Dinner: A Love Story

The New Dinner: A Love Story, FAQs

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 16:41:04 GMT

Thank you to everyone who showed up on my new Substack platform! It has been a very exciting week over here in the DALS house and I feel as energized as I did when I launched this blog 10-plus years ago. For those of you who are still wondering what the heck is happening, I’ve compiled a list of FAQs:

What exactly do you mean when you say you’re now on Substack?
Substack lets you access my recipes and posts just like you always have with this site, but it also automatically emails those posts to your inbox and allows for different levels of membership so we can create a tighter community.

I get too many emails as it is. Do I have to sign up for the newsletter to access Dinner: A Love Story?
No. You will have to provide your email to join, but once you do, you can click on “My Account,” then under “Email notifications,” you will see an option to opt out of the newsletter posts.

Is it free?
Yes! You’ll get the same recipes and advice you’re used to getting here. But if you decide to become a paid subscriber, that means you’ll get content on top of that: additional recipes and subscriber-only access to live chats with me and other writers, about menu ideas, community comment threads, podcasts, personalized, insider book previews, detailed daily vacation itineraries, and a lot more I’m sure I’ll come up with as we go along.

How much does it cost to get all those things?
It costs $5 a month or $50 a year. You can cancel at any time.

I’m so confused! Will this site, where we are right now, still exist?
Yes, always! I transferred my archives over to Substack, too, but I can’t imagine ever shutting down this branch of Dinner: A Love Story. You will always be able to access recipes for my pork ragu and salmon salad and the 1500 other posts I’ve written here over the years. HOWEVER: As of January 2021, all new content will live on my Substack website.

What about comments? How does that work with Substack?
Same way it does here. Think of Dinner: A Love Story now as a newsletter in addition to being a website. Obviously you can’t publicly comment on the newsletter delivered directly to your inbox (though you can and should reply to me directly!), but you can always comment on the website. Even though my substack website looks different from this one, it still has all the same features you’re used to.

I’m convinced! Where do I sign up???
Hooray! You can do that right here — it takes 2.5 seconds.

I think I’m already a subscriber to your newsletter? How do I find out?
If you can’t remember whether you’re a newsletter subscriber or not, this link will tell you.

I’m already a DALS newsletter subscriber, but I want to try out the upgrades. Where do I do that?
Again: You can do that right here — it takes 2.5 seconds.

Can you explain the difference between an annual membership and founding member?
As of right now, a founding member means everything listed above plus personal access, which will probably translate to video opportunities, free event invitations, and writing workshops. I’m sure I’ll come up with more things as we go along.

Will your RSS feed stay as is?
To continue follow me via RSS feed, you’ll need to add this URL to your RSS reader: https://dinneralovestory.substack.com/feed.

I subscribed, but your emails go to my “promotions” tab in gmail. How do I fix this?
Mark those emails as “not spam.” Also helpful: Dragging my emails to the inbox, and replying directly to the newsletter (to me!), which helps gmail recognize me as important.

I want the recipe for those Braised Beans with Burrata, where is it?
It went out in yesterday’s newsletter, but if you subscribe, you can access it at my Substack website where it will live forever. Oh my God they are so good!

This is amazing, I want to tell everybody about your newsletter!
Awww, thank you, pretend reader! There will be “Share This” or “Forward This” buttons on every post, and that will help tremendously.

Anything else? Ask away!

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News!

Mon, 11 Jan 2021 19:10:00 GMT

Happy New Year Everyone!

I am so excited (read: terrified) to announce that Dinner: A Love Story is growing up. As of this week, you’ll find all new DALS content over at my brand new Substack platform.

If you are like me, and detest transitions, you will probably need some reassurance right away and so here it is:

Nothing terrible is happening! In fact it’s the opposite! I will continue to post recipes, news about The Weekday Vegetarians, and the “Pantry, Project, Purpose” series a few times a week, and you can access all that the same way you’ve always accessed it. The biggest difference is that now my posts will also automatically be delivered to your inbox, newsletter-style.

All of this will be FREE as always!

The fun part is that this new platform allows me to experiment with new ways to create a tighter community, so if you decide to become a paid subscriber, that means you’ll get content on top of what you’re used to: additional recipes and subscriber-only access to live chats with me about menu ideas (i.e., Tell Me What’s in Your Fridge), reader Q+A’s, comment threads, podcasts, personalized, insider book previews, detailed daily vacation itineraries, and a lot more I’m sure I’ll come up with as we go along.

Of course, you’ll also be supporting Dinner: A Love Story as it heads into its next decade — and that means more to me than you can imagine.

After blogging for ten years, all of this feels new and interactive and in spite of my terror, I’m really fired up to see what we can do with it. As my new favorite person Alexi Pappas says, “Pay attention to when you’re nervous. It usually means something exciting is happening.”

If you’re already a DALS newsletter subscriber, but you want to try out the upgrades, or if you’re not a subscriber, you can do either of those things here (it takes 2.5 seconds). If you can’t remember whether you’re a newsletter subscriber or not, that link will tell you.

Whatever plan you choose, a recipe for that delicious looking zero-cream creamy pasta is waiting for you.

Here’s that link again!

As my old tennis coach, Jackie used to ask: Questions? Comments? Derogatory Remarks? Ask away below!

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A Few Things

Mon, 21 Dec 2020 21:29:26 GMT

Good morning and welcome to the shortest day of the longest year. As I just texted my college roommates, It can only get brighter from here! This is most likely my last post of the year, and I will spare you the 2020 laments and curses, and instead leave you with five things, each of which has brought me a small dose of intense happiness as recently as the past 24 hours…

1. “Check Your Doorstep”

Let’s begin with those cookies. I know holiday boxes are not a new thing, but do you all feel like the whole ritual is in overdrive this year? Even before holiday baking kicked into high gear, though — like way back to even the spring — Abby got seriously into spending a few hours baking cookies or muffins, then driving around the neighborhood like Santa Claus to deliver the delicious dividends to her friends. “Check your doorstep,” she’d text and I think the appreciative replies to those texts fueled her more than I’ll ever really grasp. Her most recent mission (she made a big batch of these so she could include her gluten-free friend) inspired me to put together a cookie box for some locals, even though I’ve never been the best or most patient baker. So far I’ve made Zebra Cookies, Toasted Almond Snowball Cookies, Gingerbread Cookies (Note: I found the bake time listed was way too long, and pulled the last few batches out after 8 to 10 minutes), and hopefully this afternoon, some Peppermint Bark, though I feel my motivation waning. Now the fun part: Who gets the “check your doorstep” text?

2. A Quick, Hearty Dinner

This Crisp Gnocchi with Brussels Sprouts and Brown Butter has been in my “saved” file on instagram for so long, and last night, a chilly one that called for something hearty, we finally decided to bite the bullet and do it. It’s an Ali Slagle recipe from NYT Cooking, and calls for you to pan-fry the gnocchi instead of boiling it so it gets crispy. If there were Pulitzers for technique innovation, I would nominate her. There’s a hefty drizzle of honey on there, too, which makes the gnocchi taste less like pasta and more like toasted breakfast biscuits. Good grief! Note: It’s not a light dinner, but it was an incredibly memorable one. And so easy, my 17-year-old cooked it for us. (FYI: Forgive me if it’s behind a paywall — I know it comes out in front from time to time.)

3. Saturday Night Dinner

Breaking news! I care a LOT about dinner, no matter what day of the week it is. (See: Previous 1,558* posts. ) Lately, though I find myself spending a ridiculous amount of psychic energy planning our Saturday night menus. It feels like an easy way to make the weekend feel like a weekend, if you know what I mean. We clear the dining room table of all the detritus (it’s essentially two home offices, an gym, and occasionally high school classrooms during the week), light a few candles, dim the lights, and serve food on platters instead of right from the pot. All this to say, we totally nailed it this past Saturday night. Andy made Marcella Hazan’s Pork in Milk (one of the first recipes ever posted here on DALS), I made our OG kale salad with pomegranates, and some roasted potatoes that Abby proclaimed were the best thing I made in 2020. It was completely by accident, too. I forgot about them in the broiler. (You’ll be reading about that recipe in my next book.) Basic roasted potatoes would work with this menu, too.

