Took a hiatus to focus on moving, work, etc. Looking forward to 2026 and becoming slightly better at cooking with each day. Sharing what I can on here and the processes that come with it. Today we tackle what all people have their favorite version of:

the chocolate tarte.

And oui, I’m recognizing the french usage of tarte rather than the english tart. Some tarts are just that…tarts. You got your custard, your graham cracker crust, boom you’re gonna make people happy. Then there’s…the tarte. There’s something really unique about a tarte vs. a tart. What we have coming to you here today is something that tastes and feels like a tarte with the effort of a tart.

Last year I went to Gresca in Barcelona, my favorite restaurant. On the menu for dessert was a chocolate tarte that the server described as indescribable. Good start. I ate the tart, expecting something akin to a coulant/lava cake/etc. What I actually ate was a soul destroying airy sinful magnet triangle fit for last meals and despots.

I then learned it was inspired by chef Mathieu Pacaud and his tarte l’ambroisie. It’s a sabayon/ganache based tarte sprinkled with cocoa powder. You are in for a treat, I promise.

It goes without saying, but especially in this recipe, use the highest quality ingredients you can get your hands on.

RECIPE

Tart Crust

• 200g AP flour

• 35g powdered sugar

• 30g cocoa powder

• 1 tsp salt

• 145g soft, unsalted, butter.

• 1 egg, 1 yolk

Filling

• 150g chopped dark chocolate

• 200g of heavy cream

• 2 whole eggs + 4 egg yolks

• 80 g of granulated sugar

• 1 tsp salt

• Cocoa powder, for dusting

In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment (can be done by hand too) beat butter, powdered sugar, egg, yolk, and salt. Combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt and add while mixing on low speed until a dry but malleable dough forms. Form into a disk and wrap in plastic overnight. Or at least 4 hours.

Next day roll out to a circle two inches wider than your 9” tart pan. Press into sides and trim edges. Freeze for 30 min. Preheat oven to 350 F. Use a crumpled parchment weighed down with rice or sugar, bake for 15 minutes, remove parchment with weights and continue to bake for 10 min.

Heat cream to a simmer and pour over chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Let sit 1 minute before whisking into a homogenous mixture. Set aside.

Set a glass or metal bowl over a pot of simmering water, this is called a water bath and will be used to make the sabayon. Add eggs/yolks/sugar/salt to bowl and use a hand mixer with whisk attachment on medium low speed to whisk until nearly tripled in size. Should take about 10 min. (Going on medium low speed for longer will create a stronger sabayon that will last longer after the bake). Once tripled in volume, gently fold into the chocolate ganache mixture.

Gently even out the mixture then bake at 350 for 12-14 min. No longer than 15 min. This tarte dries out if too long in the oven. After baking, sprinkle with cocoa powder, let cool for a few minutes but you want to serve this warm and rather quickly. However, if made correctly this can last for a couple of hours in a warm place.

Enjoy with a little ice cream, maybe.

Think of all the elements present at your dinner table. Linen, silver, porcelain, glass, meat, vegetables, flowers, water, wine, wax. No other daily occurrence gathers such a cast of characters that represent the cyclical nature of the Earth we live in. Square plates are in direct opposition to this beautiful cycle. All in service to the Little Boxification of you.

Look ⬇️

But squares have a purpose in dining. Think of the table. Square and rectangle tables are legendary. But even on the plate, I quite love when a square item of food (paté en croute, lasagne, tomato pie) gets placed with ease within the plate. Daring you to desire it, though it’s not natural. They say you can’t put a square peg in a round hole, but what if the square is made of…cake.

Which brings us to today’s recipe(s). Carrot cake semifreddo cake with salted caramel sauce. 3 recipes used together or used separately at your leisure. They all are quite nice on their own. I was inspired by a restaurant in Canada I saw on social media that served a version of this so had to give it a go.

My one problem with freezing the whole affair was the cake hardening much more than the ice cream, due to the water content in the carrots I suppose. But I’ll try to figure a work around and get back to you. But if you have suggestions let me know. Recipes below.

Carrot Cake Recipe

• 3 Large eggs

• 250g granulated sugar

• 185g AP flour

• 10g baking powder

• 15g ground cinnamon

• pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

• 8g salt

• 275g finely grated carrots

• 2 tbsp freshly grated ginger

• 1 tsp freshly grated turmeric (optional)

• 160g vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 300F.

Whisk eggs, sugar together in a bowl. Add sifted dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt) and whisk to combine. Add carrots, turmeric, and vegetable oil to the bowl and which until combined.

Grease a loaf pan with nonstick spray or butter. Pour in carrot cake batter and bake for 1-1.5 hours depending on the oven and your pan. Check for doneness with a cake tester or toothpick until it comes out with no batter attached. Let rest before slicing.

Can also be done in other types of pans depending on the style of cake you want.

Vanilla Semifreddo Recipe

• 8 egg yolks

• 170 grams sugar (divided)

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 5 egg whites

Whisk egg yolks, 1/2 of the sugar, salt, and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Whisk heavy cream to medium-stiff peaks. Fold into egg yolk and sugar mixture until no lumps. Clean and dry thoroughly the whisk and bowl. Whisk egg whites to just frothy and slowly add in the other 1/2 of sugar. Increase to full speed after the sugar is added and whisk to stiff peaks. Gently fold into egg/sugar/cream mixture until smooth and light. Gently pour into a container like a loaf pan. Cover and let sit in the freezer at least overnight.

Caramel Sauce recipe

• 250g sugar

• 2 tbsp water

• juice of 1/2 a lemon

• 65g butter, softened

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• salt and spices to taste

Add sugar, water, lemon to a pot and combine. Heat over medium heat (without stirring) until a dark amber caramel forms. Briskly whisk in heavy cream then pour into a heat proof container or bowl with the butter, whisk until the butter is melted and caramel is smooth. Season to taste with salt and any spices you may like.

Assembly

Day after. Cut the carrot cake in half at the equator. The do the same with the semifreddo if using a similarly sized loaf pan. Place the semifreddo slice in between the carrot cake loaf and press slightly to adhere. Cut your desired slices and enjoy with copious amounts of caramel.

But even when the brave do finally attempt to accomplish this integral baking feat, they lose themselves in the silly errors along the way and it doesn’t come out right…So here below are some possible reasons why egg whites beat you, instead of the other way around. Along with a recipe for chocolate soufflé.

Why You Can’t Get Stiff

• Uneven KitchenAid Mixer

  • Your KitchenAid may not be passing the “penny test.” This is where you place a penny at the bottom of your KitchenAid bowl and when it’s on, the the penny should be grazed slightly on each rotation by the attachment. If it isn’t then the contents at the bottom will not be properly mixed in. With egg whites, you need constant whisk contact with the eggs to develop enough air. I accomplish this by using a hand mixer with the whisk attachment. This way I have more control and feel over my egg whites.

• Too Much Moisture

  • Even so much as condensation will inhibit your egg white proteins from binding, leading to an endless whisking and nothing to show for it. Make sure your bowl is clean as can be with no moisture present in the bowl or on your whisk.

• Some yolks are present

  • I know. You’d thought it’d be fine… “So what if there’s a little yolk, why would a little yolk prevent stiff peaks from forming?” Well…fat does not want to bind to the egg proteins in the whites. The protein in the whites are what allow it to trap the air bubbles, leading to a fluffy texture, and the yolk is very fat rich, so it actively discourages this.

• Sugar not added gradually

  • Sugar placement is important. It can’t all be dumped in at once. The egg whites will take on too much of a burden to try and absorb them while also building strength, leading to them not forming. After a few seconds of mixing until the whites become foamy, then you want to start adding the sugar gradually but consistently, this will allow the egg whites to build strength while absorbing the sugar gradually.

• Full speed is your friend

  • Medium speed until all the sugar is added then up to full speed. Because it can take it. And ultimately you don’t need to be here all day. The entire stiff peak process, when done with the above points, can be accomplished in about 5 minutes.

Recipe for Chocolate Soufflé

Get everything measured out, it all comes together really quickly.

Equipment needed:

• 5 ~ 6oz ramekins

• Stand mixer or hand mixer with whisk attachment

• Heatproof bowl

• Pastry brush

Ingredients

• softened butter, for brushing

• granulated sugar, for coating

• 180g dark chocolate, 70-80%

• 35g unsalted butter, room temperature

• 3 egg yolks (room temp)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp espresso powder

• 1 tsp salt

• 5 egg whites

• 75g sugar

Take your ramekins and brush them with the softened butter, on the bottom and sides, in an upward stroke motion. This will help the soufflé to rise better. Pour some sugar into a buttered ramekin, and rotate, coating it along all the inner walls. Pour out into the next ramekin and repeat. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 450F/230C.

Place a heatproof bowl over a pot on gently simmering water (not touching the bowl). Add your chocolate and butter to the bowl. Let heat and mix with a spatula until just melted and smooth. Set aside and allow to cool slightly. Add yolks, vanilla, espresso, salt, and whisk together. Don’t over mix or the chocolate might seize up.

Add egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer with attachment or other large bowl if using a hand mixer. Beat for 1 minute until frothy, then gradually, but consistently, add the sugar. Once it is all added, mix on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks have formed.

In stages, begin adding the egg whites to the chocolate mixture, about a cup at a time and fold in. The first addition is really just to loosen it up. Then you want to be gentle and use larger folding motions to add the egg whites without deflating.

Fill your molds to just above the top of the ramekins and using a flat bench scraper or the back of a knife to flatten the top and scrape it back into the bowl. Once all filled, run your thumb around the edge of the ramekin to create a slight indent in the soufflé. If not quite ready to bake, then these prepared soufflé can be set in the fridge for no longer than 2 hours before baking. Any longer may cause them to deflate.

