I probably write about my graduate school mania too frequently. But for those of you out there who are considering the self-destructing journey of getting a degree while working a full-time job, let me tell you this—it takes grit. When I’m sitting on my living room floor on a pile of course syllabuses, crying like... Continue Reading →
Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce
Coming back to the city after an awesome episode of traveling is always an adjustment. I came back from mild and breezy Iceland earlier this summer and stepped right into the searing heat of New York City. Despite the humid and claustrophobic subway platforms and the distinctive sidewalk scent of garbage day in July, there... Continue Reading →
Dry-Rubbed Skirt Steak with Port Pomegranate Reduction
Being out of class for the summer has been extraordinary. I feel like I just emerged from a thick layer of endless fog that I had been blindly flailing inside of for the past few months. I remembered that I had actual friends. I remembered what it felt like to be free to make plans... Continue Reading →
Sweet & Spicy Tofu with Coconut Rice
I am one of those strange beings who voluntarily orders tofu at restaurants even though I am not a vegetarian. My girlfriend jokes that I have a natural inclination towards healthy food and that she hates me for it. I chase her down the hallway, shoving sloshing cold-pressed green juices in her face with feverish... Continue Reading →
Fire Island—NYC’s Serene Neighbor
I have been going to Fire Island since I was 5 years old, to a lesser known community called Davis Park. In the last few years, I haven’t had as many chances to get out there with my family as I used to, but this summer I vowed to change that. Davis Park wooed me... Continue Reading →
Reviving the Forgotten Freezer Meat
It’s felt like a long time since I posted a recipe. My day-to-day life has gone through some changes throughout the summer, and my cooking briefly transformed into a thought-free, just-get-the-food-onto-the-plate procedure. This was unfortunate, since the serenity of my “kitchen time” is one of my happiest places. Changes in my schedule have thrown me... Continue Reading →
Grilled Cheese for “Grown-ups”
I don’t understand people who don’t love cheese. I like cheese shops more than I like shopping malls. So many options, so many opportunities to combine them with wine (crucial point here), and samples—so many samples. I could feed myself feasible for several days by stalking sample-giving cheese counters in NYC. I shouldn’t, but I... Continue Reading →
Blood Orange Bliss
Many of my favorite dinner adventures start with a single ingredient. Sometimes it’s one that I know and cook with often (lemon, garlic, mozzarella cheese, balsamic vinegar), and sometimes it’s completely random and obscure. In fact, sometimes there is virtually no planning at all until I actually walk into Fairway with the intention of purchasing... Continue Reading →
Squash Those Winter Blues
We don’t have a clean kitchen very often. I’m known for my delightful ability to cover every inch of my pretty white stove with cooking sauces in less time than it takes me to boil water. Certain dinner choices tend to be a larger issue than others when it comes to my butter fingers. Soup,... Continue Reading →
Comfort Food…Plus Truffle Oil
This week, Katie was recovering from dental surgery, and we struggled to come up with dinner options that were feasible for her to actually eat without pain. After some bugging on my part, she decided that all she really wanted was something comforting—like mashed potatoes, with eight tons of butter. Creamy, rich, velvety mashed potatoes... Continue Reading →