What do you do when the world feels slightly off-kilter? Some days the ground seems less steady under my feet. Things I take for granted don't appear. Big things: people get sick, the newspaper is covered in sad stories. Little things: I pull a muscle and can't run for three days, my roof leaks, travel plans go awry.
Read moreDELICATE APPLE PIE
If you were to find yourself in the position of needing to really impress someone, here's your solution. You can bake this tart, and when everyone says things like oh, you are a true baking virtuoso OR you must have spent hours and hours making that tart OR marry me, you domestic god(dess), you can just smile graciously and think about how easy it actually was.
Read moreCHEWY MOLASSES COOKIES
In the kitchen this morning while making cookies, I paused to scrape down the beater of my stand mixer. I scraped it messily, leaving enough batter to lick off cleanly before dropping it in the sink.
The sight of a batter-coated beater or spatula evokes a near-Pavlovian response in me. I absolutely have to sneak a finger-full, then I lick the rest off, then dig into the corners to get every last bit of batter.
Read moreFIG & ALMOND TART
We had a few perfect fall days this weekend. Knowing that this weather is fleeting makes it feel all the more fantastic. Everyone is out soaking it up: I biked home today along the Hudson River, past dozens of birthday parties and barbecues and groups of friends sprawled across picnic blankets.
Read moreBLACK & WHITE BROWNIES
I've gotten a lot of eye rolls over the years for publicly admitting that I like white chocolate. Truly, take it from me, don't confess that in a room full of people who work in food.
All serious food people claim to prefer bitter dark chocolate, which I'm not sure I buy. The same goes for cocktails: One person says they only drink Negronis and everyone else nods sagely, as if to say what sort of savage would drink a margarita?, at which point I find a spot on the floor to stare at intensely until the conversation ends.
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