Place on the middle rack in your oven and immediately lower the temp to 400. Bake for 15-18 minutes, depending on your oven. It should rise about an inch out of the ramekin and begin to brown on the top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve immediately, but carefully.

It’s been a minute. I’ve procrastinated. I bet you have too. But always make sure you’re productive in your procrastination. While I haven’t exactly been active on Substack recently, I have been quite a bit busy. You’ll have to scroll down to find out what that has meant for past me and what it means for future me.

Atlanta, I’ll love you, kinda

I recognize there will be a day that I’ll miss Atlanta. I simply love missing things. I’m nostalgia’s most annoying advocate. I drive across state lines for chicken tenders I had when I was 6 years old just to feel something. A lot of hard work goes into being sentimental. Gotta earn that yearn. But before I let my practical reasons for leaving Atlanta get in the way of my desire to leave, I’ll say that I’m really only moving because I like it. Transitioning into new spaces is a luxury I have, and I intend to exploit that luxury while I can. An unmatched benefit of modern living. But no two goodbyes mean remotely the same thing. I relish in saying goodbye to Atlanta because I stayed to my own sense of completion. So this is the first time I can truly say “I’m finished.”

I think the people, places, and spaces I’ve left in years’ past came with a heavier goodbye because there was lack of fulfillment, and with it a lack of meaning as to why I was there. Hindsight has since put into perceptive my decisions and however regretful my actions and decisions were to myself, I see them as the necessary ingredients what adds up to whoever is writing this post.

Remember, “It’s okay to not feel sad sometimes” - Mr. Rogers in another life. Often a canned response to saying I’m moving is “How do you feel?” or “Will you miss it” or “Are you sad to be leaving?” And I’m pretty roundly none of those things right now. The expectation of sadness when making a leap to leave is often so put upon that it leads one to question what you’re feeling sad about in the first place. But it also overshadows how happy you could be should you embrace the shift. I just worship at the altar of restlessness. While I relish geographical fluidity, I look forward to being emotionally distinct in where I am.

I live in Philadelphia now. Often the conversation of where to move included the larger Northeast cities, as is often the case for my generation. While I don’t necessarily see Philly as my forever home, I’m really happy to be here. There’s good people here. Come see me, we’ll eat.

A new, great career

6 years in the wine industry came to a close last year. Transitioning to another yeast-based industry, I became a baker. Without fully hashing out why I didn’t start sooner, I can safely say I was really just scared of branching out into a field I had no real experience in. But funnily enough I can’t see myself in any other industry now. I’ll be continuing to bake in my new setting at a new job. I just have to give a proper thank you to Evergreen for creating an environment that expanded my skills and fed my knowledge in such a fruitful way. If you’re in Atlanta, go support them.

The structure of a bakery made my brain do backflips I was so happy. Everything comes with a learning curve filled to the brim with mistakes, but they were meaningful. I’ve found there’s a deep pleasure in the mistakes, as world-defeating as they can be in the moment, they are more than necessary. I really didn’t know for a long time why I was interested in food. But shade’s of my early desire to cook have finally come to light. I never fancied myself a cook but recognize I’ve always wanted to serve people. My family knew how to do that really well. The context of food was that it was never the star of the show, but a means to gather. While there isn’t an inciting incident as to why my life shifted to food, let’s invent one. Our memories are largely fiction anyway. I mean, it feels real, I just can’t be totally sure.

My earliest food memory:

Fork Went Clink

I started a supper club in December, 2024. I called it Fork Goes Clink. The idea was simple, set up a place where people were forced into a 3 hour friendship with mostly strangers. Whatever happens after the dinner is out of my control but within the walls of this supper club there’s nothing one can do but succumb to bonding with those around you.

Supper Clubs™ are like “natural wine” in that no one seems to have a conclusive definition of what they mean, but you do know it when you see it. For me, supper clubs should be at one lengthy communal table. Who comes? A mixture of strangers and friends but ultimately those who delight in gestations. And the food? I love it when people take out their phones to snap a pic of my food, I’ll admit that. But food that doesn’t feel like it draws too much attention to itself is my favorite. A combination of sharable and plated dishes. Supper clubs are not food centric, they are people-forward.

With supper clubs, there does come to mind the unfortunate reality of how to get the word out. Knowing how to remain in the limelight but also maintain the unbeatable marketing tool that is word of mouth. How to make this sustainable but also keep an air of mystery around it. All things in the cocktail of cool. Blessed with an undeserved large following on Instagram, that made it a little easier to get things going and keep an central location for menu releases and RSVPs. But what I didn’t expect was for people to get the word out themselves and chat about it to their friends. I would say about over half the guests I had in 25 dinners over 8 months came to be via word of mouth.

Atlanta was a community I could never really tap into as a participant. Aspects of myself I knew I liked never came out with ease when I was there. Then I realized, when it comes to community, it is what you make. Community isn’t a passive occurrence, it’s an act of creation. And that’s why I started this supper club, the small hope of adding to a community I ultimately feel like I didn’t belong.

Such fellowships included but didn’t limit to: Couples finding and creating new dining crews. Singles snacking on some flirtato chips with other singles. Friends who didn’t know the other was coming but still sat on the opposite ends of the table. And people who now have lifelong tennis partners, just to name a few. But I really want to call out and praise those who came by themselves, single or otherwise. You are the essence of dining royalty to me. Not knowing there will be good vibes or not, maybe you left with new friends, maybe you only wanted to watch, doesn’t matter, you came and escaped for a few hours and I have so much respect for you.

There will be more dinners in the future…stay tuned.

Briefly, on chairs

There’s no greater feeling than sitting. Sitting on a nice chair that was made by hand, even better. Knowing that your chair has been living a life decades before you were born and encountered numerous butts makes you feel like you’re now a part of something greater than just a simple plop. Chairs bring with them a sense of place. How good a chair is will create the upmost of good times when executed properly. And it’s nearly universal in its contribution to global pleasantries.

Fortunately for me I come from a lineage of women with great taste in chairs. Chairs from my great grandmother’s dining room, my grandmother’s Bridge chairs, and my mother’s treasure chairs found at secondhand stores made up the majority of seats at my supper club.

And within a week of moving to Philly I went on a hike and found a handmade chair with a wooden etching, gorgissimo. And no better confirmation that I’m in the place I need to be.

A Lightly Floured Future

I will be settling into a new place, apartment, kitchen, and schedule with possibilities unknown. My freedom and time to experiment with recipes will increase substantially. As well as my energy. With that energy I’ll be shifting focus to my social medias, including Substack. I love having a platform but I’ve just lacked the time until now. I’ll continue my love for sweets here as well as progressing my breaducation. All here as a desire to learn and share that learning.

My New (other) Substack

As I fulfill ALFSs promise of pastries and bread, I will also be publishing posts on a new savory Substack, called…Fork Goes Clink. I’ll do an official launch soon but if you want to go ahead and subscribe, click here.

What I learned from my year of cooking for the supper club is that I actually quite love all aspects of dining and eating. I’ll be exploring and sharing those here. Content will include but not limited to:

The craft of dining out/in well. How to eavesdrop. Plating elaborate dishes. Cooking for people you don’t know. Cooking for people you fancy. How to treat wine like food. Inspired recipes that include probably too much butter. And many more…

I’ve also learned that my writing works best in a structured stream of consciousness. So no pay-per-view for recipes as I really can’t justify that anymore. They are works of progress and any paid content signals that this is a perfected recipe with reliability above all. If you want to support my work, there will be perks in the form of livestreams, Q&As, games, articles that have nothing to do with cooking, etc…

But ultimately I just want you support if you feel like it and can. This does take up time and resources and if you feel you benefit from this in any way, then you can support however you feel like. It’s just nice to be here with you.

The English have such a way with words for their kitchen creations…

Flies graveyard, Knickerbocker Glory, Eton Mess, Spotted Dick, etc.

The encyclopedia of English desserts is head-to-toe covered in silliness.

One can only assume the English are massive gatekeepers by bestowing otherwise lovely desserts with such wretched titles. Rather than the worldwide perception of these desserts being foul given their monikers, they are all actually quite lovely. The phenomenon English food being perceived as lesser quality falls squarely onto the laps of those who name these dishes.

But alas, here comes an elegant, rather humble name for a dessert that not only exceeds it’s modest moniker, but veers into opulence like I’ve never known:

The Bakewell Tart.

And yes, there is a namesake town where this dessert originated and it was created by a clumsy mistake as it was originally supposed to be a pudding. We’re 2/2 in English dessert bingo.

An almond lovers paradise and as generous in flavor as it is unassuming in name. Each element takes a bit of TLC but the proof is in the would-be pudding.

Enjoy!

Necessaries

• 11 inch tart pan

• stand mixer with paddle attachment

• fine mesh sieve

Serves 10-12 (people)

Recipe

Jam

• 700-800g strawberries or raspberries

• 300g granulated sugar

• Juice of 1 lemon

Tart Crust

• 200g AP flour

• 35g powdered sugar

• 1 tbsp corn starch

• 1 tsp salt, if using unsalted butter

• 135g cold, cubed, salted, butter.

• 1 egg

Almond Cream Filling

• 226g butter (2 sticks) unsalted

• 175g granulated sugar

• 1 tbsp almond extract

• 2 whole eggs

• 2 egg yolks

• 250g almond flour

• 65g AP flour

• 1 tsp salt

• Sliced almonds, for topping

Vanilla Custard (Optional)

• 200g granulated sugar

• 30g cornstarch

• 4 yolks

• 1 tsp vanilla extraction or 1 vanilla bean (scraped of its seeds)

• 700g whole milk

• 35g unsalted room temp butter

Day 1: Gumption

Make the jam.

