In advance of the holiday weekend, this is going to be a short post, with a recipe (or three) that I hope you’ll use for a long time. Spring always feels a bit hurried to me, at least from the standpoint of capturing the essence, scent and flavor all the season gifts us — my kitchen counter is currently filled with sheet trays of herbs and flowers drying or waiting to be turned into sugars, syrups, or tisane blends for iced teas; and spring alliums (as noted in my last post) waiting to become oils, purees, ferments and pickles. Equal amount of joy and anxiety fill my head, lilacs are nearly gone! and it’s the final week for ramps! And with every fleeting item, comes something new, like beautiful fresh spruce tree tips (see bottom, they’re edible and sweet and citrusy!) and gorgeous chamomile this week (probably my favorite scent all spring). Every season, I try lessen my anxiety a little—as my friend reminded just yesterday, I have A LOT of Virgo characteristics in me, orderly, steadfast and perfectionistic. I’m working on focusing more on the quiet beauty of being in the moment. It’s funny, even with all my acts of preservation each year, what I want to cook and eat the most day to day, always leans back to the ingredients I meet at the very moment they are ready to be harvested and placed on a table. Meaning, when it’s November and I have a freezer and fridge full of delicious summery preserves (poached peaches, strawberry-lilac jam, pickled ramp bulbs, chamomile vinegar), these things are not what I’m inclined to reach for. My body wants flavor notes of pears and mushrooms and roasted garlic, what’s peaking and speaking right then and there. I think it’s a nice gentle reminder, that there’s not much that brings me more joy than eating in that very then and there moment and really honoring and respecting the cycles of nature. Does that resonate with you as well?

Coming back to the moment we are currently in, the final few weeks of spring. These are a few things bringing me bits of joy and deliciousness in recent weeks, days (even hours as of this morning).

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• Drying springtime blooms for iced tea blends — lemon balm, lilac, nettle, some of last year’s rose and a little (purchased) hibiscus has been in my fridge on the regular recently. There’s nothing I’ve been enjoying more, especially first thing in morning, than a cold glass of an infusion that awakens my senses, grounds my body to mother earth and solidifies a sense of time and place, even if for a brief few moments throughout the day. And I’d go as far as saying that every herb has a quality of health, some beneficial aspect to it—relaxing, clearing, good for the lymphatic system, uplifting to name a few. If you’ve got access to some (or a single) tea-friendly herbs or flowers (like if you’ve been out in nature or find something at a farmers market), wash your treasures and leave them on your counter top for 2-3 days to completely dry out. Pick the leaves or flowers off the stems and store them in a jar, they’ll keep for years. To cold-steep a tisane infusion, take 10g (about 1/3-1/2 cup) of dried things and add 1000ml water. (a quart or liter) Place it in the fridge and allow to steep for 5-8 hours. Strain and your’e ready to sip. A few herbs / flowers to look out for right now and through the summertime: lemon balm, lemon verbena, citron melisse and woodruff (for all my Danes out there), mint (and mint varieties), spruce tips, lavender, chamomile, rose, lilac, nettle, anise hyssop, fig leaf, peach leaf, calendula flower.

  

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• Lilac-meyer lemon ice cream - I made this ice cream the other week and I think it’s one of my favorite to date. Steeping fresh or dried lilac in the cream-milk mixture is a great way to use blooms and transfer their aroma to your tastebuds. This ice cream just tasted like spring, and I loved it. Refer back to my basic ice cream method here, even if you don’t have a machine, you can simply freeze the base and make a lusciously creamy frozen custard. Here’s a quick recipe should you get your hands on any lilacs.

  • 170ml heavy cream

    170ml milk

    3 egg yolks

    160g sugar

    zest of 1/2 Meyer lemon (or regular lemon)

    1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/4 vanilla bean

    fresh lilac buds, about 2/3 cup

    Warm the cream and milk until just steaming. Whisk together yolks, sugar and lemon. Slowly stream in the milk-cream mixture while whisking. Pour everything back into the pan and add the vanilla. Warm over low-medium heat while constantly stirring until mixture reaches 82C / 180F. Add in the lilac, pour into a container and place the container in an ice bath to cool for 5-10 minutes. Finish cooling in the fridge overnight, or at least 4 hours. Strain to remove lilac flowers and run in an ice cream machine according to instructions or pour into a metal cake pan or loaf pan and freeze.

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• Rhubarb-rose compote. I make this every spring, and I can barely wait for it. I use it with yogurt and granola, as a filling for cakes, as a spread for toast, swirled into ice cream, straight off the spoon. You can find organic dried rose petals online. The fruit and flower are a perfect pairing together, tart, lightly sweet, floral and altogether vibrant pink.

  • 500g / 1lb rhubarb, cleaned and chopped

    225g sugar

    5g dried organic rose petals (about 1 heaping tablespoon)

    a pinch of dried lilac, if available

    Juice & peel of 1/2 lemon

    pinch of kosher salt or sea salt

    1-2 tablespoons of wine, if available (any kind will do)

    1/4 vanilla bean, harvested or 1/2 teaspoon paste

    If you have time, macerate the rhubarb, sugar, rose and lilac together overnight to realease some water and meld flavors. Keep about half of the excess sugar water and place it, along with rhubarb, rose, lilac and remaining ingredients in a pot. Simmer over low-medium heat for 20 minutes or so until liquid has reduced by at least 1/3 and the rhubarb is nice and pink and soft. Remove the vanilla bean if using and lemon peel. Blend everything else with a hand immersion blender or mash it lightly and keep it chunky. This is best kept in the fridge as it has less sugar than a typical jam. It will stay fresh for 2-4 weeks typically or longer, but it’ll move fast-you’ll want to put it on everything after one spoonful.

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• Poached rhubarb - pictured at top. eat this with anything-similar to the compote, but whole pieces. Takes all of 10 minutes.

  500g / 1lb rhubarb, cleaned and chopped

  225g sugar

  5g dried organic rose petals (about 1 heaping tablespoon)

  a pinch of dried lilac, if available

  Juice & peel of 1/2 lemon

  pinch of kosher salt or sea salt

  enough wine and/or water (I use half and half) to cover rhubarb halfway

  1/4 vanilla bean, harvested or 1/2 teaspoon paste

  If you have time, macerate the rhubarb, sugar, rose and lilac together overnight to realease some water and meld flavors. Keep about ALL of the excess sugar water and place it, along with rhubarb, rose, lilac and remaining ingredients in a pot. Simmer in a single layer over low-medium heat for 5-10 minutes until rhubarb is just soft.

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  enjoy your weekend, and perhaps one of these small projects!

  

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Alliums, in all their fragrant glory, are my absolute life force during the months of April and May (and really all year long). If you’ve ever been in the orbit of any chef during this period of springtime, you’ve certainly heard incessant chatter about ramps, among many other springy allium varietals. I’ve written about these emerald green beauties before (see here and here for additional info and recipes). They’re known as ramsons (England) and ramsløg (Scandinavia) and surely many other names across the globe. Ramps are a leafy cross of a wild onion and wild garlic, and can be found growing in patches of shade-covered forests. They are delicate but pack a lightly pungent and peppery taste and can be used in a multitude of ways (pickles/preserves, ferments, blended with a neutral oil, pureed, pesto, simply sauteed to name a few). As much as I adore them, they sometimes give me agita during their fleeting 6ish week season—seeing piles of them at the market or out in nature, with only so much time to preserve them, and so many dishes/stomach space to savor them.

Spring is the season of budding new growth and ingredients to enliven the system —alliums make a truly special case for this. In my fridge at most times during the current season are a collective bouquet of ramps, yellow garlic (see image below - a gorgeous light variety of garlic), spring onions (verdant babies!), chives (oh so delicate and refined), green garlic (the youthful fresh stalks of typical white garlic bulbs). Garlic scapes, garlic chives, lovely baby leeks and other wild allium varieties (like garlic mustard) also make a frequent appearance in my kitchen inventory rotation. So in advance of mother’s day this weekend, I am thinking of alliums - in my eyes, the “kiss of the season.” I’m not sure my own mother would prefer a bouquet of alliums to something more floral, but it sounds good for the post. ;) If you happen to get your hands on some ramps, or any other gorgeous spring alliums, below are a few quick recipes of how to use them in dishes and how to preserve them.

