For reasons that will become clear in the near future but that I will currently explain simply as “an occupational hazard,” I had to bake eight batches of box-mix brownies yesterday. Technically, I didn’t eat any of the brownies I baked, unless you count the batter from each scra … | Continue reading
Summer has arrived a little early in my house — as usual, we are spending spring break down in Kiawah, South Carolina at my in-law’s place, and it has not taken us long to get into vacation rhythm. That goes for the bike riding and general sun-lizarding, but mostly I’m talking ab … | Continue reading
Since it’s been at least a week since I’ve posted an egg-topped something or other, I thought I’d share my new favorite salad: Microgreens or sprouts (your favorite, these are arugula) tossed with a rice-wine-based-vinaigrette, a wedged avocado, a seven-minute egg, and a generous … | Continue reading
Andy: Office is closing early. Be home by 3:00. Me: OMG. CAN YOU PLEEEEASE MAKE DINNER TONIGHT? Andy: What do we have? Me: I bought ingreds to replicate that tofu wheat berry salad we had at Honeygrow last week Andy: OK, done Me: YASSSSSSSS. Be home by 6:00. Can you also do the t … | Continue reading
Odette Williams’ Simple Cake arrived on my doorstep the day before Phoebe’s birthday, but something tells me even if it was a random Tuesday in the middle of the night, this book would’ve given me no choice but to beeline for the kitchen to bake a cake, like the one you are looki … | Continue reading
Today I am delighted to cede the floor to my dear friend and mother-of-three Naria Halliwell. Astute readers might remember her as the first person to convince me to eat raw kale or the one who media-trained me on my first television appearance so many moons ago. (Fun fact: I was … | Continue reading
A week ago, I did something I’ve never done before: I loaded up my car with a few groceries, kissed my kids goodbye, and drove a few hours north to attend a five-day artist residency at The Spruceton Inn in the Catskills. As I pulled on to 87 North, I flashbacked to the last time … | Continue reading
What I’m eating and reading this week: You Don’t Need a Recipe! Have you seen this special section? It’s a collection of Sam Sifton’s “no-recipe” recipes culled from his popular cooking newsletter, and includes a few dozen recipes that are simple enough to improvise if you have t … | Continue reading
I’m writing this on a Friday around lunch having just made two bowls of what you’re looking at above, one for me and one for Andy, who is working from home. I made it for him because he was like Remember the green beans and egg thing you made last time I was working from home? Da … | Continue reading
I’m so pleased to introduce you to today’s guest-poster, friend and beloved magazine veteran Mindy Berry Walker, who was, most recently, executive editor of Parents. (She’s now helping out on the content end at her sister Cheree’s company, Cheree Berry Paper.) I love this story a … | Continue reading
I suppose you’re going to ask me what I’m making for the Super Bowl? The answer is: I have no idea! I’m sure it will involve self-serve chili or, even better, some kind of sandwich situation so I don’t have to break out any utensils. (Remember Heidi’s Super Bowl Sammies?) One thi … | Continue reading
I know what you’re thinking: Please, Dear Lord let this not be another butternut squash soup recipe. I’m sorry to say that it is, but but but but…please stay awake! Because I think you’ll be happy about this particular version: A curried butternut squash soup boosted with coconut … | Continue reading
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that for the past few years, right around this time in January — just after the holidays, when the cold is burrowing deep into our bones and our next vacation feels far far away — is when we sit at the kitchen table, four laptops open to google ma … | Continue reading
Thought it was about time for a little what-we’re-excited-about dispatch from DALS headquarters, starting with what you’re looking at above. Ever since we’ve decided to cut back on the meat in our house, I’ve made sure to stock up on ingredients that feel like they might be good … | Continue reading
Back in the day, when I was teaching myself how to cook at home, I used to plan a trip to the grocery store like I was an NFL offensive coordinator — there were manic notes and strategies and maps of aisles and maybe even headsets, I can’t remember. But now? I’ve been cooking for … | Continue reading
Traveling with teenagers is different than traveling with young kids, but one thing that never changes is that feeling you get when their reaction to experiencing a city or an adventure for the first time is exactly what you had hoped it would be. The first time I went to Austin … | Continue reading