Combine fruit, sugar, and lemon juice in a sauce pot. Place over medium heat. As the fruit mixture begins to break down and boil, turn down to low heat and let simmer until it begins to thicken. Stirring occasionally. Around 220 F is the final temp. Should take 30-45 min. Place in a heat proof bowl, let cool then blitz with an immersion blender or food processor. Cover and store in the fridge until use. Jams can be used for around 2-3 weeks.

Make the tart crust.

In a food processor, combine flour, powdered sugar, corn starch, and salt. Add butter and let run until it’s the texture of course sand. Add egg and blitz until a rough ball forms. Should be able to hold it’s shape when pressed together. Combine and knead lightly. Lightly flour a work surface, roll out to 1/4 inch thickness, drape over tart pan and press the corners in. Trim to even the outside, leaving 1 inch of overhang, then fold the excess overhang in the tart pan edge, pressing and sealing.

Good to have too much dough on the edges than too little, as it will shrink slightly when baked. You can always trim after it bakes.

Once flush against the sides, prick with a fork and freeze overnight.

Day 2: Easy Street

Bake tart shell.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Remove tart shell from freezer. Crumple a parchment paper and line the shell with it. Pour in pie weight of choice and bake for 20 minutes. Remove parchment and weights, bake for additional 20 minutes. Remove and let cool. Leave inside the tart tin.

I like to use sugar or rice to blind bake. It makes an even weight on the shell and can be used many times.

Make the almond frangipane.

While that cools, combine sugar and butter in the bowl of a food processor with the paddle attachment. whip until fluffy. Add eggs/yolks and almond extract, mix. Add flours and salt and mix until combined, scraping down and remixing as necessary.

Assemble and bake the tart.

Spread a generous layer of the jam on the bottom of the cooled crust. Spread edge to edge in about 1/4 inch layer. If you have leftover, great! Dollop the frangipane around the jam before spreading to minimize the jam smearing. Spread evenly across the tart.

Top with sliced almonds and a sprinkling of sugar

Bake for 45min - 1hr or until a toothpick comes out relatively clean from the center. A little under or a little over is fine. This tart is very forgiving.

Let cool to room temp. You can leave out at room temperature, covered, overnight.

Make the custard.

Whisk together sugar, starch, yolks, and vanilla in a heatproof bowl. Warm milk in a pot until just simmering, remove and temper the egg and starch mixture by slowly adding and whisking 1/3 of the milk into the bowl. Now add the tempered egg and starch mixture back to the milk and heat over medium heat while whisking almost frequently. Should thicken within 10-15 minutes. Once thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, strain into a separate bowl or container using a fine mesh sieve. Add butter and whisk until smooth. Let cool to room temp before refrigerating overnight.

Day 3: Fruits of ur Labor

Waiting is the hardest and best part of this recipe. Allowing things to meld, flavor-wise, and become a more cohesive dish when given time to rest is one of the best tips for baking and long-form cooking I can think of.

Slice the tart and serve with the vanilla custard. Can be kept for 3-4 days.

Enjoy!

This is a bit of a redux from an earlier post I made about a citron cake, but because I like changing the past, there have been some tweaks made! Sidenote: I will likely re-post a few recipes from this Substack that I’ve tested and re-tested. Just to make sure you have every chance of success if you do decide to make them!

A citron cake is a classic French baking staple. But one that does often uses butter/buttermilk/lemon curd. I did a partnership with Graza olive oil recently and there really couldn’t have been a better option to uplift the lemon and showcase the olive oil than this cake. Olive oil cakes themselves are popular for a reason. They’re incredibly easy. That’s not a diss, but it’s important to know that simple, successful recipes like this are what keep people cooking more. This recipe is straightforward and works best with Graza’s ‘Drizzle’ or ‘Sizzle’ EVOO. Add some whipped cream/merengue on top with an extra pour of olive oil and you’re golden…just like this cake!

Coming soon: many more lemon and citrus forward recipes.

Recipe

Need

• 8.5" x 4.5" loaf pan (or similar)

• Ladle

Ingredients

250g AP flour
1/2 tbsp baking powder
150g granulated sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
Zest of 3 lemons
115g full fat Greek yoghurt (or ricotta)
4 whole eggs, room temp
215g Graza EVOO
Juice of 3 lemons (same lemons from zest)
1 cup granulated sugar

Sieve the flour and baking powder mixture into a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar, salt, lemon zest, vanilla, yoghurt, and 4 eggs until well combined. Add the olive oil and whisk thoroughly to incorporate. Add the sieved flour mixture to the batter, and whisk until combined. Make sure the batter is smooth and no visible lumps are present. It should form ribbons as it drips off of a spatula. Let the batter rest for 30-45 minutes.

Prepare your loaf pan by spraying with nonstick spray. Line the sides with cut out strips of parchment paper to ensure the cake does not stick. Once the batter is rested, pour into the loaf pan.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake for 45-55 minutes (rotating halfway through) or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. While baking, make the lemon syrup. Add lemon juice and sugar to a pot and heat over medium high heat until simmering, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Keep on low heat. Once the cake is baked, Remove from loaf pan and let cool on a wire rack for 20-30 minutes. Poke the cake all over with a tooth pick or cake tester. Ladle your syrup over the cake until it’s all gone.

Let cool and slice. Serve with whipped cream and even more olive oil.

I learned all new tips and tricks along the way from making this. So even if you don’t want to go the full monty and make it as God intended, you can use one or two of these skills in your treatment of other wacky dishes. I really hope you do. This recipe makes 12 mini tortes or 1 large. Whatever preparation, just eat off of your most lavish tableware.

Recipe

Special things you’ll need:

- Stand mixer with paddle and whisk attachment. (Or hand mixer)

- 12 ct. Muffin tin, or two 8” cake pans

- lotta bowls

Ingredients

Sachertorte

• 130g chopped bittersweet chocolate, like 70%

• 25g soft unsalted butter

• 130g soft unsalted butter

• 110g powdered sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 orange, zested

• 1 tsp salt

• 8 eggs, separated into whites and yolks

• 120g AP flour, sifted

• 110g granulated sugar

• 8oz jam of choice

Chocolate Glaze

• 75g chocolate

• 75g soft unsalted butter

• 100g powdered sugar

• 100g cocoa powder

• 1 tsp light corn syrup

• Boiling water

Set a pot of water on the stove over medium high heat. Once simmering, place a metal bowl over the pot, but not touching the water. This is a double boiler. Add chocolate and 25g of butter to the bowl. Let heat and stir occasionally until completely melted. Should only take a couple of minutes. Remove from pot and allow to cool slightly.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, orange, and salt. Mix on medium-low speed with paddle attachment until creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl. Add yolks, one at a time, until fully mixed with butter.

Turn off the mixer and add chocolate. Let mix briefly on low speed. Add flour and mix on low until just combined. Scrape down the sides and make sure no dry spots or chocolate streaks remain. Scrape out into another large bowl. Clean stand mixer bowl and affix whisk attachment. Add egg whites. Beat until frothy, then begin adding sugar, a tablespoon at a time while the mixer runs on medium speed. Once all the sugar is added, gradually increase the speed to medium high until stiff peaks form.

Add some of the whipped egg whites to the chocolate/butter mixture and mix to loosen. Now with a spatula, carefully and methodically add the egg whites and gently fold into the choc/butt mixture. When there are almost no egg white streaks, add another dollop. Continue until all the egg whites are added and no streaks remain.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray muffin or cake tins with nonstick spray. Scoop your batter into your muffin tins, 3/4 of the way full, or divided equally into two cake tins. Bake for 20 minutes. Rotating halfway through. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes then remove to let cool on wire racks.

Once cool. Flip over so the bottom is now the top. Trip any uneven domes to help it lay flat. Cut in half at the cake’s equator. Fill with the appropriate amount of jam. You’ll just know.

Optional jam filling hack. Make a ganache by brining 100g of heavy cream to just simmering and pour over 100g of chopped bittersweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Let rest for 5 minutes. Either using a whisk or immersion blender, blend until smooth. Let cool. Place ganache into piping bag. When cool enough to hand. Pipe a small ring around the edge of the halved sachertorte, creating a barrier from which the jam cannot escape. Chill until ready to fill.

Once filled. Top with the bottom of the cake and make the glaze.

Combine chopped chocolate and butter in a bowl set over a double boiler. Like you did before. Melt. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and corn syrup. Add boiling water, little by little, and whisk until the appropriate consistency is reached.

Glaze your sachertortes over a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. Once glazed, let firm up in the fridge for an hour. Garnish with a little flaky salt.

Enjoy ✌🏻

But first, you’ll need to get acquainted with what I think is a mighty fine dessert based on my need to impress and tendency for overdoing it. I made this dessert for my first supper club in December. Immediately caught wind of how many buzzwords were in this one dish. Poached…granita…brown butter...truly just eating with my ears.

But it made sense in my brain so I dove head first. Upon serving, I listened to an endless clanking of silver spoons on teeth as the bowls seemed to clear faster than I filled them. That’s when I knew we had a winner. The pears are served hot. The ice cream classically cold, and the granita icy. I think this is a good reminder that if something sounds good, try it.

Also, each of these elements are fantastic on their own. And would serve as tasty treats. But might as well get the gang together.

I hope you find success in the dish below. Recipe follows.

Poached Pear, Brown Butter Semifreddo, Satsuma Granita

the pear necessities

• 2-qt sauce pot

• Hand mixer, with whisk attachment

• Big bowls

• Pie plate or similar shallow bowl

Poached Pears

• 2 cups Riesling wine (choose a sweeter variety), or substitute water

• 2 cups water

• 1/2 cup honey

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 4-5 allspice berries

• 3 cinnamon sticks

• 3-4 whole cloves

• 4 Bosc pears, peeled, halved and cored

Semifreddo

• 225g unsalted butter (2 sticks)

• 8 egg yolks

• 170 grams sugar

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 4 egg whites

Granita

• 2 cups juiced satsumas

• Rind of 1 satsuma

• couple of mint sprigs

• 2 tbsp honey

• 1/4 cup water

For the poached pears:

Add riesling, water, honey, sugar, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves to the pot. Bring to a boil until honey and sugar are dissolved. Bring down to simmer. Add pears and submerge. Add more water as necessary to full cover the pears. Let simmer on low for 30-45 minutes or until the pears are soft and can be pierced with a butter knife with little to no resistance. Let sit in the poaching liquid until ready to serve. Rewarm as necessary.

