Summer

I’ve long dismissed blondies as a sort of lesser dessert. They lacked the rich fudgy qualities of the best brownies, and they were never as flavorful or as texturally interesting as a good chocolate chip cookie. Often, they could be kind of dry, a bit too thin, not soft enough to be cookie dough-gooey and …

I have a funny relationship with popcorn. I can go for long stretches without making it, during which time I almost forget about it completely. And then all of a sudden I have a craving for it, pull the container of forgotten kernels from the back of the kitchen cabinet, pop a batch on the …

It’s been too long since I’ve shared a cocktail recipe around here. This one, with Cynar (pronounced chee-nar), Cognac, and Punt e Mes, is a keeper. In recent months, Dan and I have been spending lots of time with the herbaceous, bitter, primarily-Italian amaro section of our liquor cabinet. (And if you’re interested in learning …

I hate deep frying. It’s such a hassle. There’s a bubbling cauldron of hot oil to stand over and then there’s the problem of figuring out how to deal with it later. But there’s one thing I make an exception for: pączki. Pączki (pronounced punch-key, singular paczek [pronounced punch-ek {nota bene: “pączkis” are not a …

I have long been a fan of America’s Test Kitchen. I’ve spent many lazy Saturdays watching the show (and its sister show, Cook’s Country), which unlike most of what’s available on The Food Network these days, actually teaches you how to cook. There’s something soothing about it. It’s not flashy or particularly exciting. It’s sometimes (always?) …

I’ve been focusing on self-care lately. It can be a challenging task when it feels like the world is roiling around you. I’m trying to drink more water. I’m going to the gym three times a week. I’m heading outside when I see the sun peek out from behind the clouds for a rare hour …