I didn’t make any resolutions this year. I don’t know if this is because I’ve gotten lazier and grumpier as I’ve gotten older, or if it’s just that I’m more of a realist about these things working out. But it’s a slippery slope from realist to cynic, something I’m resolved (!) to … | Continue reading
The Scene: Wednesday, the first school/workday back from winter break The Scene, pt 2: Always the longest, most exhausting day of the year The Characters: Family DALS 5:30 Walk in door. Girls already home, one of them doing homework at kitchen table instead of cloistered in her b … | Continue reading
Here is a problem that a lot of people don’t have: When you are a food blogger who has written extensively about how meaningful holiday rituals are, it can be a struggle to come up with new content and recipes for the salivating masses, i.e. you guys. By definition, tradition dic … | Continue reading
What we’re eating and reading this week: The Zebra Cookies! Have they taken over your instagram feed like they’ve taken over mine? Well either way, they should be on your holiday to-bake list, whether it’s for the swap, the office party, or a just a weekend project that checks yo … | Continue reading
So like a lot of you guys out there, we’ve cut back on meat in our house pretty significantly in the last few years, which probably seems pretty obvious to anyone reading this blog with regularity. For the most part, it’s been a gradual process, one that has been helped along by … | Continue reading
Before I had children, my husband and I threw the best holiday parties. We’d head out on field trips all over New York City, where we lived at the time, to hunt down finger foods and festive garlands. Weeks before the big night, we’d have menu-planning sessions and discuss pressi … | Continue reading
Welcome to this year’s holiday gift guide, also known as the best place to shop for the eaters and readers in your life. This year, if you are so inclined, feel free to leave your best go-to gift idea in the comment section. The author of my favorite one will win a free copy Dinn … | Continue reading
I could’ve probably come up with a slightly more enticing name for this recipe, especially since it was one of the better meals I’ve made in the last few weeks. But that would be seriously detracting from what makes it DALS-worthy. You know that stunning Margaret Wise Brown baby … | Continue reading
Hey guys! I did a jarred pasta sauce taste test over at Cup of Jo, and invited Phoebe’s cross country team to partake in the judging. We had such a good time — you’ll never guess who won. (Actually you probably will.) I plan to do more of these tests, so let me know if you have … | Continue reading
This past August, my family was lucky enough to travel to Rome and Sicily, a dream vacation that checked all the boxes: Culture, coastlines, family roots, and carbs. So very many carbs! Today’s highlight reel is an attempt to capture Part 1 of the trip, three-and-a-half days in R … | Continue reading
What we’re reading and eating this week: A bright spot during dark times: I wrote about a woman who has launched a gratitude campaign — she’s writing a thank-you note to someone every day of the year. How much do we love Chrissy Tiegen? The always great Jason Gay profiles her in … | Continue reading
We had a few families over for dinner this past weekend, and in the days leading up to it, when they inevitably asked “What can I bring?” I told them all the same thing: dessert. There would be ten kids in all, and I figured it would be fun to have an all-out, sugar-infused, Than … | Continue reading
I used to feel the same way about tofu that I did about squash. I didn’t exactly crave it, but it wasn’t offensive, and it was as good as whatever I seasoned it with — especially when the “seasoning” included a generous amount of fat, i.e. butter or oil. These days I crave it. I … | Continue reading
As loyal readers probably know, we here in Dinner: A Love Story Land love our homemade pudding. I started making it when the girls were little as an easy way to get them to “drink their milk” — the recipe calls for 2 cups of organic milk — but over the years we’ve adultified it ( … | Continue reading
It occurred to me the other day that I’ve never made this classic in my house even though it is literally impossible for the family NOT to order it when it’s on a restaurant menu. I got a lot of requests last night when I instagrammed it, so here is the official recipe. Happy Mon … | Continue reading
. I’ve been addicted to Cup of Jo’s house tours for as long as I can remember, and today I’m pleased to announce that I had the chance to work on one myself, interviewing Brooklyn mom/stylist/brand new author LaTonya Yvette. My favorite reader comment so far is “This is not a hou … | Continue reading