For the brown butter semifreddo: (do the day before)

Add butter to a sauce pan over medium heat, melt then swirl and whisk continuously until a brown butter forms. 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat into a heatproof container and let cool.

Whisk egg yolks, sugar, salt, and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Once cooled, discard the top half of the browned butter liquid, making sure NOT to discard the browned solids. (SAVE THIS, USE FOR DRESSINGS, PASTA, FROSTINGS, etc.) Add the remaining browned butter and solids to the egg yolk and sugar mixture and whisk.

Whisk heavy cream to medium stiff peaks. Fold into egg yolk and sugar mixture. Whisk egg whites to stiff peaks and gently fold into egg/sugar/cream mixture. Keep it to 10 folds or less. Pour into a container like a loaf pan. Cover and let sit in the freezer at least overnight.

For the satsuma granita:

Bring all ingredients to a simmer in a small pot until honey is dissolved. Let cool to room temp. Pour into a shallow high-rimmed plate or pie plate. Place in freezer for 20 minutes. Remove and flake with a fork, making sure to scrape down the sides and bottom. Place back in freezer. Repeat agitation with a fork every 20 minutes until a shaved-ice texture is formed. Place in a separate container and keep in freezer.

Assembly:

In a small bowl. Place poached pear, several scoops of ice cream, and a generous mountain of granita atop. Unleash yourself.

A Brief Brief

I needed a break from general social media and self imposed mandates on myself late last year. I was getting into the pesky weeds of it all. Views, likes, scroll, repeat. I wanted to, and still want to, make appealing content but found myself being a bit of a cog. Now that I’ve taken some time to regain a focus on my work life and personal life, I’m choosing to put myself into this space again with a healthier grasp.

I started a supper club

Green glassware, farmhouse plates, strangers. This was in the works for a while. Gathering the equipment was no easy feat. I host in my home in Atlanta and outfitted my dining room to seat 14 beautiful people. All the food is prepared with an anti-stodgy mindset and the hope that you take plenty of pictures. I do it every other Monday. Follow me on Instagram for updates. It’s called Fork Goes Clink.

I needed this project in my life. Seeing people eat and make friends at my table gives me excessive joy. My cup overfloweth with gratitude to those of you who have made your way through so far.

Nasty Nasty Copenhagen

No no, not really.

It was a lovely city but I just got food poisoning almost the entire time. I positioned myself to have a week of nonstop eating with very minimal breaks. The post-Christmas winter seemed to me the opportune time to get reservations and skip the lines. All would have been true if not for a historical bellyaching.

I am planning my next international travel now. And since the last 3 have brought me with illness and bodily devastation, I can’t imagine a God so cruel as lay it on me a 4th time. I mention this because it’s a really good reminder to slow tf down. My body was in a state of momentum and if I had it my way, I would not have had the proper rest my body needed with all my gluttony and galavanting. So instead, flat on my back it was.

My almost year working in a bakery

Nearly at the 1-year mark in my new career. The amount of knowledge I’ve received and sleep I’ve not had makes me smile, though. I can’t really remember the year as if I’ve been the one living it. It passed a little too quickly to make sense of it. There were moments of rest but only moments. The happiness was happier than it’s ever been and the lows were spicier but I knew the proper remedies. It’s a year I’m grateful for and wouldn’t have pictured a better start to this new season.

I want to make a larger post about my year as a bakerboy. Soon enough.

Expect a few more posts this month. I wish I could guarantee a specific day. But let’s be real. I’m just happy you’re here.

Thank you thank you thank you.

“Can I watch you eat?”

Rarely is it fun watching people cook on screen. It looks too manufactured to the point of being a parody. I imagine most people think this about their occupations represented on screen. Often what people see of cooking on screen is the rapid fire popcorn-fare competitions or sultry dramas that portrays being a chef akin to a dower military leader. Even the upper tier of these (Great British Bake Off) can’t hide the seams that make the audience question the authenticity of what they’re seeing.

If you ask someone to name a few good movies about food they quickly rattle off Ratatouille, Big Night, or Babette’s feast. Honorable mentions being Tampopo and Chef. But The Taste of Things is now at the driver seat of this category.

No, this is not Letterboxd. You’re still reading my Substack. But the past two months I took a break from Substack, and generally social media, to just…step back. Not for any overarching mental health reason or a desire to be more present necessarily. I just needed to force a perspective on myself I wasn’t used to. In a nutshell, the routines I’ve had the past two years are starting to dissolve. I’ve been a new kind of busy. Though I didn’t plan on being busied and toasted to the point of mental exhaustion, I’m happy to be.

I’ve thrown myself into frequent cooking scenarios the past few months. Something I occasionally took a happy-go-lucky wandering to has ended up a deeply meaningful, and mildly aching, profession leaving me uninterested in a life without it. I’m exploring food in a way I knew was possible but didn’t think I could achieve. These new ventures into professional cooking were the only ways I could stop measuring my skills against others and start measuring them against myself. I’ve practiced the art of being overly self-critical for years but now it’s a fair fight.

This is not about my cooking journey. This entry is about a movie I watched on a plane with a fiery case of food poisoning where no comfort was in sight other than what unfolded on the tiny screen in front of me. This unique and delightful French movie made me forget I was ever worse. If you haven’t seen it, you have time, just find a way to watch it.

Where Babette’s Feast saves the sin for the end, The Taste of Things makes gluttony the star. With greedy screen time devoted to watching each dish unfold and making the audience want to turn it off for fear of desire.

Technically, a perfect movie on cooking. Much has been said about the opening scene of The Taste of Things. Each sunbaked cooking vignette is interspersed with rest and respite. A two-minute sequence of picking garden greens, then making an omelette, having a bath, preparing breakfast, then setting for the next meal carries rhythm like a dance number. My breath releases then goes right back in. I’m inflamed then cooled with every cut.

Why does laying a piece of flounder in a copper pan shaped precisely to the fish make my eyes well up with tears? The simple act of tasting a stock and adjusting the flavor made me lean forward on the edge of my seat. The thing about cooking is, the sights and sounds of its pleasure are available to everyone. And this movie delights in any and every kind of sensory stimulation. Where another film may talk down, The Taste of Things brings you to its level and let’s you participate.

A period piece, historically fiction, but timeless in the variety of emotions if offers. Perhaps set a little over a hundred years ago but felt as if these personalities could represent our desires here and now.

One feeling I was pleased to see represented is how it truly feels to serve someone. Not simply cooking dinner for your partner, but lavish grand gestures that bond you to them. An overwhelming desire to make this person exempt from discomfort and overcome by delicious things. If only for a short while.

Finding a true to form honest movie about what it’s like to cook for somebody has been a therapy of sorts for me. My consistent state is to have those I love, fed. Often to mildly faulty results, sometimes life-ending failures, and even occasional success.

In this film, these acts of service are moments of intense vulnerability. It lays bare everything you have. Naked in every aspect but the flesh. It’s a part of your personality they can now physically realize. Only made better when their desire to receive is equal to your desire to give. Our nature is to make the intangible, tangible. And to make the tangible last longer. To think that what we can offer could equal someone else’s desire is a real joy to imagine.

The fear of this is also apparent on screen. The fear of serving someone a dish to now be at the mercy of their tongue is almost too much to handle. Something that exists in your head we almost couldn’t dare bring it into the world just to watch it crumble before our eyes. So most of us don’t. It’s only when the best side of our arrogance is at the wheel does it cross into faith.

In showing another what we desire, and what moves us, we now trust them to guard these dirty secrets. We hope they don’t flee when they know the truth. They have what it takes to level us. How could any sane person react to this knowledge? We hold back our inner thoughts and desires so as to stay at peace, status quo, or just functioning. Most of us aren’t taught how to give bits of ourselves and still remain whole.

Longing, pining, and knowing how and when to preserve oneself. You are not your life’s work but you are what came before you. Sometimes the sudden introduction of a new character could throw into fragility what you’ve always known. For anyone with a stake in their own life, this rattling is often too much. We are at risk of losing ourselves and our passions on a daily basis because of who we choose to love or not love. And we leave ourselves in ruins so as to make something new. Looking for someone to accept the pieces we were before and come to the aid of whatever may happen next.

In the final moments of the movie, our main characters (having just wed) sit and now have a moment to reflect on what is to come. Words are shared and a question is asked. The answer is the affirmation we need. The pleasant reassurance that who you are is up to you. A Taste of Things is about love stubbornly given and a life freely chosen.

As far as heart wrenching last lines go…I see your “It’ll pass” from Fleabag, and I raise you a “My cook.”

*chefs kiss

It’s been a little while so here is recipe I’ve been working on for…a little while. I’m surrounded by bagels quite often nowadays and never really had the thought to make them at home. But after a few attempts, there was a deep satisfaction that came with making my own bagels and playing with different flavors and textures. No two bagels are the same and nor should they be.

I received my delivery of White Sturgeon Caviar from Island Creek and kept thinking about different ways to showcase such a special product. Island Creek not only have amazing oysters and an admirable sustainable seafood program in general, but also incredible caviar that rivals anywhere else in the world. But as I was falling asleep one night I had the idea to have them on bagels so I obsessed over this recipe for a week until I got it right.

Now I hope you will give it a try! And also if you’re cautious or have never had caviar, I can’t think of a better introduction.