*actual number of posts written here since 2010

4. Holiday Menu

This is the first year since I’ve been married that I haven’t woken up on Christmas morning at my in-law’s home. (And my childrens’ first ever without them.) To combat all the sadness around this, it helps a little to have a few food rituals in place (holiday cookies, above) so we can at least go through the motions and hope the warm-and-fuzzies follow. Chief among those rituals is Christmas Dinner. We obviously have no choice but to make the same menu Andy’s mom has made for over two decades. The whole thing (including the above cookies) is in How to Celebrate Everything, but the gist of it is this: Roast Beef Tenderloin, Curried Carrots with Pecans, Sybil’s Salad, and Mashed Potatoes. Someone gave us a big gift from Murray’s Cheese, so we’ll probably make a pretty starter plate with that for cocktail hour. And raise a glass to our health and silver linings.

5. This Thing Dinner

Every morning, usually before we are properly caffeinated, and sometimes before we are even out of bed, someone will ask “What’s for dinner?” It’s a joke that predated the 24/7 short-order cooking hours of the pandemic, and now seems to have taken on a whole new meaning of fake dread. (If I ask it, Andy gives me a Heisman, turning in the opposite direction pretending to be in pain, as though I asked him when his tooth is getting pulled.) The truth is, though, I know we both ask it because dinner feels like the brightest spot in a long, gray day of zoom calls, bored kids, and the low-humming pining for all that we are losing as this marches on. And the thing is, it has always been this for us. More than once on this blog and in my books, I’ve called the dinner table my North Star, and it’s a wonder to me how that star gets to burn brighter and brighter in darker skies. All this to say, I hope you have a safe, healthy holiday, and that you find some measure of comfort around the table.

See you in 2021, when I hope to have some fun news for you. Stay tuned! xoxo

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Latkes, Texas Chili, More Cookies, WCK

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 15:28:41 GMT

Good morning! I hope you all had a nice weekend. I finally ordered holiday cards and for some reason it motivated me to complete the “2019 Year in Review” family album that I started A YEAR AGO on Shutterfly. We had planned to do latkes on the first night of Hanukkah last week, but we couldn’t get our act together until Sunday. Usually I just sort of offer them one by one to salivaters as snacks, but this time I served them all at once, alongside some roasted vegetables (with more of that artichoke sauce!) and the requisite sour cream and apple sauce, and called it dinner. As for the rest of the weekend, it was unseasonably warm in New York, so we took advantage by being outside for most of it, and inviting friends and family to hang around the backyard fire pit. I know I keep saying this, but every time we are able to do this, it feels like the last time for a while, so we really don’t take it for granted. I hope I can hold on to that appreciation after we are back to normal at least for a little while…

Project: Texas Chil

On Friday night, we were going to just have friends for drinks (that’s a Boulevardier) then at the last minute Andy decided to cook up a pot of Texas Chili, which, if I am to believe my own blog, we haven’t made since 2014. I’m not sure why that’s the case, because it was literally the sickest chili we’ve had all year, like on a different plane. I mean, I love my heirloom beans and all, but sometimes they just can’t really compete with sirloin, cooked in, uh, bacon fat. Yeah. We were definitely the opposite of Weekday Vegetarians that night. But I’m still thinking about it 72 hours later, the way the brothy liquid cooked down and got all saucy with the stewed meat. Wow. I think I was too distracted by its deliciousness to remember a photo, but you gotta trust me on this one.

Pantry: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last week, for my Cup of Jo column, I wrote about a little tournament we had in the house to determine what the best dark chocolate bar is. (I know, I know.) This had benefits for all the obvious reasons, including leftovers. I had to actually post on instagram this ridiculous question: What should I do with all this chocolate? There were some inspired ideas: Toffee, fondue, “ultimate” hot chocolate, “those fake chocolate croissants with puff pastry” (never heard of it, but how freaken good does that sound?), and so far we’ve just made cookies. Phoebe chopped up a few bars and made the Playdate Cookies from Dinner: A Love Story, stirring even the smallest chocolate shavings into the batter. It was a success to say the least. I do still need more ideas — it’s a lot of chocolate. Cry me a river, Jenny!

Purpose: World Central Kitchen

In other news, that $$$ for my World Central Kitchen fundraiser keeps climbing! I can’t believe how wonderful you have all been! For those of you still interested in donating, you have a few more days — until this Friday, December 18. You’re eligible for all kinds of prizes if you donate even just five dollars. (More details at the very bottom of my 2020 holiday gift guide.) The organization is wonderful — that’s me up there delivering pizza to poll workers and voters with long waits on Election Day, all coordinated through WCK. That is the tiniest fraction of the good they do on a daily basis — this year they have concentrated on COVID-related food insecurities, stepping in to provide relief where food banks and schools usually do. I’m hoping we can send the $10K at the end of this week — we are SO close. Thank you, thank you thank you, to everyone who has donated already. And if this is not your year to donate, thank you anyway for being here.

Stay safe. Wear a mask.

The goal of the Project, Pantry, Purpose series to keep us sane, distracted, connected, and useful. It began in March 2020. Please continue to comment below with suggestions for recipes, projects (for kids and adults), good deeds, donation ideas, stories, movies, games, puzzles. Or just tell me how you’re doing, what your daily routine is, and especially how DALS can help you or people in your community. You can also email me directly at jenny@dinneralovestory.com.

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Artichoke Sauce, Matzo Ball Soup, Holidays with the Met

Thu, 10 Dec 2020 17:32:42 GMT

Good morning and welcome to this week’s edition of Pantry, Project, Purpose. (I know, it’s been a little while.) I’m thrilled to report that, thanks to you amazing readers, I keep having to increase the fundraising goal for our World Central Kitchen holiday drive. I’m astounded by the generosity of this community — thank you to everyone who has contributed. (And for those of you who would still like to, you have until December 18. Forward me your donation receipt to be eligible to win a Nakano knife set.) In other encouraging news that feels important to document here for posterity, I heard that New York will most likely be administering its first COVID vaccinations as soon as this weekend. I know we are a long way off from normalcy, but I’ve let myself feel good about heading in the right direction. Now, about that delicious looking vegetable dish up there…

Pantry: Artichoke Sauce (with Roasted Veg)

If ever there was a recipe to be filed under “pantry” it would be Amy Chaplin’s artichoke sauce. In her amazing book Whole Food Cooking Every Day, she includes a comprehensive chart devoted to bright beautiful dressings that are based on vegetable purees, and I was VERY skeptical that her instructions for artichoke sauce, using those generic canned artichokes you see up there, and not much else, would yield something as creamy and luxurious as what she showed in her photo. Alas, 5 minutes later (seriously!), I was a believer. The basic formula is one can (drained), plus 1/4 cup of olive oil, one scallion, then enough water to reach desired consistency, then she recommends ways to flavor it with lemon, herbs, and aromatics. Its no-cream creaminess contrasts beautifully with roasted vegetables (as shown up top) and I’ve included one use for it below. Twenty years into this cooking thing and still nothing delights me as much as spinning gold from something so humdrum.

Roast Winter Vegetables with Artichoke Sauce
Sauce adapted from Whole Food Cooking Every Day, by Amy Chaplin. To flesh out into a meal, consider serving with brothy beans or stewy lentils.

1 large bunch broccoli, trimmed
2-3 cups Brussels sprouts, halved
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
1 lemon, halved
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 14-ounce can artichokes (quartered, whole, whatever), drained

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with foil, then spread vegetables and into one layer. Drizzle with about 1/4 cup of olive oil (maybe a little less), add salt and pepper, and toss. (I use my fingers for this to make sure everything is coated, but you can use a spoon or whatever.) Nestle in one of the lemon halves. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until vegetables are crispy and almost charred.

While vegetables are roasting, add artichokes to a blender with remaining olive oil, juice from the remaining lemon half, salt, pepper, and a few tablespoons of water. Process until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the pitcher, and adding more water until it reaches desired consistency. I like the consistency to be creamy-hummus-ish for a dish like this, but if you want to use it as a salad dressing, Chaplin recommends up to 6 tablespoons of water to make it drizzle-able. Stir in fresh herbs if using.