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Sauteed Ramps with Asparagus, Burrata and Ramp Oil

There’s not much better on a springtime plate than ramps and asparagus. Show mom a little extra love this weekend and grab a piece of burrata, always gorgeous and appreciated, make a quick bit of ramp oil, maybe throw on some breadcrums or lemon zest and you’re basically done. Maybe go for chef’s kiss and toss all of it with some nice ribbons of silky pasta like pappardelle or fettuccine, or pair with grilled sourdough or baguette.

1 bunch asparagus, cleaned and ends snapped off

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 bunch of ramps (green leaves only) *if your ramps have the white bulbs on them, snip them off and save them for another dish or pickle them, recipe below

kosher salt and cracked pepper to taste

1 piece burrata or mozzerella

ramp oil - see recipe within this post or sub in a drizzle of nice olive oil

flaky sea salt

lemon zest and / or toasted sesame seeds or toasted breadcrumbs

Prepare an ice bath. Bring a pot of salted water (salty like the ocean) to a boil and blanch the asparagus stalks for 60 seconds. Immediately plunge stalks into an ice bath. Pat asparagus down with a paper towel or clean kitchen cloth. In a large skillet, saute the asparagus in olive oil over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes, just kissed by the pan so that the asparagus remains “snappy”. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Slick the pan with a touch more oil if needed and saute the ramps for all of 20-30 seconds, just until they’re wilt. Season lightly with a bit of salt.

On a serving platter, arrange asparagus and ramps. Top with burrata and garnish with ramp oil, lemon zest, sesame seeds or breadcrumbs (or go crazy for mom and do all 3!).

Pickled Ramp Bulbs

Pickled bulbs are amazing—a nice sweet, pungent pop to anything they’re paired with. I view them as a nice treat as it’s important to keep a good amount of bulbs and roots in the ground to provide for the next season. I like to do a slightly sweeter pickle for these, but you could easily take the sugar down, bump the salt up depending on your preference. Depending on mood, I’ll change up the aromatics (you really don’t need a lot though, the bulbs are wonderful even on their own). Here I’ve used some pink and black peppercorn, but bay leaf, szechuan peppercorn or star anise, mustard seed could all add a nice layer of depth and warmth.

This brine makes enough for 1-2 cups of ramp bulbs.

250ml white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar

125ml water

75g sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon pink peppercorn

1/4 teaspoon black peppercorn

Simmer vinegar, water, sugar, salt and peppercorns until sugar dissolves. Cool slightly. Pour over cleaned ramp stems/bulbs-ensure that liquid completely covers bulbs. Add a weight or layer of parchment on top if needed to keep bulbs submerged. Store in a sterilized jar or container in the refrigerator. Once I’ve gone through all the bulbs, I’ll save the vinegar and use it for salad dressings and a sauces.

Ramp / Allium Puree

This puree is living in my fridge non-stop at the moment…a spoon or two can be worked into so many things and will bump the deliciousness-factor up a few notches. I wrote about slow simmered beans just in the previous post, silky smooth and creamy with quite waves of ramp-herb puree swimming through. Gorgeous and simple. I’ve also worked the puree into pasta, mashed potatoes, aioli, and swathed it over whole roasted fish and chicken thighs. Your options are truly endless.

Blanch the green leaves of ramps (or the green portions of other spring time alliums - see my obsession with leek top puree here) in salted water until they’re vibrant green and wilted (about 30-45 seconds), longer for leeks. Squeeze excess water out with a clean kitchen towel, roughly chop. Puree with a few tablespoons of other springy herbs (tarragon and parsley would be nice) and 1-2 tablespoons of neutral oil (like avocado) and a teaspoon or two of water as needed. Season with salt. Finito.

Korean-Style Preserved Ramps and Yellow Garlic

I’ve written about jangajji before, and have been preserving ramp leaves in this method for a number of years now. Jangajji is a traditional Korean pickle using soy sauce as a base. I’ll toss the leaves into stir-fries, warm salads, strewn over roasted fish or veg, over scrambled eggs, perched a top plain steamed rice…wherever your tastebuds and imagination might take you, it’s a an easy vehicle for a delicately salty-sweet-sesame hit of flavor. In this season’s batch, I’ve added a few strands of yellow garlic, so aromatic and lovely.

100ml soy sauce

100ml rice vinegar

60ml mirin or sake

60ml sesame oil

10ml fish sauce

20g sugar

1/2 teaspoon white peppercorn or Szechuan peppercorn, if desired

Simmer all ingredients until sugar is dissolved. Cool and pour over leaves, cover with a piece of parchment and store in refrigerator. *You can use this brine for other vegetables and sturdy leaves (like shiso), and it would be an absolutely killer marinade for chicken or steak. I’ll often add a clove or two garlic or some spring onion to the brine for those to add a note of allium.

Building a dish through layers of ingredients (and flavors) that often already have a home in my fridge is extraordinarily satisfying, and resourceful. That’s the beauty, in my opinion, of keeping a stock of a certain set of rotating foundational ingredients at a given time of the year. How many different ways can you combine 4 or 5 base ingredients or items and come out with 4 or 5 entirely different, fresh and new dishes? It’s a fun, weird little challenge and there’s no better feeling than not leaving something to wither and turn in the far back depths of your fridge. In recent weeks, I’ve been working through a lot of homemade chicken broth, springtime greens (spinach!, lettuces!, lambsquarters and nettles!) and all the goregous alliums (green garlic!, ramps!, spring onion!), and of course, my ever-favorite, the dried bean—my favorite bean farmer is back at the greenmarket after a long winter and I am deep in a lustful mode of bean brining and simmering. Looking at the week of weather ahead, it’s showing alot of springtime rain and cooler temps, so it feels like a very appropriate time to dive into warming springy things in bowls that all sort of layer upon themselves. If we look at 3 base items: a good chicken broth, dried beans, and spring veg, we get 3 very warming yet uplifting dishes: malfatti in brodo; the easiest, creamiest slow simmered beans; and a lovely and bright springtime minestrone soup brimming with veg.

Read down for your path to spring in a bowl.

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Malfatti in Brodo

Malfatti translates to “badly formed” in Italian. Perhaps badly formed, but very good in taste and texture. My virgin voyage with these plump creamy dumplings was just a few weeks. I was skeptical and nervous lowering the first round of malfatti into simmering salted water, fearing that they were so delicate they would immediately crumble apart, dissolving right into the water. Yes, a bit of the semolina they’re rolled in does release itself, but the dumplings stayed together, easing my fears and wow, definitely delighting my tastebuds. My virgin voyage will not be my last. This recipe is a great canvas to add / swap ingredients for - maybe lambs quarters or nettles instead of (or in addition to) spinach, maybe ramps, chives or leeks instead of spring onion and green garlic. If you’ve already got some chicken broth in your fridge (or freezer), this dish comes together easily and quickly. I’ve mentioned my notes around a good chicken broth before, you’ll find the link in the recipe below. It’s honestly a great thing to keep around most of the autumn, winter and spring while temperatures are still a bit cool. Make a few quarts / liters at a time and freeze it so you’re always at the ready for soups, sipping, braising etc.

Ingredients

serves 4-6

makes about 15-18 (if I’m remembering correctly)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 bunches of spinach, (or a big bag / box), about 250g , cleaned and washed

1 stalk green garlic, trimmed and finely minced

2 spring onions, trimmed and finely minced

250g / 1 cup whole fat ricotta cheese

25g / 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

25g / 1/4 cup pecorino romano cheese (or use all parmesan)

50g semolina flour (about 1/4 cup)

1 whole egg, room temperature

zest of 1 lemon

kosher salt to taste

freshly cracked white (or black) pepper

nutmeg, if desired

for serving:

3/4 -1 quart / liter of chicken broth (see a good baseline recipe here. maybe add a squeeze of lemon to make it a bit more springy) (about 3/4 cup per bowl)

extra grated parm or pecorino

a lemon cheek if you desire and / or some herb oil or ramp oil if you want to get fancy

Method

In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the spinach in batches in olive oil until wilted, season lightly with salt. Squeeze out any excess water from the spinach and roughly chop. Add it to a large mixing bowl. Add a bit more olive oil to the pan and saute the spring onion and green garlic over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes. Ssalt lightly and add with the spinach. Add in the ricotta, cheeses, semonlina flour, egg and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper and a bit of grated nutmeg if desired.