Necessities

• Stand mixer with dough hook

• Parchment paper

• Nonstick spray

• Rimmed baking sheets

• Large pot or high walled saute pan

Ingredients

• 600g bread flour (split into 200g & 400g)

• 310g room temp water

• 10g salt

• 7g active dry yeast

• 2 tbsp barley malt syrup

• 2 tbsp honey

• 1 tsp baking soda

• Sesame seeds or poppy seeds

• 8oz cream cheese, softened to room temp

• 1 cup chopped scallions

• White Sturgeon Caviar from Island Creek

Recipe

Preferment

Combine water and yeast in a bowl or container. Whisk to dissolve. Add the 200g bread flour and mix to combine. Cover loosely and lit sit at room temperature for 4 hours, or 1 hour then in the fridge overnight. The mixture should more than double in size and become very active.

Mix

Combine preferment, 1 tbsp each malt syrup and honey, and the remaining 400g bread flour, and salt in a stand mixer with the dough hook attached. Mix on medium low speed until combined but still shaggy, let sit for 10 minutes. Turn on mixer to medium low and allow to mix for at least 10 minutes. You want it to be a firm dough, similar to play dough or a pasta dough. Remove and knead on the counter a few times to smooth it out. Spray bowl with nonstick spray, place in dough, cover and let rise for 1 - 1.5 hours.

Shape

Once doubled, dump onto a clean countertop. Use a bench scraper and divide dough into 8 equal pieces, around 118 - 120g. Keep dough pieces covered when not using because they will develop a skin. Flatten the dough slightly and gently roll into a 3 inch log. Repeat with all 8. Let rest for 5 minutes, covered. To shape, take a small log and roll out into a 7-8 inch log, starting with the middle then rolling out the edges, lightly tapering. Wrap the dough around your hand and overlap the ends by 2 inches. Then with the overlapped side on the palm of your hand, roll to seal the edges. Adjust to make it even then place on a sprayed parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat. Cover with greased plastic and place in fridge overnight for the best results.

Boiling and Baking

Boil water in a large bot or high walled saute pan. Add malt syrup, honey, and baking soda. Remove bagels from fridge. Bagels should have not quite doubled in size but still have puffed up. Take each bagel and boil for 30-45 seconds each side, using tongs to flip. Remove and place back on parchment sheets, topside facing up. Add flaky salt and desired toppings at this point.

Preheat oven to 515 degrees. Or as high as it goes! Place near the top if using a gas oven with bottom heat. Bake bagels for 16 minutes, rotating halfway through. Remove and let cool completely.

Topping

Mix cream cheese and scallions. Slice bagel in half and toast. Spread a generous amount of cream cheese and then add dollops of White Sturgeon Caviar from Island Creek.

Devour!

PS. Bagel can freeze nicely and be thawed to enjoy for a couple of weeks.

There’s never anything new under the sun these days. So let my recipe be yet another hat in the ring rather than a definitive statement on how to make Bolognese. But new to you is good enough for me. My recipe has changed numerous times and probably still has much to be tweaked. And every time you make this dish, yours will (and should) be different.

That being said, there’s less of a need for Bolognese dogma than ever before. Just because something comes before does not mean it should continue to be the dominant thing, or even the example to lead by. Historic Sauces are historic because of who’s making them and what they’re inspired by in the moment. If it happens to be inspired by Italy, great! But if you’re from London and only know of Bolognese on spaghetti noodles or want to throw some mash on top and call it a pie, that’s you. One of my pet peeves is seeing someone make a recipe from 100 years ago and claim that this is how that thing should taste. There wasn’t even salt in most recipes back then. Progress is always necessary to food. Recipes should be in a constant state of edit.

This is frustrating for perfectionists like myself. And for most people at the end of the day, they want a reliable and functioning recipe trustworthy enough to serve for a crowd.

This recipe will come off as authentic as it needs to be to placate the odd Italian who may ever read it. But it makes use of what tastes good and necessary. I call this ragu Bolognese because that’s where I was truly introduced to the point of obsession, in Bologna. It’s where I first learned how people roll out pasta with a rolling pin the size of a child.

Let’s talk about time

Fast food this is not. This is also really not a weeknight meal. This is a dedicated Saturday or Sunday dish where you can more easily devote hours and hours to it.

Working in a professional baking capacity, I’ve been able to see how many amazing bites of food are a direct result of 24 or even 48 hours of prep. For the Bolognese sauce, you don’t necessarily need 24 hours, but starting in the morning is a worthwhile endeavor. Don’t think for a moment your guests will be okay with eating at 10pm or eating a rushed ragu. The more time spent cooking is directly proportional to a more fulfilling mouthful of Bolognese.

This dish starts with a plethora of individual and unique ingredients. Each fragrance is a pleasure so take the time to smell each and remember their contributions. But after all the time and attention, a single unified scent comes to the forefront: pure ragu. Pure Italian city streets. Fresh cured pork fat and cigarette smoke, maybe. A reminder of memories you maybe never have had. As emotional as you need it to be.

The Meat in the Meat Sauce

Beef, Pork, or Veal. Or all 3? This is a routinely debated topic and isn’t something most people realize is the most varied variable in all types of ragi. The meat I use here is 100% pork from a pork shoulder. The high-minded bolognese will have beef from the skirt, pork and veal from the loins, and perhaps pancetta and prosciutto. If you internal calculator is like mine, you’re already at a high price before you get to any other ingredients. Pork is a much more budget friendly option that will get you the bolognese of your dreams.

The benefit of using all pork (high quality from a local butcher) is that the flavor is substantial enough to be seen but welcoming enough to allow the other ingredients to come through. Beef, though delicious, will overpower.

The Noodles

I’ll keep this brief. The noodles are here as a vehicle for sauce. As much as people like to chef-up handmade noodles, they are mainly made of flour and egg… By the time you boil and get the sauce on top, the flavor will take a backseat to everything else.

Noodles are about texture and transportation. For Bolognese, tagliatelle and pappardelle are perfect. somehow, the meat sauce clings to the noodles like flies on sticky paper (gross I know) and allow you to never have a naked bite.

By preparing the dough with whole eggs and a fresh flour, it can be manipulated however you need it to be. Take the time to rest and roll to the thinnest possible degree, either by hand with a large rolling pin or by pasta machine. Then by letting it dry slightly to make sure you can have a pasta that bites back. These are steps necessary to make this pasta a textural example for all to come.

Recipe

Necessaries

• Large rolling pin or pasta roller

• Saute pan

• Dutch oven or high walled saute pan

• Food processor

• Zester or grater

Ingredients

• 5 large eggs,

• 450g ‘00’ Flour

• EVOO

• 28 oz canned tomatoes

• 2 garlic cloves

• 3 tbsp lard

• 2 anchovies

• 1 medium carrot

• 1 medium onion

• 3 celery stalks

• 1 pound ground pork shoulder

• 6 ounces ground (or very finely chopped) mortadella

• 1 quart (4 cups) of low-sodium chicken or beef stock

• 1 cup light and fruity red wine (Sangiovese or Barbera are excellent choices)

• 2 bay leaves (high quality)

• Grated nutmeg

• Parmigiano Reggiano, for grating

Make the Pasta

Luckily this can be done even days ahead of time so work with whatever time constraints you have!

Pour flour onto a large working surface (or in a large bowl) in a mound and make a well in it to crack in the eggs. Crack the eggs into the well and begin mixing the eggs with a fork. Begin incorporating flour from the sides little by little until you can no longer mix with a fork. Eventually using a bench scraper (or your hands) to bring the sides in then combine and knead until a cohesive mixture forms, about 6 minutes. It will be rough-looking, you just don’t want any flour spots to remain. Let rest for 15 minutes. Knead again until smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 2 hours.

After 2 hours, roll out pasta to the thickness of 7 post-it notes (or close to it) using either a pasta machine or a large rolling pin. Allow to dry for 30-45 minutes on the work surface before cutting. Fold and cut into stripes about .5 inches for tagliatelle and 1 inch for pappardelle.

Make the tomato puree

This is not a tomato sauce but there is tomato in it. I tried fresh tomato confit, tomato paste, and tomato sauce. But I landed on reducing canned tomatoes to a near-paste like consistency for the best flavor and texture. This dish does need acid (fun fact, all dishes do) but there wasn’t enough in just tomato paste so this adds that and also the savory - umami…

Puree the canned tomatoes with either a food processor or an emulsion blender until smooth and no large chunks remain. In a medium saute pan over medium heat, add EVOO and garlic. Saute until fragrant. Add tomatoes and let cook, stirring occasionally until reduced into a paste-like consistency. It should be about 1/3 its original volume. Discard the garlic. Should take about 30 minutes.

Make the sauce

Roughly chop carrots, onion, and celery in a food processor until fine chopped and set aside.

In a dutch over or high walled saute pan, add lard and heat over medium high heat. Add anchovies and saute until relatively disappeared. Add minced vegetables and saute with a pinch of salt until reduced and sweated out. Not browned. You want to concentrate the flavors, not add caramelization.

After 5-8 minutes, add the ground pork. Stir and chop with a wooden spoon to break it up into small pieces, about the size of the vegetables. Add another small pinch of salt. Allow the pork to cook and for 8-10 minutes. Add mortadella and cook together for 1 minute.

Add wine, stir and reduce by half. Add tomato sauce and stir to combine. Add stock and bring to a simmer. Add the 2 bay leaves. Partially close with the lid or make a cartouche with parchment paper (look it up, really easy) and let simmer on low for…

5-6 hours…minimum.

We went over this, you can do it. Make sure the liquid is not reducing too fast, if so, you can add a little more water or stock, just a little at a time.

Check on it every 30 minutes and stir, you can taste as you go but wait until the end to add any more salt. You will know it’s done when the meat is tender and melts in your mouth. The consistency should be that of a thick meat sludge (sorry).