Spread sauce on a plate as shown, then top with vegetables and squeeze with the roasted lemon half. (It will be hot, be careful.)

Project: Matzo Ball Soup

Happy Hanukkah! I will be celebrating tonight with latkes (page 73 of How to Celebrate Everything) and a big bowl of Matzo Ball soup, which will be a cross between Bubby’s and Leah Koenig’s (above) from Modern Jewish Cooking.

Purpose: Holiday Music from the Met!

My dear friend Annie (aka Mrs. Minty Peas) who plays French horn for the Met (that’s her all the way on the left) told me about the coolest thing: For only $15 a ticket, you can watch the Met Orchestra Brass play holiday classics, with a guest performance from Isabel Leonard, who Annie tells me is a very special soprano. (Opera aficionados know this already!) It premieres December 13, 2020 at 3pm EST and you can watch it any time between then and January 31, 2021. (Click here for info and tickets.) How beautiful would it be to have the most renowned orchestra playing holiday songs for you while you decorate the tree? Bonus: You get to support the Met, one of the greatest institutes in the world, which has had a very rough year.

Stay safe. Wear a mask.

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An Onion Tart for Sunday Dinner

Mon, 07 Dec 2020 15:11:11 GMT

Good morning! Before we get to the food, I wanted to extend a huge thank you to those of you who have donated to the DALS World Central Kitchen fundraiser. I can’t tell you how good it feels to watch that amount creep up, even in increments of $5 or $10 — so keep the cash coming! (And remember, if you donate before December 18 you’re eligible to win a set of Nakano knives among other goodies. See: holiday gift guide for deets.) Truly, thank you, thank you.

Now about that good-looking Sunday dinner up there. Last week, Abby forwarded me a link to this caramelized onion galette from the NY Times with a few exclamation points. (They had her at “inspired by French Onion Soup.”) Their recipe, as NYT Cooking subscribers can see, called for sherry and beef broth, and for Gruyère to be worked into the homemade pie dough — all of which made it one of those sticky recipes, by which I mean the kind that sticks to your consciousness and follows you around all week. It was right there in my brain yesterday late afternoon, the whole time I watched Abby’s soccer game in 30-degree weather while gradually losing feeling in my toes. The game was a real barn burner, and ended in a 0-0 draw, but I couldn’t stop thinking about that galette and how it would make my toes (and the kitchen and the house and Sunday dinner) feel instantly cozy.

As I watched two dozen girls leave everything on the field, I calculated some shortcuts from the sidelines: I didn’t have sherry or beef broth, but I knew if I caramelized those onions, then baked them even more, that they’d be OK holding their own. I also knew that rolling out a homemade dough and letting it chill for a while was not likely to happen. Enter, of course, Pillsbury. In the end, the whole dinner was embarrassingly simplified and yet, just right for what I craved. Here’s what I did…

Simple Caramelized Onion Galette
Even without the beef broth, this ended up meaty and rich, so I recommend serving this with a green salad that’s been dressed with an aggressively vinegared vinaigrette. We had a basic Bibb salad with chives, grape tomatoes, and white balsamic-based dressing. Makes 2 small galettes, enough for 4 large portions or 4 small portions with leftovers.

3 tablespoons olive oil
4 large white onions, sliced
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 9-inch pie doughs (such as Pillsbury)
2/3 cup grated Gruyère
leaves from 6 to 8 fresh thyme sprigs
1 egg, whisked

Heat oven to 425°F. Add olive oil to a very large skillet set over medium-low heat. Add onions, salt, and freshly ground pepper, and cook low and slow for as long as you have to get them caramelized and make the house smell nice and cozy. After about 20 minutes, drizzle in balsamic vinegar and take them off the heat.

While this is all happening, prepare doughs, sprinkling 1/3 cup of grated Gruyère in the center of each before heaping onions on top, leaving a 1 1/2-2 inch border. Sprinkle fresh thyme on top, plus a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Folded in the dough as shown, then brush with egg wash and bake for 10 minutes. Decrease heat to 350°F without opening the oven, and bake another 15 minutes until the crust looks golden and the onions look jammy.

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Holiday Gift Guide 2020

Thu, 03 Dec 2020 17:14:30 GMT

Greetings to longtime and brand new Dinner A Love Story readers! Herewith, the annual holiday gift guide featuring the best of eating and reading of 2020. In keeping with tradition, there’s an amazing giveaway for a few lucky readers, but this year, being 2020, there’s a little twist, and I hope you’re up for it. Happy Holidays, Everyone!

Chef Knife (Nakano, $50 with code DINNER) A chef’s knife can be a personal thing, but Nakano has nailed the most important factors to make this classic 8-inch kitchen workhorse be a universal fit for the home cook: It has just the right heft, a comfortable handle, a steel, sharp blade, and handles all your slicing tasks with precision and strength. Nakano sent me one a few weeks ago and I loved it so much, I decided to officially collaborate with them. Good news for DALS readers, because that means you can use the discount code DINNER at checkout to activate a $14 holiday voucher and receive a free Japanese e-cookbook with your order. You can also use the discount code towards their limited edition, double-sided, high precision Santoku knife ($139 with code DINNER). THAT’S NOT ALL! Perhaps most exciting, you can win BOTH OF THESE KNIVES FOR FREE. Keep reading for more details on that one….

Restaurant Gift Cards & Cookbooks (such as Eventide, $19) Most likely you can’t share a meal with someone at your favorite restaurant right now, but you can still support those restaurants to make sure they’re ready to go on the other end of this pandemic. Consider buying someone a gift card to that restaurant, along with a note that says “Can’t wait to eat ____ with you at _____ in 2021.” Another gesture of support: Look into your favorite spot and see if they’ve published a cookbook. Last week, we made the iconic clam chowder from Portland’s Eventide cookbook. Was it as good as being there? No. Was it special in its own way? Absolutely.

Mezcal (Madre, $50-55) I never cared very much about mezcal, a smoky agave-based liquor, until my friend Stephanie from Mexico City described the proper way to drink it: neat with a slice of orange. Then I couldn’t get it out of my head. My local wine store recommended Madre — how pretty/gift-worthy is that label?

Old-Fashioned Lowball (Crate & Barrel, $10, each) Olivia McCool, the food stylist on my book shoot, loved these glasses for the way they refracted light in a photo. I love them because they have the exact right heft and I feel supremely elegant drinking a Negroni (or Mezcal!) from one. For Next-Level Gifting: Pair a set of 4 with a bottle of the recipient’s favorite booze.

Trick Mirror (by Jia Tolentino, $17) Essays on identity politics and internet culture by one of this era’s great thinkers. My 18-year-old tore through it last year — I recommend highly for the special twenty-something feminist in your life.

The Cheese Plate That Will Change Your Life ($25, by Marissa Mullen) It’s hard to overstate how satisfying this book is. Mullen has a devoted following instagram (I first heard about it from my 18-year-old niece, who will be the likely recipient of this gift), and the cheese-by-numbers method spelled out in these pages gives you the tools and the visuals to execute her visions perfectly for every occasion: That Salami River Plate, That Game Day Plate, That Treat Yourself Plate, That Fireside Plate. You get the idea.

Herbal Tea Gift Set (In Pursuit of Tea, $35) I wrote a little bit already about my pandemic-induced, pathological obsession with Getting Cozy ca 2020. (Including but not limited to: fires in the fire place every day, string lights illuminated across the backyard window all day long, warm white bean soup for weekday lunches, etc.) A big part of Campaign Cozy, though, has been a sudden interest in afternoon tea. At some point between 2:00 and 4:00, just as we are pushing to finish the work day, either Andy or I will offer the other one a cup of herbal tea (no caffeine) and it feels so unlike us (and our morning, turbo-charged coffee routine) that I want to laugh every time. So I did a little research and found In Pursuit of Tea, purveyors of single-origin, hand-processed looseleaf teas. This Classic Herbal gift box features Chamomile, Mint, and vanilla-and-honey-spiked Rooibos. (Related, but pricey: The most gorgeous multi-colored mugs from which to drink them.)

Handmade Chocolate Mice (L.A. Burdick, $36 for a box of 9) If you’re looking to impress a boss or a friend who has everything, or you are a grandparent who wants to spoil your grandchild rotten (I can say from experience: the be-ribboned mice-shaped truffles elicit actual shrieks from teenage girls), these artisanal chocolates are iconic, classic, and no-fail.

