Pan-fried trout filets with Giada De Laurentiis’s pea puree.

One skill I’m really working on in the kitchen right now is getting better with breaking down whole fish, but I will admit that if given the opportunity, I will still go with filets if they are available. This is particularly true with trout, because trout are small, have tons of pin bones , and…

Crêpes with lemon curd and mixed berry and thyme compote, inspired by Rachel Khoo and Alton Brown.

When we can travel safely again, one of the cities I’m really looking forward to going back to is Miami and going to all of the great restaurants found around town. One of the true hidden gems can be found tucked back towards the end of the lovely Espanola Way, a Mediterranean-styled section of Miami…

Whiling away the afternoon with rosemary grapefruit milk-clarified punch.

I don’t know what Alton Brown knew when he was making Good Eats: The Return, but one episode is set in a dystopic future and shows you how to create your own sourdough starter using wild yeast, while one of his holiday episodes focuses on low-ABV cocktails that you can sip on all day while…

Michael Solomonov’s chicken thigh shawarma, complete with Druze mountain bread, from Israeli Soul.

One of my favorite usages of the mid-credits stinger (i.e. when you see a bonus scene during or at the end of the credits) is in the first Avengers: Tony Stark makes an offhand comment during the Battle of New York that he’s in the mood to try some shawarma when they’re done battling the…

Lamb shishlik with pistachio tehina sauce from Zahav.

There’s a lot to like about The Deacon, the AirBnB/event space we stayed at for D & E’s wedding, but one of my favorite touches was the small collection of cookbooks they kept in the kitchen. There’s a mix of indie publishers including Cherry Bombe and Lucky Peach (RIP), but I also smiled at seeing…

Lemon confit, the best condiment you can keep in your fridge that you make yourself, via Craft restaurant.

We’re not even at the major December holidays yet, and already I’m pretty exhausted. I blame this on the fact that we’ve been busy either going to hang out with friends or visiting family, and while it’s been fun…the introvert in me is definitely yearning for a battery recharge. Thankfully I’ve managed to get most…

Quasi-piadina with mushrooms, ricotta, and arugula with a spritz from Polpo.

Years ago I found this recipe for piadina in an issue of Food and Wine magazine, and despite the presence of ricotta cheese I actually was able to convince Michael to make it fairly often. This was before I started making my own pizza dough so we’d use the stuff from the store, and then…

Entering a whole new world of infusions, part I: lemon-lemongrass (vodka) drink.

Thanks to the lasting influence of Good Eats, we really make a point of not trying to buy unitasker gadgets for the kitchen. Admittedly, I’m a bit more susceptible to doing this than Michael, but I usually see it as a challenge to explore other ways of using something. (On a related note, definitely watch…

Dark plum syrup, figs with honey, and charred herb and tomato salad.

Labor Day weekend is almost here, and while some may be celebrating because their kids are back in school, I’m celebrating because it’s definitely the best time of year for produce. Tomatoes are hitting their peak, stone fruits are flourishing, and some of those early autumn treats are starting to trickle into stores and farmers…

Stephanie Izard’s mozzarella, tomato, and stone fruit salad.

I promise I’m not going to whine about how hot it’s been here, because I whined plenty when it was too cold and I want to be thankful for the many bright and sunny days we’ve had over the spring and summer so far. I will say that I’m thankful that a cold front blew…