Chill the mixture in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you’re prepping ahead. Chilling the mixture makes it far easier to spoon and roll out the malfatti and they stay together better when being simmered.

To spoon and roll: use a soup spoon to portion out the chilled ricotta mixture, about 1-1 1/2 tablespoons per malfatti. Shape them into a nice little ball and roll in more semolina flour.

Place balls in the fridge until you’re ready to simmer and serve - they cook up real fast.

When you’re ready to cook, bring a pot of salted water (salty like the ocean) to a low boil/strong simmer, not a crazy rapid boil because my anxiety the balls will fall apart is still running high. While you’re waiting for the water to boil, bring your broth to a gentle simmer. When the malfatti water is boiling, gently drop the balls in and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the malfatti rise to the surface and are nice and bouncy.

Place 4-5 balls in each bowl followed by a nice amount of chicken broth. Season with a lemon cheek or herb/ramp oil, or simply a dash of olive oil and a sprinkle of extra grated parmesan or pecorino. Best enjoyed basking in spring sunshine, but gazing outside at the rain will have to do this coming week.

The Easiest, Creamiest Simmered Beans

I have extolled my deep, longing love for brined and simmered beans many a time over. Here’s my love story and a fully detailed brine-to-shine / simmer recipe. So good and satisfying and full of fiber, antioxdants and slow-carbs (for high energy). Beans for life y’all.

A Minestrone for Spring

This last recipe for a round of springy things in bowls combines both the chicken broth and the simmered beans above (both very nice things to have backstock of in your fridge on the regular). I honestly haven’t given much thought about minestrone since I was just out of college. I would often make my mom’s version of it — which to her credit, is very good. I guess I grew out of that phase over 2 decades ago though…until a trip to Milan last month where I ate a glorious non-tomato, spring vegetable-forward minestrone at Trattoria Della Gloria. I loved the little mini taster ramekin of it they offered on the menu so much, that I ordered it for dessert too. A lovely clear broth with buoying bits of potato, peas, carrots, celery, a wisp of parsley and flecks of red chili flake. Simple but a detailed expression of what a spring veg soup should be. Below is my version, bulked up with some of my favorite sonora beans from Amoon Farm (if you’re in the NYC area), but any small white bean varietal will work well here (cannellini is traditional, borlotti, flagoelet, etc). I’ve noted the veg I had on hand at the time I was making the minestrone, but any combo of spring veg would work nicely (fava beans or snap peas would be a lovely addition for instance). You’ll notice I did not use any pasta in this verison—the potatoes are toothsome and filling enough along with the beans. If you are looking to amp up this soup with even more flavor, you might opt for a multi-meat broth. I’ve combined pork broth and chicken below, and of course, you could use all chicken (or even a straight veg broth), but the combo of a beef and/or pork broth with some chicken broth, creates so depth and an intensity to the soup that is really noticeable. Beef and pork broth are easy enough to make, in the same manner as you would chicken - roasting bones, adding your chosen aromatics, and letting water, time and a low temperature do its work.

Ingredients

serves 4-6

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 yellow onion, diced

2 spring onion or leeks, white portion only, minced

1/2 bunch of celery, stalks cleaned and thinly sliced on a bias

3-4 carrots, peeled and diced small

4 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and diced small-medium

1 cup yellow (or red) cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

kosher salt to taste

cracked black pepper to taste

1-2 parmesan rinds

2-3 sprigs of fresh or dried oregano or marjoram

2 bay leaves

2 lemon peels

1 quart / liter chicken broth (or sub veg broth) *see recipe above

1/2 quart / liter pork or beef broth (or use all chicken or veg broth) *similar method as chicken broth recipe

2 cups / 1/2 liter (give or take) simmered white beans *see recipe above

3/4-1 cup fresh peas (or frozen, or fava beans, snap peas etc)

grated parmesan or pecorino romano for serving

celery leaves for garnish

Method

In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add in the onion, spring onion/leek, carrots, celery, and potatoes and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add the yellow cherry tomatoes and saute another 4-5 minutes. Season veg lightly with salt (I like to do this before adding the broth so the flavors and nutrients in the veg are brought out) and pepper. Make a sachet with the parm rind, herb sprigs, bay leaves and lemon peels and add to the pot (if you don’t have cheesecloth on-hand, a coffee filter and some kitchen twine will do the trick). Turn the heat down to low and add in the broth(s). Simmer all the veg very gently on the lowest heat for about 1.5 hours. You want to bring out all the flavors and slowly cook the veg until tender without losing much of the broth quantity.

In the final 15-20 minutes of cooking, add in your beans so they warm and get nice and creamy. In the final 5-7 minutes of cooking, add in the peas so they cook through but keep their freshness and a slight bite. To serve, discard the aromatics sachet, add some celery leaves, a sprinkle of cheese, perhaps a bit more pepper or a squeeze of lemon and a bit of olive oil.

Kitchen Notes

In other things unrelated to bowls, 2 quick notable mentions this week…

• Namoi After-Cooking Hand Scrub - If you are seeking out a new kitchen hand soap (or even if you’re not), I have recently been treating my hands to a simple luxury after a cooking session with Naomi hand scrub. Naomi uses plant-based cleansers, algae and calendula extracts and vitamins B and E to nourish and exfoliate skin and keep hands hydrated and soft while also neutralizing odor (by including bread yeast enzymes in the formula, wow!). This soap was formulated and founded by former chefs and if you’ve ever done a 12-18 hour stretch in the kitchen, you know how sad and dry your hands can feel at the end of the day. Naomi is a bit of a happiness to your tried hands, truly. And both scents I’ve smelled/tried - Santal and Iris, and Bergamot and Pepper are so lovely they could easily pass for a gentle perfume. If I need to gush about Naomi any more, they work with a solar-powered manufacturer and give 2% of sales to World Central Kitchen, the incredible chef-based organization that feeds people in crisis. If you’re hands are curious, use the code batch1club for 25% any purchase before July 1st.

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• Dance, Pilates & Embodied Eating Retreat, Catskills June 18-21. If you’re looking for a brief early summer getaway to unlock and unwind right at the time of the summer solstice, join Good Move studio and myself in the Catskills for 3 days of upstate bliss - somatic dance and pilates, nature, intentional food right from our surroundings and an embodied eating hands-on cooking workshop. A long weekend to soften and release, to move, sweat, rest and rest—held by nature, guided with care. The retreat house is nestled in nature with acres of hiking trails, streams and fields to explore and a pool, hot tub and sauna to relax in. Just 5 spots left. Find more details about the retreat and Good Move’s incredible ethos HERE!

  

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There are too many springy recipes that I’ve made recently and wanted to post up here, so a spring series feels appropriate - I’ll focus on the items and ingredients of the moment (right this very minute) that are exciting me the most. And perhaps these are recipes or ideas you’ll think back to in future springtimes. Spring is most definitely springing (although this week in NYC feels more like July or August). Blooms and greens are literally bursting on the streets and at the markets, and it’s honestly a long-awaited joy.

There are certain springy things that really put my senses on overdrive, in the best way possible, and magnolia trees are one of them. They happen to be blooming all around the city, looking magestic with outstretched branches and ombre-toned flowers. If you are lucky enough to have these beauties wherever you live, pause reading this post and go out and pick a few buds immediately - the trees bloom quickly and the petals are on the ground before you know it. If you are plucking them off a neighbor’s tree (guilty), be thoughtful, you don’t need many for this recipe. And if you are plucking them from a tree in NYC or really anywhere, you’ll want to give them a very thorough wash. If you weren’t already aware, (I wasn’t until a few years ago), magnolia petals are absolutely edible, and they’re fantastic. Pink-white buds bear a delicate ginger, warming aroma and flavor, and, as I’ve been told but yet to experience, white buds are citrusy and more freshly floral. You can pickle them, candy them, make a gorgeous gingery syrup for cocktails, homemade sodas and cake soaks. I’ve used pickled petals in years past in stir-fries, strewn over top roasted fish, tossed into springy salads.

