Kid Chef Holiday Giveaway & Edible Gifts

It's been a terrific year empowering young folks in the kitchen. Happily, Kid Chef is actually making a mark on people of all ages, giving countless people new adventures in cooking! To celebrate, my publisher is hosting a special holiday giveaway…. It's the perfect gift for the kid on your list who loves to cook. 

*Feed your Kid Chef's Curiosity* Giveaway: order your young one - or another budding chef in your life - a holiday copy of Kid Chef and be entered to win a kid-friendly cooking kit, complete with BPA-free mixing bowls, measuring cups+spoons, kitchen timer, and a kid-size chef's apron. Click here for all the details. When you place your order and forward confirmation, you’re automatically entered to win! Giveaway ends this Saturday, December 17th, at 11:59pm EST. Good luck and happy cooking!

For this holiday season, I am sharing good food with family and friends, with the understanding that handmade and delicious makes all hearts full. 

For some lucky folks, I made membrillo - aka quince paste - using my friend Leda Meredith's recipe. 

In late summer, I infused a nice brandy with local wild black cherries. I made dark chocolate truffles and added some of the fragrant liqueur while mixing together these heady treats.

The great thing about both of these edible gifts is that they'll keep in the refrigerator for a while. Which means, in the midst of the rest of holiday plans and prep, you can parcel the process into manageable bits, making truly wow-factor gifts without coming up depleted. It's a win-win for everyone… :)

Membrillo
makes enough for 9 x 11 pan

3 1/2 pounds quinces
2 pounds granulated sugar

Wash and peel the quinces, reserving the peels. Core them, adding the cores to the reserved peels. Chop the remaining quince into approximately 2-inch chunks. Tie the peels and cores up in cheesecloth or in a clean muslin bag.

Put the chunks of quince and the bundle of peels and cores into a large pot. Add water to cover by approximately 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the quince chunks are mushy-soft.

Remove and discard the bundle of peels and cores. Strain the remaining cooked quince through a very fine meshed strainer or a double layer of cheesecloth set in a colander (you can use the liquid that strains out to make quince jelly). Leave the quince to strain for 1-2 hours.

Puree the strained quince mash in a food processor or run through a food mill. Weigh or measure the puree, then transfer it to a large pot. Add an equal amount by weight of granulated sugar.

Cook over low heat until very thick, approximately 1 1/2 hours. Stir constantly initially, to dissolve the sugar, and frequently after that. 

When it is done the quince paste will stick to a wooden spoon, and if you drag the spoon over the bottom of the pot it will leave a rut that does not fill in immediately with the quince. Be careful towards the end of the cooking time to stir often, so that it doesn't burn.

Lightly grease a 9 x 11 inch baking dish. Spread quince paste in the dish, smoothing the surface with the back of a spoon. It should be about 1 1/2-inches thick. Let the paste cool in the baking dish.

Dry the paste in your oven at the lowest setting, not higher than 125F/52C, for 8 hours or overnight. If your oven doesn't go this low, prop its door open with a dishtowel or the handle of a wooden spoon. 

The surface should be glossy, not sticky to the touch. Place the quince paste in its baking dish into the refrigerator for 2 hours. Run a knife around the edges. Invert the quince paste onto a plate or sheet of parchment. Cut into small blocks and securely wrap in cellophane or parchment paper, and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Black cherry brandy-infused chocolate truffles

makes 30-40 truffles

1 lb semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate disks or chips (62% cacao or higher), or a block chopped into small pieces - I used Callebaut1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tbsp brandy or liqueur of your choice (Gran Marnier, Luxardo, and Poire Williams are all good) - if you want to infuse, allow at least a month for the infusion to meld, up to 6 months
unsweetened cocoa, for dusting
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Place the chocolate disks or pieces into a mixing bowl. 

In a small saucepan, bring the cream, brandy (or other liqueur), and salt to a simmer, stirring and scraping down the sides occasionally. Pour mixture over the chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes. 

Fold the cream and chocolate into each other, until uniform and silky. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until slightly firm, then, using a melon baller, scoop ganache into rough spheres. Refrigerate the lot, placed on a parchment-lined baking sheet, for 30 minutes-1 hour, then quickly roll them (so that they do not melt) between your palms to even their shapes. 