The Ultimate College Cookbook (Victoria Granof, $20) She was the beloved, brilliant food stylist on my last book (and of course, the Pasta Con Ceci master), and here she offers a range of dishes designed to be cooked in dorm-friendly appliances as well as her hard-won, very Victoria-esque culinary wisdom. (“If you are cooking with subpar salt, don’t bother seasoning.”) I am all over this for my college freshman.

Oval Platter, ($122, Revol) Every time I take a photo of food on this plate, everyone’s all Where’d you get that beautiful platter? It really does make everything look elegant, from everyday muffins to cheese spreads and roasted vegetables. (Note: Forever grateful that Revol was one of the generous partners I collaborated with for The Weekday Vegetarians.)

Lollipops (See’s, $22 for 30) For the friend who misses traveling, pick up a box of the legendary pops, ubiquitous at all the duty-free shops. Any time I traveled for work, I used to pick up a box on the way home for the girls.

Giving Back and a GiveAWAY! LASTLY! I would like to humbly ask a favor: If you’ve ever thought to yourself “I wish there was a way to thank that Dinner: A Love Story lady for the recipe/menu/book rec/PPP series she once gave me….” I have a great idea for you! Consider donating $5 or $10 to World Central Kitchen, the miracle-working nonprofit run by humanitarian chef José Andrés (he’s the one up above, on the right), that has been busy feeding the hungry and stepping in to help bolster traditional safety nets — city services, food banks, school meal programs — struggling since COVID hit. I’ve set a GoFundMe goal of $~~2000~~ $3000 but if you are in the position to give, any amount however small would be amazing. Deadline for donating and entering is Friday, December 18 at midnight ET.

Now for the Giveaway!

-One lucky donor will win the featured set of Nakano knives (the Chef and the Santoku, shown above). To be eligible, please forward your WCK donation confirmation to Jenny@dinneralovestory.com and subscribe to Nakano’s newsletter.

– Three others will receive one of the featured books (Trick Mirror, That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life, The Ultimate College Cookbook, The Eventide Cookbook, or your choice of restaurant cookbook, no more than $30). I’ll pick TWO from the donors and ONE random reader from the comment section below. If you comment below, be sure to note which book you’d choose. Good luck!

Let’s see what we can do!

P.S. DALS gift guides through the years:

Gift Guide 2019
Gift Guide 2018
Gift Guide 2017
Gift Guide 2016
Gift Guide 2015
Gift Guide 2014
Gift Guide 2013
Gift Guide 2012
Gift Guide 2011

Photo Credit: Stocksy

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Grateful

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 14:45:37 GMT

Back in the spring, I met with a local fence builder. Masks on, six feet apart, we walked the perimeter of the backyard and discussed what sections needed replacing and how to guard against the deer who regularly leap over five-foot-high walls if there is even a single hosta to be eaten on the other side. When we got to a stretch on the south side where only a short, sloping wall divides the patio from our neighbor’s porch, he asked if I wanted to close the gap with fencing. “You’d have more privacy,” he said.

We live in a neighborhood in suburban New York where the houses are built into a hillside that slopes dramatically up from the Hudson River, and the houses are right on top of one another; it was a big reason we were so charmed by the area 17 years ago, and we accepted that it came with some compromises.

I told the well-meaning fence guy no way.

That fenceless stretch is the spot where, over the years, my neighbor Lori and I have exchanged the day-to-day necessities of living: flour, a roll of packing tape, a quarter cup of chicken broth, and more parenting advice than I can recount. I was seven months pregnant with my second daughter when Lori first leaned over that fence to introduce herself. She was a mother of four—three girls, one boy—and spoke with authority about the things that worried me, like the age when girls need their moms the most. She seemed to know things I didn’t.

During quarantine, our exchanges kicked into a higher gear, this time with Lori’s 24-year-old daughter, Logan, who was 7 when I first met her across that fence. Everyone was limiting their trips to the supermarket, and most local businesses were closed. Over the wall went lemons, soccer ball pumps, logs for the firepit, baking soda (we joked that we hoped the DEA wasn’t monitoring us), and tomato plant seedlings for our victory gardens. It was a symbiotic relationship: In April, when I needed to borrow vanilla extract to make a birthday cake, it arrived with a beribboned bottle and card; the next day, what remained of the birthday cake went right back over the wall.

Was it about the food? Sure. (Isn’t everything?) But mostly it was nice to know that we were, as always, in it together. Heading into Thanksgiving, and whatever comes next in this long, hard year, let’s remember to look out for our neighbors, look out for each other.

I have such gratitude for all Dinner: A Love Story readers — I always have, but this past year more than ever. Thanks for looking out for me.

This originally appeared in “How to Be Hopeful Right Now” in Real Simple’s November issue.

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Small-Scale Apple Galette

Tue, 24 Nov 2020 16:59:53 GMT

I can’t remember the last time I actively decided to make an apple pie. Nine times out of ten, I back into it, after noticing that a bunch of apples are going bad and I need to salvage them before they accelerate the rotting of everything else in the fruit bowl. That happened most recently this past weekend — I had a single Pillsbury pie dough in the freezer, and decided we probably only needed a smaller-scale galette since it was just going to be three of us. I also thought those of you whose holiday tables are seating fewer people this year, and how maybe you might want to hear about the apple bundling technique for the filling, an easy way to make it feel special.

You just need a small sharp knife and a little patience. Cut off the cheek of an apple (this is a Fuji apple) then, place it cut-side down and cut into slices as thin as you can manage. (In theory, you could also use a mandoline for this task.) Keep the slices in bunches together, then start placing them, one by one in the center of the pie dough. To fill in gaps, you can slice the bunches in half (like I did on the right there). You just have to kind of play it by ear.

This was the final result, which we ended up eating with our hands right from a cutting board. I love how it ended up being a perfect marriage of elegant and rustic, but if I were to do it again properly, I’d top with some crème fraîche and eat it with an actual utensil.

Apple-Bundle Galette

1 9-inch store bought pie dough (such as Pillsbury)
3-4 medium apples (such as Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith) sliced in bunches as shown above
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 egg, whisked with 1 teaspoon water
flaky sea salt
crème fraîche

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil. Place dough in the center.

Arrange apple “bunches” in the center of the dough, leaving about a 1-inch perimeter. It will feel like a free-form puzzle — you might have to try a few combinations to make everything fit.

Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon all over the top. In a small saucepan, melt butter, then using a pastry brush, paint the surface of the apples, letting some butter drip in between the slices.

Fold over the perimeter of the crust to cover about an inch of the filling. Brush the exposed dough with egg wash, then bake for 10 minutes. Turn heat down to 350°F without opening the oven, and bake another 15 minutes until filling looks bubbly and golden.

Serve warm with crème fraîche, or vanilla or cinnamon ice cream.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

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The Thanksgiving Plan

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 16:48:45 GMT

So after a lot of back and forth, an official family zoom call, and a consultation with our Thanksgiving secretary, we have a plan. There will be no sit-down feast this year, but the 13 of us will still all be cooking for each other in our separate homes. Everyone is assigned a dish or two or three and is charged with making enough for the rest of the family. There will be a socially distanced dish swap at my sister’s centrally located house — then we will all go back home, warm up our dishes, and toast each other from afar.

The nieces and nephews are ready to revolt, I can tell. Thanksgiving is their favorite holiday because of all the rituals, the quality cousin time, and of course the food. It’s mine, too, because I get to spend the whole day in the kitchen with my mom. No one is happy with this turn of events, but what can we do? Next year, we keep telling ourselves. Next year we’ll do it right.