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In today’s post, I’m focusing on magnolia sugar—a little of which, goes a very long way and enhances anything you add it to. I decided to finally make use of the madeleine pans I got a few weeks back. And thus, we come to magnolia madeleines—seemingly a fancy dessert or snack, but actually so easy I was a bit shocked. I’ve never seen what the big deal with the iconic shell-shaped cake is, but I’m coming around—hell bent as of a weeks ago to figure out how to make madeleines and why they’re always so hyped. Well, now I know. They’re a lovely little buttery bite of cake and pair nicely with so many things (a dip of icing, glaze or melted chocolate; a sprinkle of powdered sugar or citrus zest; a dunk into coffee, tea or ice cream that’s melting so fast because your kitchen is like 88 degrees in mid-April ….that was me yesterday).

I’ll take the melting ice cream and the magnolia madeleines any day. Here’s why they’re gorgeous, and why I would recommend baking them asap.

• Magnolia sugar takes all of 60 seconds to zip up in a food processor (or you could work a hand blender or mortar and pestle in small batches if you had to). Keep any extra sugar in the freezer for future batches or other uses.

• Madeleine batter is am overnight process, but the actual active time is less than 10 minutes. Whisk it all in a stand-mixer or in a bowl with some serious arm muscle and you’re done.

• The magnolia sugar, when combined with a bit of butter (I used some brown butter in this first test batch) and a little bit of a nutty wholegrain flour like einkorn (I’ve talked about einkorn before here and here), well…that delicate note of ginger really just embraces the brown brown and einkorn in the loveliest way. This triple threat (I am pretty sure) takes an average madeleine to a whole new level. And it’s simply fun to use floral sugars.

• Despite my questionable opinions for many years, madeleines are just cute and people really do love them. I gave a few to the wonderful woman at my local wine shop (shout out to Frog Wine) and her eyes lit up. That’s always a nice feeling to receive.

• A brief madeleine history: they likely originated in France in the 1700’s in the Lorraine region, one legend has it they were named after a female chef who worked for the Duke of Lorraine. Marcel Proust cites them various times in his writing as cakes that evoke a deep memory of childhood…“She set out for one of those short, plump little cakes called ‘petites madeleines,’ which look as though they had been moulded in the fluted scallop of a pilgrim’s shell…No sooner had the warm liquid, and the crumbs with it, touched my palate than a shudder ran through my whole body, and i stopped, intent upon the extraordinary changes that were taking place.” - Remembrance of Things Past, Volume One

Before I continue with the recipe, let’s address the issue of the all-important “bump” (the rise on the back side of madeleines). There’s a lot of intimidating chatter about it anywhere you do some research. I’d never baked these beauties before so I had zero reference point. The bump (the “rise”) is the sign of a well-rested batter and a good difference in heat / heat conduction - very hot oven and cold batter, and often times cold pan (though I did not do that and I got nice bumps). I worked off notes from a Dorie Greenspan recipe, figuring the American-in-Paris notable pastry chef has had a run or two with madeleines. She did not steer me wrong. I had no issue with achieving said bump, so I’ll give you my exact method and the brand name of the madeleine pan I recently purchased, a well-made pan can impact heat conduction.

Ok, the recipe…make these one time and you’ll want to make them again asap. I’ve already got my second batch of madeleine batter resting in the fridge. I served batch no. 1 with a hand-churned ice cream from “scraps” (I was cleaning out my freezer)…a few peach kernels (otherwise known as noyaux) I’d saved from last summer and forgotten about, and some dried woodruff I saved from last summer when I was in Denmark. Both have a gorgeously almondy/marizpany note. This is an advance call out for the upcoming summer months — save your apricot, peach and nectarine stones! So, together we come out with magnolia madeleines with noyaux ice cream and raspberry cheong sauce. Cheong is essentially macerated fruit, naturally lightly fermented, following a Korean method. It creates gorgeous and very easy fruit syrups. I’ll do a separate post on them as we get into peak summer fruit season. But paid subscribers will get the ice cream recipe now just below the magnolia madeleine entry. Definitely worth ear-marking for peak summer.

Magnolia Madeleines

makes 1 dozen cakes from a regular-sized madeleine pan

90g (just under 1/2 cup) magnolia sugar *see recipe below

10g light brown sugar *you could use 100g total of all magnolia sugar instead

2 eggs at room temperature

60g AP flour

20g einkorn or spelt or purple wheat flour

• note on flour: (I used combo of 40g AP, 20g pastry flour, 20g einkorn flour), but mix and match and see what works well for you. 60g pastry flour would make even airier cakes

3/4 teaspoon baking powder (3g)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (3g)

1/2 tonka bean or 1/4 vanilla bean, cut and harvested (or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)

30g brown butter *see a quick recipe for bb below

55g regular unsalted butter

• Magnolia sugar (store excess in the freezer)

3 magnolia buds, petals cleaned, washed and dried

1 cup (200g) sugar

Blend petals and sugar together in a food processor for about 60 seconds until it looks like the photo below. The sugar will be a little “wet” (from the magnolia petals) but that’s completely fine. It won’t impact the end product.

• Brown butter

Place a stick of butter in a small pot over medium-low heat and let it melt and simmer until brown milk solids collect at the bottom and the butter turns a golden brown color and smells nutty and aromatic. Strain and refrigerate until ready to use - or don’t strain and keep the brown butter solids in …they’re delicious and add a lot of aromatic sweet/savory nutty flavor particularly into this popcorn and into baked goods.

Method

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, paddle together the eggs and magnolia sugar on medium-high until the mixture is ribbony, about 4-5 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the brown butter and regular butter together in a small pot. Lightly cool while the eggs and sugar are beating. In a small mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients - flour(s), salt, baking soda, tonka bean or vanilla bean, mix lightly with a whisk.

When the magnolia sugar and eggs are ribbony, add in the dry ingredient mixture in 2-3 iterations. Then, slowly add in the butters and gently mix on medium speed until well-combined. Put the batter in a storage container, place a piece of plastic wrap over top so a skin doesn’t form and then place the container lid on top. Chill in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours, preferably overnight (what I did).

When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400F / 200C. Here’s an important step to help you get that beloved “bump”: PLACE A COOKIE SHEET FLIPPED OVER IN THE OVEN WHILE IT’S PREHEATING - it will act as a baking stone for the madeleine pan so you get those bumps from the hot/cold heat conduction.

Now, prepare your madeleine pan (this is the one I have) with butter or baking spray. Spoon about a tablespoon-ish of batter into each shell mold, if you have extra batter distribute evenly. Don’t worry about getting the batter super smooth or level, it’ll even out when baking. Bake for 10-12 minutes ON THE MIDDLE RACK without disturbing (don’t open the oven). Depending on how hot your oven runs, you’ll need a minute less or more. *update from round 2 - I found that the middle rack is super important, at least in my oven, for the best heat conduction and bump and shell shape from the mold - the imprint comes out sharper and has a better sheen to it when baked on the middle shelf. Enjoy warm right out of the oven, or store them in an airtight container for 1-2 days. They’ll go fast!

