Chris Nordquist
I have a confession to make: I don’t really like picnics. The idea of enjoying a meal surrounded by nature is appealing, of course, but the reality of the hot summer sun just kills my appetite. And, though often delicious, heavier traditional picnic foods like fried chicken and potato salad mostly add to my discomfort. […]
This was the first proper dinner I cooked in our new Manhattan kitchen. If I’d thought about it, I probably would have chosen a more elaborate inaugural meal, but it was a busy day, our friend Visnja was stopping by for dinner, and I needed something quick and tasty. Aside from its lively flavor, the […]
This is one of my new favorite things. I’d eat it any time of year (and I plan to), but the bright flavor of lavender flowers paired with this light gelato base makes a particularly refreshing treat on a warm summer day. It’s great with summer fruit, but the flavor is full and complex enough […]
The ingredients to this Moroccan-inspired salad are available year round, but I think it’s particularly refreshing on a hot day. The salty olives complement the sweet juicy oranges, and the radishes and mint add freshness and a little crunch. It’s great for a summer barbeque. There’s only one unusual ingredient — orange flower water, an […]
Whenever I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Italy, I’ve given myself a special allowance: I can eat as much gelato as I want. And even though I’ve wanted quite a lot, I’ve usually felt more refreshed than weighed down by my indulgence. It wasn’t until I started making ice cream myself that I figured out […]
Both of my grandmothers made truly excellent pies and tarts, but they went about it in different ways. One made piecrust as if she were diffusing a bomb –quiet, concentration and plenty of elbow room were required, and there was a certain amount of tension in the air. The other just seemed to whip it […]
My grandparents had several very productive walnut trees in their garden, so we always seemed to have an unlimited supply when I was a kid, which we in large brown grocery bags stored at the very backs of cupboards to keep them cool and dark. We mostly ate them raw or baked with them (I […]
This cheese course is really a dessert for adults — like a slice of earthy cheesecake that you wash down with a big red wine. (In other words, a piece of heaven on earth.) On a recent rainy night after a long day, David and I polished one of these off in just a few […]
Earlier this week when Julia (who’s now two and a half) came home from her dance class, this dish was bubbling away on the stove. After my hug and kiss, she went straight to the kitchen and asked, “What are you cooking, Papa? Is it for me?” The aroma from this dish beckons everyone to […]
Which flavors are appropriate to sweet dishes and which to savory sometimes seems to be more a matter of culture or habit than any innate preference of the human palate. For example, when a Brazilian-American friend served us a beautiful green salad with avocado last week he told us that the first time he tasted […]