So for anyone interested, here is the Thanksgiving 2020 Menu:

Gin & Tonics
Shrimp Cocktail or Oysters if we can find good ones
Confit Turkey (My mom is also giving us the breast from the turkey she is roasting, but we are also making this)
Sausage and Apple Stuffing (a riff on Sam Sifton’s “Fresh Bread Dressing” in Thanksgiving)
Mashed Potatoes with Parm and Horseradish (from How to Celebrate Everything) or Mashed Potatoes Casserole (warning: paywall)
Honey-Glazed Brussels Sprouts
Cranberry-Orange Relish (from How to Celebrate Everything)
Black Bottom Chocolate Pecan Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Cranberry-Lime Pie
Chocolate Pudding Pie
Fresh whipped cream

You’ll note there are four pies this year, that is not a mistake. In keeping with tradition, we’re trying out a new one — Erin McDowell’s Black-Bottom Chocolate Pecan Pie. It’s from her pie magnum opus, The Book on Pie…

…and it’s a revelation. You probably know Erin Jeanne McDowell even if you think you don’t. Her recipes are everywhere — from Food52 to the NY Times — and when I look at the “saved” tab in my instagram, half of the food photos tag her. This book is perfect for someone like me because it is a full-on drill-down on every aspect of baking a pie, but never manages to veer into the dense and wonky. Take Exhibit A up there with the crimping section. (I’m definitely going Chevron this week.) I love that so much.

Anyway, I’ll be back tomorrow with a few things, but would love to hear what everyone’s plan is for this very oddball Thanksgiving.

Stay safe, wear a mask

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Small-Scale Thanksgiving, Stock, Nutella-Berry Muffins

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 16:46:33 GMT

Good morning! I just listened to Samin & Hrishikesh’s Thanksgiving podcast on my walk to get coffee, and realized that I’m officially excited about the holiday — the cooking part at least. With one kid returning from college in the Midwest, the actual sit-down feast is not going to happen — at least not how we are used to seeing it. But, as Samin said, it’s a different year and we need to be OK that Thanksgiving looks a little different too. As much as we all crave this holiday — it’s almost primal for me at this point — I just have to accept it. The good news is that there’s no shortage of ideas for how to make a small-scale Thanksgiving feel special anyway. There are tons of ideas from readers on the DALS facebook page today, and also, there’s this Turkey Pot Pie I worked on for Cup of Jo that was requested by a reader. “Why not put the whole meal into one tasty pie?” She asked. Indeed! Why not?

Pot pie, as many of you probably know, is something we regularly make on, say, a Tuesday. So the challenge for me became: How do I make it special enough for Thanksgiving? The answer: Upgrade every ingredient possible. Pick up the freshest carrots and potatoes you can find and definitely try to track down all-butter puff pastry, such as Dufour brand. (The puff pastry itself is considerably more dramatic than the regular pie dough I usually use.) Lastly, if you can swing it…

Project: Homemade Stock

….try to use homemade stock. That’s one thing that hasn’t changed this year: I always make it a week or two before Thanksgiving, because it upgrades everything on the table — the gravy, the potatoes, the stuffing and it keeps in the freezer for three months, so even if I don’t use it next week, I know I’ll be very appreciative it’s there for future batches of polenta, soups, and risotto. Here’s the how-to: Place the bones of a roast chicken or turkey into a large soup pot along with a few carrots (cut into large pieces) a few celery stalks (chopped), a large quartered onion (any color), 8 to 10 sprigs of thyme or parsley, and a Parmesan rind if you have it. Add a generous amount of salt and about a teaspoon of black peppercorns. Cover everything with water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer on the stove for at least one hour, and preferably as many as three or four. (You can also do this in a slow cooker overnight, but I remain convinced the stock has the hint of strangeness to it, when I do this.)

Project: Strawberry-Nutella Muffins

In other news, who knows why, but Abby came down to the kitchen last Sunday and declared she was in the mood for strawberry-nutella muffins and promptly whipped up a batch. They were delicious — definitely not light, but delicious. (PS: The platter from Revol, since everyone always asks me.) There’s nothing quite like a Sunday morning that smells like fresh baked goods.

Stay safe! Wear a mask!

The goal of the Project, Pantry, Purpose series to keep us sane, distracted, connected, and USEFUL. It began in March 2020. Please continue to comment below with suggestions for recipes, projects (for kids and adults), good deeds, donation ideas, stories, movies, games, puzzles. Or just tell me how you’re doing, what your story is, and especially how DALS might be able to help you or people in your community. You can also email me directly at jenny@dinneralovestory.com.

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My New Favorite Bowl

Mon, 16 Nov 2020 20:19:56 GMT

Not that Halloween was very much of anything for the kids this year, but at about 5:30 on October 31, Abby, outfitted in a Walter White costume that involved a white mini skirt, announced she was heading out to some kind of outdoor get-together.

Did you have dinner? I asked her.

Nah, she said. There’s gonna be candy.

She’s 17. It was Halloween. I probably should’ve just let her bolt. But old habits die hard, I guess.

Sit down at the table. Let me get something healthy into your body. I promise it will be fast.

We had a tumbleweed refrigerator situation on our hands, but I ended up making her something I knew instantly I was going to have to tweak and make again. I scraped up a dozen Brussels sprouts, a single leek, and scored a bag of Trader Joe’s frozen brown rice from the back of the freezer. I roasted the vegetables while heating up the rice, planning to toss everything with a little soy sauce and rice wine vinegar, until Abby walked over, now in full-on Heisenberg sunglasses and hat, and said, How good would this be with teriyaki sauce? Americanized teriyaki sauce is, of course, probably just as sweet as the pack of Skittles she would likely later inhale, but since no one wants to argue with Heisenberg, I searched for a homemade recipe I could make fast. Morimoto’s fit the bill (scroll all the way to the bottom; I swapped rice wine vinegar for the sake) and it was done before the Brussels were out of the oven.

It was so good, we made it for dinner a few nights later, and I just made it again today for lunch so I could take a good photo for you and be reminded how much I love it. That part worked, but I was also reminded that it took more pots and more steps that I thought, especially because I topped mine off with a seven-minute egg.

So, here’s what I recommend if you are on the clock: Try to have one of the components be store bought or made ahead of time. We always have Trader Joe’s frozen brown rice in our freezer. It’s not like it’s so complicated to make rice (although, sometimes it low-key is) but it’s liberating to open a package and empty the contents into a pot without any measuring or stressing. You can make both the teriyaki and the seven-minute eggs ahead of time, too. Or you can just make everything from scratch and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Teriyaki Brussels Bowl
Serves 4

2 cups brown rice
4 cups vegetable broth (optional)
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1 small yellow onion or 1 medium leek, cleaned and roughly chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
dash red pepper flakes
Teriyaki sauce (store bought or homemade << I halved Morimoto’s recipe, and omitted the ginger because I didn’t have any)
4 seven-minute eggs (instructions below or 4 fried eggs if that’s less stressful)
hot sauce to taste

Preheat oven to 425°F. Prepare brown rice according to package directions, using vegetable broth in place of water if you have it. While rice cooks, toss Brussels, leeks with the olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper on a foil-lined baking sheet, and roast for 15 minutes until sprouts look golden and crispy. (It’s ok if some leaves break off and get very dark.)

Prepare Teriyaki sauce and eggs.

Add a cup of hot rice to each serving bowl and toss with a little more than 1 tablespoon of teriyaki sauce. (It’s sweet, so you don’t want to overdo it.) Top with roasted vegetables, eggs, and hot sauce to taste. Serve with extra teriyaki for more drizzling if desired.

Seven-minute egg instructions: Fill a medium pot with water about 2/3 of the way full, and bring to a boil. Reduce to an aggressive simmer and, using a slotted spoon, slowly lower your eggs into the water, releasing gently. Set your timer for exactly 7 minutes. (In previous posts, I’ve mentioned that I usually go 6:45 here, but recently, I’ve been favoring seven minutes exactly, to avoid any remote chance of runny whites.) While your eggs simmer, prepare a bowl of ice water and plunk the eggs directly in there once the timer goes off. Remove after a minute — the ice water stops the cooking, but if they’re in there too long they get cold, which I don’t like. Remove the shell, and carefully slice in half.

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Stews for Around the Fire

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 17:57:13 GMT

Here in New York, we’ve been willing the universe to make fall last as long as possible because, as Andy says every single morning in ominous, Game-of-Thrones-like tones, winter is coming. In normal years, I don’t usually care that much. Cold weather is the season of cozy food — braised meats, red wine, warm-your-bones stews, and friends and family around to share it all with us. This year, though, that scenario is looking increasingly unlikely, so we have taken to inviting people to eat dinner with us spread out around our little Home Depot fire pit, extra sweaters piled on the patio chairs that always end up getting used.