It’s September, which means it’s time for another recipe from Leah Koenig, my go-to source for the Jewish holidays and beyond. (Remember her fattoush? I make that throughout tomato season.) I’m pleased to let you know that this year, Leah herself is making a cameo on DALS, talkin … | Continue reading
Today’s post is this hopeful correspondence lifted from the pages of To Obama, With Love, Joy, Anger and Hope (by Jeanne Marie Laskas), a compilation of letters from the Office of Presidential Correspondence during the Obama administration. The OPC, a staff of 50 readers and 30 i … | Continue reading
What I’m reading and eating this week: Wanna save Democracy? Read a novel. My kind of dinner: Crispy Rice with Shrimp, Bacon, and Corn. The Unbearable Sameness of Cities. Did you know that everyone has a cheese that matches their personality? Read of the week: The Education of Bi … | Continue reading
I wanted to take a second to tell you about something cool happening in my hood. You are looking at a photo of the Dobbs Ferry Waterfront Park, located on the Hudson River, about 20 miles north of New York City. It has been the site of many things in my life: A place to take the … | Continue reading
6:50 Commuter train pulls into northern New York suburb. 7:00 Two parents drive home, walk into house, shout “hellooooooo?” Wonder where kids are. 7:01 Reminisce briefly about the days when kids were at home waiting for them. 7:02 Reminisce briefly about the days when the kids, n … | Continue reading
I went on vacation just as my backyard romas and cherry golds were blushing from green to red, but it was hard to feel very sorry for myself considering I was headed to Italy, the land where tomatoes come in only one variety: extraordinary. I picked up most of mine on roadside pr … | Continue reading
Forgive the radio silence over on my end. Those of you who follow me on instagram likely know by now that we are traveling in Italy (Sicily via Rome) and eating our weight in pasta, gelato, and pizza everyday. It’s the trip of a lifetime, and I know I say that every time we trave … | Continue reading
Hi, it’s Abby. My mom asked me to write an introduction for this post about our last-minute trip to Seattle a few weeks ago. I was invited to play in a soccer tournament there and this one was different than most because there was only one game a day, which means there was plenty … | Continue reading
Last week, we used a Western Mass camp drop-off as an excuse to explore the Catskills (right across the MA/NY border) and had the nicest 48-hour mini vacation. Scribner’s Catskill Lodge was our home base and if you’re local, I can’t recommend it highly enough. (Ask about their mi … | Continue reading
Last Thursday, at around 5:00, I text Andy: What’s in the CSA bag today? We do a farm share through his office every other Thursday and I always try to plan dinner around it, even though it’s usually a little of a lot, not a lot of a little. 5:01 His reply: One piece of squash, o … | Continue reading
Old-timer readers will take one look at this photo and recognize that main dish as DALS MVP Spaghetti with Clams and Extras. It’s on page 56 of my first book, Dinner: A Love Story, and has made countless appearances on my summer table and instagram feed. I would be willing to bet … | Continue reading
I am so psyched to present today’s guest-poster, my friend and reading guru Catherine Hong. You already know and love her because she writes the childrens’ book blog, Mrs. Little and because she’s an OG DALS favorite. (Could she be any cuter in this sleepaway camp shot circa earl … | Continue reading
The short answer is: At my friend’s kitchen table. Abby and I were in Seattle for only three and a half days, so, as you can imagine, our Food Town Anxiety Syndrome* was at an all-time high, and we pretty much never stopped moving (or eating). Here is the official round-up where … | Continue reading
I know what you’re thinking. School’s out! No more reviews! No more refresher courses! No more finals! (Oh wait, those are my childrens’ cries.) But I figured I’d remind everyone of a few crucial salad-making rules and regulations now that it’s late June and we have at least thre … | Continue reading
One of the things I love about my “job” as a food writer is that people email me all the time with questions, mistaking me for some kind of expert. Where do you eat when you’re in Nashville? They ask. Or Can you recommend a good food mill? I see you have marble countertops, do yo … | Continue reading
The drill-down on my cookbook round-up continues as I present to you Vietnamese Tofu Salad, this year’s recipient of Recipe Most Likely to Join the DALS Rotation, and one of the many dishes I’ve made from Ilene Rosen’s Saladish that have slayed, as the kids say. (Do the kids even … | Continue reading