Finishing Touches

Boil pasta for 3-4 minutes. Check on it after 2 minutes and cook to your level of preference. Add an ample amount of sauce to a pan with 1-2 tbsp of butter. Add enough pasta to fill the pan with a splash of pasta water. Toss and stir to combine and make sure every noodle is coated.

Grate fresh parm over top and enjoy with a bottle of Lambrusco!

Biscotti hotties, I’m here to spread the good news. Don’t you want to be on a terrace in the early hours of the morning dipping a flavorful drybread into coffee or tea? I seem to recall you telling me that you do.

There is value in making your own biscotti. No great mystery here except that I’m tired of Big Biscotti dropping a ton of awful on our grocery store shelves. The concept has such merit: A purposefully dry long biscuit made for dunkin’. I want it as a snatch-able option on my countertop in lieu of pop tarts and Eggo waffles.

And talk about a blank canvas. You can even make it more of a dessert and put candied pecans in there. Make it more savory and shave some carrots into the batter. Get wicked. For these I wanted simple anise flavor but with a hint of cinnamon and vanilla. Anise isn’t as overpowering as you think. But keep in mind everything amplifies with coffee. I opted for brown sugar instead of granulated as the color and molasses flavor were unbeatable. The shaping and baking are super straightforward and if you’re going to make these, please cut them smaller than I did…

Necessities

• Stand mixer

• Serrated or long knife

• Parchment paper

• Rimmed baking sheet

Ingredients

Biscotti

• 95g soft unsalted butter

• 150g brown sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 200g AP flour

• 1.5 tbsp anise seeds, ground in a mortar & pestle (optionally slightly toasted)

• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Toppings

• 8 oz dark chocolate from your preferred brand

• Maldon salt

• Orange, for zesting

Recipe

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or by hand, mix butter and sugar until creamed together. Add eggs/vanilla and mix until eggs are incorporated. Separately whisk together dry ingredients in another bowl then dump into butter/sugar mixture. Allow the mixer to run until it comes together and no dry spots remain. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again. Do not overmix.

Preheat oven to 350.

The dough should be quite wet, like a wet mud that can still hold its shape when clumped together.

Lightly knead in the bowl until it comes together. Add a tablespoon or two of flour if the dough is too wet. It should be the consistency of loose cookie dough. Place onto a parchment lined baking sheet. With wetted fingers, form into a 1” tall oval log. Roughly 10” long and 5” wide. Brush with a beaten egg and bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until golden brown all over.

Remove and let cool for 10 minutes. Reduce over tempt to 300. Slice at 1/2 inch intervals using a long sharp knife or one with a serrated edge. Place each slice cut side down (up) on the parchment paper and bake for another 15 minutes. Flip and bake again for another 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Remove and allow to cool completely. Ideally you want to wait overnight for them to fully dry.

For coating in chocolate. Melt chocolate in a bag soaking in hot water or in the microwave in a glass bowl. Use a tall glass like a Collins glass to pour the chocolate into and dunk the biscotti in, coating just one half. Top with orange zest and flaky salt and let cool. Pop in the fridge if you’re impatient.

Enjoy with coffee or tea I beg you!

People call all sorts of fried items “Schnitzel.” I’m here to say that it doesn’t really matter. Wienerschnitzel in Austria is typically made from veal. Now depending on where you live this is very difficult to get. But the difficulty of this dish isn’t the ingredients like lard to fry in or meat to cook with. It’s how to get the perfect puff.

Austrian Wienerschnitzel and Mcdonald’s McNuggets are the only two times I’ve seen the puff perfected. Meat perfectly incased in a layer of breading forming a cavernous separation between the two. This separation is a desirable steam pocket that cooks the meat with it’s own juices rather than directly with the oil. I explain how to achieve this puff in the recipe. It’s not difficult but it is particular.

A schnitzel is only as good as it’s salad. Testing the limits of my love for anise in this one. I wanted to find kohlrabi but ended up getting celery root. It has a mild celery flavor and amplified with citrus. The fennel and mint could be overpowering to some, but when you season and dress ahead of time, you remove some of the bitterness in the ingredients and their sweetness is now at the forefront. Paired with plenty of fresh squeezed lemon juice and capers, I can’t think of a better was to pop off with the first days of Spring.

Necessaries

• Meat mallet with a flat side or heavy frying pan

• Very sharp knife

• High-walled skillet or dutch oven

• Mandoline

• Brush

• Zip lock bags

Serves 4

Ingredients

for the schnitzel

• 4~ 4oz boneless pork loin chops. About 1” thick.

• Salt and pepper

• 1 tbsp dijon mustard

• 1 cup flour

• 2 cups plain breadcrumbs

• 3 whole eggs, lightly beaten

• Vegetable oil, for frying

for the salad

• 1 celery root, peeled and cut into very thin strips

• 1 medium fennel bulb, cored, and sliced very thin on a mandoline

• 1/2 cup mint leaves

• 1 tbsp apple cider vin

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• salt and pepper

toppings & garnish

• Capers

• Lemon wedge

Recipe

For the salad, combine fennel, celery root, mint, lemon juice, EVOO, salt and pepper in a bowl and set aside.

Preheat your oil to 350 and set up your breading station.

• I like to use large pie plates for my breading station.

• Do not beat your eggs too much, leaving a few steaks of egg white allows for a fluffier puff.

• For the breadcrumbs, if using store-bought I would run the breadcrumbs through a food processor. The finer the breadcrumb the better for this dish.

Butterfly your pork chops but placing your hand on top and with a very sharp knife, gently start cutting through the midway up the chop but do not cut all the way through, leave one side uncut so you can unfold. Place chop in a zip lock back with the edges trimmed off. Pound the chop to even out the thickness with either a meat mallet (flat side) or a skillet. Don’t get it too thin. No more than 1/4” thickness. Also don’t cut yourself. Once all of your chops are pounded, season with salt and pepper and lightly brush with Dijon.

Bread the pork chops in flour, coating completely. Then egg, making sure all the flour is coated with the egg, and then in breadcrumbs.

Important

In order to get a puffed schnitzel shell, do not press the breadcrumbs into the meat. Rather, lay the pork in the breadcrumbs and then cover it with them, gently patting and making sure all areas are covered. If you press too hard the schnitzel will not puff.

Fry the schnitzel in the oil and immediately swirl and shake the oil. Doing this continuously exposes the schnitzel to fresh hot oil and creates the puffing effect. Be careful and do not splash yourself. Use a high walled skillet or dutch oven. It doesn’t have to be a vigorous swirl, just enough to agitate.

After 2-3 minutes your schnitzel should be done. You’re looking for a golden brown crust and of course…a puffy breading shell!! It is very thin so careful not to overcook.

Remove and let drain on a wire rack lined with paper towels. Serve with salad and garnish with capers and plenty of fresh squeezed lemon juice! Enjoy.

It has now been one full week since I started working at a bakery. A week of waking up at 3:00 AM and truthfully, I’ve never been more excited and energized to be where I am.

I’m in a state of both kicking myself for not doing this sooner but also giving myself credit for actually following through with it. In the peripherals of every thought I have is a deep sense of happiness knowing I am contributing to making bread and pastries to feed hundreds of people.

The bakery is called Evergreen, in Atlanta. I toyed with the possibility of applying there for the latter half of 2023 but honestly my decision fatigue got the better of me and it wasn’t until January of this year I gained the confidence to apply.

I worked part time at another bakery in 2022 to get my feet wet but my life was transitioning in spicy ways I didn’t have the mental capacity to work two jobs. So I had to choose. The wine career I’ve had for 6 years or this oft-remarked hobby slowly taking over the part of my brain reserved for obsessions. The rather middling advice I got in 2022 was to stay with wine and enjoy baking as a fun hobby.

So long time coming is an understatement.

I never knew what aspects of the wine industry I thrived in and made my career off of hesitating until it was too late and just stumbled into the next thing. My wine path was paved with red flags. This isn’t to say I didn’t come across some amazing people in my time in the wine industry. I certainly did and am thankful for their support and mentorship.

There’s this obsession in the wine industry about pinpointing a person’s epiphany wine. The wine that made them dedicate their life to the industry. It’s often regarded as a status marker to see if you are cool enough to get invited to insufferable tasting groups. But no one ever asks my what my epiphany pastry was…

Croissant de Frambuesa

Barcelona 2017

I was new to new countries and skating on the context from what I learned watching Anthony Bourdain among others. I didn’t know how adventurous I was nor did I think I needed to be. I was simply trying to make the best of something so new. I was teaching English but I wanted to reconcile my evolving love for food with the local cuisine I could never dream of finding in the US. The bakery game in Barcelona, admittedly, was lacking. Spain is not well known for their pastries. They have the harsh reality of being neighbors to France.

However, one such place was an immediate entry to win my heart and mind as it pertains to pastries: Pastelería Hofmann.

The touristy areas of the Born neighborhood gave me pause that such a place could exist without flavor dilution. Happy to have been so wrong. The first moment walking in to Hofmann, you are greeted with an overflowing and precarious case of croissants and cinnamon rolls I imagine only comes in dream form for most people.

Their speed is outpaced only by lightning so you’re hardly ever waiting in line. The butter croissant is incredible. Their mascarpone croissant is perfect for social media. But their raspberry croissant re-introduced me to religion.

I then scrambled to find a bench to enjoy it and my only dining companions were fat and happy pigeons waiting for yet another meal. Biting into the glass-like sugar coating to be met with a cascading, Shining-level amount of raspberry filling while still having butter dominate the mouth is a sensation I chase…often.

I then proceeded to eat this croissant (among others) weekly over my year there. All the while not realizing there could lay the possibility of ever making croissants myself.

