When my sister-in-law and brother invited Christopher and me to join them on a hiking trip across Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula, you might be surprised to know, I didn’t say yes […]
Recipe Box
THE ESSENTIALS
Hugo Rizzoli’s Classic Marinara
An artist rediscovers his grandmother’s elemental tomato sauce
It all started with the savory scent of slowly cooking garlic drifting up the street from Ciro and Sal’s restaurant. Working that summer of 1978 as a painter’s assistant in […]
PIE PREVIEW
A Slice of Sunshine
Meyer lemons add floral notes to a tart custard pie
My friend Kathy, who lives in California, recently sent me a box of Meyer lemons she had picked on her daily walk. I was thrilled — Meyers have a floral […]
FROM THE LARDER
Homemade Garlic Sausage, Spiked With Cognac and a Pinch of Nutmeg
Memories of a small-town butcher shop inspire a kitchen project for a winter weekend
Light fluffy snow swirls brightly as I head out for a walk on the rail bed where I see lots of coyote tracks. When I get back to the frost-covered […]
FROM THE SNACKBOOK
The Alchemy of a Steamed Sweet Potato
A fluffy, custardy new companion for the season of comfort food
I don’t know about you, but it’s going to take me a while to remember what true wanderlust feels like. The last two years, painful and disorienting as they have […]
KITCHEN TABLE
Mexico’s Earthy, Smoky, Special Sauce
Eduardo Rios simmers the mole his mother used to make
Eduardo Rios isn’t sure what he’ll be roasting for Christmas dinner. It might be a turkey. Or if he can find one, maybe a big fillet of cod. What he […]
FROM THE LARDER
Homemade Granola Makes a Not-Too-Sweet Gift
Breakfast that’s good enough to eat for dessert
Several years ago, we attended a memorable dinner at the famed New York restaurant Eleven Madison Park. This was before Covid shut down the world, and before the restaurant raised […]
FROM THE LARDER
A Cook’s Search for Economy Leads to a Superior Snack
Homemade crackers with warm spices, olives, and toasted pistachios
When I was in college, I liked to study in the uptown branch of the New Orleans Public Library on St. Charles Avenue. It occupied a sprawling, slightly decrepit mansion […]
MAKING MEMORIES
A Sweet Bread for Remembrance and Reunion
Pan de muertos, with a large glass of bourbon
One year after my mother died, she was with me again, vividly. I was walking through a maze of graves lit by a sea of beeswax candles in a cemetery […]
FROM THE LARDER
Jazz and Oysters Bring Two Festivals Home
Homemade salt pork meets Wellfleet oysters for a soup from the Mosquito Supper Club
In south Louisiana, where I come from, if you can eat it or dance to it, there’s probably a festival for it. We have festivals celebrating crawfish, gumbo, catfish, soybeans, […]
FROM THE SNACKBOOK
An Umami-Rich Pasta for the Changing Season
Don’t forget to warm up the bowl
That slight bite in the air — the one that makes you roll your shirtsleeves down, pull on a hat, and recognize the crunch of leaves as you walk — […]
COOK'S KITCHEN
When a Tomato and Mayo Sandwich Takes a Trip to Tuscany
Tomatoes, herbs, Italian cheeses, and fennel baked in a buttery crust
I am seeing red! I don’t mean because of worldly triggers — anti-vaxers, Texas, or extreme climate events. The red I’m seeing right now is the cornucopia of tomatoes on […]
FROM THE LARDER
It’s a Big Year for Beach Plums, So Don’t Be Shy
Pick all you can, then put a little bit of summer in a jar
People on the Outer Cape can be secretive about their go-to stands of beach plum. But not this year — one of abundance for the wild shrubs named Prunus maritima […]
FROM THE LARDER
The Salty, Sweet Taste of a Wild Garden’s Possibilities
Gilded with honey and transformed by heat, feta becomes a luscious spread
I tend to look at things and see not only what they are but what they might become. It drives Christopher a little crazy, since it means that the check […]
FROM THE LARDER
Low Heat and Lots of Smoke Are Summer Magic for Meat
Sorry, Mark Bittman, but the season cannot end without barbecue, just this once
I’ve been trying to move our household in the direction of a plant-based diet, turning out dals and stir-frys and vegetable-stuffed tacos with gusto. I even made a seitan-based chili […]