Place enough cocoa to easily coat the truffles in a small shallow bowl. Roll truffles around through the cocoa, then tap each lightly to free any excess. Refrigerate again, layers separated by parchment, in a sealed container until gift-giving time, and at that time, bring to room temperature.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwaanza. Give time to slow down, even if only a day or two, and enjoy your family and loved ones. By so many an account 2016 has been a rough one, but it doesn't make the precious nature of our time any different. See you in 2017! xxx

Kid Chef Book Signing, Fort Greene BKLN September 10th + The Perfect Gazpacho Recipe

Come say hi and sample the Kid Chef summery corn and watermelon salad - with bright garnishes! - this coming Saturday. I'll be in the center of the Fort Greene farmers market at the Food Book Fair tent, from 10am-12pm, and the weather forecast looks perfect! 

Speaking of perfect, as summer (very unfortunately) winds down, I wanted to share the gazpacho gulps recipe from Kid Chef here. It is refreshing, super flavorful, and easy to make. I fancied up this version with fun garnishes - also easy - making for a beautiful presentation and extra textural delight.

Gazpacho Gulps from Kid Chef

Ingredients

2 lbs ripe red tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks

1 cubanelle pepper cored, seeded and cut into chunks

1 cucumber, peeled and cut into chunks

1 small white or red onion, peeled and cut into chunks

1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in halves

2 tsp sherry vinegar, plus more to taste

kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Purée ingredients: In a blender, add tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion and garlic. Blend at high speed until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Stop periodically and scrape down sides with a rubber spatula. Season with salt and pepper.

With the motor running, add vinegar and slowly drizzle in the olive oil through the feeder cap. The mixture will become pinkish or bright orange. Blending as you add the oil will emulsify the mixture, making it a creamy texture.

To serve: Transfer gazpacho to a glass pitcher or jar and refrigerate for 3 hours or until well chilled. Before serving taste and adjust salt, pepper, and vinegar as needed. Serve in small glasses with a drizzle of olive oil, preferably sipped in the sun. Leftover gazpacho will last up to 5 days, kept refrigerated and covered. Give leftovers a good stir just before serving.

In the version here I crushed breadcrumbs and minced hard salami, fried them together in a skillet until golden and crispy, and scattered onto the gazpacho. That, along with snipped chives and parsley flowers, some halved tiny tomatoes, and a drizzle of good olive oil, and there was some very good eating to be had. 

Recent press for Kid Chef

I wrote a column about how to keep lunch interesting at Food52, which just debuted. As with Kid Chef, in it I break down how to make simple tasks of meal preparation, and even, how to rethink what a meal ought to be. For me, fun and delicious are at the top of the list.

Weelicious included Kid Chef in a sweet lineup of great kid-friendly books. Read more here.

Poppy Tooker dedicated last week's episode of her radio program, Louisiana Eats to young cooks. We did an interview together, which you can listen to here. Still cutting my interview chops and radio voice…. ;P 

The National Post in Canada did a lovely writeup featuring Kid Chef in back-to-school glory. 

In recent cook - style - shoot work……

Did you see the juicy story I produced in the Sweet Paul summer issue?  You can find it here, as well as many Anthropologie and Barnes&Noble locations. 

This terrific tomato galette recipe is another ideal use for your tomato bounty...

Recent projects with The New York Times…..

Hands-down delicious cast iron story with Julia Moskin and Charlotte Druckman - 

Crisp toffee bars

flattened chicken thighs

A leftover chicken salad - so good. Could easily be a page from my own playbook - 

For your armfuls of summer squash, this gratin duo -

 Look for more Kid Chef events in NYC as we swing into full back-to-school mode. There's always good eating to be had over at Instagram, and soon, I'll have more delicious content I can share with you here. 

Make something new today. Maybe it'll turn out terrific. You get the satisfaction of trying something new, and bonus - exciting new eating in your repertoire to revisit again and again. XO

Savory Crostadas and The Perfect Aioli

I've been baking this season's bounty into lots of delectable galettes and crostadas, i.e. free-form pies.

The tender crumb of buttery crust - recently flecked with citrus or parmesan and black pepper - perfectly cradles sweet or savory fillings. My impulse of late is almost an automatic, "oooh that would be great made into a galette!" You can see why….

One of yesterday's projects was to use the second disk of dough I'd made when prepping the tomato-olive-scape crostada, which - thank you all! - was very loved on Instagram. 

For the broccoli galette, I devised a base layer of barely-steamed waxy potato slices, mascarpone smeared over the potatoes (heavily seasoned with black pepper and garlic, grated on a microplane), and piled on top of that, delicate broccoli stems which I'd harvested while at Seven Arrows last week, where I've been making some time to help out with the huge work that is the season's planting and harvesting.