I thought, even in my early 20’s, that it was too late. Like you had to have started in high school if you wanted a chance at the big leagues. There was also this incessant pressure from peers that I was already behind the game and needed to catch up. You know, pick a career with legs and stop goofing off. Find your path, yes, but also start making money so you can start planning for whatever vacuous stage of life might require a nest egg.

Nothing in the world was leading me to think that a career in pastry was viable. Had I known better, I still would’ve picked the safe option. Because it’s terribly hard to know which moment to “follow your dreams’ or “pursue your passion.” As much as people are tolerable of dreams, they always seem to want to bring you down to their reality.

My life recently has been filled with those who encourage. My feelings toward passion are heightened by those who are also passionate about their fields of interest. I now want to be even more surrounded by creative people and seek laughter and creativity everywhere I can.

Done with wine?

Highly doubt it. Just trading one yeast for another.

The problems I have with wine will remain. Neither I nor my past peers will fix them right now. The industry is slow moving in every literal and metaphysical way. The way the legal system is set up around wine in this country is a large part of it. But wine, to me, is food. And it will always have a place at the table.

Difficult to know how many problems have been caused or solved by wine. The idea that we have something at our disposal to lift everyday conversation from mundane to rowdy is wonderful. I’m not blind to its negative effects, but I know it as a loving contribution to the table where more friends than enemies are made. Those who make the wine are some of my favorite pieces of this world and it wouldn’t be complete without them. I relish the opportunity to drink wine and have great sense of hope for what lay ahead for the wine industry. I just know I can’t meaningfully contribute to it right now.

What’s Next

There’s nothing I want more right now than to learn and improve. I’ve encountered so much that inspires me over the years but it hasn’t been until now that I can see the motivation to craft something of my own. One thing I do know is that time is a societal burden mostly untrue and there is not “perfect moment” to do anything. If you have the determination, there is more than enough time in this world, regardless of your age. So go do that thing.

As of right now I’m an amateur baking with strong notions. I hope you come along with my lightly floured journey.

You’re the best.

While these may not be the most burnt cheesecakes of the Basque variety, they are a still full of fun. The ingredients play just as important of a role as the burning does. The creme fraiche adds needed tang and the orange adds a distinctive orange flavor. That’s really all there is to it. It’s not a complicated recipe and the ingredients can be scaled up for a normal size cheesecake if you so choose.

Enjoy!

Serves 6

Necessaries

• Parchment Paper

• 6 ~4oz ramekins

Ingredients

• 16oz cream cheese (2 blocks) softened to room temp

• 8oz crème fraiche, at room temp

• 2 whole eggs

• 85g cane sugar

• 75g heavy cream

• 2 tbsp flour

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• ½ tbsp vanilla extract

• 1 tbsp orange zest

Recipe

Cut out 6~ 6x6 inch pieces of parchment. Fold and press the parchment pieces into each ramekin. It’s ok if it’s not uniform, but you want the papers to be as flush to the sides as possible.

In a bowl, whisk (either by hand or with an electric mixer, the cream cheese and crème fraiche until well combines and not lumpy. In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar, heavy cream, eggs, flour, salt, and vanilla until smooth. Pour the liquid mixture into the cream cheese/crème fraiche bowl and whisk to combine. Add orange zest and combine. Don’t overmix but make sure the lumps are gone.

Transfer mixture into a container with a pourable spout. Pour the batter into each ramekin. It should fill to about ½ inch below the rim. Don’t pour past the rim.

Preheat oven to 425

Place ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet and bake on the middle rack for 25 minutes. They will soufflé and begin to brown. After 25 minutes turn the heat to 500 and bake for 10 more minutes to allow it to brown and caramelize.

Because these are smaller it will take less time to brown. So keep an eye on it. If the cheesecakes bake for too long it could become dry and grainy.

Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes in the ramekins. The cheesecakes will sink into the middle during this time and we want that. Use the parchment paper to remove the cakes from the ramekins. Leaving them in the ramekins will allow too much steam to build up and become soggy.

Let cool completely until room temperature. Once completely cooled transfer to the fridge and let chill overnight. I find these are much better with an overnight chill.

Please enjoy!

You’re the best

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This can be as simple or as complicated as you want!

Is it necessary to bust out the pâte sucrée and make your own tart shells for this? Of course not. Tart shells can be bought most anywhere and you could even make a graham cracker crust for this and call it a day. I wanted to cross off a few skills with this recipe. I’ve been seeing more flashy and over the top pâte sucrée tart shells on Instagram like adding different ingredients to create a marbling effect so I had to give it a try.

It’s surprisingly very easy to do this and it looks really quite impressive if I do say so. Pâte sucrée can be difficult to work with when it come to baking. The texture is very delicate and can often break apart wither when cooking or assembly. So if you choose to give it a try please be delicate.

The praline is easily my favorite element of this dish. You’re making a nut butter essentially and you certainly don’t have to do it with pistachios but I like the look. Pistachios also have a lot of flavor so they can stand up to the chocolate. But you can certainly use any nut butter you have laying around!

As for the chocolate, whatever chocolate you use is what you will taste. The heavy cream will still leave it a little dense and you can add more heavy cream (or Crème fraîche/sour cream, yogurt) to make it softer. But this was a really fun process and was happy with how these turned out.

Makes 10-12 tarts

Necessaries

• Food processor

• Silicone baking mat

• Parchment paper

• Rolling pin

• Pastry brush

• 12-cup nonstick muffin tin

• Piping bags

• High powered blender

Ingredients

Pâte sucrée (tart shell)

• 200g AP flour

• 90g cubed, chilled unsalted butter

• 90g powdered sugar

• 1 egg

• 50g corn starch

• 1 tbsp cocoa powder (optional, for marbling)

• Splash of heavy cream, if necessary

Glaze

• 1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp heavy cream

Chocolate filling

• 300g finely chopped dark chocolate

• 250g heavy cream (or Crème fraîche for added tang)

• 2 tbsp honey

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Pistachio Praline

• 1 cup sugar

• ¼ cup water

• 2 cups shelled and roasted pistachios

• 2 - 4 tbsp neutral oil

• pinch of salt

Recipe

Make the tart shells.

Combine flour, butter, powder sugar, salt, and corn starch to a food processor. Pulse until you have a sandy texture. Add egg. Let it run until mixture is just crumbly enough to hold together.

Form into a disk, cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 hour. To achieve the optional marbling effect, after 30 minutes take the disk out, break it in half and add cocoa powder to the center. Push the two halves together and lightly knead it into a ball. Flatten into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for two hours.

After two hours. Roll our the the disk to a quarter inch thickness between two parchment papers. If the dough gets too warm, you can pop it in the freezer for 10 minutes. Cut out 4” circles, as many as you can. This dough can be rerolled very easily. Just re-form it into a a disk and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Place the cut circles on each cup of an inverted, nonstick, 12-count muffin pan. Pat down the edges slightly to form around the cups but don’t press down. As they cook they will contour naturally.

Place in freezer for 15 minutes. Bake at 325 for 15 minutes. Remove and let cups cool slightly before removing and turning over. Combine egg yolk and 1 tbsp heavy cream. Lightly brush the edges and inside with the glaze and return to the over, right side up on a tray, and bake for 10 minutes more.

Remove and let cool completely.

Make the praline.

In a medium sauce pot, add sugar and water. Stir on medium heat until dissolved. Take a pastry brush and some water and brush down the sides to get rid of excess sugar. After it comes to a boil, do not stir and continue to cook on medium heat until an amber caramel forms. It should smell like lightly burnt popcorn.

Once your caramel is complete, pour onto a baking mat set in a rimmed baking sheet and let cool completely until hardened.

Add pistachios, caramel, and 2 tbsp of neutral oil to a high powered blender. Begin to blend on medium, scraping occasionally if clumping up. You can slowly increase the speed little by little. Add 2-3 additional tablespoons of neutral oil if the praline is too dry. You are trying to achieve a spreadable and not-too-thick nut butter. Optionally add a 1/4 cup of finely chopped pistachios for added crunch. Add a pinch of salt to your liking, pour into a bowl to let cool. Add to piping bag.

Make the ganache.

Add chopped chocolate, honey, cinnamon, and vanilla to a heatproof bowl. Bring heavy cream to a simmer in a sauce pot and pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 30 seconds before beginning to whisk and bring it to a melty completion. Add a little to a piping bag.

Assembly.

Snip off the tips of the piping bags. Pipe 1/2-inch layer of pistachio praline on the bottom of your prepared tart shells, tap lightly with your hand to make sure it’s even. Pipe chocolate ganache to fill the shells to the top. Do as many as you can until the chocolate runs out.

Place tarts on a tray and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Add a sprinkle of Maldon salt on top and enjoy within two days!

Making this recipe always brings me back to when I first moved into my current house. I was in a chaotic state with very little inspiration to start cooking anything fun. I wan’t in the mood to cook anything really. I knew I needed to start somewhere and somewhere simple. But also something that would allow me to improve little by little each time.

Enter creme caramel. I grew up hating flan like many of us in the US when served at a birthday party instead of cookie cake as a “fun alternative.” So after enough spite I sought to forgive to give this dish some credit and start making it regularly. It is now my favorite dessert.

I make it for birthdays and special occasions but just as often for myself. Creme caramel is one of the most generous acts of self-love you can give. So make creme caramel, roast a chicken, drink really high quality Riesling and disengage your spoke detectors for a day. You deserve it.

Serves 6

Necessaries

• 6* 6-oz ramekins

• Sheet pan with silicone baking mat or greased parchment paper

• Candy thermometer or kitchen thermometer

Caramel

• 1 cup sugar

• ¼ cup water

Custard Cream

• 2 whole eggs

• 3 egg yolks

• 500g whole milk

• 1 tbsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean, scraped of its seeds

• 70g granulated sugar

• 1 tsp salt

Brittle

• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp Sugar

• 1 tbsp corn syrup

• 2 tbsp water

• 1/4 cup butter

• 1/4 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 cups roasted pistachios (or nut of choice)

Recipe

Make the brittle.

