This Halloween, the threat of ghouls, goblins, or ax murderers pales in comparison to the terror of the following week’s presidential election. For me, the key to sustaining, and hopefully […]
COOK’S KITCHEN
Beyond Remembrance of Tea Sandwiches Past
A cucumber and purslane salad brings home flavors of the eastern Mediterranean
Cucumber sandwiches are one of the indelible memories of my childhood visits to Chatham. My grandmother served them with warm milky tea after sailboat races in Stage Harbor. These were […]
COOK’S KITCHEN
Liberate Your Summer Pie
Zucchini and tomatoes baked into a savory free-form galette
“We made great time, just over the bridge,” said the text. Friends were arriving after a long drive — but hours earlier than I expected them to. I would have […]
COOK’S KITCHEN
The Elemental Elegance of Whole Roasted Fish
Stuffed with lemon and herbs, black sea bass is a summer visitor worth inviting to dinner
It’s hard not to brag about the wonderful seafood we have here: the freshest bluefish, meaty striped bass, pearly scallops, hard and soft clams, and world-class oysters. I enjoy salmon […]
COOK’S KITCHEN
A Greek Egg-Lemon Soup That’s Truly Best
A neighborly supply chain provides the eggs for a light-yet-lush avgolemono
That lady you saw make a U-turn on Route 6 just past the handwritten roadside sign advertising “Fresh Eggs”? That might have been me. Besides that there’s no comparison between […]
CINCO DE MAYO
Antojitos and Mojitos
Make mine a tuna and avocado tostada with a side of mezcal
Mexicans have their botanas con bebidas down to an art. Their street-food-inspired snacks and sips range from the elegantly spare slice of jicama tossed with lime juice and sprinkled with […]
COOK’S KITCHEN
The Sweet Return of the Hummingbird Cake
Never let the truth get in the way of a good dessert
Hummingbird cake, like its namesake bird, has a migration story, though it’s one that’s hard to follow. Many articles about the cake claim it was originally a creation of the […]
COOK’S KITCHEN
A Corned Beef Hash Sam Spade Would Have Approved
A cook takes a chance on a homemade version of a maligned diner tradition
If corned beef hash is on the menu, I order it. Rosy hand-cut hash with sunny eggs and steaming black coffee feels old-school, seductively noir. Like something the laconic Sam […]
COOK’S KITCHEN
The Meditative Practice of Sharpening a Knife
Simple tools and patience are building blocks of a skill worth learning
At first, the idea of sharpening your own knives seems intimidating, even a little mysterious — the kind of thing that’s “only for pros.” And it’s true that chefs’ relationships […]
COOK’S KITCHEN
Maybe It’s Time to Set Your Salad on Fire
Three bitter-leaning chicories that subvert the lettuce paradigm
I recalibrate in January (we don’t say “resolutions” in our house). Right after the holidays, I am wildly enthusiastic about vegetables. Winter salads and sheet pans of roasted roots go […]
COOK’S KITCHEN
A Seafood Stew for Christmas Eve
This riff on tradition is bright with tomatoes, thyme, and a hint of orange
My mother loved the holidays. Her big splurge meal was always on Christmas Eve, when she’d proudly serve red and green in the form of lobster with spinach salad on […]
COOKIE PARTY
The Bright Sparkle of Cranberry-Orange Cookies
In a former life I oversaw a test kitchen for a food magazine. Given the long lead time needed for development, editing, and printing, that meant Christmas in July every […]
THE BERRIES
At Thanksgiving, Two Things Everyone Agrees On
Cranberries are ‘best in show’ at brunch and dinner
May this week before your Thanksgiving feast be a time of good-natured debate regarding the propriety of the presence of a turkey on the table, whether you’re discussing that dinner […]
COOK’S KITCHEN
Around a Fire, Stories Are Told, Songs Are Sung, and Dinner Is Warmed
Rediscovering the magic of the flames
As a young cook, I was drawn to vintage preindustrial cookbooks hoping to unlock past wisdom. I was often dissatisfied: the recipes were vague, too simple, kind of bland. Where […]
COOK’S KITCHEN
Great Pumpkin Soup, With Dignity
Like Linus, seeking a winter squash without a sign of hypocrisy
Sometimes I think the scariest thing about Halloween is the flood of pumpkin-spice products that appear for the season. The fact that pumpkin-spice deodorant exists hints at how ludicrous the […]
