“Bread is the Staff of Life,” a poetic saying I heard a lot growing up, is often attributed to Jonathan Swift from the 17th century, but the term originates from the Bible. Bread is so basic and sustaining to human life. For those who have gluten allergies, I imagine not having good bread leaves a gaping hole in their nutrition and their very happiness. While there are commercially-available gluten-free breads, most of them are not very good. If you know a bakery that makes GF bread, it likely isn’t suitable for those with celiac if it’s produced alongside traditional baked goods.

So, learning how to make excellent bread for yourself at home is essential. Luckily, Aran Goyoaga is the expert in making gluten-free breads (and every other baked good you can think of), made with both yeast or a natural starter. She’s known for her rigor when it comes to developing and testing recipes, and you can absolutely trust that she will walk you through every step of the process of each recipe in this instantly classic book, The Art of Gluten-Free Bread: Groundbreaking Recipes for Artisanal Breads and Pastries. Yes, Aran has even come up with a recipe for GF croissants! I have been meaning to highlight Aran’s book since it came out last fall, but for a variety of reasons, it kept getting pushed to the back burner.

Lucky for me, I can enjoy traditional bread without any consequences, but I know so many people who can’t. My mom fell into this category, and when she was in assisted living, I made her an apple pie using Aran’s recipe from Cannelle et Vanille Bakes Simple. You can’t imagine how happy this made her!

I would encourage those of you who can’t tolerate gluten to make a starter following Aran’s guidance, and start making bread for yourself, even if you aren’t a baker. As I have learned from my own sourdough experiments, making bread is a procedure that gets easier every time you do it, as you instinctively learn how things should look and feel. It’s doable to master one recipe to begin with, and build from there. The results, and the process itself, are so rewarding. Even “failures” will be good to eat!

Q and A with Aran Goyoaga

SUSAN SPUNGEN: Can you tell us a little about your journey as a GF baker? How long have you followed a GF diet, and how far have your recipes come since the early days?

ARAN GOYOAGA: I was diagnosed with gluten intolerance in 2010 and have been completely gluten-free and mostly dairy-free since then. I’m a professionally trained pastry chef and worked in professional kitchens for years, and I also come from a family of pastry chefs in the Basque Country, so I was already well versed in technique and baking science. That foundation made the transition into gluten-free baking feel fairly natural in some ways.

Cakes, cookies, and pastries in general are actually quite straightforward to adapt without gluten. Bread, however, is a completely different challenge. That’s where things became much more complex and required a lot of experimentation.

I created my first gluten-free sourdough starter around 2015, and that’s when I really began to go deep into gluten-free bread baking. I’m still learning all the time; it’s an ongoing process of refinement, observation, and discovery.

SS: How long did you work on this book, and which recipe was the most difficult to nail?

AG: I worked on this book non-stop for four years, but the foundation for many of the recipes goes back more than a decade.

The croissants were probably the trickiest to develop, because they rely on two of the most challenging techniques in gluten-free baking: lamination and fermentation. It’s a dough that not only needs to be properly fermented, but also carefully laminated, which adds another layer of complexity.

There was also a great deal of experimentation with flour blends and binders to achieve the right textures and qualities across the different breads.

SS: What is the one bread recipe in the book that you recommend for someone to master who just misses good ol’ bread?

AG: I think one of the sourdough loaves makes a great foundational recipe for anyone to start with. If you prefer something a bit whiter and lighter, the Country White Sourdough is an excellent choice. For something more hearty and substantial, the Seeded Whole-Grain Teff Sourdough Boule is ideal.

One of the things to know before embarking on a GF bread-making journey is that gathering the ingredients is one of the most important parts of the process. If you’re not already baking GF, you likely won’t have these ingredients in your pantry. Some of them might be available in your supermarket (Thank you Bob’s Red Mill!). The one ingredient I had to search for the hardest for the fougasses was the right psyllium husk powder. I had some on hand that I use in my smoothies, but as Aran explains in her book, and told me via text, this brand wouldn’t work as well as a purer, whiter brand like Terrasoul. The one that I had would have turned the dough a purplish color and might have also required less water.

The main thing that I have learned from the GF baking that I’ve done is that any dough you make is going to be more fragile and prone to tearing than a regular dough. Gluten is the exact thing that gives doughs their elasticity and flexibility. The finished products will be delicious and familiar, but raw doughs require very gentle handling. You’ll notice my fougasses don’t look as smooth and plump as Aran’s, but I am sure they will be better next time! One thing I realized is that I should have chopped the olives more finely, because they got in the way when I was trying to cut the slits in the dough. Those slits then needed to be pulled apart, which I was a little worried about, and the larger pieces of olive weakened a few joints. They tasted great, though, and one of them was consumed almost entirely by Steve and me. I froze the other loaf whole because I have a gluten-free guest coming for dinner in a few weeks, and this will be the perfect thing to serve with drinks and apps.

Ready to try some gluten-free baking, or gift this bible of a book to someone you love? We’re giving away a copy, so let me know in the comments why you want this book. I’ll choose a winner at random on Monday, June 8th, so keep an eye on your inbox! You must be a U.S. resident age 18 or over to enter. See the bottom of this post for the giveaway fine print1 and click the button below to leave your note.

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Olive and Rosemary Fougasses

Excerpted from The Art of Gluten-Free Bread by Aran Goyoaga (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2025. Photographs by Aran Goyoaga.

Makes 2 large fougasses

Grabbing a loaf of olive fougasse—a crispy and chewy bread in the shape of a grain of wheat, originally from Provence—was always on the top of the to-do list anytime we traveled across the border to France when I was a kid. A loaf doesn’t quite describe this bread; it’s more like a light olive oil–tinged stalk. The best way to eat it is to break off pieces, finishing the whole thing while silently walking along cobblestone streets—this is how I remember it.

The bread has a crispy crust with a chewy bite and nice air pockets and is a close cousin to focaccia. The most important thing for achieving a crispy exterior is to preheat your oven for a good half hour or even longer. Give the oven a chance to get really hot by preheating it to 500°F (260°C), then lowering it to 450°F (230°C) when the bread goes in. You can even skip the sheet pan and bake the bread directly on a pizza stone.

• 2 teaspoons (8 g) active dry yeast

• 475 grams water, heated to 105°F (41°C)

• 12 grams granulated sugar

• 20 grams psyllium husk powder

• 150 grams tapioca starch

• 150 grams potato starch

• 150 grams sorghum flour, plus more for dusting

• Leaves from 2 rosemary sprigs, finely chopped

• 2 teaspoons (8 g) kosher salt

• 25 grams extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

• 70 grams pitted Kalamata or green olives, chopped

• Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

• Freshly ground black pepper, for sprinkling

• 15 grams sesame seeds

1. Make the yeast-psyllium mixture. Sprinkle the yeast into a medium bowl. Add the water and sugar and whisk until dissolved. Let the mixture sit until frothy, about 10 minutes. Whisk in the psyllium vigorously until smooth. Let it gel for 5 minutes.

2. Make the dough. In a stand mixer, stir together the tapioca starch, potato starch, sorghum flour, rosemary, salt, and yeast-psyllium mixture. Snap on the dough hook and begin mixing on medium speed. Add the olive oil and continue mixing until you have a smooth dough. It will look dry initially, but it should come together in 2 to 3 minutes. Add the olives and mix until they are thoroughly spread through the dough. The dough should feel moist and a little sticky but hold together nicely.

3. Proof the dough. Brush a large bowl with some olive oil and transfer the dough into it. Turn the dough around to coat in oil and shape into a ball. Cover the bowl and let it ferment until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven. Position a rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C).

5. Shape the fougasses. Lightly dust a work surface with some sorghum flour. Transfer the dough to the surface. Using your fingertips, press down on the dough to gently stretch it into a round that is ¼ to ½ inch (6 mm to 1.3 cm) thick. You can use a rolling pin if preferred, but be careful not to tear the dough. Using a bench knife or knife, vertically cut the dough in half. You should have two half-moons. Place one piece of dough on a sheet pan and the other on a second pan. Cut a center slash in the middle of each half-moon without cutting through the ends, then cut three slashes on each side. Gently pull apart the slashes so there is a nice opening in between. Again, be careful not to tear the dough. If you simply cut the slash but don’t separate the dough enough, it will end up baking together and not give you a nice opening in the fougasse. The dough can easily tear because it doesn’t have a lot of elasticity, so work gently.

6. Bake the fougasses. Loosely cover one pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate it while you bake the other. Brush the top of the fougasse with olive oil and sprinkle with flaky salt, black pepper, and half of the sesame seeds. Place the pan in the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 450°F (230°C). Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Brush the second fougasse with olive oil, sprinkle with flaky salt, black pepper, and the remaining sesame seeds and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.

