We love food
Jump to Recipe → The Story Behind the Cake I remember working in the kitchen at home one day when I was younger and still lived with my mom, watching Giada de Laurentiis add olive oil to a muffin or cupcake recipe. I was astounded in the best way—it opened up a whole new world […]
My husband Peter grew up in Messini, Greece, just outside of Kalamata where those famous olives come from. His family still has olive fields there, which Peter estimates go back three generations, and he still remembers that different world—carrying water from the town well several times a day with a yoke and two buckets around […]
Every few years, my husband Peter and I make the pilgrimage to Stowe, Vermont. We stay at The Lodge at Spruce Peak—a beautiful dog-friendly hotel nestled at the base of Mount Mansfield (though our golden retriever Meddo hasn’t joined us yet). We spend our days riding the gondola up to the Cliff House Restaurant, wandering […]
Everything you need to know about the plants that transform cooking—their history, cultivation, flavor science, and how to use them with confidence There’s a moment that happens in every cook’s journey when herbs and spices stop being mysterious ingredients from jars and start being friends you recognize. You reach for thyme without thinking when roasting […]
When my best friend Kaleigh and her husband Brad told me they were expecting their first daughter, I knew immediately what I wanted to contribute to her baby shower when she spoke with me about food. Not cake, not punch—a proper charcuterie spread. Something abundant and celebratory, something that would let up to seventy guests […]
Jump to Recipe → There’s a jar of marinara in my refrigerator right now. Sometimes it’s one of the trusted family brands I grew up with—the ones my mother used, the ones I still reach for when I need something reliable and delicious. That jar represents something important: possibility. Because here’s what I’ve learned about […]
Have you ever wondered why restaurant dishes seem to have an extra dimension of flavor that’s hard to pinpoint? The answer often comes down to one thing: acid. A squeeze of lemon, a splash of vinegar, a spoonful of tomato paste—these seemingly simple additions have the power to transform a dish from flat and one-dimensional […]
Everything you need to know about Italy’s legendary pasta sauces – the history, the regional pride, the technique, and why some combinations are sacred Stand in any Italian kitchen and ask about the “right” way to make marinara, and you’ll witness something fascinating: the cook won’t just give you a recipe. They’ll tell you about […]
Traditional Maine whoopie pies meet brown butter sophistication in this recipe that honors classic technique while introducing warm spices and the unexpected depth of maple liqueur-soaked figs. This is the whoopie pie that taught me how far you can push tradition without breaking it—and why brown butter deserves a place in your baking repertoire. If […]
I was standing in the restaurant kitchen, staring at my third failed batch of the day. The whoopie pies looked perfect—beautiful brown butter and fig cakes sandwiching a rich, fragrant filling dotted with pieces of fig. But something wasn’t right. The filling was too loose, separating from the cakes. Maine natives were going to eat […]
