Searching for the perfect gourmet cookie to elevate your holiday gatherings or to give as an unforgettable gift this season? Look no further than Dorie Greenspan’s exquisite Vanilla Bean Sablés. These French shortbread delights embody everything an ideal cookie should be: impeccably sweet, intensely aromatic with true vanilla, subtly salty, and boasting a wonderfully delicate, … Read more

The Ultimate Holiday Side: Alice Waters’s Creamy & Crispy Potato Gratin As the holiday season draws near, my thoughts, like many, turn to festive gatherings and the cherished culinary traditions that define them. This year, my incredibly organized sister, a doctor by profession and a connoisseur of all things pie and Peeps, is taking the … Read more

Roasted Eggplant Salad: A Summer Staple with Mediterranean Flair The arrival of fresh, plump eggplants, often directly from our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share, always signals the perfect opportunity to revisit a truly remarkable dish: this roasted eggplant salad. It’s a recipe I first discovered and fell in love with a few summers ago after … Read more

Crispy Tofu and Broccoli with Sesame-Peanut Pesto: Your New Weeknight Favorite The start of a new year often brings with it a desire for fresh starts, particularly when it comes to our eating habits. For many, January is synonymous with “detoxing” and restrictive diets. Five years ago, I shared a recipe for Sesame-Crusted Tofu with … Read more

As the holiday season draws near, the quest for the perfect gift often begins. While some master the art of early shopping, completing their lists well before the Thanksgiving turkey is carved, many of us find ourselves embracing the delightful challenge closer to the holidays. If you’re in the latter camp, or simply seeking fresh … Read more

Sometimes, the most unexpected detours lead to the most delightful discoveries. My culinary journey for this incredible Rosemary Semolina Bread began, surprisingly, in the wine section of Wegmans. Last Saturday, a sample table caught my eye, and I made a beeline for it. A kind gentleman offered me a taste of a Grenache paired with … Read more

Welcome to the ultimate guide for creating your very own sourdough starter from scratch! Embark on a rewarding culinary journey that promises fresh, artisanal bread right from your kitchen. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through each simple step, ensuring that in less than a week, you’ll have a vibrant, active, and bubbly sourdough … Read more

Embracing Wholesome Baking: Cranberry-Orange Pecan Muffins and the Power of Whole Grains After a period of culinary dormancy following my move to the West Coast, I finally caved into the irresistible urge to bake. The weekend brought with it a delightful shopping spree for essential baking supplies – my first bag of flour, can of … Read more

Transforming Winter Vegetables: The Irresistible Tahini, Lemon & Za’atar Dressing As the chill of late winter lingers and spring feels perpetually on the horizon, our produce drawers and farmers’ market stalls often reflect the season’s weariness. You know the sight: vegetables looking a bit tired, pale, and wrinkled, lacking that vibrant freshness we crave. Perhaps … Read more

In the world of outdoor cooking, grilling vegetables is often seen as a straightforward affair: toss with oil, season, and place over heat. Yet, a revolutionary technique, known as “dry grilling,” promises to elevate your grilled vegetables from merely good to absolutely sublime. This method, which involves grilling vegetables without any oil or seasoning initially, … Read more