1/4 cup golden raisins 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, warmed 2 tablespoons minced shallot 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds fresh summer peas, such as sugar snaps, snow peas, shelling peas, and/or favas Kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon smooth dijon mustard (optional) 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil Red pepper flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1/2 cup toasted almonds (I’m using marcona), roughly chopped 2 to 3 ounces sliced or crumbled ricotta salata cheese 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint Make the dressing: Chop the raisins into rough bits and place in a bowl with shallots. Pour vinegar over…

I know we’re in the midst of the nth heatwave of the summer and the idea of eating anything but a bowl of cold cherries or, worse, something that requires you turn your oven on sounds about as unappealing as that curiously empty subway car [that definitely has no a/c or worse] but trust me when I say that someone in your friend group, family, or life has a birthday coming up and they’re hoping that you make them this. This is the lightweight, semi-collapsed disc of cognac-kissed dark chocolate I nominate to be your backpocket, arsenal-worthy decadent cake for…

Earlier this summer, I made what I thought was just a dinner salad that turned out to be my new favorite dinner salad of all time and it was literally all I could talk about for the next few weeks. Incessantly. Insufferably. I didn’t even wait to ask if you’re into buffalo wings (of course you are), cobb salads (you could be, I can just tell) or looking for a dinner idea. It’s just not who I am. Perhaps even less surprising was realizing I have very strong opinions about how to adapt the idea of buffalo wings to things…

Once upon a time, I spent approximately a whole summer making blueberry muffins, gripped with an obsession (that would be worrisome anywhere but this page) to make what I hoped would be the last blueberry muffin recipe we’d ever need. You’d think after all that that the path to these raspberry muffins would be simpler, but it took five raspberry seasons to get here. A very logical question you’re about to ask is: Why not just swap the blueberries in your blueberry muffins with raspberries? And the answer is that while it works, they’re not bad at all, they’re just…

A frequently asked question I get about *all of this* (waves hands in the general direction of the internet/air) is where I get my inspiration from. And almost without fail, I will say “not here.” No offense to this space we’ve created, but inspiration hits when I’m not pressed to find it, like when I’m on a bus or in a cab, looking out the window, or traveling — in this case, in DC a few months ago. I was there for the wedding of an old college friend (hi Aaron!) and another friend (hi different Aaron!) had a brunch…

This recipe is adapted from my 2018 Foolproof Cacio e Pepe, which uses a technique from the chef of Flavio Al Velavevodetto in Rome, which I learned via tour guide Elizabeth Minchilli. To understand why starting with a cold sauce works, read the 2018 headnote. You can watch me make this without corn on YouTube. This recipe works best with cheese from a block, not pre-grated. The directions below are highly detailed (even for me!) because I want you to get this perfect, too. 2 tablespoons (30 grams) olive oil About 3 cups fresh corn kernels (from 3 medium-large ears)…

Prepare the eggplant: Arrange eggplant slices on a large (half-sheet) baking pan in one layer. Sprinkle with about 2 teaspoons kosher salt and set aside for 30 minutes. Heat oven: To 425°F (220°C) degrees. Roast eggplant: Transfer eggplant slices to paper towels and blot them of as much excess water as possible. Dry the baking sheet, too, and coat it with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle the oil with several grinds of black pepper. Arrange eggplant slices in one layer. Drizzle with 2 more tablespoons of oil and more grinds of black pepper. Roast until nicely browned underneath,…

Note: I’ve bumped up the amount of broth based on comments from people who found their rice undercooked. Prepare the chicken: Arrange chicken skin side up on a plate and season generously on top with salt and freshly ground black pepper. We’ll get to the undersides in a minute. Heat a large sauté pan, preferably one with a lid, over medium-high heat for one minute. Once the pan is very hot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter, and heat them together for another full minute. Arrange chicken skin side down and cook until deeply brown underneath, about…

I did not intend to disappear for so long! In early October I was putting the finishing touches on a cake that manages to incorporate 2.5 pounds of apples (perfect for people like me who show no self-control nor willingness to learn from the previous season’s excess at orchards) when the world went to hell, our thoughts were not with food, and by the time I emerged it was November, a month I’ve spent mostly on a mini book tour when there is never enough time to come up for air. I need my sofa, some quiet, and a window…

Brown your butter: In a medium saucepan or frying pan, melt butter over medium-high heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and some toasted speckles will appear. As soon as they do, remove the pan from the burner; the residual heat will be sufficient to toast the rest of the butter to a deep golden brown. Pour butter and all the toasty flecks into a medium bowl, add water and stir to combine, then transfer to the freezer. Chill the browned butter: We want to freeze the butter until it’s solid throughout but trust me, this speeds…