Some holiday discoveries are well worth making all year round. This is one of them.  It’s from Melissa Clark in The New York Times. It’s one of four recipes created for New Year’s Eve 2020. In “A Finger Food Countdown to 2021”, Melissa created two…

The Cookie Jerry Seinfeld Made into a TV Star Jerry Seinfeld is almost as beloved in New York City as the Black and White.  This cookie is found everywhere from the corner bodega to that most upscale of bakeries, William Greenberg. Seinfeld used it to…

I am a sucker for “What to Cook This Week” from the New York Times. Here’s one reason why. Very often this email from the NYTimes is the work of Sam Sifton. Sifton is billed as the founding editor of NYT Cooking. And Sam is…

“Dinner in French”, Melissa Clark’s latest Cookbook is filled with great, easy recipes. Confession time. For some reason, I associate French food with cooler temperatures. Give me Oxtail Bourguignon in October, my first bowl of Onion Soup at first frost.  But I’ve been raring to…

A Tomato that looks flawed creates a Tart that is pure perfection. The heirloom tomato has arrived. Heirlooms, or “Heritage Tomatoes” if you’re British, are not always the most beautiful on the outside.  But the first slice brings a flood of great tomato flavor. They’re…

Melissa Clark’s latest book “Dinner in French” (Clarkson Potter 2020) is a winner. The latest in a long line of books created by The New York Times’ Melissa Clark, “Dinner in French” is surprisingly weeknight-friendly. Veteran Francophile Clark, who spent her childhood summers in France,…

Open up your Asian pantry and make great meatballs in 20 minutes flat. When I saw this recipe in the New York Times, I had misfired with meatballs all too recently. I’ll spare the ugly details, but that recipe used un-cooked rice in a meatball…

A Meat Lover’s Dream recipe…Mushroom Bourguignon from Melissa Clark As New Year’s resolutions go, the one about eating less meat in 2020 has a lot of traction. And for good reason. Not only is it good for you, but it’s also good for the planet. …

Is there any easier way to cook than on a Sheet Pan? Whoever invented Sheet Pan Recipes deserves a medal.  There is likely no more simple way of cooking than this.  All the ingredients cook at the same time in the same pan. And once…

Bring a dish of Summer Sunshine to your Winter table in under 30 minutes flat. I nominate this dish for being a great big bowl of happy colors, great flavors, and almost instant gratification.  It comes together in under 30 minutes. That alone qualifies it…

A Visit to Portugal leads to a craving for Lisbon Chocolate Cake This cake is all about chocolate. The cake is brownie-like. There’s a layer of chocolate cream. And finally, a shower of cocoa adds even more chocolate flavor. But first, a tale of how…

A new cookbook celebrates the contribution of African-American Chefs to America’s Culinary heritage. Toni Tipton-Martin has collected almost 400 cookbooks with a singular focus. Every one of them was written by or for African-American cooks.  When she had collected over 150 of these cookbooks, she…

A new take on Baked Ziti, an Italian Classic from Recipe Developer Extraordinaire Alison Roman If you’ve ever cooked a recipe from Alison Roman, you’ll be mightily impressed by the spin she puts on Classics.  And this dish is a classic.  Ziti al forno, which…

My fondness for tomatoes is a recurring theme this month.  As we reluctantly end August, I will make the most of what has been a terrific tomato season here on Long Island.  I love every kind of tomato from the largest of heirlooms to the…