• Someone’s In The Kitchen With…Ludo & Krissy Lefebvre

    Yesterday saw the premiere of the new Sundance show “Ludo Bites America.” It stars French chef Ludo Lefebvre and his wife Krissy Lefebvre who, together, have taken the Los Angeles restaurant scene by storm; creating pop-up events that sell out so quickly you have a better shot of getting J.K. Rowling to write you another…

  • Cooking for Vegans (Watermelon Salad, Cauliflower Steaks & Coconut Lime Rice Pudding)

    Cooking for Vegans (Watermelon Salad, Cauliflower Steaks & Coconut Lime Rice Pudding)

    I was flipping out on Saturday because I’d extended a dinner invitation to an awesome friend named Isaac (he directs stunning music videos, check them out here) and Isaac is a vegan. But not just a vegan: a vegan with a nut allergy. I was already cooking a “thank you” meal for Lizzie Leitzell, my…

  • Someone’s In The Kitchen With…Sara Jenkins

    Today’s episode of “Someone’s In The Kitchen With” takes us to Porsena in the East Village where Chef Sara Jenkins (who also owns the amazingly popular Porchetta) talks to me about the challenges of opening a new restaurant, her childhood in Italy (and Lebanon), the benefits of dried pasta vs. fresh pasta, and how she…

  • “True Adolescents” is here!

    Many of you know that my partner, Craig Johnson (the guy you see in all of my posts), is a filmmaker. His first feature, TRUE ADOLESCENTS is finally here and I’m so excited that you, my loyal readers, will finally be able to see it. The movie stars Mark Duplass (who you may know as…

  • 10 Things That You’re Doing Wrong Hosting a Dinner Party

    10 Things That You’re Doing Wrong Hosting a Dinner Party

    One of the best things about being a home cook is the opportunity to show off your cooking chops to family, friends and loved ones at a dinner party. Some out there plan dinner parties meticulously; every detail is accounted for, from the crystal that’s to be used for the wine, to the palate cleanser…

  • Imperial Woodpecker Sno-Balls

    Imperial Woodpecker Sno-Balls

    You may recall that on our recent trip to New Orleans, we enjoyed something called a Sno-Ball. We ate this Sno-Ball at a place called Hansen’s Sno-Bliz and though I was wary at first–“isn’t it just ice and syrup?”–I was quickly won over by the texture of that ice and the intense flavor of that…

  • Breakfast “Burrito” with Two Salsas

    Breakfast “Burrito” with Two Salsas

    You may have noticed that I’ve been posting more and more original recipes here. I like that. It makes me feel like, in the past 7+ years of running this blog, I’ve learned a thing or two. Still; not everything I do is a major success. Sometimes my original conception for a dish doesn’t work…

  • Kitchen Sink Pasta Salad (with Yogurt and Herbs)

    Kitchen Sink Pasta Salad (with Yogurt and Herbs)

    The scene? My kitchen. The day? Last Thursday. The idea? Take everything out of my refrigerator–fresh mozzarella, a red onion, scallions, celery, parsley, dill, a nectarine (ok, that wasn’t in the refrigerator, it was on the counter)–and make dinner. I didn’t know what I was going to make but then I had a thought: “What…

  • Someone’s In The Kitchen With…Amanda Hesser & Merrill Stubbs

    Amanda Hesser has lived in my kitchen for as long as I’ve been cooking. Well, in cookbook form: her “Cooking For Mr. Latte” (which I refer to as a cookbook even though it’s really a memoir (with recipes) about her courtship with New Yorker writer Tad Friend) is a constant go-to resource for me. The…

  • The Best Dinner Rolls of Your Life

    The Best Dinner Rolls of Your Life

    Who invites friends over for dinner rolls? On Thursday night, I did that very thing. I texted our friends who live in our building and said, “Hot dinner rolls and honey if you want right now!” It was a strange text, one that I thought might be met with radio silence. But one friend, our…