7. Cool the fougasses. Slide the fougasse loaves onto wire racks to cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into them. They are best eaten the same day.

Olive And Rosemary Fougasses

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I just know that the NYC Greenmarket is practically bursting with produce by now, but I haven’t been in the city for a few weeks. Out here on the eastern end of Long Island, we are a solid two weeks behind. I like this, because when I go back and forth, the season seems to last just a little bit longer.

I thought for sure there would be sugar snap peas at my farm stand today, but I found only shelling peas (they said they had a “few” sugar snaps yesterday). Instead, I had to go to the fancy grocery store to buy sugar snaps so I could photograph today’s newsletter for you. Let me tell you, they are not the same! They were OK, but a little tough! However, I feel sure that by the time you read this, you should be able to get local sugar snap peas wherever you are, and they are worth seeking out!

Snap peas are one of my favorite seasonal treats, and I have been making them the same way since the 90s when I shared a big farmhouse with a bunch of friends in Sagaponack. We regularly had big communal dinners where everyone contributed to the meals. One of my frequent offerings in early summer was a version of today’s recipe. The freshest, most tender little snap peas were always one of the first things at nearby Pike Farms (along with strawberries—counting the days for those!). When they are that young and tender, I don’t even bother blanching them. I have found, though, that a ten-minute soak in ice water makes them crunchy as heck.

Slicing the sugar snaps lengthwise creates a delightful texture punctuated by the little peas inside, and creates pockets for the dressing to dwell in. For me, it’s one of those meditative kitchen tasks that I actually enjoy, and it honestly only takes about ten minutes to slice two baskets (about a pound) of peas.

A few years ago, my good friend Kathryn stopped by to say hello, and she was hungry. I happened to have some of this salad on hand, likely left over from dinner the night before, or maybe I had just shot a version of it for Veg Forward. In that version, I added finely shredded napa cabbage and purple daikon. Anyway, thinking on my feet, I made her kind of a sandwich using flatbread (probably the same Stonefire naan I used today) slathered with labneh and piled with the snap pea salad. She acted as if it was the best thing she had ever eaten, and I’ve been wanting to replicate and share it ever since, so here you are!

Sugar Snap Pea and Radish Salad

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In case you missed it, I finally revealed the cover of my new book, Cookie Queen, on Instagram last week. It was a long time coming, as I had kept the project mostly under wraps while I was working on it, except for a couple of teases here and there. As it is, we are 5 months out from the launch date of November 3rd (also Election Day!), but as we all know, November will be here before we know it—especially with the summer coming up, which always goes TOO DARN FAST.

I cannot wait for you to have this book in your hands, and just in time for holiday baking and gifting. It was truly a joy to create, and I think you will find it a joy to bake out of too! Even if you don’t eat a lot of sweets, when you do, let it be a cookie. I was already in love with cookies before I wrote this book, and now I am even more in love with them. I love creating them, baking them, and, most of all, sharing them. That’s what makes cookies truly special—they’re made for sharing. No other food has the power to bring so much happiness and excitement. No one can resist a cookie!

Without going into too much detail, part of the reason I didn’t announce my book sooner is that we were not quite sure what the title would be. I had chosen a working title, and used it in my proposal—which was a designed proposal—so I even got a chance to see how it looked on the cover. Then I heard that there was another book coming out at the same time with my chosen title, so we had to pivot. It was a blessing in disguise, because I love the new title. I think it’s kind of funny and cute. After being called “cookie queen” so many times, it just felt natural, even if it is a little tongue in cheek! What do you think? I hope you like it, and I want all of you to be cookie queens (or kings) too.

Today, I am not only sharing a recipe from the book with my paid subscribers, but also giving you a sneak peek inside the book. I am also asking you to preorder Cookie Queen! I know you’ve heard before why it’s so important to an author to preorder their books, but I will remind you just in case. Preorders are a good way (the only way) of gauging demand and excitement before pub day, which helps bookstores know how many to order, and the publisher to know how many to print. It also helps the publicity and marketing teams weigh whether to send an author out on tour. And of course, to generally build buzz to better create a snowball effect!

It would mean so much to me if you trust me enough to preorder. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

Preorder Cookie Queen

The recipe I am sharing with you today is the Chocolate Olive Oil Cookie. This is one of the easiest (if not the easiest) recipes in the book. It’s in the chapter called “Instant Gratification” because sometimes, well, you just need a cookie, and you need it fast! Every recipe in this chapter is made without any special equipment and with no chilling or waiting. Anybody can make these recipes. Don’t worry, there are plenty of other recipes sprinkled throughout that are very low-tech, requiring only a bowl and a spoon, and there are some recipes just for you competitive bakers who want their cookies to be a little extra. There is truly something for everyone in these pages, and I poured my heart and soul into creating it for more than a year!

If you check out the sneak peek, you’ll see how the recipes look in the pages of the book. I have provided a little key of symbols at the top of each recipe page telling you everything you need to know about each recipe—at a glance—to make your baking easier, smoother, more successful, and more fun. I list the baking temperature(s), skill level, chilling time (if any), equipment needed, and the yield, all in one place for easy reference. I love this feature, and I think you will too. No more searching through the recipe to find the oven temperature. It’s right up top! This feature will make it easier for you to decide which recipe you want to embark on, with no surprise chilling times. Each recipe tells you whether it works gluten-free and how to do it!

Need more incentive? There will be a special bonus for those who preorder: a beautiful e-book with even more recipes. Hold on to your receipt, because you’ll need it to claim the offer. There were just too many recipes to fit in the book, and I created some brand new ones just for you! Stay tuned, as I will be telling you more about that in a few weeks.

Ready for the sneak peek and recipe? Check them out below!

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As far as today’s recipe goes, I was so happy she chose to make an île flottante, aka Floating Island, which is one of those classic-for-a-reason desserts. It is delicate and elegant, as well as easy to make. Execution is important in a dessert like this, and Melina’s take is just gorgeous. I’ll be making it soon, and hope you will too. Now let’s hand it off to Melina!

A guest post from Melina Hammer

Hello Susanality readers! I am so happy to be here today, sharing an exciting spring recipe swap with Susan. If you don’t already know my newsletter, you can check it out over here, and I hope you’ll consider subscribing if you enjoy today’s recipe.

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When Susan and I chatted about what spring ingredients to feature for you all, this rosy rhubarb dessert popped into my head: A while ago we were hosted by neighbors who know a few things in the kitchen. For dessert, our lovely hostess appeared with broad bowls of an unusual treat… custard that glowed a rich saffron, with a mysterious mound floating in each. It turns out what she’d made was the excellent, airy, silky French dessert île flottante, aka floating island.

I was haunted by that dessert and decided I needed to make it for our Catbird Cottage popup seasonal dinners. And just like me at her table, everyone was blown away by the stunning dessert at ours—it’s like eating clouds! Poached meringues float atop pools of luscious crème anglaise (use the best eggs you can find for the most richly-hued custard). For my version, I pulled from the season’s bounty and roasted rhubarb. It delivers important tartness, which is then offset by the *crunch* of a rough praline—a vital texture, also, for balancing the smooth, creamy notes. Pure heaven.

Before we dive into the recipe, here’s a little background about my world…

After moving to the Hudson Valley to endeavor Catbird Cottage, our foodie destination bed & breakfast, I wanted to grow heirloom foods to feature and establish a regular foraging practice. I’ve been doing both for years now. Over time, I’ve come to relish seeing the cycles of the seasons.

In my gardens, I have a front row seat to all the action. At this time of year it means a cacophony of birdsongs and activity: Grosbeaks, Orioles, Catbirds, and many others have migrated north and are racing around, finding mates (and making babies), and me, nurturing my perennials and seedlings for their best chances of success. There are a lot of layers of “listening” to the landscape while I’m out weeding or doing one of a thousand other tasks… At this stage, it’s a huge reward to distinguish what can help the ecosystem around me, connecting to what will make it more abundant with pollinators and native plants.

While growing a garden means an intense task list during spring, it also means early harvests of multiple kinds of herbs, green garlic, lettuces, and radishes, and easing the need to go someplace to get groceries. Win-win!

Another neighbor who I trade plants and flowers with during the season happens to have a nice rhubarb crop, and was kind enough to bring some by for my recipe. Rhubarb leaves are toxic! This means you never see them at the grocery store. However, there’s a certain beautiful drama they bring, and I knew I’d want to photograph them with the leaves intact. Have you ever seen rhubarb flowers? She thought they might be nice to include, and I agree.

One of the things I love most about growing food is to discover the whole plant of whatever is growing. On multiple occasions, it means I also get to eat more of the thing—radish, arugula, or bean flowers. Brussels greens, sweet and tender… It’s a whole new world!

