I don’t know about you, but I spend an embarrassing amount of time in February and March yearning for fresh tomatoes, corn, peaches, chard, lettuce, and summer squash. By late winter, I am sick of butternut squash, root vegetables, and braising, and I’m ready for the miraculous abundance that summer brings. But it’s almost comical

Makes about 2 cups. 1 bunch kale (about 12 leaves or 9 ounces), rinsed thoroughly 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup whole, raw unsalted almonds 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup cold water Salt and pepper to taste Bring

It’s that time again. Kale season. It’s growing like a weed in our gardens, it’s spilling out of baskets at the farmers’ market, and it’s piling up in our refrigerators. We’ve made soups and stews with kale, we’ve made pasta dishes featuring kale, we’ve made kale chips. We’ve sautéed it, braised it, broiled it, grilled

There are a lot of things that are great about being in grad school. Being broke is not one of them. In lieu of buying Mom a birthday present (I usually can’t top Maggy in that department anyway), Anthony and I decided to do what we do best: show up and cook. We brought freshly

Serves 12 Be careful not to reduce the coconut milk beyond 1 ½ cups or the solids will start to separate from the fat. The reduced coconut milk can be refrigerated for several days. Ingredients 2 cans (14 ounces each) regular (not light!) coconut milk For the cake 2 cups all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons cornstarch

I learned to love coconut cake from my southern Granny and Papa. Sweet, fluffy, and white, their cakes were always so beautiful sitting on the Formica counter. As much as I love the traditional recipe, I always wanted more of that rich yet subtle coconut flavor. In honor of my Granny’s birthday tomorrow, I’ve developed

A warm chocolate chip cookie and a cold glass of milk. You can finish the sentence “Love is…” in so many ways, but I remember few things from my childhood as vividly as coming home from school to a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies and a tall glass of milk. Ah, the blessings of

I’ve never understood the appeal of those plates with carefully separated compartments. I like messy, saucy, long-simmering food. I am a sucker for stews, curries, soups, rich tomato sauces, braised meats, and saucy pastas chock full of veggies. Anything that requires a good hunk of bread dragged around the inside of the bowl to clean

Serves 6 to 8 If you want to learn how to cut up a whole chicken (or need a refresher), watch this video. I find it’s easier to remove and discard the skin before I begin cutting up the bird. For this stew, I cut the breasts into large pieces and leave the legs, thighs,

Left over mint-infused simple syrup is great in iced tea! If you don’t have a “muddler” you can use the back of a wooden spoon or any other blunt instrument. Also note that with 3 ounces of gin, this is a strong cocktail. It tastes great, but it packs a punch. Just be warned… Makes

Maggy is not usually a difficult person to buy presents for—this is the girl who used to send Mom, Dad, and me a link to the exact item she wanted for Christmas. It was the right size, right color, right brand…all we had to do is click “add to cart” and punch in our credit

For bigger appetites, you may want to add an extra egg and slice of Canadian bacon to the second English muffin half. There’s enough salsa for 4 big breakfasts, but if you have some leftover, it’s great with tortilla chips or on top of grilled chicken. Serves 4. 6 whole canned tomatoes, drained 1/2 each:

My first memory of Mother’s Day is the year that Maggy and I were old enough to orchestrate “breakfast in bed.” We told Mom to stay under the covers while we tottered in with a precariously balanced tray of toast, fruit salad, homemade cards, and a fresh-cut flower. We were proud. I think she was,

I’ve never been big on technology. I was the last of my friends to get a cell phone or an iPod. (And even now, much to everyone’s chagrin, I am likely to be caught without them.) I came late to the whole “texting” thing and was the last kid in my college dorm to join