Set aside a sheet pan with a silicone baking mat or greased parchment paper.

In a saucepan, combine sugar, water and corn syrup. Turn on medium heat and stir with a wooden spoon to combine until dissolved. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally and cook for 2 more minutes. Add butter and stir in with a wooden spoon. Continue to cook the mixture until it reaches 275 degrees F.

Add in baking soda, salt, and vanilla. The mixture will change texture and become slightly foamy. Add pistachios and stir to incorporate. Immediately pour out onto prepared baking mat and let cool completely. Once cooled. Break up and crush into a course powder (or leave chunky) and set aside.

Make the caramel.

In a medium sauce pot, add sugar and water. Stir on medium heat until dissolved. Take a pastry brush and some water and brush down the sides to get rid of excess sugar. After it comes to a boil, do not stir and continue to cook on medium heat until an amber caramel forms. It should smell like lightly burnt popcorn.

Once your caramel is complete, remove from heat and pour into ramekins enough to coat the bottom evenly. Work quickly as the caramel will begin to harden. Use all of the caramel. Set aside to cool completely.

Make the custard.

Heat milk and vanilla in a small saucepan until just simmering. In a separate heatproof bowl, whisk together eggs, eggs yolks, sugar, and salt. Begin to pour in the hot milk one ladle full at a time until all has been added. Strain the liquid into a container with a pourable spout. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Make the creme caramel.

You need a humid environment for baking creme caramel, not a water bath. Placing the ramekins in a water bath before baking is a perfectly good method to ensure an even cook. But the reason for the water is mainly for encouraging humidity so that there is no cracking on the surface of the custard. As long as you oven has even heating, then I recommend setting the custards on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and adding hot water underneath, just enough to cover the pan.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Once the caramel and custard are cooled, pour custard into the ramekins, leaving about 1/2 inch space from the top. Place ramekins on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Pour just enough hot water in the pan to cover the bottom. Carefully transfer to oven on the middle rack and bake for 25-35 minutes. This will depend on your oven but there should still be a very slight jiggle in the center. Do not let them brown. Keep an eye on it.

Remove from oven and let cool completely. Once cooled completely. Cover with plastic wrap and let child overnight (24 hours is the sweet spot). This allows the caramel to dissolve into the custard and make for an easier removal. When ready to serve, run a small paring knife around the edge of the custard until you see it loosen and caramel come up from the sides.

Turn out onto a place sprinkle with pistachio brittle crumbs!

Enjoy!

You’re the best.

Citrus season is coming to an end and to me there is no better citrus dish out there than Orange Chicken.

I can’t claim to know the real history of this dish but I know its popularity and often maligned influence thanks to a certain fast food chain. That doesn’t change how satisfying and creative this dish can be.

My approach was make it taste absurdly like oranges and amplify the crispiness. Takeout versions of this can often be sogged up and taste mostly of sugar rather than of orange. To make it crispy as hell I went for only egg whites instead of whole egg and a touch more corn starch than you may be used to. Using chicken thighs instead of breasts helps as they can fry for a little longer but not get dried out as quickly.

You can always adjust the spice and the sweetness levels to your liking. If you don’t have chili crisp or a good chili oil then using some sriracha or chili flakes is perfectly fine. So find the balance that works for you!

Necessaries

• Dutch oven or large pot for frying

• Microplane or zester

Serves 4

Fried Chicken

• 2 lbs boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch bites (4-5 thighs)

• 2 egg whites, beaten

• Salt and pepper

• 3/4 cup AP Flour

• 1 cup corn starch

Orange Sauce

• 1 tbsp Neutral oil

• 2-inch knob of ginger, grated

• 2 garlic cloves, grated

• 1 tbsp chili oil/chili crunch (Can also use 1 tsp dried chili flakes or sriracha)

• 1.5 cups freshly squeezed orange juice (about 6 oranges worth)

• 1/3 cup soy sauce

• 2 tbsp honey

• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce

• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

• 2 tbsp corn starch

• 2 tbsp water

• Zest from 1 orange

Garnish

• Seseme seeds

• Sliced green onions

Recipe

Make the sauce.

Saute ginger, garlic, and chili oil with a splash of neutral oil in a pan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Add orange juice, lemon juice, soy sauce, honey, hoisen, vinegar and whisk together. Heat over medium-high heat until simmering and adjust spice levels as needed.

In a small bowl, whisk 2 tbsp corn starch with 2 tbsp water and whisk into the sauce. Keep it moving to prevent clumping. Heat until thickened. Add orange zest and set aside.

Make the chicken.

Heat oil to 375 degrees.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Mix in a large bowl with egg whites. Mix flour and corn starch in a separate large bowl. Working in batches, add the chicken to the flour/corn starch mixture and coat completely. Shake off the excess and fry in the oil for 4-5 minutes or until just beginning to brown. Let drain on a paper towel lined tray.

Once all the chicken is fried, reheat the sauce if necessary and toss with the chicken in a large saute pan or large bowl. Keep stirring together until it is evenly coated.

Serve over white rice and garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

Enjoy!

You’re the best

You don’t have to love Italian food to love Lasagna. Lasanga comes from within.

Think about it. One of the first activities we ever learn as children is to stack things. It’s in our balsamic blood, our chunky parmesan bones, the need to stack runs deep. It’s primal. And when we’re done building blocks, we build Lasagna…

Stuff your Stoufers in a sack and manifest great anger over the soupy Lasagna you have been too often served in fast casual Italian eateries. You don’t deserve that. What you do deserve is hand rolled spinach pasta holding generous layers of ragu and béchamel baked until crispy then served with a metric mountain of Parmigiano Reggiano.

Be warned, clear your schedule. This will be all you do that day. But can you imagine a greater way to spend your day than making Lasagna?

This gave me my first real lesson in patience. My first Lasagna I ever made wasn’t ready until 10:30pm. So start in the morning. Lasagna rewards your patience by staying piping hot for hours after baking so early is your friend.

My recipe here focusing on building and concentrating flavor. This isn’t about showing off, it’s about making sure you can taste each ounce of effort you put in. The flavors should feel familiar but amplified.

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Filled pastas always seem like an event. You feel special eating them. You went on a journey that maybe took many hours and then it’s gone in 30 seconds. But worth it, no? Who’s to say you can’t have these on a weeknight with just a few items you almost certainly have in your fridge.

I began my filled pasta journey like many, with ricotta and meat fillings. Both traditional and noble. But then I remembered vegetables and random canned goods that I could be using too. It has now opened countless possibilities for fillings. For this one, leeks just happened to be the star of the show. Tomorrow, maybe it's beets.

I charred the leeks and lightly pan roasted. Breaking down their fibers just enough to blend happily. The addition of mortadella and artichokes are background singers. The sauce is a thin béchamel with added parm. I don’t love using heavy cream but if for some reason you don’t have butter to make béchamel, heavy cream works great.

I had everything for this pasta in either my fridge and pantry. So the real task of this recipe for you is to find your own blend. You don’t have artichokes? Use olives. You don’t have mortadella? Use ham or bacon. Don’t have parm? That’s a real shame.

Necessaries

• Rolling pin or pasta machine

• food processor

• grater or microplane

• pastry brush

Recipe

Serves 3-4

Filling

• 3 leeks, trimmed, halved and cleaned

• 3 jarred artichoke hearts

• 6 oz mortadella

• 1/2 cup shredded parm

• Zest of 1/2 a lemon

• Salt & pepper

• Freshly grated nutmeg

Pasta dough

• 3 whole eggs

• 2 egg yolks

• 300g 00 flour, sifted

• splash of EVOO

White Sauce

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, halved

• 1.5 tbsp flour

• 3 cups whole milk, warmed

• 1/2 cup parm

• Salt & pepper

• Freshly grated nutmeg

• Balsamic vinegar (optional, but recommended)

Make the pasta

Combine eggs, egg yolks, and olive oil with flour using either your hands or a mixer. Knead and scrape until cohesive. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes and knead again until smooth. Cover and let rest for 2 hours. *try not to use too much flour. You want the dough to be well-hydrated.

Make the filling

Place leeks, cut-side down in an oiled pan over medium high heat. Let toast until blackened and beginning to soften. Turn them over and turn stove to medium heat. Cover with a lid and let roast for 15-20 minutes until softened. Remove and let cool. Combine leeks in a food processor with mortadella, artichokes. Blend until smooth but it’s okay if a little chunky. Add parm, lemon zest, nutmeg, and pepper. Adjust salt levels as necessary. Add to a piping bag or zip lock bag and set aside.

Roll out and fill the pasta

Take your rested pasta dough and roll it out, using either a large rolling pin or a pasta roller, to the thickness of 9 post-it notes. Once rolled out, on one half of the dough, place as many dollops of filling as you can on it, leaving 1.5” between dollops. Brush very lightly (or spray) with water and place the other half of the dough on top. Press and seal, making sure to remove air pockets. Cut our circles or squares. As many as you can. The scraps can be re-rolled and used again.

Make the sauce and plate it

Melt 1/4 cup of butter over medium heat. Add flour, whisk and toast until lightly blond. No further. Add a ladle full of heated milk to the pan at a time, making sure to whisk in between additions until all the milk is gone. Continue to whisk over medium heat until slightly thickened. It should look and feel like heavy cream. Add the other 1/4 cup of butter and whisk it in. Add parm, nutmeg, pepper, and salt as needed.

Boil pasta in lightly salted water for 2-3 minutes or until done to your liking. Toss with the sauce and plate it up. Optionally top with high quality balsamic vinegar.

Enjoy!

You’re the best.