Back to this heavenly treat.

I hope you are seized by this sumptuous dessert, and I hope to see you over at Stories from Catbird Cottage!

Roasted Rhubarb Île Flottante

Serves 8

None of the steps are difficult if you pay attention to the cues, nor do they demand much time. An extra bonus—every single step can be prepared in advance, making this showstopping dessert absolutely doable. I was met with a rave response at our Catbird dinner, and making it again reaffirmed why it is so special—it has everything: silky creaminess, glittery crunch, the element of surprise, and a seasonal ingredient, featured at its peak.

Roasting the rhubarb with a scant amount of sugar delivers a just-sweet result, relying more on the sweetness brought by orange juice, and the black pepper adds surprise background spice. The peels add fragrance—they’re also edible, so I usually include them as I plate the dessert, their chewy texture making a fun foil to the airy “clouds.” —Melina Hammer

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A few months ago, I heard an acquaintance and occasional colleague, Christine Muhlke, mention on Instagram that she was making a very old recipe of mine for an annual tea party she hosts, adding that she’s been making it for years. This got me thinking about what happens to recipes after we put them out into the world. For a recipe developer, usually that means that we forget about them, and just move on to the next assignment, the next project, the next newsletter. I have been developing recipes professionally for well over 30 years, and I could not even begin to count how many I have created. Some, of course, become part of our personal repertoires and we continue to make them. Some are forgotten. And unless you’re someone who regularly has recipes go viral, we really don’t know who’s making them, and how often. That’s why I especially like hearing your comments here. One of the best things about Substack for a writer is the direct connection we have with our dear readers.

In the days before social media, we really didn’t know who was reading or making our recipes! We were putting out a magazine almost every month (Martha Stewart Living, in case you didn’t know) but we didn’t get that much feedback, or let’s say we got the feedback in a different way: letters (!) to the editor, and word of mouth! We created books too, including Martha Stewart’s Hors d’Oeuvres Handbook. This book, which came out in 1999, was a team effort, and creating it was just part of my job. Because I headed up the food department, I headed up this project too. I had a passion for the subject because in the years before I joined the MSL team, I was doing a lot of catering. I was often asked to come up with new ideas for menus, because my bosses recognized that I had a talent for this. I wanted the book to be the handbook I wished I had during my years as a caterer, and indeed, I think it became a reference for many professionals!

One of the subjects we took a deep dive into in this book were classic canapés and tea sandwiches. One of things I always tried to weave through our food content (we didn’t call it content then) was a sense of nostalgia, and things that were classic, but with a modern twist. Layer cakes were another example of this. We celebrated the layer cake at Martha, and I’d like to think we helped bring about its revival!

Hearing about Christine’s relationship with this recipe made me want to share it all over again. There were two things that were unique about this recipe. One was the presentation, which was not purely visual, but practical too. Stacking the sandwiches close together helped them to stay fresh. One of my pet peeves was dried out, curled-up bread on tea sandwiches, and this arrangement solved that problem, and beautifully. The other thing that made them different were the flavors. Instead of bland combos of cucumbers, cream cheese, and watercress, I incorporated Asian ingredients like sesame oil and scallions into the recipe. I made these yesterday, and they are as tasty as I remembered them, after all these years.

If I haven’t yet sold you on serving tea sandwiches at your next brunch or cocktail party, let Christine tell you herself why this recipe is part of her lifetime repertoire. I asked her a few questions over email, and she obliged me with her memories. Thanks Christine! It’s very gratifying to know that a recipe you created has become someone’s tradition.

A conversation with Christine Muhlke

SUSAN SPUNGEN: When did you first start making these tea sandwiches? The Hors d’Oeuvres book came out in 1999. Do you own it?

CHRISTINE MUHLKE: I must have bought the book when it came out. Martha Stewart Living had a huge impact on me as a cook and entertainer, starting with the first issue I read while my parents were driving me to New York from college in 1992. (That summer, I cooked a menu from the issue, including fire-roasted tomato soup, mozzarella grilled in lemon leaves, and espresso granita with whipped cream.)

SS: What attracted you to this recipe, and why did you keep making it?

CM: I hosted my first ladies’ tea in December 2001 or January 2002. The afternoon demanded tea sandwiches, of course, but I didn’t want them to be too on-the-nose. Your recipe spoke to me not only because of how gorgeous it looked on the page, but also because it used Asian flavors. (I will confess that in later years, I just bought a rotisserie chicken at Citarella.) And with so many sweets on the table, it’s a great way to add something more substantial—dare I say protein-y?—that can also hold its own visually.

SS: What else do you serve at your tea party?

CM: The menu included port-glazed walnuts with stilton, tea-cured gravlax with ginger butter, individual goat-cheese soufflés and…who knows what I made from Claudia’s book! (Guessing it was something chocolate or lemon.) I still make the walnuts, the gravlax—and the sandwiches.

SS: Anything else you want to tell me about them? Have you made any modifications? I just made them myself, and I used two bone-in chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken.

CM: The biggest challenge over the years became sourcing Pepperidge Farm Very Thin White Bread—the best for tea sandwiches and panini. I used to be able to find it at what I called old-people grocery stores (Jefferson Market, Gristedes). Then I drafted friends in Brooklyn Heights. Now I can only find it on Instacart.

The tea party itself was inspired by end of 2001, a horrible time, which I spent trying to soothe myself by reading and cooking through Claudia Fleming’s new book, The Last Course, and the November or December issue of Food + Wine, which had amazing recipes from my friend Jonathan Hayes, along with Melissa Clark… and maybe Patricia Wells? I wanted to share them with friends, so I invented a party—one that continues to this day.

Christine Muhlke is a New York-based culinary consultant. In addition to writing the xtine newsletter, she recently published Wine Simple: Perfect Pairings with Le Bernardin’s Aldo Sohm, which was just nominated for a James Beard Award!

Sesame-Crusted Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches

Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Hors d’Oeuvres Handbook by Martha Stewart and Susan Spungen

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I know, I know, it’s a Hallmark holiday, but Mother’s Day is a good time to celebrate, pamper, and appreciate those who do one of the hardest jobs anywhere! As some of you may know, I lost my Mom more than a year ago, but she wasn’t shy about wanting to be remembered on this special day. The best Mother’s Day gifts are intangible. Young moms just want some time alone. Grandmoms just want more time with their grandkids. But beyond that, here are some lovely ways to remember the woman who brought you into the world, or perhaps your daughter who is experiencing motherhood for the first time.

Just a note that this post may be too long to view in email, so make sure to click through to read it in the Substack app and see all of my picks!

For new moms:

A coffee (or tea) mug that keeps your beverage hot through multiple distractions

Ember Mug 2

Comfy pants that make post-partum more cozy and chic

Donni Pointelle Simple Crop Pant

Get your hair out of the way stylishly and quickly:

Sézane Gladys Hair Accessory

No time to bake, but still want those wholesome warm baked goods and yummy smells in the house?

Wildgrain Custom Box

For the cook:

Make Taco Tuesday more stylish with this beautiful pouch to keep your tortillas warm:

Masienda Tortilla Warmer Pouch

Compose your own gift set of the best spices anywhere:

Burlap & Barrel Custom Spice Bundle

Subscription to Susanality (or pair with one of my books below!)

Gift a Susanality Subscription

My books

Buy Veg Forward

Buy Open Kitchen

For the face and body:

This body stone comes in solid form, but melts on contact and glides on to soften skin:

Kate McLeod Deep Moisturizing Lotion Bar

A personal favorite skin cleanser:

This cleanser removes makeup beautifully and leaves your face soft and smooth. If you love a foamy cleanser (like I do) you will love this. And first time purchases come with the cute corduroy makeup bag making this a chic and thoughtful gift.

Merit Great Skin Double Cleanse

This scrub is like a spa day in a jar. It will leave you soft and glowing from head to toe:

Fresh Brown Sugar Body Polish

For the gardener:

Stephen Orr, the former editor of Better Homes and Gardens, has written this book about the restorative power of gardening, along with practical advice:

Buy The Gardener's Mindset

A Meyer lemon tree provides years of fruit and joy for lemon lovers:

Dwarf Meyer Lemon Tree

A pair of cute gloves for protecting mom’s arms and hands:

Floral Garden Arm Saver Gloves

For anyone:

To eat and enjoy:

Ladurée Gift Box of 12 Eugénie

Dandelion Chocolate Pralinés

Marmalade Grove Club

Gato Dates Gift Boxes

To wear:

I’m a recently converted Sézane fan. I ordered this dress prepared to be disappointed, but this is an easy-to-wear piece that is super flattering and comfortable, well-made, and chic. I ordered two sizes and happily took the smaller one. I would say it is exactly true to size.