The dough itself is magic. It is made particularly pliable with the addition of a goldeny yolk egg - also thanks to Farmer Meg and her sweet, plucky free roaming hens. 

I use this dough often and modify the add-ins (citrus zest/ cheese/ herbs/ black pepper/ etc) depending on what I plan to make.

After thoroughly enjoying how folks responded upon seeing this creation, my week got even better when "proper bad-ass LA made aprons" co. Hedley and Bennett decided to share it, too. 

Which - I am reminded of an important aside - Saveur Magazine is holding their annual Blog Awards *right now* and have created a new category for Best Food Instagram. I pour my heart into Instagram every day and would very much appreciate your nomination! Here is the link to vote - you can do so as often as you like, until July 18th. -> http://lickingtheplate.com <- Best Food Instagram - yippeeee!

Okay, back to the tarts…. ;)

Made with the same parmesan-black pepper-flecked dough, this tart has a base layer of goat cheese I'd made from milk brought home from Seven Arrows' Farm, and seasoned with herbs, boursin-style.

After a good schmear of that onto the pastry (to help the crust from becoming soggy from the juicy tomatoes) I placed tomato slices on top, then studded the surface with torn olives. I had Kalamatas; use whatever you have, in the directions of something deeply savory. 

Before folding the pastry onto its contents I scattered thinly sliced garlic scapes for a little more punch, and then as I folded, sealed the pastry seams with beaten egg.

This crostada was quite easy to make once the dough had been prepped. Plan the time to make the dough, because the results are completely worth it.

Tomato, olive, garlic scape crostada

for the dough
1 1/2 cup AP flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp kosher salt
2 sticks butter, cut into small cubes, freezer cold
1 pasture-raised egg
2 tbsp cider vinegar plus 4 tbsp ice water
1/4 cup Parmiggiano-Reggiano, finely grated
lots of freshly cracked black pepper

for the filling
3-5 tomatoes, depending on their size, sliced into rounds
1/4-1/3 cup goat cheese, boursin, etc.
a handful of pitted olives, torn into halves
2-3-inch segment of a garlic scape, sliced thinly
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

1 pasture-raised egg, lightly beaten, for brushing onto pastry

Stir together all dry ingredients in a large bowl - flours, salt, grated cheese, black pepper.

Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter, just until pea-sized bits remain. Add the egg and cut in to incorporate. Drizzle in vinegar-water mixture a little at a time, cutting the liquid into the dough, pausing to check and see if dough holds together when squeezed between your fingers. Use only as much as needed for the dough to come together.

Empty dough out evenly onto two large segments of cellophane. With your hands underneath, use opposite diagonal ends of the cellophane to press dough together, into a solid mass. Seal dough in cellophane, then pat into a disk. Repeat with second batch.

Refrigerate dough for at least 20 minutes to allow it to mellow. Remove it 5-10 minutes prior to rolling out. Makes two crostadas, one top+bottom crust pie, or, freeze the second disk (as I did), wrapped in cellophane and foil, then placed inside a resealable bag, for up to three months.

Unwrap dough and sandwich between two sheets of lightly floured parchment paper. Roll out into a circle, 1/4-1/8-inch thick. Transfer pastry to a sheet pan and refrigerate at any point during this process, if it becomes smeary (aka not cold enough).

Peel away the top layer of parchment and begin: leave a 1 1/2-2 inch border and slather on the goat cheese or boursin, followed by the tomato slices. Nestle olive pieces around, and then scatter surface with sliced scapes.

Season the whole thing with freshly ground pepper and a light drizzle of olive oil, then crimp the pastry over the fillings, brushing the seams with egg wash and pressing to seal. Evenly brush the pastry surface with egg wash, then chill for at least a half hour, so that it retains its shape once in the blazing hot oven.

During this time, preheat oven to 425 degrees, with oven rack positioned in the bottom third. Transfer chilled crostada to the oven and bake until cheese bubbles and crust is deeply golden, about 40 minutes. I like to check about halfway through to rotate the pastry for even browning.

When ready, use the sheet of parchment to slide finished crostada to a wire rack to cool. This delightful tart can be enjoyed hot, cold, or at room temp. Perfect for brunch, dinner, or your next picnic.