Among other things, this means we’ve been very into food that can be served in bowls, preferably with only a fork or a spoon. (It also means that we never have to tidy up our kitchen before people come over!) In other words, we’ve been very into stews. In the past few weeks, we’ve made chili, Belgian beef, and minestrone. It’s liberating in a way. No one is expecting a five-course, James Beard Award-winning meal when they are wrapped in a blanket, sitting on a patio chair alongside the family dog. (Do you like how I write that as if I’ve ever entertained that way?)

All this to say, it was no surprise that Hawa Hassan’s Digaag Qumbe (Chicken Stew with Yogurt and Coconut) caught my eye when I was flipping through her book, In Bibi’s Kitchen (co-authored by Julia Turshen) last week. The book is devoted to sharing the stories and the recipes from African grandmothers who hail from Eritrea, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, Madagascar and Comoros. This stew is from Hassan’s native Somalia, and seems to make the most of all my favorite ingredients and flavors (coconut, yogurt, ginger, a toasted spice mix called Xawaash that is making my house smell really freaking good right now). She recommends serving it with a banana alongside for the most authentic Somali experience. “The combination is not well known in the United States, but you can help it become known — it’s great.”

I’m in! Now, just have to figure out who’s coming over.

Digaag Qumbe
This stew is incredibly quick cooking. Serve over cooked rice or on a bed of spinach. Serves 4.

2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 jalapeño, stemmed and coarsely chopped (use less or leave out if you don’t want things too spicy)
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons Xawaash Spice Mix (below)
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil
1 large red onion, finely chopped 2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 baking potato, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 carrots, cut into thin coins
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
Large handful of cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Cooked rice and bananas, for serving

In the jar of a blender, combine the tomatoes, jalapeño, bell pepper, tomato paste, yogurt, xawaash, and salt and puree until smooth. Set aside.

Warm the oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot set over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the blended tomato mixture, bring the mixture to a boil, then immediately lower the heat, cover, and cook until very fragrant, about 10 minutes. This initial cook- ing forms the base of the sauce. Stir in the potato, carrots, chicken, and coconut milk. Cover the pot and cook, uncover- ing it to stir occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Season the stew to taste with salt. Serve hot, sprinkled with the cilantro, over cooked rice, and with bananas alongside (don’t slice the bananas, just serve them whole and take a bite as you eat the stew). Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a few days and rewarmed in a heavy pot set over low heat (stir while you heat).

Xawaash Spice Mix
Xawaash (pronounced HA-wash) touches just about every Somali dish. It’s like the garam masala of Somalia, and the mix of flavors is truly the flavor of the Indian Ocean. Each Somali home cook prepares hers differently and this is Hawa’s.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups. (I halved it, since the stew only called for 2 tablespoons.)

One 2-inch piece cinnamon stick
1/2 cup cumin seeds
1/2 cup coriander seeds
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
6 cardamom pods
1 teaspoon whole cloves
2 tablespoons ground turmeric

Place the cinnamon stick in a small zip-top bag, seal it, and bang it a couple of times with a rolling pin, skillet, or anything heavy, to break it into small pieces.

Place the cinnamon, cumin, coriander, peppercorns, cardamom, and cloves in a small heavy skillet set over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the smell is very aromatic and the spices are lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Let cool. Transfer the mixture to a clean coffee grinder and grind into a fine powder (or use a mortar and pestle and some elbow grease). Transfer the ground spices to a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl and sift. Regrind whatever large pieces remain in the sieve and add them to the bowl with the ground spices. Add the turmeric. Whisk well to combine and transfer the mixture to an airtight jar. Store in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.

From In Bibi’s Kitchen Reprinted with Permission.

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A Beautiful Weekend

Mon, 09 Nov 2020 16:23:01 GMT

Good morning, everyone. A really good morning! Where were you when you heard the news? We were walking back from the farmer’s market, when the phones in our pockets started buzzing like crazy. We FaceTimed Phoebe in college, then called Abby, who was driving home from practice. We instructed her to lay on the horn the whole way home. It was 70 degrees, the blue, cloudless sky presenting a dramatic backdrop for all the golden and red-leaf November trees. We cracked open that Pappy! We donated to Stacy Abrams’s Fair Fight. We checked in with everyone we knew, like we had just had a baby. That is actually what it felt like. My brother texted back “It really feels like someone pulled a nail out of my brain.”

Later, my oldest friend Jeni and her husband, Ben, drove up from the city for champagne and chili around our fire pit, and they showed us videos of New York losing its collective mind. We ate cheese, guacamole, and two roasted vegetable dips (sweet potato-tahini, beet-yogurt-horseradish) and served with baguette slices. They brought iconic, absurdly indulgent Levain cookies up from the city, and we spent a solid ten minutes debating whether the chocolate peanut butter was better than the oatmeal raisin. We drank a lot of champagne and completely forgot to watch Biden and Harris (KAMALA!!!!) deliver their victory speeches.

I know that nothing is over, and that this country faces an uphill battle, given how divided we are right now. I know there are people reading this swearing they will never come back to my dinner table again. But for one weekend, it felt hopeful that a big piece of the puzzle, the person whose instinct was to stoke hatred and divisiveness, would be rendered powerless. Wow does that feel good.

This week, in the interest of realigning everyone’s equilibrium (I still can’t get a good night’s sleep) I’m going to post a bunch of my favorite easy dinners, some familiar — like this chicken that Bon Appetit’s instagram reminded me of yesterday — and some new. I’ll probably get back to the Project-Pantry-Purpose series, too, because the winter promises to be hard, and I feel like we’re going to have to pull together again in a big way. I hope you’ll come to the table as always.

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A Good Day for Cake

Thu, 05 Nov 2020 15:27:30 GMT

Everyone hanging in there? I wanted to let you know I wrote about Yossy Arefi’s Salty Caramel Peanut Butter Cake (from her new awesome book) over at Cup of Jo today. It might be just the kinda thing for a) distracting b) drowning sorrows c) celebrating d) making your day the tiniest bit better…

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What Can We Distracticook?

Mon, 02 Nov 2020 16:38:16 GMT

Good morning. I hope everyone is hanging in there. As someone on twitter wrote yesterday, Next week has been the longest week. I thought if you are feeling similarly, you might like a few culinary prescriptions for how to get through it without spiraling to dark places. If you are not phone-banking or helping out at the polls, I think the best bet at this point for your mental health is to distracticook. (Google: Did you mean procrastibake?) Translation: Find the most complicated recipe you can, preferably with tons of obscure ingredients that require some time-sucking road trips, then spend the next 48 hours focusing exclusively, singularly on making that happen. Here are five things that might fit the bill, including my cousin Ronnie’s challah, above (and which I made last week, still working on my braiding technique!), but I really really want to hear suggestions from you guys, too….

Anything From Ottolenghi

Ottolenghi gets a lot of flack for his recipes with miles-long instructions and ingredient lists calling for black limes, mango pickles, and hibiscus, and, unlike most regular old Tuesday nights, that might be just the thing we need right now! This is his brand new book, Flavor (cowritten with Ixta Belfrage) which we’ve already cooked from and love, but if you have Plenty or Plenty More, I’m guessing you will find something deliciously distractingly complicated. (P.S. Related: Big Fall 2020 Cookbooks.)

Bugiali’s Minestrone

We made this last week, and as I wrote the first time around: “It is messy and demanding and complicated. It involves forethought — you must soak the beans overnight. It involves rinsing and draining and mincing and chopping. It involves immersion blenders and strainers and Dutch Ovens and saucepans. And it involves time. A lot of time.”

Coconut Cream Pie

Abby made this once for her grandfather, who is a Coconut Cream Pie aficionado of the highest order. I remember two things about it: 1) That her grandfather said it was the best thing he’d ever eaten and 2) That the entire time she was making it she kept declaring OH MY GOD, THIS IS SO COMPLICATED. Sold!

Oaxacan Mole

There are 25 ingredients on Bricia Lopez’s ingredient list for Black Mole, including three kinds of dried chiles and also…animal crackers! It’s my favorite thing about making authentic mole — the recipes are so regional and so hard to predict. You can make them with the enmoladas (Oaxacan enchildas) that she suggests, or you can use them with your own enchilada recipe.

