DISH: Spinach-Pie Quesadilla
TYPE: Mixing and matching
MAIN INGREDIENTS: Egg, Cheese

In my New York, the egg and cheese sandwich might be the quintessential sandwich, dethroning traditional staples like pastrami on rye and lox on a bagel. Delis, from humble to gourmet, slap these two simple ingredients on anything from kaiser rolls or toast to croissants and wraps. And when bagel places get in on the action, I start thinking there might not be anything better. The cheese used runs the gamut from American…

Spring Fettuccine with Herbed Ricotta

Makes 4 servings

Before this particular weeknight evening when I found a half-used container in my fridge from the prior week’s baked pastas, I had never used ricotta as the base for a simple sauce. When spring comes along, I rarely want to eat pasta at all—or anything that requires me to stand over a hot stove. The beauty of using this ricotta mixture is that, unlike cream sauces using actual cream, you don’t have to stand around while it reduces. Simply dress your fettuccine with the herby cheese, add a…

the spread

EVENT: Frisbee in the Park Brunch
VENUE: Cara’s Apartment, Park Slope
PARTY SIZE: 10
MENU: Biscuit Club Sandwiches; Greens with Apricot-Cashew Relish and Basil Vinaigrette; Baby Carrots; Pound Cake with Strawberries and Creme Anglaise; Mimosas

In college, six of my friends won the housing lottery twice in a row. They managed to commandeer this amazing dorm room both junior and senior years: it had six singles connected by an enormous common room and surrounded by a wraparound balcony…

Picture this: it’s Sunday (or Saturday). It’s raining or snowing or way too hot to go outside. You’ve watched all the Arrested Developments and 30 Rocks and your Netflix DVDs are stuck in the mail. You’re a little bored but also a little enterprising. You need a recipe project, something time-consuming or unusual, something you wouldn’t ordinarily make, or at least not from scratch. Something that might involve some trial and error-might even not come out perfectly the first time, like ice cream or bread

So, for when you have too much time…

Barbecue Lentils
Serves 2-3

These lentils are well-seasoned—tangy and spicy—with the flavors of the summertime grill. I served them as a bed for some simple grilled fish and sauteed spinach, but I think they’d be great over toast as a homey vegetarian meal.

Ingredients

1/2 cup black or green lentils
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, 1 minced, 1 whole
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 small sweet potato, diced
1/8 teaspoon…

DISH: Olive Oil Fried Egg with Portabello Mushroom Home Fries
MAIN INGREDIENT: Egg, Mushroom, Garlic

I grew up under the impression that plain, good old olive oil—the rich, golden green stuff—makes everything better. I’d watch my mom, queen of simple humpty dumpty fare, make herself a cup of frozen peas and then pour olive oil into the mug until it began to creep up the sides, enveloping the green morsels, and making more than several gentle glug glug noises from the…

EVENT: Various, from Writing Group to Halloween Party to Office Birthdays
TYPE: Simplicity Itself
GOODS BAKED: Carrot Cake Cupcakes; Pumpkin Pecan Chocolate Chip Bread; Double Apple Walnut Cake

I was sitting one night at my friend Sami’s, drinking and eating banana bread to celebrate our friend Jessy’s birthday, when I stopped for a second and realized that the banana bread was so, so good. Like, so much better than the one I’ve always made from a simple Joy of Cooking recipe. It was really gooey, not just with an excess of chocolate chips, but with…

DISH: Monday Night Sweet and Sour Tofu
MAIN INGREDIENT: Firm Tofu
TYPE: Stovetop

I know this is going to make me sound like a naive 86 year-old, but I think the Internet is really amazing. Especially since putting on the Chef Cara hat and embracing the personality of The Quarter-Life Cook, I’ve been surprised and delighted almost daily by the conversations you can have over email, Blogger, and Twitter that make you think about your own cooking in new and creative ways.…

Cremini Mushroom, White Bean, and Barley Soup
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
2 large shallots, diced
2 slices bacon, chopped (optional)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried (or 1 tsp fresh) thyme
1/4 tsp paprika
1 quart mushroom stock
1 quart chicken stock (or double up the mushroom)
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup pearl barley, rinsed well
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 lb cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 can white

…

EVENT: Family Seder
VENUE: Hyatt Hotel, Stamford CT
PARTY SIZE: 27 (including Elijah)
TYPE: Traditional-ish Seder
DESSERT: Inedible Unleavened Cakes, Cousin Holly’s Macaroons

My mother was the first goy to marry into my father’s Jewish family. But since Dad broke the seal, my cousins have gone on to walk down the aisle with Eve, Holly, and Patrick. Given the intensity of Afikomen searches and the precision of my Aunt Jennifer’s matzoh name cards, my cousins-in-law have assimilated amazingly…