before food blogging was even a glimmer on my horizon, I came up with a glazed ham recipe that turned out to have rather excellent manners. It made its way…
At Fervor, simplicity isn’t a compromise—it’s the point. There are restaurants you discover. And then there are the ones you think you’ve lost—only to walk straight back into them. I’ve been to Buenos Aires more times than I can comfortably admit, and like anyone who…
Japanese Ground Beef Curry That Feels Like a Splurge Filet mignon has, for the moment, become a special-occasion conversation. The everyday kitchen has quietly pivoted—and in that pivot, the humble pound of ground round has reclaimed its place at the table. Handled properly, it doesn’t…
AMASAR BREADFRUIT PANCAKE MIX BRINGS A TROPICAL TREAT TO YOUR TABLE. AND IT’S GLUTEN FREE! Some breakfasts are perfectly nice. Others announce themselves the moment they hit the griddle. Amasar’s Breadfruit Pancake and Waffle Mix belongs very much in the second category. The aroma…
FERNET, FIRE, AND A PERFECT CHICKEN IN BUENOS AIRES
Lyon, one beautiful city Three years ago, my friend Kimberly moved to Europe from Montclair, New Jersey. Her husband had been assigned by his American company to run their European division which has its headquarters in the third largest city in France: Lyon. Kimberly, Peter…
Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, married her husband Jeffrey when she was 20 years old. Jeffrey Garten was all of 22. A few years ago, Ina published a cookbook called “Cooking for Jeffrey (A barefoot contessa cookbook, Clarkson Potter 2016). It was her tenth and…
THE PURE JOY OF ASPARAGUS There is always a moment—out here in Bridgehampton, usually just as the farm stands begin to wake up—when asparagus appears and you know the season has turned. Not the calendar. The plate. I’ve got photographs of asparagus grown less than…
THIS IS ONE OF THE EASIEST, MOST LUXURIOUS FISH DISHES YOU CAN MAKE IN 30 MINUTES Chilean sea bass isn’t Chilean. It isn’t bass. And for years, no one wanted to eat it. Then came one of the most successful rebrands in culinary history—and suddenly…
SOME RECIPES CHANGE YOUR LIFE. THIS ONE CHANGED MINE Long before Chewing The Fat existed, before food blogging was even a glimmer on my horizon, I came up with a glazed ham recipe that turned out to have rather excellent manners. It made its way…
WHEN CHOCOLATE IS THE REASON (NOT THE OCCASION) Some desserts belong to holidays. This one belongs to moments. The Ultimate Chocolate Cheesecake does not require Valentine’s Day or a heart-shaped box. It belongs to milestone birthdays, lingering dinners with good wine, and weekends when subtlety…
With a little planning, we can make all 5 of our best Thanksgiving recipes ever! I can’t think of a year when we don’t look forward to Thanksgiving. It’s just days away from the big day but there’s always room for a last-minute addition. Something…
