Good morning. Hope you are all hanging in there. Last weekend was a good one — we spent a sunny sweater-and-Birkenstocks kind of day in lovely Rhinebeck, NY where we had lunch at Bread Alone and did a short beautiful hike (above). On the hour-and-half drive there, I was able to a … | Continue reading
Good morning. Hope you are all hanging in there. Last weekend was a good one — we spent a sunny sweater-and-Birkenstocks kind of day in lovely Rhinebeck, NY where we had lunch at Bread Alone and did a short beautiful hike (above). On the hour-and-half drive there, I was able to a … | Continue reading
Good morning! Lots to catch up on in the kitchen and beyond. Last weekend, we sat at one of Cafe Altro Paradiso‘s outdoor tables to celebrate our 23rd (!) anniversary. They had a jazz band playing outside and across the street, in a public park, New Yorkers sat on benches, sipped … | Continue reading
Good morning! Lots to catch up on in the kitchen and beyond. Last weekend, we sat at one of Cafe Altro Paradiso‘s outdoor tables to celebrate our 23rd (!) anniversary. They had a jazz band playing outside and across the street, in a public park, New Yorkers sat on benches, sipped … | Continue reading
For those of you who have been following me from the beginning, this might come as a shock to you, but two days ago I dropped off my firstborn at college. Yes, Phoebe. The one who loves mud cakes and hates pasta. The one who taught me everything I know about graphic novels and Ta … | Continue reading
Good morning! Back to regularly scheduled programming tomorrow, but today, I wanted to point you in the direction of a mystery novel I read and reviewed called The Boy in the Field, by Margot Livesey. I really loved it. The pages fly, it’s beautifully written, and it has exactly … | Continue reading
Greetings, Everyone! We’ve just returned from Maine where we spent eight days in and around Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Island (MDI). Almost every single one of those days was postcard-perfect weather, which we decided to accept as the universe evening the score for 202 … | Continue reading
Good morning! Tomorrow we are heading up to Maine for eight days, which I tell you for two reasons. 1) I will most likely not be posting here next week (instagram, another story) and 2) Today’s PPP entry is dedicated to my favorite kind of cooking — using up every possible perish … | Continue reading
I wish I took pics of the dinner we had on Sunday night, but on the other hand, I’m not sure what I loved so much about it had anything to do with the food, or even if the night could’ve been captured in a tangible way. It was the early evening — a hot one, we’re in the middle... … | Continue reading
Good morning! I’m going straight old-school today with a few quick, easy, heavenly summer dinners we’ve eaten in the past week: Andrea Nguyen’s tofu bánh mì sandwich (from her gorgeous 2019 book Vietnamese Food Any Day; recipe over on Cup of Jo) and Steamed Clams, which longtime … | Continue reading
Good morning! Hope everyone is staying healthy and safe. Last week, we went to the city for the first time since the pandemic hit in mid-March. Phoebe had a doctor’s appointment and we figured we’d use it as an excuse to grab some good pizza (since I know you’ll ask: that rainbow … | Continue reading
Good morning! I hope everybody had a nice weekend. It was another hot one here in New York and if we squinted really hard, it almost felt like a normal July, even as we followed the grim news from Florida and California and the Midwest. (Stay safe, everyone.) Our local pool is op … | Continue reading
Good morning! I interrupt the Project Pantry Purpose series to bring you a bunch of things that don’t necessarily fall neatly into the usual categories, except for this galette, which I wrote about yesterday over at Cup of Jo. DALS loyalists already know it’s my favorite can’t-me … | Continue reading
Good morning! I hadn’t meant to take a whole week off but I hope everyone had a nice Fourth of July, however (or if) you celebrated. In summation: We did a round-trip drive to northern Virginia to check in on Andy’s parents, had some friends over on Saturday night for socially-di … | Continue reading
Good morning! Sorry for the radio silence. I am thisclose to turning in a first draft of my manuscript and it’s all I’ve been spending time on during my waking working hours. Not a ton of other stuff happening — since we last spoke, I’ve walked over the newly opened pathway on th … | Continue reading
Good morning, I hope everyone had a nice weekend. I went to my first virtual bat mitzvah on Saturday and was surprised to find it as moving as an in-person service. (Big Mazels, Maylie!) I also did my first training session with Vote Save America for Wisconsin and I learned a lot … | Continue reading
Good morning! I spent a good part of yesterday writing, walking…and fuming about the new John Bolton book, which I refuse to link to because I don’t want anyone to buy it. Where was Trump’s former national security adviser when it actually mattered? And I still can’t believe his … | Continue reading
Good morning everyone! I think my kids are looking forward to me getting out of the latest bean testing phase of my book, though I did notice that this green hummus above disappeared very fast. Yesterday I watched the first episode of Quiz (really loving it so far, thank you for … | Continue reading
Good morning! Welcome to Week 14 of Pantry, Project, Purpose. Our section of New York hit Phase 2 of re-opening last week, and it was so heartening to see restaurants set up outdoor dining in the street. (Leave it to today’s Daily, though, to scare me all the way back to March.) … | Continue reading
Back in March, I started the Pantry Project Purpose series to help keep everybody sane and connected during quarantine, and also because it felt good to offer a little escapist comfort from what is playing out in the world and the front pages every day. But the events of the last … | Continue reading
Good morning and welcome to Thursday. Yesterday I wrote recipe headnotes for a chapter of my book. (Headnotes are the little descriptions that introduce the recipe, or tell a story, or give some context and instruction); I went for a long walk; I started a novel I was assigned to … | Continue reading
