Thanksgiving in our apartment is normally a time when Elizabeth and I form a cooking superteam, turn out an incredible feast, regale our guests with our wit, and end the day by making a good dent in the stacks of dishes. But for much of last Thursday, I was a man alone in the kitchen. Not alone exactly. A man watching two children and putting together a Thanksgiving feast until our first guest, our dear friend Lily, arrived and helped with the child care while I cooked. As trying as managing Thanksgiving on my own was, I was actually the better off of the two of us. [Read more…]
Roasted Turkey Breast
A super simple roasted turkey breast recipe that’s perfect for smaller Thanksgiving gatherings. Dry-brined and butter-basted, this turkey breast is a great one for novice turkey cooks.
domino roasted sweet potatoes
As we ease into the middle of November, Thanksgiving looms pretty large. Very slowly, we’re gearing up. With a small group expected, we’re planning to simplify things by skipping some of the tired Thanksgiving staples (Sweet potato casserole, I’m looking at you). But you know, you can’t just ditch a holiday favorite without a replacement waiting in the wings, so I’ve been trying out sweet potato recipes all week. [Read more…]
now in season: tomatoes + a simple tabbouleh
I spent most of my childhood in suburban Virginia and I have a lot of vague and dreamy memories of my backyard–a strawberry patch, a plastic horse on springs, a crabapple tree, sweet plums, a swingset, and tomatoes. I don’t remember the tomato plants but I remember the tomatoes themselves–big red beauties, sliced and served with a pinch of salt at dinner. Perfect peak flavor, homegrown and picked at just the right moment; this was summer. [Read more…]
salt and pepper gingerbread cookies
For the first time this year, we’ll be spending Christmas in Brooklyn. With two kids, it seemed like time to make our own holiday traditions and enjoy our own home, and neighborhood, on Christmas day. Brian and I have family in Virginia and we usually spend the holidays sprinting from house to house trying to get everyone scheduled in the prime 48 hours of Christmas. This year, we’re slowing things way down and it feels great.
And so we begin our own traditions, which is a funny thing. Traditions, by nature, aren’t begun, they just are. Cookies seemed like a pretty good place to start, so I got my oldest daughter in on the act with this gingerbread recipe. [Read more…]