There are so many food companies in New York City. Artisanal goodies, from mayo to shortbread, have been booming since I moved back here after college. We hear news about just-launched foodstuffs, their origin stories drawn in flour, butter, hops, or brine. But it’s less fun to read about how the cookie can sometimes crumble into nothing, leaving food entrepreneurs in […]

When was the last time you made yourself a milkshake? If the answer is, “when I was a kid,” I think it’s time you got out your blender. The only ingredients you need are ice cream and whole milk. The only tip you need to know is not to overblend: the goal is to combine […]

I got to interview Dorie Greenspan for an article about chocolate chip cookies, and the whole experience–emailing with the lovely Dorie, learning new tips about a treat I imagined I’d mastered, and then baking the best chocolate chip cookies of my life–provided one of those moments where my odd career made sense. Between researching and writing, Dorie’s best […]

Add a spoonful of minced chipotle chili peppers to your classic Caesar salad and you open up a world of flavor. From under a curtain of spicy, creamy, slightly tangy dressing, bright Romaine yields to your teeth with a crunch. To complement the theme, there are cherry tomatoes, avocado, and green pepper. Delicious. And what if […]

Thanks for your thoughtful comments! This giveaway is now closed. -Cara, 5/6/16 Waste in the kitchen is a big topic these days, a fact that’s reflected in certain trends I’ve been seeing. Like: Perfect vegetables are out, restaurant pop-ups repurposing food that would have gone to waste are in. Ubiquitous plastic baggies and wrap are out; beeswax-coated cloth to […]

I remember the day I discovered the best restaurant salsa. My sister and I begged our waitress for the method, and, to my surprise, she shared the basic recipe with us. All you do, she said, is roast tomatoes, onions, and hot peppers at a very high temperature until they’re charred. Then, you blend them. […]

I set out to make good macaroons from scratch, with hopes of bringing something top-notch to this year’s family seder. About 30 seconds later, I realized that I already knew a macaroon secret that would make 2016’s cookies awesome. Fast forward another 1800 seconds and these pistachio and coconut macaroons were in the oven. They’re a […]

I never thought I’d shout about one of those look-what-I-made-from-the-random-stuff-in-the-fridge salads today, or tell you that it belongs on your festive Easter table or in the spread of a baby shower brunch you might be hosting. But this one turned out so well, especially when I recast the crunchy side dish as a main, with the addition of shredded […]

Sometimes, you just want crunch! Smooth and silky have their place in cake, mousse, and soup. For when you want to bite into breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert and feel that toothsome SNAP! between your teeth, here are the dishes for you. (I wrote more about crunchies here, if you’re as addicted as I am.) 1. Fusilli with […]

This is not meant to sound sad–if it does, I’m sorry–but sometimes when you’ve committed to cooking at home, to not spending all your money on take-out and restaurants, to eating leftovers and using up the last of that millet you bought too optimistically long ago, sometimes there’s not quite enough to fill out a plate. […]