As soon as Andy and I moved to the city a year and a half ago, we started hearing about a place called Russ and Daughters, located at 179 East Houston Street. We heard from several friends and acquaintances that this fourth generation, family owned store specializing in smoked fish and caviar, had the best

Where breakfast is concerned, some people are “gimme a cup of coffee and I’m good.” This would not be me. I need to put food in my morning belly. Could be a smoothie, a bowl of oatmeal or a granola bar on the go, but I’ve got to have something. I’m almost always hungry before

When Andy and I lived in England, we would visit his grandparents nearly every weekend for a roast dinner. I could wax poetic about Nanny’s roast dinner for ages, but you can read about it here. Nanny made everything from scratch, but she rarely made dessert. Yet she always had at least two (if not

In the past few years I have learned that major life changes cause major kitchen changes. A few years ago it was a move to Africa, then temporarily living with Mom and Dad, then the move to the big city. With each change came new challenges that forced me to grow as a cook and

Serves 4 You can use regular couscous in this dish, but if you’ve never tried Israeli couscous, look for it. It’s much more widely available than it used to be. This pearl-shaped pasta offers interesting texture. Plus it’s toasted, making it much more flavorful. To quickly toast the pine nuts, place them in a small skillet

Serves 6 1 whole side salmon (2 1/2 to 3 pounds) 5 tablespoons pure olive oil, divided, and 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Salt and ground black pepper 2 pounds fingerling potatoes or new red potatoes, halved 2 bunches (2 pounds) asparagus, tough ends snapped off 1/4 cup each parsley and dill leaves, chopped coarse, plus extra sprigs for

Mom and I are still recovering from our whirlwind weekend in Oklahoma at The Pioneer Woman‘s Ranch, but I wanted to share a few more snapshots of our time together there. As a fly on the wall, you would have seen a lot of this: sitting, talking, eating, drinking and laughing. And of course I

As a food blogger who travels with some frequency, I love getting recommendations for “must-try” restaurants and “gotta have” specialties from locals and people in the know. I usually get three or four recommendations, maybe six at a stretch. But when people learned that I was going to New Orleans for a week, the suggestions

The kitchen at the lodge is huge and full of light

Mom, Andy and I are training for a marathon in October, so over Memorial Day weekend we had to do one of our long runs. That week it was ten miles. Some days I love it. I feel strong, I hit my stride (what they call a “runner’s high”) and could run hours. Other days,

Serves 4 as a hearty first course salad This is my interpretation of the salad we had at Pulino’s the day Dad and I went for lunch. The salad  can be made with just about any vegetable you can roast, making it perfect for all those farmer’s market or CSA vegetables. Try carrots, potatoes, parsnips,

When Sharon and I were girls, there was nothing more exciting than going to lunch with Dad. It didn’t happen too often, but when it did, it was special. Dad always took me to a place called the Hot Spot in Doylestown (that was more our place) and Sharon to a Chinese restaurant called Hong

Recipe by Thermador Serves 4 as a main course and 6 to 8 as a side dish 3 cups cooked red quinoa (1 cup quinoa, 2 cups water) 8 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 6 tablespoons grapeseed oil 2 tablespoons flax oil 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro 2 limes, juiced 1 tablespoon Xagave 3/4 teaspoon salt

Peanut Butter Chocolate Mousse with Banana Ice Cream from BLT Steak in Scottsdale, AZ A few months ago Andy and I moved to a great apartment on the Upper West Side. It ticked all my boxes: great location, close to two subways and one avenue from Central Park, pre-war character with high ceilings and big