Good morning, it’s Wednesday already! Not a whole lot to report. Yesterday, I went for a bike ride; listened to the first episode of this crazy new podcast; started Season 5 of The Wire; and read a chapter in a book about Tolstoy (!) that Andy is editing and obsessing over. This … | Continue reading
Good morning! I hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend. We got great news on Saturday: Bean is going to be just fine! Thank you again to everyone who sent good puppy energy her way. In other news, Andy and I got antibody tests (don’t have results yet) after hearing a local hosp … | Continue reading
Good morning. Thank you to everyone who sent along well wishes to Bean. I read every note to her and they were much appreciated. Other than spoiling her with attention, yesterday I planted the remainder of my tomato garden, and noticed some suspicious looking divots that were not … | Continue reading
Good morning and happy Wednesday. Yesterday was a busy one — lots of recipe testing including a zucchini pizza I’m working on for the book. The one you are looking at here was solid, but not book-worthy, so no recipe just yet. (Leftovers will, however, be a most excellent lunch.) … | Continue reading
Good afternoon! What’s everyone reading these days? I’m excited about the new Curtis Sittenfeld novel (published today) called Rodham, which imagines what would’ve become of Hillary had she never married Bill; I’m also in the middle of Before the Fall, by the Fargo creator Noah H … | Continue reading
Good morning, and welcome to Week 10 of Your Quarantine PPP. It was gorgeous in New York all weekend and we tried to make the most of it by hiking at Rockefeller State Park again (we spotted two Baltimore Orioles, a prime sighting in our neck of the woods); lounging and reading o … | Continue reading
I’d be lying if I said the obsession with dessert in our house was somehow quarantine-activated, but I will say that over the last few months, the post-dinner sweet options have significantly ramped up, almost to an embarrassing level. This is partly because we are going to the s … | Continue reading
Good morning. Wednesdays are always a little brighter for me because it’s usually the day Bon Appetit comes out with its newest podcast episode, so I can block out the world for a little while and listen to my favorite food people go deep on, say, Chicken Parm. It’s also the day … | Continue reading
Good morning! Another unseasonably cold one in New York, but the sun is out, so I will take it. Yesterday I crossed something off my to-do list that I think might hold the world record for Longest Time Ever Spent on a To-Do List: I sent ten first-day-of-school photos to Shutterfl … | Continue reading
Good morning. Hope you all had a nice Mother’s Day. We went for a long hike and spotted a scarlet tanager and possibly a black-throated blue warbler. My Mother’s Day gift to myself was a goldfinch feeder, which I hung in the backyard on Saturday. Ever since I was little, I’ve int … | Continue reading
Good morning, Troops. Yesterday I got to interview the legendary Deborah Madison about her upcoming memoir and the history of the vegetarian movement. One thing that surprised me: She is obviously a vegetable lover, but she’s not actually a vegetarian. (Her reply “That’s why I wr … | Continue reading
Good morning! Hope you are all healthy and staying somewhat sane. Yesterday I decided I needed a day of nonstop productivity. I know we’re supposed to be giving ourselves more leeway on things and practicing self-care and all that, but after living with myself for this many decad … | Continue reading
Public Service Announcement! Those yeasted waffles we’re all obsessed with freeze beautifully and come back to life with just a pop in the toaster (and a schmear of Nutella if you’re strong enough.) Good morning! The weather continues to be beautiful in New York. I spent most of … | Continue reading
Good morning. Hope you all had a nice weekend. The weather in New York was glorious and we spent a lot of time on the patio reading, grilling (!) and listening to music. (I think Andy played this song 2400 times.) On Friday, New York State officially closed schools for the rest o … | Continue reading
Good morning! Hope you’re all healthy and safe and feeling ok as we approach our seven-week stay-at-home milestone. I started cooking down the fridge to prepare for the next food delivery (coming Sunday) so yesterday’s lunch was more charred broccoli with fried rice (leftover fro … | Continue reading
Good morning. Today marks five weeks of our family’s quarantine — always feels good to hit that milestone. To celebrate, we plan on kicking things off with a classic Tom Collins cocktail, which I was reminded about on this week’s episode of the Bon Appetit foodcast. Two things I’ … | Continue reading
Good morning. Yesterday was a big news day in the coffee department: We found our old handheld milk frother, which made our morning cup, and therefore our morning, just a little bit better. I talked to my parents; I wrote about a delicious spring salad over at Cup of Jo; I planne … | Continue reading
Hello and welcome to Wednesday. Yesterday Andy cut Abby’s hair (he’s the “detail guy” in the house); I tested some cabbage recipes and made a style guide for my book; and I think I saw my 18-year-old for a total of five minutes. (She was holed up in her room or outside riding her … | Continue reading
Good morning. Yesterday was a long, rainy day here in New York. I worked on a freelance project, did a 40-minute Zoom gym glass in my living room, spent way too much time on social media, and didn’t get outside with the dogs until almost dinner time. Phoebe (18) watched a few Joh … | Continue reading
Happy Monday, Team Quarantine. Hope you all had healthy weekends and Easter Sundays. Yesterday, I drove across the county to my parents’ house to say hi from the curb and drop off some flour and sugar. (That’s my mom pictured. She’s baking a birthday cake for her grandson, my nep … | Continue reading
Happy Friday Everyone. As of today, we’ve made it exactly four weeks in quarantine, which I will choose to view as a small victory. Yesterday we placed a food order through Baldor, the restaurant wholesale supplier that has pivoted to residential delivery (it looks like they are … | Continue reading