Sézane Raquel Dress

I love the Rifle Paper Co. and Liberty floral prints that Hedley and Bennett uses for their aprons. This pretty smock-style apron is easy to throw on when doing messy kitchen jobs and comes in a variety of prints.

Hedley & Bennett Strawberry Fields Apron

To read:

Check out my husband’s new book, a memoir about the meaning of art and how it can enrich your life in 24 stories, which includes a tender tale about his mother.

Buy Memoir of a Collection

This post includes some affiliate links, from which I may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you!)

Hello everyone!

I’ve got another stellar recipe from another stellar new cookbook this week. If you’re wondering why I’ve been featuring so many recipes from cookbooks lately, it’s partly because as I said last week when I featured Zariz from Adeena Sussman (congrats to Pamela for winning the book!), there are so many great books out this spring. But also, as someone who is constantly thinking about and developing new recipes, sometimes it’s nice to branch out and flex my cooking muscles and learn something new. If I learned one thing from Martha Stewart in my years working for her, it’s that you should always be curious and try to learn something new every day. I wouldn’t really say that I have been in a cooking rut, but I keep hearing other people say that lately, and a great cure for a rut is to cook someone else’s recipes!

When a copy of My Jamaican Table came across my desk recently, I was pleased by how many recipes called to me, including Jerk Chicken—one of the most famous Jamaican dishes there is—which I had never attempted to make. I knew this recipe would capture the essence of Jamaican culture and cooking, and that’s why I chose it. The book’s author, Andre Fowles, overcame so much hardship and difficulty on his path to becoming a talented and well-known chef who won Chopped three times! From the time he was just 12 years old, he knew he had to start thinking about a way to support himself, and his family too. He was drawn to the kitchen, which ended up giving him direction and purpose and a solid career, including being a published author. Very inspiring indeed.

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The recipes in the book are steeped in tradition, but many have modern twists, just like Andre himself. The recipe for Jerk Chicken involves three different sub-recipes: All-Purpose Seasoning, Jerk Marinade, and Green Seasoning. Before you get scared, Andre gives us permission to use store bought versions of each, but I think if possible, you should make the Jerk Marinade from scratch. There is only a tablespoon of the green seasoning in the recipe, but we have been finding other ways to use it since I made it, including as a marinade for swordfish, and to add a wallop of flavor to a version of Andre’s Jerk Pork Chow Mein (yes!) we made with the leftover chicken. I was surprised to find a pretty robust Jamaican section at my supermarket that had all three items!

Once you make all the seasonings, the chicken goes into a zip-top bag until you’re ready to cook it. Andre recommends marinating overnight, but because of some logistics, I ended up marinating it for almost two days, and that turned out to be a good thing. It was so flavorful, juicy, and tender. It only took an hour to cook on my Weber grill over indirect heat and with the addition of wood chips for that authentic smoky flavor, but there are oven instructions too!

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I highly recommend this book to spice up your summer cooking. The food is approachable and delicious-looking, and the book has a number of great-looking desserts and cocktails too—everything you need for warm weather eating. It’s got lots of braises and stews too for the colder months, but let’s not think about that right now!

From Pit to Plate: The Jerk Story

Excerpted from My Jamaican Table by Andre Fowles (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2026. Photos by Michael Condran.

There is jerk pork, jerk chicken, or jerk lobster if you’re fancy. But what is jerk, besides the perfect mix of spicy, smoky, and fragrant? It’s an important part of Jamaica’s history, for starters.

About 1,400 years ago the Taino people migrated from South America to Jamaica, forming communities all over the island. According to historical records, the Taino were not only Jamaica’s first people but also the world’s first pit masters. To cook and preserve meats, including fish and wild game, they would dig a pit and make a slow fire in it, cover the fire with a grate of green wood lashed together with fibers, then put meat on the wood frame above the fire and let it cook slowly. They called this process barabicu, which meant “sacred pit.”

Several hundred years later, the Maroons (Africans who had escaped their British enslavers and fled to the mountains) had settled among the remaining Tainos, most of whom had been wiped out by Spanish colonization by that time. The Maroons tweaked the barabicu method: Meats were heavily seasoned and marinated using ingredients like bird peppers and pimento—both of which were plentiful and native to the island—and thyme. This combination was crucial for both flavor and preservation. The meat was wrapped in leaves and placed on pimento wood over a low fire in a pit covered with branches and leaves to hide the smoke from the colonizers. The new method also kept the meat moist, leaving it tender and succulent. This process of slow-cooking and smoking heavily seasoned meat is central to what we now know as jerk.

Jerk eventually made its way from the mountains to the beach and is now arguably the most popular street food on the island and a staple of Jamaican cuisine. Modern versions use grills, ovens, or even stovetops, adapting to contemporary cooking methods.

As native pimento trees and bird peppers became more difficult to find, the jerk recipe was also adapted: Sweetwood and wild coffee wood are now used to flavor the meat in some jerk centers, and Scotch bonnet peppers have replaced bird peppers. Over time, other seasonings have been added too—garlic, onion, scallion, ginger—but if it doesn’t have hot peppers, allspice, and thyme, it’s not jerk.

Jerk seasoning is now available in jars or bags on supermarket shelves around the world. It has influenced the modern culinary scene across the globe, from jerk chicken wraps in Alaska to jerk fried tofu in Japan. I like to sneak the fragrant heat of jerk seasoning into unexpected places, like Jerk Street Corn and my favorite burger of all time, the Jerk Smash Burger.

Jerk Chicken Outdoors or in the Oven

Excerpted from My Jamaican Table by Andre Fowles (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2026. Photos by Michael Condran.

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This spring has brought with it a bumper crop of great new cookbooks. When I got home last weekend, there were three new exciting ones on my doorstep, including Adeena Sussman’s latest, Zariz, which means “speedy” in Hebrew. In the introduction, Adeena talks about how her life has changed since moving to Israel in 2016. Her previous two books, Sababa and Shabbat, also featured some quick and easy recipes, but they were not designed with that conceit in mind. For this one, there were some rules.

Each recipe has fewer than 12 ingredients (with the exception of olive oil, lemon, salt, and pepper), and are designed to be “easy, breezy, and Tel-Aviv-y,” as the subtitle advertises. I have to admit, I did not get very far into the book before I found my recipe. This marinated feta is right up my alley, and exactly the kind of thing I like to set out before a summer dinner or drinks party.

It’s super simple, yes, but I can’t say I have ever thrown together this particular concoction before. I also usually look for recipes in other people’s books that utilize stuff I mostly already have in the house, as a little challenge. I started with the feta, because I had some, but then when I looked at it, it had gone bad. (Sad face.) But still, I had the rest of the ingredients already except the mint which seems essential. I always have a couple of different za’atar mixtures on hand, and they are all a little different, varying by region and by maker. However, I think it’s safe to say that most of us have most of these ingredients most of the time! And this dish takes just minutes to put together, and gets better as it sits, so you can also make it ahead of time.

I served it with whole wheat toaster-size naan from the supermarket, and it was a perfect accompaniment, especially warm from the toaster. When shopping for this recipe, I noticed that most feta from the supermarket comes in 7-ounce packages, which is of course fine for this recipe that calls for 8 ounces of cheese. There is plenty of the oil mixture, so I would say that if you have a bigger package of feta, you could use up to 10 ounces and you’d still be fine. The only other change I would make is to skip the salt, at least until you taste it, because most za’atar mixtures already have salt, and with the feta, it could be too much.

There are lots of other tempting recipes in the book, starting with Baharat-Spiced Mushroom Hummus (never had mushrooms with hummus, but count me in!), Caesar-y Green Beans (why not?), Smoky Split Pea & Freekeh Soup (Steve will love this!), B’stila-Inspired Salmon (looks amazing!), Za’atar-Honey Chicken Wings with Spicy Tahini Dipping Sauce (let’s party!), Persian-Inspired Pull Apart Beef (kind of like chili, but not), Hachapuri Pizza (a mashup made in heaven), Preserved Lemon, Asparagus & Cherry Tomato Orzotto (so fresh!), Kasha Varnishkes Salad (why didn’t I think of that?), and finally, Salt & Pepper P’titim Tahdig (pictured). I will definitely be making that, and cooking out of this book all summer.

Preorder Zariz

If you’d like to do the same, Adeena and her publisher were kind enough to agree to give away a copy to a Susanality reader! Tell me in the comments why you want this book, and note that it will not be officially released until April 28th, so the winner will have to wait a few weeks to receive it. You must be a paid subscriber and a U.S. resident age 18 or over to enter. See the bottom of this post for the giveaway fine print1 and click the button below to leave your note. If you’re not yet a paid subscriber, head over here to upgrade your subscription so you can enter for a chance to win!

