I firmly believe that the greatest gift one could bestow onto another is the gift of food. Slippery pasta, char-grilled chicken, ripened fruit and a spray of pomegranate seeds — we treasure our dining memories, hold them close like yellowed photographs curling at the edges. Because a meal is a celebration of conversation and the [...]

Part of me is breaking because these photographs can’t ever truly articulate rapture on a plate. Can’t quite capture that moment when two heads rise up from their plates, eyes shining, lips salty and glistening, giddy because how could it be possible that a simple bavette dressed in butter, olive oil, melted pecorino romano cheese [...]

Last night was magic. I spent the evening with the girls dishing on our careers, gents, movies, books and the like, whilst munching on appetizers, salads and luscious buttery pumpkin ravioli. Come Fridays I tire easily, so after a few hours on a friend’s rooftop apartment, the idea of motoring to the opening night of [...]

Weeks ago I enjoyed the most extraordinary salad: peppery arugula, juicy apricots and toasted pistachios tossed in a light vinaigrette. The salt and smoke of the nut juxtaposed with the yielding sweet fruit, cut with the acerbic green absolutely MADE MY LIFE.
Every since, I’ve been desperate to recreate the recipe, adding my own special touch. [...]

Nothing truly embodies the taste of summer other than watermelon. The crunchy seeds juxtaposed with that cool, juicy melon — I have fond memories of splashing in a johnny pump, a sticky mess of watermelon covering my chin. So it’s with great affection that I’ve whipped up an adult version of my revered summer treat. [...]

It would be fitting, perhaps unbelievably so, that my oven would cease to function the day before my housewarming party. The evening when I’m preparing crumbles, crisps, and meatballs and the like. The day before I celebrate my new home with dear friends.
However, after begging to borrow an oven for a sweet friend (what are [...]

If this be a home, fill it with lavender and life. Lay down plush rugs and hang gossamer curtains from wrought iron rods. Fragrant the rooms with blooms, citrus and a cacophony of aromatics hinting of a spice garden. Make your four walls and rented rooms a place worth coming home to.
After nearly [...]

Friends who know me well know that I love to entertain. Even with rooms cluttered with boxes and dishes wrapped in newspaper, you’ll find my kitchen unpacked and cutlery folded into crisp napkins. Nothing gives me greater pleasure than making food for someone else, and I was tickled to have my sweet friend and work [...]

Sweet Jesus on a pony — who could possibly resist the allure of the grilled cheese sandwich? From the old school cast iron skillets, clarified butter on a pan, and two pieces of parchment white bread with strips of orange cheese poking out to the newfangled varieties of multi-grain, Pullman and tangy gruyere — the [...]

I’ve been curious about Sette, an enoteca with a cozy al fresco space shaded by verdant trees, for quite some time. Chef Amanda Frietag, formerly of ‘Cesca, offers up flavorful, albeit pricey, Southern Italian cuisine. Granted, I’m an evangelist of Northern flavors, but how could a woman resist homemade tagliatelle with fresh pesto?
After two [...]

After I recovered from the near heart attack that ensued after learning that my in-borough move will cost $895 (and no, I will not use an unlicensed, uninsured, unaccredited, “man with van” situation because that is NOT how this woman rolls), I decided to take a trip and drown my proverbial sorrows in some [...]

An old haunt is much like an long, lost friend or a song you can’t stop singing. It has a patina to it, it gathers the dust and footsteps of all who came after your departure. I spent the great deal of my early 20s dining my way through a city I grew up [...]

I’m down to the bare bones in my home. My larder has been packed, the dishes have been wrapped in paper, and I’m left with a food processor and the simplest of ingredients. The scorching heat wave has me craving simplicity, which calls for a pistachio pesto situation.
I’m an ardent believer that if you [...]