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Sometimes the simplest things in life (and in nature) are the most elusive. I am speaking of the seemingly homely but technicolored root vegetable, the beet. If you mention beets in a sentence or a recipe, or serve it on the dinner table, inevitably there are multiple opinions and either some snide remarks, or elated smiles. The earthy, somewhat sweet, somewhat bitter flavor notes can be devisive. Beets indeed are a lesson in time, temperature and method—transforming something that looks like severly dirt-covered baseball into a vibrant vessel of flavorful nutrients with tender bite and flavor charateristics that almost take on hints of caramel, chocolate and whatever aromatics you might add into the roasting pan. Once you get into a good groove, beets (in my personal experience) can become a beacon of revivial: they’re loaded with good fiber to make digestive movement a little more “fluid”; they are exceptional “cleansers,” detoxifying the liver and helping boost energy and aliveness (read: they are particularly great if you’re hungover or rebooting after a multi-day bender, a long flight, a stressful string of workdays); they’re rich in antioxidants and potassium-great for heart health, lowering high blood pressure and recouping muscles and the healing process after intense workouts, a strain or surgery; and lastly, they’re an incredible example of the wonders that mother nature gifts us—thanks to their phytonutrients, they come to us in insanely captivating purples, reds, pinks, yellows and candy cane stripes. Such intense colors have a distinct connection to our emotionality—adding color to our plates can uplift our mood, our physical sensations, in mere seconds. Pretty impressive for tossing a seemingly unimpressive root in the oven with some water and aromatics.

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Throughout the world, many of us celebrated Passover or Easter this past week/weekend or Eid, a few weeks ago, holidays that signify the spring harvest and rebirth, moving into a season of growth, renewal and sunlit energy. The beet, in many ways, symbolizes this shift from the depths of winter, as it’s literally rooted in the ground waiting and sweetening its plant sugars, to being harvested and consumed, providing nutrients that usher us into this next growth season. Something grounded and earthy transformed into a reviving burst of aliveness.

All of this sounds lovely and idealistic, but let’s turn to practical application. Getting from a dirty rooty baseball to something glorious and tender, whose flavor has slowly been coaxed out and ready to shine on the table. In theory this should not be hard for beets, and in reality it isn’t. But somehow, we often get perplexed or nervous about how to cook a beet properly, or we just simply give up and don’t do it. Some common methods that may not be the best course if you’re looking for a glorious beet.

• Boiling - throw it in a pot of water and go. Sure, it’s doable, but it can often leach out nice color and nutrients if you boil for too long or too strongly. And then you’re too likely to be left with the type of beet that people have aversions to—boring, flavorless (or too earthy/tastes a little like dirt) and perhaps watery and mushy.

• Full on roasting - by full on roasting, I mean roasting as you would many other root veg (for example, parsnips, carrots, turnips etc). You know, tossing cut veg with some oil, salt and pepper and throwing them on a sheet pan at 425F or so. Beets, given their density would take a very long time to cook in dry heat and by the time they’re soft enough to bite, they turn to shriveled little pieces of over-caramelized earth. Not so nice and typically very chewy.

A better path: My suggested path to enlightened beetdom is a combination of both methods. Fill a baking dish, I prefer metal as it conducts heat better, with about 3/4 inch of water, add in cleaned and trimmed beets along with your selection of aromatics and a good, strong sprinkling of salt (similar to how you’d season pasta water). I probably use a heaping tablespoon or so of salt per 4-6 beets, but taste the water and once it tastes relatively like the ocean, you’re good. This helps season the entire beet - so the insides taste equally delicious and flavorful. The salt also helps unlock those fantastic nutrients. As for the aromatics, you have options, but generally I keep it simple so I can go on autopilot a bit (and make use of my spent coffee grounds from earlier in the morning). Coffee grounds? YES! I love using excess coffee grounds with beets…they’re complimentary flavors and bring out chocolately sweetness and depth in the beets. I’ll add in a bay leaf or 2, perhaps some thyme or tarragon springs and a few peppercorns or pink peppercorns. And that’s really it, but you could certainly go in other directions. A few lemon or orange peels, maybe a cinnamon stick and a star anise (I’d save these for autumn or winter). Some lemongrass stalks, fresh ginger and lime leafs. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil, put in the oven and go do something else for 45-75 minutes. Timing will depend on the size of the beets. XL sized balls I usually cut in half or quarters.

Check the beets for doneness around 40-45 minutes by pricking them with a cake tester or small knife or toothpick. They should be easily pierced but still have a little give, not hard but not mushy. Once your beets are nicely steam-roasted, remove the foil, cool for 10 mins, clean/wash off the coffee grounds if using and peel. Beware of staining your hands or cutting board.

After that, you have beets at the ready for salads (they would be stunning with this dressing), tossed into couscous or quinoa or barley, pureed into a gorgeous dip that everyone will ask about the recipe for (see below), pureed into a chocolate cake — amazing depth and flavor, or simply pickled for a quick snack.

With all this talk about roasting, I do want to add that beets are often so tasty raw they are delicious very thinly sliced on a mandolin and either pickled or tossed into a salad just as they are - no cooking required (leave them in super thin rounds or julienned—finely cut into long sticks). Apply this rhubarb pickling method to thinly shaved beets. Easy and yum. I also want to add, as I would for any vegetable (or fruit), if you have the opportunity to get beets from a local farmer’s market, they will likely be more flavorful and sweeter than the average beet you pick up in the grocery store. Shorter the distance / not sitting in a warehouse for a few weeks, allows the beet to possess better flavor and more nutrients that get passed right onto you.

Below is a quick recipe for perfectly roasted beets along with a few inspiration photos and below that, your gateway to a crudites dip that will catch all eyes and tastebuds.

Perfectly Cooked Springy Beets

1 bunch of beets (any color), cleaned and trimmed of their leaves - cut in half if particularly large

2-3 tablespoons of used coffee grounds, if on hand

1 tablespoon or so of kosher salt or sea salt

2 bay leaves

*your choice: a few sprigs of thyme, tarragon or oregano; a few lemon peels; 1 teaspoon of black or pink peppercorns

Preheat oven to 425F. Fill a small metal baking pan or a cake / loaf pan with 3/4 inch water. Add beets, coffee grounds, salt, aromatics of choice.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Roast for 45-75 minutes depending on size. Check for doness with a cake tester, knife or toothpick around 45 minutes and then again every 10 minutes or so after.

Remove foil, cool, wash off coffee grounds and peel.

If you’re really wanting to go an extra mile, save the colorful beet juice and make shocking-fuschia beet-dyed hard-boiled eggs (a fun activity if you’ve got kiddos!). Just hard boil eggs, cool and cover them with beet cooking liquid overnight in the fridge.

Beet inspo:

Beet Dip with Feta & Lemon

this gorgeous dip has never failed me, a go-to in my recipe arsenal for over 15 years, serve with seasonal crudites, focaccia, pita etc.

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Somehow it feels fitting to post up an gelato/ice cream recipe on a brisk, partly sunny Wednesday afternoon in late March. Maybe it’s an unconscious beckoning of warmer spring weather, maybe it’s a desire to bring some mid-week excitement into an otherwise bland week, or maybe it’s a longing to be back in Italy where I was just a week ago. Likely a combination of the three. I was lucky enough to take a brief respite in Milan and Modena last week where the gelato can easily become a daily ritual, a mid-afternoon pick-me-up gift from the gods of all things dairy. See my recs for gelato shops (among other spots) in both cities below. The recipe below for ricotta gelato with cracked black pepper and candied lemon is one I actually made prior to my Italiano vacazione. It was a quick dessert made out of “necessity” rather than desire. I had ricotta to use up before it turned and a client dinner party I needed a fast dessert for. After making this gelato and tasting just a few spoonfuls, i can confidently I will make it again, but this time out of simple desire. It is luscious and lightly textured from the ricotta, and almost nods to cannoli filling, with a savory hint of pepper and a springtime pop of citrus. I used a Breville ice cream machine (highly recommend), but if you don’t have one, a virtually hands-off “hand-churned” version of this gelato is completely feasible using a metal loaf pan or small metal cake pan placed right in your freezer — I don’t have an ice cream maker at home and I’ve used this no-frills freezer method countless times.

If you’re wondering what the difference between gelato and ice cream is (I had to look it up too), here it is: ice cream typically includes heavy cream and eggs and is churned at a faster speed to incorporate more air for a creamy / icy texture. Gelato generally includes just milk and is churned more slowly (if using a machine), which provides for a lower fat content and a silky but denser texture. The absence of cream or eggs in gelato tends to allow the flavors to really shine and come vibrantly through, tasting of themselves. So if you’ve ever had a hazelnut (nocciola) or chocolate or even plain milk (fior di latte) gelato, it really tastes so deeply of the specific ingredient.