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Za’atar-Marinated Feta

Excerpted from Zariz by Adeena Sussman, published by Avery, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Copyright @ 2026 by Adeena Sussman

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A reader also let me know that the baking time for standard muffins is 23–25 minutes. Thank you Jocelyn! I’ve added that info to the note …

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When I set out to develop this week’s recipe, I began with the idea of sour cream coffee cake, which was not only one of my mother’s usual bakes, but one of my early ones too. I am certain it came out of the fat McCall’s Cook Book, which was the source of many of my early baking projects, circa the 1970s. With its streusel topping and cinnamon swirl through the center, this cake seemed right for any occasion, and kept well on the counter for a few days.

I made a version of this muffin based on that nostalgic recipe, but I decided they weren’t that special—plus they were a bit fussy to make. Spreading the streusel in the middle of each muffin wasn’t that easy. They were good, don’t get me wrong, but I wasn’t sure they were good enough to share here. So I set the idea aside, froze the extra muffins (as I usually do), and moved on to other recipes.

I noticed Steve kept taking the halved frozen muffins out of the freezer, popping them into the toaster in these great toaster bags, and savoring them with his afternoon coffee. He really liked them, they smelled great when toasted, and there was something really nice about it being a coffee cake in muffin form. So compact, so easy to nibble on, so fragrant.

I still had these in the back of my mind a few months later, and encouraged by Steve’s love for them, I decided to try them again but to take the recipe in a slightly different direction. In the intervening months, (yes, I really do think about recipes all the time, and for months!) I decided that they should be purely cardamom in flavor. I also opted to do away with the swirl and make the topping more like what you’d find on a classic crumb cake, rather than the more dusty brown sugar streusel. I also thought that I might add some cashew butter to the batter, remembering what a good combo that was in these Cashew Cardamom Rugelach from a few years ago. Well, that turned out to be a terrible idea here. It made the muffins heavy and dense, and added nothing to the flavor. Ditching the cashew butter and actually using the correct amount of yogurt after misreading my own chicken scratch yielded the fluffiest, moistest muffins with the plushest crumb. I usually ban the word “plush” in my food writing, because it’s kind of weird and overused, but it seems right here!

The main inspiration was a Swedish cardamom bun (kardemummabullar) which has become popular here in the States and elsewhere in recent years. I was smitten after tasting them in London at Fabrique bakery back in 2018. I had one again at Fabrique in London a few months ago, and it is still an exemplary version—maybe even better than I remembered. Closer to home, it’s usually my top choice at the nearby La Cabra, a Scandinavian bakery in my NYC neighborhood (we have two Fabriques in NY now too, but I’ve never been!)

As you can see from the photo (above, center) of the buns in London, they are positively LOADED with cardamom, which really changed my relationship to the spice. I had always used it sparingly in its ground, supermarket form, thinking it was too strong to use generously. The key is to NOT use finely ground cardamom if you can help it, but to buy decorticated cardamom, which is a fancy way of saying just the seeds. You won’t find this in the supermarket, but it is well worth ordering. I try to buy mine in person when I stock up on ingredients at Kalustyan’s, but I also recently bought it online from the evil empire. Once you have the seeds, all you have to do is grind/crush them to use in your recipe. Unless you need the whole green pods for a different reason or recipe, there’s no reason to mess around with them for baking! And the fine powder from the supermarket can be eschewed too in favor of more coarsely and freshly ground cardamom seeds. It’s like the difference between dusty black pepper vs. freshly ground, and ground just the way you like it. Have I convinced you to get yourself some decorticated cardamom to use in these muffins? Even if you don’t have it, try them with regular ground cardamom. They will still be wonderful!

Everyone who has tasted these absolutely loves them, and they are very easy to make, with a recipe you can memorize. Unlike a real cardamom bun, which takes a few days and serious skills to make, these are super easy, but they scratch the same flavor itch. You can sprinkle as much extra cardamom as you like on top in the final step. After my fail with the cashew butter, I realized these needed less fat, not more, so I used nonfat yogurt because that’s what I keep in the house, and they were perfect. Of course, any fat content will work, or you can even use sour cream.

I used tulip muffin liners, which you can order or make yourself. There are simple directions in this post on how to make them and where to buy them. If you use regular muffin liners, make more muffins, filling them to just below the rim, or they will overflow! These have a healthy rise in the oven, so for the muffins, the crumbs get pushed to the side a bit, where they get a bit caramelly and chewy, a good thing that adds to their allure. If you’re baking this as a cake, the crumbs will stay more on top for a classic coffee cake look. The baking time is the same either way. Make sure to line your pan with a double sling of parchment paper.

These muffins would be perfect on your table for Mother’s Day or for any springtime brunch menu, but they’re also just nice to have on hand for your fika (Swedish coffee break). And like I said, they freeze beautifully, so bake up a batch and freeze the extra!

Cardamom Crumb Muffins

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Happy Passover and Happy Easter to those who celebrate!

Welcome to all the new subscribers. Most of you are here because of last week’s Instagram post about my Pistachio-Olive Oil Cake. Here’s a link to last week’s newsletter which has Domenica Marchetti’s Brutti ma Buoni cookies. They’re a great addition to the Seder table, and the post has lots of other recipes to check out if you’re keeping Passover this week. I’m about to make the pistachio cake myself for a Seder on Wednesday. (It keeps very well. I’ll add the ganache the day of.)

There’s a roundup of recipes from the archive at the bottom of this email. Most of these normally live behind the paywall, but they’re all free to access this week. If you want to save them, make sure to download or print them out, because they will only be available for one week! This will give those of you who are free subscribers a peek at what you’re missing!

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Today I have a fun and crunchy carrot salad for you. This would go well as part of any Easter meal, be it brunch, lunch, or dinner. I think a (cold) room temperature salad is a good addition to any menu, since it can be done ahead of time—a big advantage if you’re trying to get a bunch of dishes on the buffet at once. I came up with this salad on the fly a few weeks ago when I was packing a lunch for my husband to eat on a three hour bus ride. I wanted to make something to go with the chicken salad sandwich I made him. I saw some toasted/popped quinoa sitting there in front of me, left over from some last minute testing for my cookie book (you’re going to have to wait for that recipe!). What do I always have in the crisper? Carrots, of course! I am a big fan of grated vegetable salads, as evidenced by this one and this one, and it was quick to throw together. He told me later that he piled it onto the sandwich as a kind of slaw. OK!

I’m also a fan of crunchy grains. Technically quinoa is a seed, not a grain, but you get the idea. You may remember the quinoa crunch from this recipe. In this version, though, instead of cooking the quinoa as usual and then crisping it up in a pan with oil, I cook it in a dry pan for a few minutes, toasting it and sort of popping it. I hesitate to say “pop” because it isn’t as dramatic as popcorn, but you will notice the seeds jumping a bit in the pan, which is how you know it’s working. This process renders the quinoa edible. It is still quite crunchy, and will stay that way for a few days if making the salad ahead of time or storing leftovers for later.

I should also mention that if you do happen to be keeping Passover this week, most people consider quinoa not to be kitniyot (forbidden legumes), but your quinoa should be labeled Kosher for Passover to ensure it hasn’t been cross-contaminated with other grains.

Sumac lends its citrusy flavor to this salad, but if you don’t have any, feel free to leave it out. It will still be delicious! I think a little toasted cumin would be great here too.

Let me know in the comments what you’re planning to serve on Easter. Not only am I curious, but I need some ideas myself. I’m hosting a small group for brunch, and I’ve gotten as far as buying a pork butt which I am going to smoke on the Traeger.

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More recipes for Easter

Savory Easter Pie

This pie is from Lucinda Scala Quinn’s book, Mother Sauce, and features a delicious filling made from tender greens and cheese, all wrapped in a flaky crust. It would make for a perfect Easter lunch along with this week’s carrot salad recipe!

Crustless Asparagus Quiche

This crustless quiche is an easy, highly adaptable, and delicious option for Easter brunch. Unlike a frittata, it’s baked in a round baking dish or pie plate and delivers that silky, delicate texture you’d expect from a quiche filling without the need to fuss around with pastry dough.

Coconut Macaroons

While they’re fitting for Passover or Easter, these moist, chewy macaroons are not only for holidays. If you’re a coconut lover you’ll want to make them all the time. They take only a few minutes to put together and keep extremely well.

Lemon Curd Meringues

Not only is this favorite dessert made almost entirely from eggs, it also looks like an egg, making it perfect for either Easter or Passover (as long as you’re OK with a dairy dessert at your Seder). Both the meringues and the curd keep for several days on their own, so you can prep these ahead of time and assemble right before serving.

