Food

This past long weekend was hot and sunny, and Julia requested her favorite ice cream (and mine, I think) — lemon verbena gelato made from the fragrant herb growing in our kitchen garden.  I also made lavender gelato and whisked in about a third of a cup of good fruity olive oil before I froze […]

In the heat of summer, I’m always looking for a light, fresh salad to feed to a houseful in Southampton for lunch.  Chicken salads are usually solid crowd-pleasers at our house, but this one breaks free of the usual formulas.  The chicken is coated in a unique and flavorful dressing that’s made from a boiled […]

Mother’s Day breakfast is an American tradition, but we Dads love at hot meal in the morning too!  Real men do eat quiche, but steak and eggs is a manly classic that this Dad would love to eat on Father’s Day.  This version takes this dish a bit beyond diner fare: I like to use […]

This delicious cake has become an instant family favorite.  I’ve made two in the past week, and David and Julia have requested another for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.  Like Roasted Rhubarb with Orange and Spices, it marries the tart flavor of rhubarb with oranges and cinnamon, but this time the tender fruit is a […]

For me, rhubarb is one of those flavors that tell me that spring has finally arrived.  I love its tart freshness, but I think it’s best in combination with other flavors — on its own, rhubarb can be a little overpowering.  The traditional pairing with strawberries won’t work for us right now because Julia has […]

Kale, and particularly kale salads, seem to be all the rage at the moment.  I’ve made and eaten quite a few of them now, and this one –inspired by a popular salad on the menu at New York’s ABC kitchen– is my favorite.  Its flavor is bold and delicious, and this recipe solves a couple […]

For followers of the foodie calendar, it’s ramp season.  These tender wild leeks appear for a just few weeks in spring, get overexposed in the food press and on seasonal menus, and then vanish completely for the rest of the year.  Don’t be put off by the hype, though.  If you run across ramps in […]

Come to think of it, I’m not sure why a spinach pie is associated with Easter, but I’ve made it as the first course of Easter dinner for past 10 years –probably more.  The ingredients are available year-round, but the flavor is so fresh and, well, green, that I guess people associate it with the […]

Roasted chicken is a solid family favorite for lots of us, but for me at least, it’s easy to fall into a rut with the preparation and get a little bored with the dish. Here’s a recipe to shake things up.  At first glance it looks a little crazy –whole clementines, fennel, Pernod and mustard, […]