The gelato recipe below lets that sublte savory, tangy flavor of ricotta cheese and hit of black pepper come through. Very simple, yet sophisticated. I used a bit of candied meyer lemon I had lying around to add at the very end, but if you’re looking for a timesaver, you could always just add in some zest, lemon or meyer or even blood orange or grapefruit would be nice. Serve the gelato by itself, perhaps with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt or a little biscotti or these rye-cacoa nib shortbread. And if you’re seeking a quick spring getaway after the TSA lines calm down (hopefully sooner than later) see my top quick picks for Milan and Modena after the recipe.

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Ricotta Ice Cream with Black Pepper & Candied Meyer Lemon

makes about a quart / liter

300g / 1 ½ cups whole milk ricotta

22g / 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch (or tapioca starch which is a little smoother)

140g sugar

40g coconut sugar or dark brown sugar (or lite brown sugar in a pinch)

600ml whole milk

1 ½ tbsp cognac (or brandy / sweet wine, even bourbon would work)

1 ½ teaspoons honey

1 tsp vanilla powder or paste

¼ - ½ tsp freshly cracked pepper (about 5-8 turns on a grinder) (toast the peppercorns lightly in a dry pan before grinding)

¼ cup finely minced candied meyer lemon slices *see sub recipe below or swap for zest of 2 lemons, meyer lemons or blood oranges or 1 grapefruit)

Drain the ricotta in a fine mesh sieve over a bowl to remove any excess water.

Whisk together cornstarch and sugar in a bowl.

Heat milk until it lightly boils. Pour slowly into the cornstarch-sugar whisking constantly to prevent lumps.

Pour the mixture back into saucepan and bring to a simmer to cook out the starch. Whisk constantly so milk doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan and burn.

Remove from heat, whisk in ricotta, cognac, honey and pepper. Pour the base into a bowl or container and place the bowl in an Ice bath it to cool then cover and refrigerate overnight (or at least 4 hours).

When you’re ready to churn the gelato: place the minced candied meyer lemon in the freezer for at least 20 minutes so it doesn’t melt the ice cream when added to the mix.

Ice cream machine method:

Before you pour the gelato base into the machine, use a whisk or hand immersion blender to re-emulsify it. Then, pour it into the machine and churn at the manufacturer’s specifications (on the gelato setting if there is one). Add in the candied lemon or zest at the very end.

Hand-churn metal pan method:

Remulisfy the base as noted above. Pour it into a metal loaf pan or small 6” cake pan. Place it in the freezer uncovered. Place the candied lemon in the freezer. After 1-1.5 hours, slowly whisk the mixture for 30 seconds or so. Add in the candied lemon and whisk a few more times. Allow the gelato to fully freeze at this point. The gelato will freeze a bit harder than usual because of the ricotta - I’d recommend taking out of the freezer 3-5 minutes before serving to let it temp a little.

*Candied lemon or meyer lemon

very thin slices, seeded, of 2 lemons or Meyer lemons

200g / 1 cup sugar

188ml / 3/4 cups water

pinch of kosher salt or sea salt

In lightly simmering water, blanch the citrus slices for 30-45 seconds. Strain and repeat for a total of 2 times with fresh water.

Gently simmer the sugar (200g)and water (188ml) in a medium saucepan until sugar is fully dissolved. *Note, I’ve made this simple syrup a little heavier on the sugar so it has a more viscous quality, which is nice for candying and preserving the slices.

Add the citrus slices and simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes until peels are nicely candied and a bit translucent. Season lightly with a pinch salt to taste - taste and when the syrup makes you smile, you’ve hit the right amount. Cool and store in the fridge - peels preserved in the syrup. The candied slices will store in the fridge for a few months and are delicious chopped into salads, sauces, dressings and other desserts/cakes - I typically double the recipe. If you can find Meyer lemons, that would be my preference as they’re lightly perfumed aroma is lovely and less bitter/sweeter than your typical lemon.

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Chef’s Kiss: Quick Hits for Milan & Modena

If you’re never been to Milan, you may want to put it on your radar. Italy’s most cosmpolitan city is centered around design, fashion (loads of vintage), art, history, canals (who knew!) and excellent northern Italian cuisine. I would go back in a heartbeat. Modena is just a 1 hour 45min train south of Milan and if you’re into fast cars (the Ferrari museum is there, and it’s actually very cool) and some of the bedrocks of Italian cuisine (tortellini in brodo, paremsan, proscuitto, and balsamic vinegar), it’s worth a quick visit, 1 night will probably do you well. If I was forced to pick a handful of core spots to visit in both cities (I have are literally dozens for Milan), here they are:

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I don’t know about y’all, but last week felt absolutely rock bottom. The combination of pouring rain, major energetic and astrologic shifts (full moon x lunar eclispse x Mercury retrograde) and the horrific state of global & national politics had me feeling like I’d collapsed on a dirty kitchen floor and couldn’t get up. Read: gross and not fun. Year of the life-shifting, energetic fire horse, where the F are you?!

Finally, with this hint of springtime we’re currently being gifted my head is clearing and I am slowly standing up…broom in hand to sweep that proverbial kitchen floor.

In all candid, vulnerable openness, I struggle at times with emotional lows. Pretty big dips - like I imagine, most of us do. And/or maybe I’m simply being an overdramatic, highly sensitive and emotional Leo (high proability). I allow myself to feel my feels and attempt to breathe, meditate and vision through these lows. Basically, I go quiet, I walk, I think, I allow myself to simply be slow and I try to do a little better…for myself and for others. That trickles down into what / when I’m feeding myself, and what thoughts I’m consistently allowing into my mental and emotional orbit. What we put our focus on is what grows, like seeds in the ground that ultimately become spring flowers (or gangly spring weeds)….gardener’s choice.

A wise soul recently reminded that:

We don’t get what we want. We get what we expect.

She also reminded me of the importance of being vigilant, a word I’ve been carrying with me a lot recently. Being vigilant with respect to the thoughts and actions I (we) carry with us each and every day. I’m speaking of a vigilance that does not evoke a negative connotation, but actually a positive one. An actionable, forward-moving outlook. Vigilant with my time and schedule (procrastination does not get all those creative and fulfilling projects, including these Substack columns, done on their own); vigilant about how my body responds to too much phone screen time or Instagram scrolling (my body has been screaming in agony lately); vigilant about my morning routine and my evening one (stepping outside soon after waking is a game changer; waiting until after a solid breakfast to have coffee is also game changer; not going down a scrolling spiral right before bed, a third game changer). Vigilance, in my internal dictionary, refers to noting certain personal patterns and practices that could use a bit of spring cleaning—being open and available to have a conversation with your body…in hopes that I / you might lessen the impact of a dip onto a dirty kitchen floor. This feels akin to the whole “friction maxxing” movement that’s currently trending (as I noted in this previous post about the new food pyramid). Are we creating a new term “vigilance-maxxing”? In my world, vigilance-maxxing spills over to the universe of what I’m feeding myself as I mentioned above. The same dear wise soul also reminded me that:

Food is the only art form that enters people’s bodies.

It’s truly a prayer. It’s ephemeral.

Whether or not you view food preparation in your own kitchen as an art form, there is still great opportunity to adjust and positively (or negatively) impact our mood based on what we are or are not consuming, especially if you’re a sensitive little spring flower like myself. I’ve laid out a few potential “spring cleaning check points” below - the food, drink, or pattern that might be sending my / your mood on a rollercoaster and an easy, not necessarily boring or miserable, option for a swap out or shift.

If I am to review my own vigilance-maxxing status thus far for the year, I’d say, “adequate with room for improvement.” Some days are solid, some days not so much. That’s kind of just life. We can always hone and tweak and assess and do a bit better, be satisfied and proud of small wins. And in my opinion, the year really kicks off with the vernal equinox, so we’ve all still got a couple of weeks to assess old patterns and lock in that fire horse energy. Just enough time to clean that dirty kitchen floor.