Carrot Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This cake is incredibly moist and only gets better as it sits. You can ice it and refrigerate it a few days ahead of time, and it will be perfect—bonus points if you break out the piping tips and go for a festive carrot motif!

Carrot Salad with Toasted Quinoa and Honey-Sumac Dressing

Serves 6

I used mint, parsley, and dill, but you can use whatever herbs you like here. You can skip the sumac if you don’t have it. Toasted ground cumin would be nice here too.

• ⅓ cup quinoa

• 2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 2 teaspoon ground sumac

• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 pound carrots, peeled and trimmed

• 3 scallions, thinly sliced

• ½ cup mint leaves, thinly sliced

• ½ cup parsley leaves, chopped

• ¼ cup dill, roughly chopped, plus more for the top

1. Heat a small (8-inch) skillet over medium-low heat. Add the quinoa and let it warm up, stirring occasionally for 1 to 2 minutes. Turn heat up to medium and when you see the quinoa start to jump, stir constantly. Be careful not to let it burn. Cook until most of the quinoa has popped, and it turns a couple of shades darker, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a shallow bowl or plate and let cool.

2. Make the dressing: Combine the lemon juice, honey, sumac, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, and whisk or use a fork to combine well. Whisk in the oil and set aside.

3. Grate the carrots using the grater blade of a food processor or a box grater. Combine with the quinoa and herbs in a medium bowl. Add the dressing and toss to combine. Season lightly with salt and pepper and toss again. Sprinkle with more dill and serve.

Carrot Salad With Toasted Quinoa And Honey-Sumac Dressing

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I’ve always loved the name of this cookie, and Italian food names in general—so descriptive and often humorous! In truth, these aren’t really that ugly. Is any sweet treat truly ugly? These meringue-based cookies have a little twist, which is that after whipping up a fluffy, glossy, meringue that is absolutely crammed with toasted hazelnuts and almonds, you cook it on the stove, making it similar to a nougat mixture (which is made by streaming hot sugar syrup into beaten egg whites, a.k.a. Italian meringue).

I opened Domenica Marchetti’s forthcoming book, Italian Cookies, in search of a cookie appropriate for the Passover holiday. I felt fairly sure I would find one, and indeed, there were several to choose from. Flourless cookies are fairly common in the Italian cookie canon, but I immediately gravitated towards the Brutti ma Buoni, not only because I love saying it, but also because I remember loving to eat them. I had made them before, back in my Coco Pazzo days, and I’m fairly certain I would have used the recipe from The Italian Baker by Carol Field, which was sort of a bible to me in those days. Somehow I didn’t remember cooking the meringue, but there it is, plain as day in Ms. Field’s recipe.

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Despite my vast and recent experience with baking cookies, I did run into a few stumbling blocks when I first tried this recipe. First, let me assure you that Domenica is an experienced and trustworthy source for authentic Italian recipes. But, as we recipe writers constantly remind you, the conditions in every kitchen can vary. Even the weather, I suspect, can affect a recipe like this one. So, as a result, the first time I tried these, I cooked the mixture way too long, waiting for the visual clue given in the recipe, that the mixture would turn “thready” like when you make Rice Krispies Treats. I had dried it out so much that it quickly became a crumbly mess, and I had to throw it out because it was unscoopable.

And so I tried again—a few times, because I really wanted to get them right! I decided I would like them better with a bit more cocoa, because I love chocolate. The recipe calls for one tablespoon of cocoa, and I tried it with three. I did really like this batch, because they were shiny, crackled, and nicely chocolatey, which balances the sweetness of the meringue base. I had the results of all four batches I made in a container and when Steve tried them, he gravitated towards the first successful batch that had the least amount of cocoa, because he liked the crunch. Honestly, they were all good, so if you add any of my tweaks, know that the differences are minor and a matter of personal preference.

Here are my tips for success for Brutti ma Buoni:

• If you want the cookies to have a deeper chocolate flavor, use 2 or 3 tablespoons of cocoa instead of 1.

• Start cooking the mixture on medium-low, and reduce heat if necessary.

• Cook for a total of 10 to 12 minutes at the most. It should be thicker, and starting to hold its shape. It will pull away from the side of the pan slightly.

• Instead of pouring the mixture directly onto a damp surface, I just poured it into a wide, shallow bowl, and scooped from there. The main point of this step is to stop the cooking, and this does the job with an easier cleanup.

• Bake on the top oven rack to encourage cracking on the surface.

• For me, 20 minutes was the perfect baking time.

• Use an offset spatula to loosen the cookies from the parchment soon after they come out of the oven.

Want to win a copy?

We have another giveaway this week! Domenica was kind enough to provide a signed copy of this lovely volume. The book comes out April 14, and the winner will receive their book right around pub day. As per usual, just leave a comment below letting me know why you want to win. You must be a paid subscriber and a U.S. resident age 18 or over to enter. See the bottom of this post for the giveaway fine print1 and click the button below to leave your note. If you’re not yet a paid subscriber, head over here to upgrade your subscription so you can enter for a chance to win!

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Need more Passover ideas and inspiration?

Before you go forth with your usual matzo balls, might I entice you to try these spaetzle instead? Think of them as freeform matzo meal dumplings, which become light and supple in just 10 minutes (as opposed to the hour or even two hours that traditional matzo balls need to cook). And if you haven’t decided on a main yet, it’s not too late to make brisket! Here’s a coffee-rubbed version that’s one of my favorite recipes I’ve contributed to the New York Times. (Gift link). As for desserts, my pistachio-olive oil Passover cake, baked apples topped with meringue, and coconut macaroons would all make great additions to today’s cookies in a dessert spread.

Brutti ma Buoni (Ugly but Good Cookies)

Recipes excerpted from Italian Cookies: Authentic Recipes and Sweet Stories from Every Region by Domenica Marchetti. Photos by Lauren Volo. Reprinted by permission of Gibbs Smith Books.

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Despite the fact that we are back in the 30s, with a chilly wind blowing, the sky is blue, and little green things are poking their heads through the earth. When we changed the clocks last week, it was like instant spring. The day ended with a spectacular sunset, and the warm weather continued for a few days. I’m so grateful for that respite, even if it was short-lived, because it means spring is surely coming. In four days time as I write this, but by the time you read this, it will be TOMORROW! Yay for that.

It’s spring cookbook season, and I have a pile of books I’m excited to share some recipes from in the coming weeks. Today, we have a recipe from Colu Henry’s new book, Better at Home. Based on the title alone, I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment. We eat at home way more often than we go out, and love gathering friends at our home for meals. Most often, they are pretty casual. I think the best party we had this year so far was an open house the day after Thanksgiving to eat turkey sandwiches, pie, stuffing, mashed potatoes, etc. It was the loveliest afternoon, and it was all about hanging out and talking (and yes, eating too). It’s easy to overthink it when having people over, but I always try to pull myself back from the edge and keep things casual and delicious. That’s what Colu aims to do too, and you can read more about her philosophy in the interview below.

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Want to win a copy of Colu’s book? Simply comment why you want to win on today’s post, and I’ll choose a winner at random on Wednesday, March 25th. I’ll notify you by DM and email, so keep an eye on your inbox! You must be a paid subscriber and a U.S. resident age 18 or over to enter. See the bottom of this post for the giveaway fine print1 and click the button below to leave your note. If you’re not yet a paid subscriber, head over here to upgrade your subscription so you can enter for a chance to win!

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As always, I chose a recipe from the book and took it for a spin. It’s similar in spirit to paella, in that the chicken is nestled into the pearl couscous to finish cooking. I noticed my couscous looked much paler as I began to cook it than the one in the book, which made me regret not buying the turmeric pearl couscous from Rice Select (you, know, the brand that comes in the square containers), so I added a few shakes of both turmeric and smoked paprika which upped the color and the flavor nicely. Let me tell you, it was super flavorful even without that due at least partly to the large amount of garlic and the leeks. I wouldn’t change a thing!

I was attracted to the romesco sauce, since I thought it could be one of my new go-to summer sauces, and it will be! Naturally I had a lot of leftovers, and served the couscous and sauce with some halibut the next night. You could easily halve this recipe for a terrific weeknight meal too.

And now, on to the interview!

An interview with Colu Henry

SUSAN SPUNGEN: This seems to be your most personal book yet. What made you want to write it?

COLU HENRY: I’m very much in a “meet me where I’m at” phase in my life, and the book is an extension of that. My life, like many of our peers’, has changed a lot since working at magazines in midtown. The pace is different and generally slower, and I prefer the country to the city, which is something I never thought I’d be saying. Don’t get me wrong, I love going to the city; I’m headed down tomorrow, in fact, but broadly speaking, we’re having people over for dinner much more than going out. Or it’s a drink out and then heading to someone’s home. And my friends are, luckily, on the same page.