Broccoli, potato, and garlicky mascarpone galette
2 waxy potatoes, such as Yukon gold, peeled and sliced
4 oz mascarpone
2-4 cloves garlic, depending on your taste
1 handful thin broccoli stems, or 1 head broccoli, cut into thin florets
sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
good olive oil, for drizzling
buttermilk, for brushing

Use the same pastry recipe for this galette.

Lightly steam broccoli until stems turn bright green. Shock in an ice water bath. Briefly steam the potato slices, enough to soften.

Use a microplane to finely grate your preferred amount of garlic into a small bowl (or mince it with a knife and transfer). Add mascarpone, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Set aside.

Roll out pastry as detailed in the tomato crostada recipe. As above, pastry should be transferred on its parchment paper onto a baking sheet once you are ready to make the galette.

Pat potato slices dry and arrange in a concentric circle leaving a 1 1/2-inch border, and slightly overlapping them as you go, as your base. Slather mascarpone onto potatoes. Drain and shake broccoli dry (or pat dry with a tea towel). Measure and cut broccoli into lengths so that when arranged onto the pastry, their florets meet in the center (or, as you like - feel free to get creative). I had enough to make two layers of broccoli; consider which stems are most attractive as you make yours and save them for the top layer.

Fold dough onto fillings, painting the seams with a little buttermilk and crimping to seal, until the galette is complete. Paint buttermilk evenly onto pastry and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour (or freeze for 15 minutes).

For this preparation I transferred the cold galette onto my pizza steel, which I'd placed to preheat in the oven. The results worked out quite well. If you have a stone or steel, I'd recommend doing the same! Bake with similar timing/attention as for the tomato crostada.

I was extremely pleased with how this broccoli galette turned out and will definitely be making it again! If you make it too, please let me know what you think. ;)

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Another recent, vocal request has been for my aioli. I made a caper version for my Anthology column some time back, paired with aromatics-poached salmon. I referred to that recipe, minus the capers, for a recent dinner party. I served it with all manner of steamed and crunchy veg that night and was so present to my guests, I forgot to document the evening (!!).

Here is a plate of leftovers we devoured, the morning after.

And, more of the richly hued leftovers (which you could say I didn't mind having extras of), slathered onto quick & easy pan roasted fish - a seriously great recipe unto its own and included in my new book, Kid Chef. This unexpectedly delicious meal made for an incredible midday interlude.

Perfect Aioli

4 pasture-raised egg yolks

1-2 cloves garlic, finely grated on a microplane, or minced

a pinch of kosher salt

juice from half a lemon

grapeseed oil and good olive oil, to emulsify 

Rest a small mixing bowl onto a tea towel draped over a pot of similar size. This helps the bowl stay put so you can use both hands. 

Whisk together the egg yolks, salt, and garlic. Squeeze a little lemon juice and whisk again. In the thinnest stream, drizzle grapeseed oil as you whisk continuously. You'll add about 1/4 cup or so, stopping at intervals to make sure the mixture has emulsified. Keep whisking! The mixture should thicken; when ready, the aioli should appear plump. 

Add the olive oil now, again in the thinnest drizzle. Add about 1/8-1/4 cup, whisking continuously. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Sign up for an Advance Review Copy of Kid Chef! And, St. Patrick's Day Shepherd's Pie

In case you haven't heard already, I’m thrilled to let you know I’ve written a new book! Kid Chef (on sale April 5th) is a cookbook for kids who truly love to cook, supplying them on the real information they need to get comfortable in the kitchen and make meals the entire family can be proud of. 

I confess I've been secretly excited that Kid Chef will equally provide a greater foundation for grownup cooks, too. That the book is written in a no-nonsense way, and the recipes are just real, *good food* means kids and adults alike can use the fundamentals in Kid Chef.

Now, we need readers and kids to take it for a test drive. My publisher Sonoma Press is giving away a limited number of digital advance review copies to see what parents and kids think! We want to get your feedback about the book in the form of an honest and thoughtful Amazon review to help online shoppers get to know the book through real readers. Sign up for yours here! Thank you as ever for your love and support.

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, here is that super savory shepherds pie I teased you with on Instagram. Enjoy! 

