The house at Thanksgiving is brimming with activity. The kitchen is warm: a 30-pound turkey roasts in the oven, its skin turning a burnished, crackly gold. A batch of my mom's famous butter fan rolls cool on a baking sheet. The compost bucket overflows with cooking scraps. I stand at the sink, plucking dirt-covered beets from a wire garden basket and scrubbing them under hot water. I peel them and cut them into thin slices, tossing them with olive oil and sea salt. We'll spread them in a thin layer on battered cookie sheets and cook them for barely 10 minutes until they crisp at the edges, like potato chips, and stay chewy in the center.
Read moreFROZEN BROWNIES
THINGS I LIKE
- Kir Royales: I am not a mixologist. In fact, I feel about cocktail-making the way many people feel about baking: given the proper recipe, I can follow along and make something delicious, but riffing and creating my own drink typically ends up with a mouthful of gin or a fizzy glass of something resembling a margarita's overly-sweet, uncool cousin. But a Kir Royale! Perfection every time. All you need to do is add a splash of cassis (splurge on the good stuff here) to a glass of sparkling wine. That's about as easy as drinking it.
Read moreAPPLE YOGURT CAKE
"I think this is the best one you've made," he said, gently scraping his fork against the white dessert plate. He gathers the crumbs in a pile and presses the fork against them—the cake is so moist that the last bits stick together and he scoops up the last bite. "The best cake?" "The best apple cake."
Truth be told, I do make a lot of apple cakes, so this judgement carries a lot of weight. A few years ago, we spent a crisp, sunny Sunday in October picking apples north of Manhattan in a little town in the Hudson Valley. Our kitchen was overflowing with apples: they filled up both crisper drawers, and spilled from a bulging canvas bag on the counter.
Read moreThe Best Cookie Dough to Freeze
My lemon tree hasn't shown any signs of bearing fruit yet. I could worry, but I think instead I'll have faith that somewhere beneath those glossy green leaves, it's biding its time. There will be citrus: bright and cheerful. There will be Meyer lemon cake, and ribbons of tart lemon curd folded into whipped cream and frozen until cold and creamy. There will be lemon vodka cocktails. I'm letting myself be patient. I'm learning to sit with the in-between times, to let go of all or nothing all the time.
Read moreCHOCOLATE TRUFFLE COOKIES
I'll keep this brief, because it's cold outside. The window of the living room is ajar and the gusts of air are icy. My wool blanket is helping. (So is the glass of prosecco.) But my bed upstairs is no doubt warmer, and I'll cozily tuck the edges of the comforter around my sock-clad feet.
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