That feeling is even more pronounced when we’re in Nova Scotia where we spend our summers, where it’s an even slower pace than Hudson. It gives me a beat to just be, and I’m so grateful for it.

SS: For many reasons, you are not alone in your desire to be cozy at home rather than going out to fancy restaurants. This definitely seems to be a trend, perhaps spurred on by the pandemic. I have definitely become more of a homebody! On that note, how would you describe the recipes in this book? Is this “entertaining” or something else?

CH: Most of the recipes in this book can go either way. They are simple and a little bit sparkly, making them a great option for weeknight cooking but they also work well if you’re hosting friends. I’m all for having people over last minute on a Tuesday and working with what I’ve got and some of these recipes came about that way. So in short, I think they are for both!

SS: What distinguishes “weeknight” food from food you would make for guests, if anything? I often realize that something I make just for my husband and myself would be perfectly worthy of a dinner party.

CH: That’s how I feel too, Susan! It seems like people have become unprecious (in a good way) when they have people over. For instance, on my publication day (on March 10), I made pizza dough from the book to have on hand if people decided to come over after a celebratory toast. It happened to be a gorgeous day and we were able to sit outside. Was the backyard in great shape after the worst winter in over a decade? No. Was it a beautifully decorated table? Absolutely not. What is a heck of a good time with people that I love grabbing slices right out of the pizza oven on whatever plates weren’t in the dishwasher? You better believe it. I got texts the next day on how nice it was to just spend time together. People just want connection and to feel taken care of.

SS: I’ve been very intrigued on social media by your summers in Nova Scotia. Your book fills in the blanks a bit. I enjoyed reading your essay, “Opening The Windy Poplars” which is the name you have given to your house there. Can you tell us more about why you decided to buy and restore this house, how it’s going, and how spending time there has affected your cooking style and habits?

CH: Writing the essays in the book brought me a lot of joy. My husband is Canadian and really wanted to put down some roots there. He had a feeling I’d love Nova Scotia, as I’m an East Coast girl who grew up going to the Cape, and boy was he right. We never intended to take on a project this big. In fact, we had never been to the north shore, where the house is located, until it came our way via my stepmother’s best friend’s husband’s uncle! Yes, that’s correct. We had always envisioned a tiny shack on the south shore if we could make it work. But when this house was serendipitously sent our way, we jumped at the chance. It’s going to be a lifelong project. It was built in 1866, set on 14-acres and hadn’t been lived in for 10 years when we got it. Chad (my husband) is doing all the work himself, so we really only get a three month run at things each summer. But, it’s coming along so beautifully and will be well worth the wait.

We’re in a very rural area surrounded by farms and by the sea. It reminds me a lot of the Hudson Valley, but with far less glitz and glamour. There are no Amber Waves or Morning Star Farm Store vibes—it’s dirt roads and one or two varieties of tomatoes. The big grocery store is 35 minutes away, so we plan ahead! My cooking there is incredibly straightforward: potatoes and peas in lots of butter, lobster salad, lamb chops seared quickly on the grill paired with whatever else happens to be in season. It’s kind of liberating honestly. Cooking within constraints is inspiring for me.

SS: You include some menu suggestions in the back of the book. I’m sure people will appreciate this, because menu planning can be challenging for some. Do you have any general advice for people when it comes to menus?

CH: Writing menus is my happy place. I see it similarly to storytelling. There are important questions to ask yourself ahead of hosting: What are you trying to evoke from the day or evening? What feels fun and doable without being stressful? What kind of time are you willing to spend? What can be done ahead? What will look pretty together? Are there things you can outsource if needed?

Roast Chicken “Romesco” with Pearled Couscous

Excerpted from Better at Home by Colu Henry

Published by Abrams 2026

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I’d like to tell you that I first tried okonomiyaki in Japan, but I would be lying. Sadly, I have not yet been to Japan, but it is high on my list. I am a big fan of Japanese food though, and live smack dab in the middle of what has become known as “Little Tokyo” in NYC’s East Village. Over the years, the number of Japanese businesses has grown. Some have closed, and some remain. 9th and 10th streets between 1st and 3rd avenues is the epicenter. Sobaya has been there forever, and is still a great spot to drop in for hot or cold soba, depending on the season. I used to frequent the subterranean Sake Bar Decibel, but haven’t been there in a long time. There’s a cute patisserie called ANDO, a tea house called Cha-An. Ippudo is one of the more famous ramen joints, but there are others. A little off the main drag is Raku, which specializes in udon, but has lots of delicious small plates too. Hi-Collar is a kissaten-style coffee shop by day and a nighttime whisky and sake bar.

One of the businesses that has closed served street foods like takoyaki (little octopus balls similar to a fritter) that were cooked in a special griddle that gyrated while the dumplings cooked. They also served okonomiyaki, which was my introduction to this belly-filling snack. This place was perfect for street food, because it was a little sliver of a store with a window—no seating whatsoever. So, once you got your food, you needed to find a stoop or bench so you could eat it. We hadn’t had anything like this on 9th Street before, and haven’t since!

When I was writing my last book, Veg Forward, I wanted to include a recipe for okonomiyaki, because it’s a great showcase for vegetables, and also a good way to use up odds and ends. Traditionally it is made with shredded cabbage, bound by an eggy batter. After that, you can use whatever ingredients you have or want to use to make it “as you like it” (okonomi), and cook it on a griddle (yaki).

I like to use shredded Brussels sprouts for my version. I like the slightly fresher, greener vibe, but you can absolutely use an equal amount of cabbage, or even bagged coleslaw mix or pre-shredded sprouts. That represents the majority of the prep, so using one of those shortcuts makes this truly weeknight-friendly. I use the slicing blade on my food processor to do the sprouts in approximately 10 seconds. For the original recipe, I opted to cook the whole pancake in one pan, kind of like a big frittata, which was very good, but today I wanted to make them as individual pancakes, and I’ve added bacon, which of course makes them extra tasty. There are also little nuggets of shrimp, but you can easily go 100% vegetarian here if you want. Make it as you like it!

When you first mix everything into the egg mixture, you’ll question yourself, and think you need more egg. Trust me, you don’t! There should be just enough batter to bind the ingredients, and if you let it sit for a few minutes, the Brussels sprouts (or cabbage) will start to wilt and exude some liquid, and it will look just right! If you are cooking the pancakes individually, make sure to give the mixture a good stir every time you dip into it to redistribute everything.

As much as I like the ease of cooking and serving this as a single unit, the individual pancakes went over very well in this house, and are in some ways easier to handle. More crispy edges, the cooked-in strips of crispy bacon, and the just-right portion size made these extra-appealing. The cooked pancakes keep well, and are good for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. What more could you ask for? Two of us had no trouble eating all ten over the course of a few days. Steve even took one to go as a sandwich!

The pan!

I broke out my gorgeous Made In Ceramiclad pan to cook the pancakes. I bought this pan last year when we were living in our temporary home, and I never got a chance to use it until now. Let me tell you, it’s beautiful, with its antique brass handle and creamy off-white color inside and pure white on the outside. It has a non-toxic and very nonstick coating, and I love that it’s not dark grey. It’s also thick enough to conduct heat well but not too heavy to lift. It’s perfect for cooking the pancake whole or as individuals.

Buy the Pan

My e-book: Susanality’s Greatest Hits

If you haven’t already checked it out, now’s a great time to flip through my new e-book full (14!) of favorite paywalled recipes from the past five (!) years of Susanality. Paid subscribers can download it below, and if you’re a free subscriber, I wonder if you might consider upgrading so you can access this beautiful book (and today’s recipe)?

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It’s hard to believe, but I have been publishing Susanality for five years! I want to express my profound thanks to those of you who have been with me since the beginning. I was an early adopter of this platform, before most people had even heard of it. I myself had only the vaguest idea of what it was, and did not subscribe to any newsletters. I had just decided to start writing a newsletter, and had written and sent out one edition to my Squarespace mailing list when I got a call from someone at Substack inviting me to join the platform. I had already named my newsletter Susanality, which honestly just popped into my head. I switched over to Substack, and I’ve been here ever since.

For those of you who are free subscribers, I appreciate you! But, can I tempt you to celebrate this milestone with me and upgrade your subscription to paid? You’ll have full access to the archives and receive a new recipe every Friday instead of hitting that annoying paywall.

Some of you may wonder why you would ever pay for a recipe when there are so many free ones out there on the internet. The answer is trust. You can always be sure that you are getting a recipe that has been creatively conceptualized, meticulously and repeatedly tested, and carefully and temptingly photographed. It’s not free for me to create this newsletter for you. I pay an editor to make sure I never publish a recipe with an error in it, and I spend a considerable amount on ingredients, not to mention my time. You can also trust that each recipe you get is a really good one, hopefully one that you’ll adopt for your personal repertoire, and is based on my years of experience as a home cook, recipe developer, magazine editor, and cookbook author.