Lamb Neck Shepherd's Pie

Serves 4

1 1/2 lbs lamb neck, finely diced*

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

3 carrots, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely grated on a microplane

most of a bottle of porter beer - I used Yuengling and it was excellent

2 cups free-range chicken stock

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 1/2 tbsp mustard powder

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

good olive oil

For potato topping

1 lb potatoes, peeled and cubed - I used German Butter Balls 

1 egg, lightly beaten for wash

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup buttermilk

4 tbsp butter, cubed

1 tbsp hot English or Dijon mustard

*Rotating things out of the freezer, I had a mix of both boneless and bone-in lamb neck. I diced the boneless and browned the batch with the larger chunks, and after simmering the two in the savory mixture (those lovely bones added extra body and flavor), I removed the chunks from the pot when all was ready, just long enough to cool so that I could shred the meat from the bones. Return the meat to the pot and discard the bone fragments if you have the same configuration when you make this dish. 

Pour a glug of olive oil in a heavy bottom or enameled pot, and over medium-high heat, add the vegetables. Sauté until tender, about 10 minutes, adding the garlic to the mix a few minutes in. 

Heat a cast iron skillet on medium-high. Add another good glug of olive oil once the pan is hot, swirl to coat, then add lamb in batches so as not to crowd the pan and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes a side. Add lamb to veggie mixture, pour in stout, and cook until reduced by half, 5 minutes or so. Add stock, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and herbs, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until meat is very tender, about 45 minutes. Check, cooking a little longer if needed.

Make a paste with flour and a little cold water in a small bowl, mixing until smooth. Add to lamb mixture and stir until incorporated throughout. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper and transfer to an ovenproof dish, or four small casseroles, leaving 1/2-inch space from top to allow for potato mash. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Boil potatoes until fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, empty into a bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher. (for finer mash, press through a food mill or potato ricer) 

Add cubed butter to the still-warm mash. Pour in cream and buttermilk and mash again to thoroughly combine. Add mustard and season with s+p once again, to your taste. Spoon onto lamb mixture, covering entire surface. Brush with egg wash, place onto a baking sheet and bake until golden, about 20 minutes or so. 

Serve warm, alongside a stout or robust red wine, and good company.

Flavor-packed Cold Noodle Salad - My latest at Anthology, Zippy Gazpacho with The New York Times, and a Whole Lot More

Crunchy, tangy, punchy, meaty, chewy, spicy. Yep, all that, and almost no cooking to do.

My monthly column at Anthology has been a ongoing affair for two years now (next month!) - how cool is that?!

I made this using somen noodles, shiitake mushrooms, royal burgundy beans, slivered jalapeño, cucumber, Chinese chives, pickled red bell pepper, and mint and cilantro. My choices here serve as a guideline - pictured is an array of possible elements you can incorporate. My hope is that in sharing this as a guideline, it inspires you to play. Experiment with the type of noodles, the pickled and spicy elements. Definitely swap crunchy veg variations to see which harmonize together, and what is freshest at the market. 

These are building blocks to lift-off from and have fun, using your own sensibility and really, what's beautiful when you visit the farmers market. This recipe is one of those I find myself returning to and modifying a bit each time. 

While this seriously tasty preparation takes cues from Asian flavors, this isn't explicitly from a particular culture. More, an interest to eat flavorful food that isn't expensive, and, perfect for picnics on lazy summer days. Though it isn't a saucy pasta dish by any means, don't let the apparent plainness fool you - this dish is packed with flavor.

If you have a few pantry staples - the sauces and vinegar, and pasta - you can make this virtually no-cook recipe without notice. It is a mix-and-match pull-from-what-you-have kind of thing. And the best part? This dish makes for a beautiful presentation and a really satisfying meal for whomever you serve it. 

Cold noodle salad

Serves 4-6

for the noodles

1 pkg noodles, cooked according to the directions on the label 

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

2 tbsp good olive oil

2 tsp fish sauce

1/2-1 tsp soy sauce

1/2-1 tsp rice wine vinegar

allium  

choose one, 2-3 tbsp, divided - finely chop whichever you choose 

Chinese chives

garlic scapes

spring onion

chives

garlic

crunchy

a few handfuls total, a mixture of two or three

green beans, royal burgundy beans, etc
kirby or Persian cucumbers

sweet bell pepper

asparagus

snap peas

green papaya or mango

hakurei turnips

meaty 

choose one - 1-2 cups

mushrooms (any of these is great): button, shiitake, cremini, king trumpet

poached or sautéed fish flaked into pieces, such as salmon or mackerel

poached or sautéed shredded chicken 

cubed and roasted tofu

cooked chickpeas

spicy or pickled - very thinly sliced 

choose two, 2 tbsp (unless you like spicy - then add more)

pickled shallots, onions, peppers, radishes, carrots, summer squash, ginger, cornichons, etc*

sriracha

jalapeño, very thinly sliced or chopped

spicy Japanese yuzu condiment

fresh herbs for garnish

choose two - 1 small handful per serving

cilantro  

mint

parsley

basil

*Store-bought pickle variations work great in a pinch. However, if you make your own pickles, here's a delicious and fun place to incorporate them. 