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5 Things That Can Bust or Boost Spring Moods

1. Coffee first thing in the morning - I win this daily battle about 60-70% of the time at the moment. I am particularly sensitive to caffeine and yet, I love a good cup of coffee in the morning. The ritual, the aroma, the comfort. And then I notice my blood sugar dropping, my kidneys working on overdrive (immediate run to the bathroom to pee), I’m sweating lightly and I’m a little anxious and unfocused. I am left trying to recoupe my blood sugar, stability and focus the rest of the morning, even after breakfast. I see a vast difference if I wait a few hours after waking, have a workout or walk outside and have a solid breakfast with some blood-sugar stabilizing protein in it—this helps blanket the impact blow of incoming coffee/caffeine and mitigates any potential rush of anxiety. And if you are prone to emotional dips like me, you know it’s not an ideal thing to couple it with anxiety. The solve: hold out an hour or two for your coffee if you can, maybe reach for a lighter first-thing-in-the-AM beverage like herbal tea or hot water with lemon. Don’t spike your blood sugar. Eat something!

2. Mid-day sandwich - I am not trying to hate on sandwiches or shun them. I am simply bringing to light my own experience with sammies and I do love them from time to time, but they don’t do it for me mid-day, or really anytime. They too can spike my blood sugar a little and leave me pretty unsatisfied feeling a low slump shortly after and possibly a bit bloated depending on the quality of the bread. I will refrain to jumping into a discourse about gluten, but if the flour in a given sandwich bread is refined and/or of poor quality (like most mass-produced all-purpose flour in this country), I can immediately feel it (and see it) in my stomach and joints. I don’t think I’m alone here. I tend to fare better with sandwiches that pack in veggies along with meat/cheese/tuna what have you, but I really feel rocking and emotionally and mentally steady when I sit down to more of a “real” (albeit usually quick) mid-day meal. And if I’m swapping that sandwich bread for some whole grains or complex carbs (I’m thinking quinoa, bulgur, wheatberries, chickpeas/beans etc) then I am soaring with a very clear head, balanced blood sugar and very consistent energy up until sundown. Does this mean perhaps making your lunch more often at home? Maybe. Is it worth it? Totally.

   The solve: I’m at my personal best with some grains/complex carbs, salad greens or veg, and a little protein of some kind like an egg, some leftover chicken, tuna, lentils etc. Throw it all in a bowl, add some cheese, nuts, avocado, olives etc and call it lunch. Cause it is.

3. Greens?? - Don’t skip the salad. Most of us are not likely eating enough greens, myself included on some days. Leafy greens (lettuces and heartier greens like chard, kale, spinach, mustard greens etc) are like emerald gems for your brain and mood receptors. They also help reduce inflammation and are high in folate which is linked to reducing depression — folate-rich foods stimulate dopamine and serotonin production which boost our mood and keep us feeling happy and chill. Dopamine via a crisp crunchy salad hits far different than doom scrolling on Instagram does…(tried and tested). The solve: In short, eat more greens-fresh, sauteed, however you want.

4. Sweets before bed - This one hits harder and harder as we age, trust me. I am known to have a few spoonfuls of ice cream or bites of a cookie (homemade or not) in the evening at times and I’ve noticed it’s increasing impact on my sleep and my blood sugar when I wake up the next morning. If I snack too close to bed, I’m kind of screwed. This is not shocking news or anything, but does that necessarily stop me / you from doing it? I’ll wake up not feeling super rested, want to reach for the coffee I’m meant to be waiting on and the whole downward cycle starts over again. Not ideal for limiting emotional dips. The solve: If you’re gonna do dessert (and I love a good dessert), try to do it at least 1.5-2 hours before bed and don’t do it on an empty stomach, that’ll only spike your blood sugar even more! For a natural bit of sweetness to finish off the evening, perhaps consider a gorgeous date or two (I’m talking about the dried fruit here). Dates are kinder to blood sugar and can often taste like chocolate or caramel. I know, not at all the same, but still a vigilant suggestion.

5. Alcohol - If I could insert the full-on crying emoji on Substack here I would. This is an obvious one, but it’s worth calling out. Not surprising that a couple of drinks particularly in the evening impact sleep and can kick off depressive cycles. I don’t know if there’s a realistic solve for this one outside of sobriety or curbing the quantity and frequency, or opting for an alt bev entirely — love a little sparkly water, lemon twist and some bitters for a pick-me-up. I’ve really been aiming to cut out alcohol on weeknights and feel significantly more rested, less puffy (everywhere) and of course better equipped to tackle all the above “vigilance” in my daily routine. But then a 70F degree spring day comes along, the sun shining, someone mentions a glass of rose or a negroni, and all bets are off. ;)

To put one more spring cleaning tool in your inbox, I will leave you with a recipe for the simplest, tastiest quinoa. Quinoa is packed with blood sugar stabilizing complex carbs, fiber, antioxidants and is a complete source of plant-based protein. Lots of wins there. And only takes about 15 minutes to cook! More wins. All in all quinoa is great to keep mood boosted and energy steady. All the wins.

Sesame Quinoa with Caramelized Onion

I’ve noted this recipe in the past (with this really delicious braised pork & tomatoes recipe), but it’s so good on its own, it’s worth bringing back for a solo mention. I’ll often plop a pile of sauteed leafy greens on top…a great mood boosting duo. Or really, just a great springtime/anytime lunch.

serves 4

1 small-medium yellow onion, finely diced

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon unsalted butter

1 cup (200g) quinoa

2 cups (480ml) water

kosher salt / sea salt to taste

black pepper to taste

to finish:

about 1-1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil and a splash of apple cider vinegar

1 bunch of hearty greens (like kale, chard, mustard greens, collards), hand torn or roughly chopped

In a medium saucepan, saute the onion in oil and butter over medium heat 5-7 minutes until lightly caramelized. Add in the quinoa and toast it lightly to bring out flavor notes and nuttiness, 1-2 minutes. Add in water, bring quinoa to a light boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 7-8 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the remaining liquid to absorb while covered for about 5 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper, finish by working in a few teaspoons of sesame oil and acv until it tastes delicious. Saute the greens in a bit more olive oil along with 1-2 smashed garlic cloves for 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Place over top quinoa in a nice heap.

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One more quick way with winter citrus - see my previous post. I made this dessert the other week and one lick of the spoon brought a smile to my face. Nuanced with layers of flavor, eternally chic (is this where I reference Carolyn Bessette Kennedy?) and fast…3 signals of a very good dessert option. I have written about panna cotta in the past (poached rhubarb & candied fennel), and this will likely not be the last time it appears on these pages. It’s a gorgeous canvas for the season’s best in show (and what’s lying around in your fridge). In this instance, I needed to use up 3 lonely passion fruits in my fridge, purchased in a bit of desperation to boost me out of a winter slump. And I had some citrus peels waiting for something, anything but the compost bin. Into a pot of cream they go. And into a caramel goes the passionfruit with a pieces of leftover ginger root. Panna cotta can be executed in a matter of minutes (just be sure to pre-purchase some gelatin sheets ahead of time…they’re good to have lying around) and poured into any vessel of your choosing. Ramekin, cocktail coupes or glasses, little bowls, tiny food-storage containers (excellent for transporting in my case) will all work very nicely. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to fully firm up and you’re ready to serve. The caramel, if there’s excess, will last in the fridge for 3-4 months.