Ronnie’s Challah

This recipe is actually from Ronnie’s grandmother, and I wrote extensively about it in How to Celebrate Everything. I mix golden raisins into the dough because it reminds me of the way I ate it as a kid—and also because it’s delicious. This makes 1 large challah. You can cut the dough in half to make 2 smaller loaves (bake for 22 to 25 minutes) or halve the recipe. Last week, I made two loaves and dropped one off with my father, who might be the only one who loves it more than me. Lastly: Here are some braiding tips from Ronnie.

2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
2 cups warm water (about 105°F; feels slightly warm to the touch), divided
1⁄2 cup sugar, divided
8 cups all-purpose flour, plus more if needed for the dough and for the work surface
1 tablespoon salt (maybe a half teaspoon more)
5 large eggs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1⁄2 cup golden raisins (optional)

• In a small bowl, mix the yeast, 1⁄2 cup of the warm water, 1⁄2 teaspoon of the sugar, and a pinch of the flour. Stir and set aside for about 5 minutes or until the mixture is bubbly.

• While the yeast is activating, place 71⁄2 cups of the flour with the remaining sugar and the salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add 4 of the eggs, the vegetable oil, and the remaining 1 1⁄2 cups warm water. Mix, using the dough hook, until well combined. Add the yeast mixture and the raisins (if using) and blend in thoroughly. Knead for 3 to 4 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add the remaining flour as needed to make the dough smooth and soft, but not overly sticky.

• Place the dough in a large bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1 1⁄2 hours or until doubled in bulk. Punch the dough down, cover the bowl, and let rise again for about 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Remove the dough to a floured surface.

• Cut the dough into 3 or 6 pieces, depending on whether you are going to make a 3- or 6-strand braid. Make long strands out of each piece. Braid the strands and seal the ends together by pressing on the dough. Place the bread on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Beat the last egg and brush the surface with it. (You won’t need all of it.) Let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

• While the dough is in the last rise, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the challah for about 30 minutes or until firm and golden brown.

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An Extreme Milkshake for Abby’s Birthday

Thu, 29 Oct 2020 18:22:59 GMT

I know I know I know. This is maybe the most ridiculous thing you’re going to see on this blog or maybe on the internet today. It involved sketches and candy melts and extricating the green M&Ms from a large bag of multicolored M&Ms and a small tube of mini ones; it involved baking brownies and whirling a milkshake. It involved an 11th hour FaceTime consultation with Jodi Levine of Supermakeit fame. But, here’s the thing! As someone noted on instagram when I posted this pic last week, if ever there was a year to go completely over-the-top for a kid’s birthday…it’s this year. Not only because: 2020. But because it’s the last one we’ll have her for in the house for at least the next four years. (If all goes according to plan and we should be so lucky! Not complaining, not whining!) So in the end, I didn’t really have a choice: I had to make Abby an Extreme Milkshake for her 17th birthday.

Do you guys know what Extreme Milkshakes even are? (I’m of course, exclusively speaking to those of you who’ve never been on Pinterest.) I’m not sure where they began in the wider world, but the first place we discovered them was at a touristy New York restaurant called Black Tap. It was probably three or four years ago, when Instagram was informing dessert menus more than chefs were, and the more over-the-top you could go the better. At least with the kids. That meant candy-studded, whipped-cream topped milkshakes erupting with entire slices of pie or cake or ice cream cones and pops. When it’s done properly, there’ enough going on there to feed a family of five…for a week.

Abby’s favorite dessert combination is chocolate and mint, so I figured that was as good a place to start as any. I didn’t want everything to be mint-flavored, but I thought at least I could use green as the theme. And I knew the milkshake was going to be mint-chocolate chip. Other than that, I didn’t really know. I hit the candy aisle at Stop & Shop, grabbed a few things from around the house and started building.

The first thing I did was find a good glass — I went with at 12-ounce wide-mouth Ball jar because that’s what I had and it felt like the right size. From everything I researched online, the rule appears to be that sturdier and taller the foundational base, the higher you will be able to pile the sweets.

Using a regular old kitchen knife, I spread about a 2-inch band of Duncan Hines dark chocolate frosting around the rim, then studded the frosting with green pretzel M&Ms. When I first FaceTimed with Jodi, she said “Wow, I love the Wilma Flinstone vibe” which should tell you why I love Jodi. The frosting acts like glue, and though no one advised freezing to solidify the bond, I did anyway because I wanted to make as much of it ahead of time as possible and I figured the frosting would get melty.

Next, I looked for tall skinny things I could use as spears, like straws (both metal and plastic). I used two metal straws to spear a brownie (made from a box mix the night before) estimating how deep they needed to pierce the brownie and still be the right height in the glass. (I wanted it to be high enough to tower over the whipped cream I’d add last.) Using the sharp tip of a metal skewer, I speared three Peppermint patties in their centers, then stacked them together, threading a plastic straw through the holes. (“So mid-century Space Age,” said Jodi.)

At this point, I thought to myself, “It’s cute, but is it over the top?” What could I do to that big brown brownie? I dug around the birthday box, found sprinkles, candles, dusting sugars, then walked down the block to Jodi’s house. (To answer your question, no, I never take my proximity to her for granted.) She plied me with green candy melts and mini M&Ms and a bunch of candies she had leftover from all her professional shoots.

Jodi gave me a quick tutorial on candy melts, which I had never used before. “They are just as temperamental as chocolate,” she said. “Don’t introduce moisture!” I did as I was told, and without really having a plan, ended up dipping one half of the brownie in to melted candies, then covering that in green dusting sugar. Then, painstakingly, ridiculously, I applied a dot of frosting to one side of a dozen mini M&Ms and stuck them across the middle.

And as luck would have it, one of Abby’s birthday presents — a Breaking Bad laptop decal from Redbubble — arrived just as I was finishing up my design. And though I was immediately overcome with regret about not theming the whole thing Breaking Bad (I even had a large supply of light blue dusting crystals!) I was pretty happy with how it was going. All that was left to do was pour in a milkshake (blend three scoops of mint chip with about 2/3 cup of milk), top with whipped cream (don’t you dare go fancy fresh whipped cream on me here; only the spray will do), rainbow sprinkles, and a little candle.

I have to say, it worked. She completely freaked. The only acceptable reaction.

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Orzo Soup, Maple-Miso Delicata Squash, Vote Early

Wed, 21 Oct 2020 13:41:51 GMT

Good morning. Hope you are all hanging in there. Last weekend was a good one — we spent a sunny gorgeous Saturday in lovely Rhinebeck, NY where we had lunch at Bread Alone and did a short beautiful hike (above). On the hour-and-half drive there, I was able to attend my college friend’s daughter’s bat mitzvah in Chicago, at which point I realized that there are some silver linings to this whole thing. Would I have ever been there for it in normal times, much less texting my reactions to the haftorah on the college roommate group chat in real time? It was a nice morning. Here’s what’s happening on the food side of things…

Last week, I had to make and shoot a bowl of chicken orzo soup for my Cup of Jo column (as I wrote, it’s a good one to freeze and give to friends who are struggling) and no one was more happy about this than Abby, who was on top of me and my camera like a vulture. I get why — it’s less a soup and more like orzo with a soup-sauce. The longer it sits, the more the orzo pieces start to bloat and resemble dumplings. I don’t know why it’s so much better than regular old chicken noodle soup, but it is. And it couldn’t be easier. The recipe for it is in Dinner: A Love Story (and also over at the NY Times) but you don’t really need a recipe because it’s such a no-brainer. I sauté half a small yellow onion (chopped), 1 or 2 medium carrots (chopped), a stalk of celery (chopped) in olive oil, salt and pepper, cook until softened. Then pour in broth, bring to a boil, add a cup or two of orzo depending on how much broth you have. Add shredded cooked chicken at the end, serve topped with Parm and freshly ground black pepper.