Cook the pasta and drain. Transfer noodles to a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Use tongs to turn pasta, ensuring all strands get a light coat of oil. Once the noodles have cooled enough to touch, add the the fish sauce, soy sauce, and lime juice, and use your hands to gently separate any remaining clumps. Taste and adjust soy (salty), vinegar (tangy), or fish sauce (savory) to suit your taste. Refrigerate at least a half hour, up to overnight. If you refrigerate overnight, cover in cellophane.

For whichever crunchy elements you chose, chop them. If you chose cucumber as one of your veg, peel the skin if it is tough, or if the cucumber isn't organic. if you were lucky enough to score kirbys or Persian cukes, their seeds are small and you can leave them intact. Otherwise, scrape seeds out with a spoon. 

Chop the beans into thin cross-sections -  little bursts of assertive crunch! I got royal burgundy beans a local farmer friend grew. Basically if you can find any snap-fresh bean, then you won't need to cook them. Ask if you can taste one: it shouldn't be fibrous or tough to chew. 

Choose an allium - a little goes a long way. Chop it finely and reserve a little for table-side garnishing.

Trim mushroom stems and halve or quarter any larger ones. Sauté mushrooms in a little olive oil, on medium high heat in a cast iron or enameled skillet until tender - about 5 minutes - adding a small amount of water (or broth, should you have some on-hand) to keep them juicy. Transfer cooked mushrooms to a bowl and toss together with all the above chopped elements once mushrooms have cooled a bit.

On a mandoline, shave jalapeño or ginger (etc), and add to the mix. If you have pickled veg, chop them as you did the beans and add them in. I sometimes add a little of the brine liquid for added punch. Up to you. 

To serve, transfer noodles to a serving platter. I created little piles by coiling the noodles around my hand. Do what fits you in the moment. Scatter the crunchy-peppery-meaty mixture onto the piles, leaving a little extra aside for serving. Additional chopped allium is nice table side, too. 

With a final flourish, add the fresh herbs to top. Enjoy!

If you have not already heard, Anthology will be closing their doors at the end of this year. Of course this is very sad news for me as I have loved our flourishing relationship, the numerous online and in-print stories together and the million emails getting it all done. But as anything in life, change happens. The show will still go on.

I imagine the great homes in my future. New and relevant places to continue sharing my voice. I might even update here more… :P If you have suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

For better or worse, I work like a fiend. My Instagram page bears the evidence. I cook new and varied (deeelicious) things, multiple times in a given day. All this of course is mounting to something fantastic, still simmering and melding....

If you're hankering for more of me, visit me there. I have a lot of fun rescuing food. I play extensively on set. Be forewarned: you will get hungry, stat.

Another piece I recently produced for The Times is this terrific, zippy gazpacho. It is a great basic recipe; one to which I added tequila, lime, and a pinch of salt this evening (in a cocktail glass), to reward myself for all the hard work cooking, styling, and shooting I've been up to.

Yes oh yes. Makes me feel like we are still embarking on summer, not that it is almost over….

I have seen the light change at home base. A longer cast of the sun inside, sign of earth's rotation towards autumn. That will mean the pussycats get to bask in more sun spots, but it also means the end of tomato season. Not yet. But, it's a real thing to reckon with and I'm definitely (and defiantly) not ready.

There is an ice cream story on the horizon. And a pop-up dinner. Then there's the story I shot for Saveur Magazine, about craft cocktails at a neighborhood spot called Lou's. And soon, a trip to Maine filled with lots of lobster. I'm still firmly planted in balmy evenings and icy cocktails, see?

For myself…. today I baked a gorgeous fig, black pepper, and smoky blue cheese galette. I hungrily picked the figs from a neighboring tree near a friend's home, sweet reward in itself after a long three-day shoot. After a final round in front of the camera tomorrow, I get to devour it.

Also on the agenda: making a quail egg and roasted tomato pasta with capers and chives. Sounds good, doesn't it? Visit Instagram to see how it turned out!

Maybe I'll convince someone to go foraging again with me, if I can buy myself some free time. In any case, I will eat like a queen. Come sit at the table with me. Eat some of this good food.