These cookies combine two holiday classics, chocolate and gingerbread, although I have never thought to put the two together. How is this possible? Why are we not adding chocolate ganache glazes to gingerbread bundt cakes, and why has it taken me so long in my life to realize this a most delicious combination?
Read MoreOne of my favorite food bloggers posted this non-recipe that I would not have normally given a second thought, except I was desperate for something quick and satisfying. The short ingredient list was truly underwhelming, until I realized it made me something so deeply satisfying. This is now my go-to quick lunch or dinner, perfect when you're sick or feel like you have nothing in the house to eat.
Read MoreThis plum torte needs little introduction. It was so popular that the NY Times ran it for years every September, and when they tried to stop, were met with angry protests. Not all desserts inspire such furious devotion, especially a humble cake such as this.
Read MoreA friend of the garden, Caroline, dared me to eat eggplant every day on my trip, a challenge I gladly accepted. The eggplant in both countries was staggeringly good and it tasted like something, like its own beautiful eggplant flavor, rather than the bland sponge it is often relegated to here. There, the eggplant is king, treated with respect, coaxed from its shiny skin into super stardom. We ate it rolled around chunks of feta and lightly braised in tomato sauce. In Tel Aviv they would split it down the middle, leaving the stem in tact to hold it together, and drizzled with a nutty tahini sauce.
Read MoreI love caprese salad in mid summer - so easy, incredibly seasonal and pairs well with nearly anything. While I could never tire of an in-season tomato, I mixed it up a few years ago with some friends and used ripe peaches instead. We served it with grilled lamb chops and a big green salad and it was perfect.
Read MoreI heard something recently about the emotional memory wrapped up in smell, and how through cooking we can bring emotions to the table simply through scent (this was in a recent episode of the excellent Netflix documentary Chef's Table). For me, basil immediately jogs memories of summer - grilled corn, deep joy, and warm lazy breezes. Even as gloomy Bay Area summer is upon us, sniffing a fresh bunch of basil transports me away from thick fog to somewhere warmer where the pace is slower.
Read MoreThis recipe highlights the creamy, mild flavor of fresh spring spuds and the addition of sharp lemon juice gives them additional depth and flavor. I served them with my favorite Kokkari feta dressing, but they are delicious and flavorful enough on their own.
Read MoreThis is a dessert - as in there is a hefty amount of good ol' white sugar and I'm gonna recommend you top this off with some softly whipped cream. While a piece of simple fruit or a wedge of dark chocolate at the end of a meal is great, I also feel strongly that a baked sweet dessert is an act of love.
Read MoreThis time of year I pull a few of my favorite cookbooks off the shelf and read them before bed, dreaming of what I'll grow this year. Every chef writes, "a dish is only as good as its ingredients", and plucking something from your ground into your kitchen is the freshest and best ingredient you can find.
Read MoreSince discovering this easy but really delicious feta dressing in mid-January, it has dressed a chop salad with lots of fresh dill, been smeared on grilled veggies and slabs of focaccia, dolloped over grain salad with lots of radish, and accompanied an oregano rubbed chicken as an ideal dipping sauce
Read MoreRicotta is smooth and slightly sweet from the heavy cream and you can even eat it when it's still warm. I love to mix olive oil, salt and pepper into it, then smear it across toast. It's also great mixed into hot pasta, layered onto lasagna, or turned into a dip for raw vegetables like radishes and carrots.
Read MoreAlong making spring rolls I made a fairly traditional noodle salad, but added some grilled eggplant to give it more heft. The sauce is similar to a spring roll dipping sauce - very tangy and bright, with lots of lime juice and fish sauce. The chopped, fresh herbs (and many of them) make this salad so flavorful and complex. I look forward to making this in the weeks and months to come, changing up things here and there, and making plenty of leftovers for a great lunch.
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