Upgrade to Paid

Here are a few notes from those who have recently taken the plunge on why they went paid:

“Love your recipes and book, and the free newsletter. Finally decided it’s time to get the paid subscription. Terrific writing, insightful tips, etc. Good stuff.”

“Love your posts, finally decided that I needed to support you, financially as well! Cannot wait to make, bake them all! Starting with the pistachio Passover olive oil cake…too sexy to resist! Thanks!”

“Every recipe that I’ve cooked/baked from you has been outstanding so I decided to upgrade to paid. Thank you!”

“I’ve followed for years and am excited to find and join the journey on Substack.”

“Because you are SUSAN!”

Getting these notes from you makes it all worthwhile!

I thought it would be fun to take a deep dive into the archives today and unearth some of the earliest Susanality recipes that you might have missed. Let’s start with the perfect chocolate birthday cake, which you should always have in your back pocket!

Again, thank you all for being here with me, and here’s to another five years!

Favorites from the archives

Cocoa Yogurt Cake with Mrs. Milman’s Chocolate Frosting

The cake part of this recipe is from my friend Yossy Arefi’s wonderfully simple book, Snacking Cakes. It’s very quick and simple to put together, and it’s the perfect texture to pair with my all-time favorite chocolate frosting recipe, which is dreamy, creamy, and so fun and easy to manipulate into swoops and swirls.

Savory Cheesy French Toast

It doesn’t take a genius to know that creamy, custardy, but still-chewy-on-the-edges slabs of bread with Parmesan and Gruyère is going to be good. But this is really good. And easy. You could have it for brunch, but it works just as well for lunch or dinner with a few additions or embellishments.

Cinnamon Butter Muffins aka Dirt Bombs

These tender and delicious Cinnamon Butter Muffins were always on the menu at The Commissary in Philadelphia where I worked as a teenage art student. They’re really more cake than muffin, with a very tender crumb which is scented with nutmeg—and as if they weren’t buttery enough, you dip the whole thing in MORE melted butter and roll it in cinnamon sugar. Heaven, especially when eaten warm.

Lemon Curd Meringues

This recipe uses Swiss meringue to create crisp meringues that really hold their shape and bake up smooth and shiny, retaining all the detail of the swoops and swirls. They’re the perfect easy-but-impressive dessert to serve for Passover or Easter, just as pretty as they are delicious!

Greek Quinoa Bake

This Greek Quinoa Bake is easy, cozy, versatile, healthy, and surprisingly delicious. It stars Swiss chard, feta, fresh dill, grape tomatoes, and quinoa, of course, and can be served for lunch, brunch, or as a dinner side—though, to be honest, I’ve had it for dinner on its own and been very satisfied.

Strawberry Scones

These easy scones are a good use of the so-so supermarket berries you get in the off season. In fact, the really juicy ones might be TOO MUCH here. The dough is fairly easy to whip together the evening before you want to serve them, so all you have to do is pop them in the oven the next morning to be treated to their warm and crumbly goodness.

This post includes some affiliate links, from which I may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you!)

About a month ago, I was scrolling on instagram, as I’m wont to do, and I saw this recipe by Anna Voloshyna that stopped me in my tracks. I knew immediately that I wanted to take it for a spin and share it with my Susanality readers. Oddly enough, I had never made a sticky toffee pudding in all my years, which was another great reason to try it. It also seemed like the perfect thing to make while we were truly snowed in after more than a foot of snow fell.

I loved the non-traditional addition of prunes here too. That’s what really caught my eye. I know prunes sometimes get a bad rap, but I am not sure why! They’re just dried plums! Sunsweet tried to improve their reputation a few years back by rebranding them as such, but alas, it didn’t work, and they went back to calling them prunes. I love them, and their slight tartness adds a welcome contrast to the sweetness of this comforting dessert.

Anna is a Ukrainian-American culinary storyteller, activist, and cookbook author whose recipes draw from her Ukrainian upbringing, blending tradition with modernity. Her new cookbook, Ukraïne: Recipes and Stories from Kyiv to the Black Sea, will be out in October, and is available for preorder now.

Preorder Ukraïne

An interview with Anna Voloshyna

SUSAN SPUNGEN: How long have you lived in the U.S., and what brought you here?

ANNA VOLOSHYNA: I moved to the United States in 2011, following my husband’s job in tech. We settled in the Bay Area and, over time, it truly became home. What started as a practical move turned into something life altering. We stayed for the weather, of course, but also for the incredible produce, the farmers markets, and the vibrant restaurant scene. California has this unique energy: creative, open, and very connected to food and seasonality. It’s shaped the way I cook and the way I see ingredients. I honestly can’t imagine living anywhere else in the United States as happily as I do in California.

SS: Tell us a little about your new book, Ukraïne.

AV: Ukraïne is the book I always wanted to write. It took three years and three trips back home to complete. It’s larger in scope and more layered than my first cookbook, BUDMO!, which I still love dearly. This one feels deeper, more personal, and more ambitious.

It’s a travelogue as much as it is a cookbook—my attempt to show Ukraine through the lens of food, and through the people and places that shape it. The idea came after Russia’s full-scale invasion. I was afraid that in war, our culinary heritage could disappear, that our history might be erased. I felt an urgency to return, to document and preserve. But what I found was unexpected. It wasn’t about preserving something fading—it was about witnessing something evolving. Ukraine’s food scene wasn’t shrinking; it was growing, developing, blossoming. The cooking I encountered was vibrant, bold, creative, and unmistakably Ukrainian. That’s what I wanted to capture on these pages. I believe the book holds a strong balance—honoring traditional dishes while celebrating the new wave and our culinary future

SS: Is your cooking a hybrid of your Ukranian heritage and your California lifestyle? How do you bring Eastern European flavors into your everyday cooking?

AV: That’s a great question. Living in California truly expanded my horizons in terms of ingredients and flavors beyond anything I imagined. The variety and quality of produce here are incredible, and that abundance naturally influences the way I cook.

At the same time, my style remains rooted in my Ukrainian heritage and the food I grew up with. I’m still fairly conservative when it comes to spices. I lean toward herbs and toward the bold, clean flavors of fermentation, smoking, curing, and pickling—techniques that are central to Eastern European cooking and I use them all the time. So in my everyday cooking, I try to honor local California ingredients while using the methods and sensibilities I learned in Ukraine. The result feels fresh and vibrant, but also grounded and familiar—food that’s interesting without being too confusing.

SS: What do you miss the most about Ukraine, and do you have any thoughts you want to share about the ongoing war there?

AV: You might be surprised to hear this, but even during war, Ukraine is an incredibly vibrant, alive place to be. While working on my new cookbook, I traveled the country more than I ever did when I lived there, and most importantly, I met extraordinary people along the way. If not for this project, our paths might never have crossed. But it didn’t feel random. We found each other because we’re united by something powerful: love for our country. Each of us carries a sense of responsibility, a mission to help Ukraine in whatever way we can. And everyone is doing something, contributing, little by little, to our future. That cookbook gave me way more than just recipes and stories. It gave me friendships. I miss those people deeply—cooking side by side, gathering around the table, drinking Ukrainian wine, and laughing late into the night. I miss those connections most of all.

SS: Lastly, what was your inspiration for this recipe? The prunes, with their slightly tart flavor were the perfect addition to this classic recipe.

AV: I just love prunes, honestly. The idea started after I had an incredible sticky toffee pudding at Dingle’s in San Francisco. That deep caramel flavor, the warmth, the softness, stayed with me. When I got home, I realized I had a bag of prunes sitting in my pantry, and it felt like the perfect opportunity to experiment. Prunes have that natural sweetness but also tartness, and I knew they would bring balance to a rich, classic dessert like this. They add depth without making it heavy, and they keep everything beautifully moist. It turned out even better than I imagined—very comforting and just sweet enough.

Prune Sticky Toffee Pudding

By Anna Voloshyna

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I’m Susan, a cook, food stylist, recipe developer, and cookbook author. I’ve spent years developing, testing, and styling recipes for magazines, cookbooks, and film, and I’m so happy to share what I’m cooking with you here.

See my About page to learn more about my background and why I started Susanality. Thanks so much for being here!

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There are hundreds of recipes already archived on Susanality, including longtime favorites and everyday staples—many shaped by the seasons and the way I actually cook at home. They look beautiful on the plate, too!

Some reader favorites include:

Zuni Cafe Roast Chicken

Citrus Olive Cake

Root Veggie Waffles

Figgy Cornmeal Cookies

Lemon Sponge Pudding

I’m so glad you’re here and cooking along!

—Susan