Maple-Miso Delicata Squash

It remains a great regret of mine that I haven’t been able to get anyone in my house to appreciate the joys of a good delicata or spaghetti squash. That doesn’t mean I’ve stopped trying, though. Last week I split two medium-size delicatas in half lengthwise, scooped out the seeds, then sliced as you see above. In a small measuring cup, I whisked together 1 tablespoon of white miso, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, maybe another 1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper. Using my hands, I tossed the slices in that mixture right on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roasted for about 20 minutes at 400°F. I drizzled with chili oil when they were out and holy cow. Amazing. Even my squashist husband conceded. Leftovers went on an arugula salad the next day that I ate too quickly to photograph. I’d do that again as the main event, and top with toasted pumpkin seeds and maybe blue cheese. Stay tuned.

Vote Early

If I’m sounding repetitive, it’s on purpose. Early in-person voting starts on Saturday in New York and my goal is to be first on line. Even if I’m 1000th, I’m casting my ballot that day, then possibly celebrating with a cake from this new and exciting book. Please vote early and in-person if you can! What is your plan? (Above, Abby mailing 300 letters for Vote Forward’s Big Send last week. You can head over there for more ways to help.)

The post Orzo Soup, Maple-Miso Delicata Squash, Vote Early appeared first on Dinner: A Love Story.

Fast Fall Eats, Comfort Food, Vote Early, Vote, Vote, Vote

Mon, 12 Oct 2020 14:39:41 GMT

Good morning! Lots to catch up on in the kitchen and beyond. Last weekend, we sat at one of Cafe Altro Paradiso‘s outdoor tables to celebrate our 23rd (!) anniversary. They had a jazz band playing outside and across the street, in a public park, New Yorkers sat on benches, sipped wine, and enjoyed the free show. In other words, New York magic might look a little different, but it is most definitely alive and well. (And delicious, if those arancini balls above are any measure.) As for this past weekend, it was a beautiful one. On Saturday we watched opening day of Abby’s final high school soccer season. There were all kinds of restrictions on the players and fans, but I have to say, it felt so damn good to be sitting on the bleachers again, cheering her on, that I didn’t really care. Later we made a big pot of Giuliano Bugiali’s famous Minestrone and ate it around our backyard fire pit with two old friends. Like the rest of the country, I’m worried about rising rates and what happens when we move this whole show indoors, so I think that might’ve been the last of entertaining for a while. Trying to take it day by day. Here’s what else is going on…

Ten Fast Fall Dinners

I wrote about everybody’s perennial favorite topic: FAST DINNERS. Ten of ’em, all hitting the notes of fall that you are craving, including this rigatoni with honey nut squash and crispy sage leaves which lately I’ve been eating like potato chips. Check out the other nine ideas here. (Also: How gorgeous are those bowls? They are from East Fork, another maker I collaborated with for the book shoot. I’m obsessed.)

Roast Chicken & Schmaltzy Carrots

I don’t know why — maybe it’s a reaction to the news — but lately I’ve been really into all my old-school comfort food-y recipes on the weekend. That includes Porcupine Meatballs and Belgian Beef Stew and, of course, Roast Chicken. Often with a side of mashed potatoes. Last week when I was roasting that chicken, I fashioned a rack out of my pretty carrots, and when the chicken was finished, they were so ridiculously schmaltzy and good. Abby always says to me “save me the carrots” when I roast chicken this way, and for some reason, this time, it made me miss her in college, even though she’s literally still living in my house eating at my dinner table every night. I think it’s because with her sister in college, I’ve become so attuned to all the little culinary adjustments and gestures I make throughout the day for my kids — saving the schmaltzy carrots, reserving a few uncooked cinnamon-sugar dusted apple slices before dumping the rest in a pie shell (she loves those almost as much as the finished product), picking up a pink drink for her at Starbucks if I’m getting myself a regular old Pike, buying the hint-of-lime tortilla chips instead of the plain ones that I’d much prefer. It goes on. I’ve gotten away from the message though, which is: Roast a Chicken. You’ll feel good about yourself.

Vote Forward, Vote Early

Thank you to lovely reader KB who suggested looking into Vote Forward last week. You were absolutely right — it couldn’t have been easier or more well organized. We hosted a (masked, socially-distant) letter writing pizza party last weekend for the high school election club, and banged out 120 letters in one hour. Boy, it sure felt better than screaming at my twitter feed all day. We are doing it again tomorrow night. If you decide to do anything to help the Get Out the Vote Effort, please tag me on instagram and let me know. (Keeping in mind, there are rules against showing the actual letters publicly.) Bonus if there’s a DALS recipe on the table, too. For the rest of you: Remember, It’s crucial to vote early (preferably in person) in this election if at all possible. Make your plan, share your plan, get it done.

Stay safe. Wear a mask.

The goal of the Project, Pantry, Purpose series to keep us sane, distracted, connected, and USEFUL. It began in March 2020. Please continue to comment below with suggestions for recipes, projects (for kids and adults), good deeds, donation ideas, stories, movies, games, puzzles. Or just tell me how you’re doing, what your story is, and especially how DALS can help you or people in your community. You can also email me directly at jenny@dinneralovestory.com.

The post Fast Fall Eats, Comfort Food, Vote Early, Vote, Vote, Vote appeared first on Dinner: A Love Story.

Cinnamon-Apple Muffins, Shaking Beef, Voting

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 14:53:23 GMT

Good morning! Hope you all enjoyed your weekend. We hit the farmer’s market on both Saturday and Sunday and were thrilled to see the local apples piling up in crates. Last week, on Cup of Jo, I wrote about the apple-cinnamon muffins I made with spelt flour (which lends a little nuttiness to the equation without weighing them down) and I feel certain there is an apple crisp in my very near future. Maybe you should join me there. Other news that falls into the non-world-ending category on this busy Monday…

Project: Shaking Beef

We are still loving Andrea Nguyen’s Vietnamese Food Any Day, and over the weekend discovered we might like her Shaking Beef even more than the Tofu Bánh Mì I wrote about in July….

Shaking Beef, so named for the back-and-forth shaking of the skillet as you cook the meat, is my idea of the perfect end-of-September meal: Warm steak, cool fresh greens, bright, herby flavor. Let me just say that it disappeared fast. I recommend picking up a copy of Nguyen’s book, but if that’s not in the cards right now, you’re in luck: The recipe was posted online last year.

Pantry: Snack Plate

We are trying to make the most of having people over for dinner (always outside) while the weather is still nice. On Saturday our friends Liz and Ethan came at the last minute, and I was determined to create a starter plate with only what I had in the fridge and pantry, and not do a special shop for it. I was also determined to make it high on flavor and low on carbs because we were having Pork Ragu for dinner. (The first of the season, hallelujah!) Above is what I came up with and I thought it looked so pretty: Sweet-and-spicy nuts (soooo soooo good, I skipped the rosemary and used a bag of pecans from Thanksgiving 2019!); vegetables from the morning’s farmer’s market, a romesco sauce leftover from my book shoot, hunks of Parm, good olive oil infused with backyard basil, and baguette slices. Do other people spend as much time thinking about starter plates as I do? I often wonder.

Purpose: Phone Banking & Postcard Writing

First: Do you know what your voting plan is? Here’s a resource in case you are confused. Second: Once you know your own plan, have you thought about helping others figure out theirs? I spent a few soccer practices last week writing postcards in my car, thanks to a local activist organizing through the Reclaim Our Vote campaign. In the past, I’ve also used Postcards to Voters. Third, if you have a few hours you’d like to dedicate to the cause, the Biden-Harris team have made phone banking VERY accessible and easy. My 17-year-old daughter called over 100 people last weekend, valiantly persevering even after a woman called her pathetic and brainwashed. Lastly: Do I have any undecided voters reading this blog? If so, I’d love to hear from you directly at: Jenny @ dinneralovestory .com.

Stay safe. Wear a mask!

The goal of the Project, Pantry, Purpose series to keep us sane, distracted, connected, and USEFUL. It began in March 2020. Please continue to comment below with suggestions for recipes, projects (for kids and adults), good deeds, donation ideas, stories, movies, games, puzzles. Or just tell me how you’re doing, what your story is, and especially how DALS can help you or people in your community. You can also email me directly at jenny@dinneralovestory.com.

The post Cinnamon-Apple Muffins, Shaking Beef, Voting appeared first on Dinner: A Love Story.