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February always feels a bit like mother nature’s roll of the dice. Just earlier this week, my doorstep was covered in nearly 20 inches of snow and the view from my window resembled, at least for a few hours, a winter wonderland, the streets blanketed in a quiet sheath of untouched white. Now that snow has been pushed back to the curbs, melting into dirty grey piles of slush thanks to a gorgeous streak of winter sunshine. The kind of sun that signals the coming of spring and makes you want to tilt your head way back upwards to the sky to feel the warmth of a forthcoming seasonal shift. And of course the weather report is reading rain all next week. :/

Winter is long, grey and volatile, and would be somewhat uninspiring were it not for the bright lift of citrus — like a shot of refreshing sunshine and vibrancy straight into your veins. Winter citrus is life-giving, a cure for bottomed out moods and a fixer for meals that feel a little too, well…”wintry.” You’ll typically get the best citrus all year right NOW in grocery stores - December through mid-March is peak citrus season, time to go all in on your vitamin C intake (great for staving off winter colds, boosting antioxidants and overall energy and making your skin look a little more lively and radiant). Compared to seasons past, this year’s citrus crop has been fairly lackluster—at least from what I’ve found and tasted from your average grocery store/Whole Foods. (pro tip: If you live in NYC and are willing to go deep into your wallet, Natoora always sources incredible citrus and you can get it delivered it your door). This is not necessarily a sustainable grocery run, so I aim to find the bright spots at my local groceries and look out for lesser known varietals as they often have the most exciting flavor—meyer lemons, tangelos, pomelos & oro blanco grapefruits…and then I’ll preserve them to capture that winter sunshine all the way well into spring and beyond. I actually just found a bottle of citrus vinegar I’d made last winter 2025 in the depths of my fridge and it’s still fantastically aromatic, perfect for salad dressings or adding a dash of energy to any dish. Each winter, I’ll invest in a stash of citrus, clogging up my fridge or countertop for a few days and then I’ll carve out an hour or two and go hard on “kitchen projects” as I like to call them. My annual ritual of making winter citrus vinegar, candied citrus peels and preserved citrus (typically lemons or meyer lemons). Of course you could venture into the world of marmalade and jams, but I lean into the items I use most of the course of a year (and they’re all quick and easy once you get rolling and the candied peels and vinegar are a resourceful way to get more out of the fruit). Below is how I use each followed by a quick recipe.

How to Use:

Citrus Vinegar - a great way to preserve flavor from an excess of citrus peels. I’ll use this vinegar in salad dressings, to add a shot of acidity and aroma (a nice flavor lift) to simmered beans, a meaty stew, a braised or roasted chicken, roasted vegetables, cooked whole grains like quinoa, couscous and more.

Candied Citrus Peel - I like to take the peels (or whole very thin slices) from a few Meyer lemons, regular lemons, little mandarins, kumquats or very thin slices of Buddha’s hand citrus (Whole Foods and other groceries have started carrying these crazy looking, but incredibly-scented fruits - see photo above) and cut them super fine and thin and then candy them in a simple syrup and then add a pinch of salt to balance out the sweetness. All in, the process will take you 20-30 minutes, but 4-5 lemons/mandarins or 1 small Buddha’s hand will take you through at least half a year if not longer. Store them in the fridge and use them to add a nice sweet note to salads, grain / bean dishes, a topping for fish, chicken or roasted veg, a garnish for cakes and creamy desserts like panna cotta and vanilla ice cream.

Preserved Lemon / Meyer Lemon - Mince a tiny bit of a preserved lemon up and you’ll transport any dish (and your soul) to Morocco/North Africa or somewhere warm and inviting. Delicious spooned into tagines, stews, braised meats/chicken, a garnish with fresh herbs like dill and cilantro for fish or simmered beans (especially stewed chickpeas mmmm), toss into couscous, quinoa, rice or bean salads. A little goes a long way - 1-2 teaspoons is all you’ll need for an entire dish that serves 4-6 people

Recipes:

Citrus Vinegar

peels of 3-4 grapefruit/pomelo/meyer lemon/mandarins, whatever mix of citrus you feel like

1 pint / 500ml / 2 cups good quality white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar *I typically use white wine vin for a more pure citrus flavor

2-3 bay leaves

In lightly simmering water, blanch the citrus peels for 30-45 seconds. Strain and repeat for a total of 2-3 times with fresh water to remove any bitterness from the peels.

Warm the vinegar in a small pot just slightly. Place the blanched peels and bay leaves in a glass jar or small container. Pour the vinegar over top, cool completely and close with a lid Allow to sit out on the counter for 3-4 days then transfer to the fridge and allow peels to steep in the vinegar for 1-2 weeks. Strain, reserving the flavored vinegar and store in the fridge — will last for well over a year if you don’t use it all beforehand.

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Candied Citrus Peels

peels (or very thin slices, seeded) of 4-5 lemons or Meyer lemons or mandarins, take the peels off in wide strips using a vegetable peeler and then slice very, very thinly lengthwise

* for Buddha’s hand, use a mandolin or knife to get very thin slices. You can use/eat the entire fruit. Typically, I’ll halve or quarter the fruit lengthwise into more manageable pieces and then mandolin or slice.

400g / 2 cups sugar

375ml / 1.5 cups water

pinch of kosher salt or sea salt

In lightly simmering water, blanch the citrus peels or slices for 30-45 seconds. Strain and repeat for a total of 2-3 times with fresh water to remove any bitterness.

Gently simmer the sugar (400g) and water (375ml) in a medium saucepan until sugar is fully dissolved. *Note, I’ve made this simple syrup a little heavier on the sugar so it has a more viscous quality, which is nice for candying and preserving the peels.

Add the citrus peels / slices and simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes until peels are nicely candied and a bit translucent. Season lightly with a pinch salt to taste - taste and when the syrup makes you smile, you’ve hit the right amount. Cool and store in the fridge - peels preserved in the syrup. If you feel like getting wild, add a spent vanilla bean, a sprig or rosemary or a few pink peppercorns into the syrup.

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Preserved Lemons / Meyer Lemons

*note: typically you’ll find most recipes only call for salt, but I like to balance out flavor and bitterness with a bit of sugar so these lemons don’t “hit you in the face” so much, they can be very powerful. I typically use a ratio of 70 : 30 | salt : sugar.

3-4 lemons

30-35g kosher salt / sea salt (about 1 1/2 teaspoons salt per lemon)

15g sugar (1 heaping tablespoon)

Cut each lemon into quarters lengthwise only going about 3/4 of the way down (so you’re leaving the bottom 1/4 of the lemon intact and can “petal out” the cut sides.

Sprinkle the inside of each lemon well with salt and sugar in a bowl, cover and allow to sit overnight. There should be a good amount of liquid/lemon juice released the following day.

Transfer the lemons to a glass jar/fermentation container and press down on them to release additional juices - you want them fully submerged under liquid in order to properly store and preserve them. Add some additional lemon juice from another lemon or two if needed.

Use a clean weight, like a stone or small plate to weigh the lemons down underneath the liquid, close the lid, shake a bit and allow to sit out at room temperature for 2-3 weeks in order to ferment - checking them occasionally and pressing down to release additional juices. Store for 6 months (or more) in the fridge.

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I have been thinking a lot lately about longevity, a cared-for self, alignment, stabilizing forces, and…cabbage. Yes, cabbage. We kicked off the lunar new year earlier this week and the year of the fire horse, which occurs once every 60 years, is upon us. It is an auspicious time of momentum, of potential energy and fortification. My social media this week has been full of galloping, breathtaking, formidable horses. And dotted sparsely in between those horses with manes and tails ablaze, are cabbages. Apparently, according to Vogue and various other cultural news sources, cabbage is having a big year, it’s trending. 2026 is the Year of the Cabbage. According to England’s The Guardian, we’ve shifted from the “cabincore” and “cottagecore” design trends of recent years to now cabbagecore. Seriously, it’s spilled over into everything from home decor, tableware and fashion. I write this half smirking, because…trends…lol. For me, and probably for you, if we’re talking food, one singular ingredient, crop, vegetable etc never really goes out of style, or comes into the spotlight with extreme fervor. Ok, maybe except for the kale revolution of ten+ years ago (good lord I still have ptsd from that era and the cases upon cases of kale that were delivered daily to my cafe in NYC).

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All joking and eye-rolling aside, I am simply pleased (healthful wins!) that cabbage, the workhorse of a vegetable that it is, is getting some serious play, it deserves all the street cred we’re willing to baste it with. Cabbage sits patiently with a quiet beauty - seriously…take a breath, a moment and gaze at a head next time you come upon one. It’s pretty incredible what nature gifts us. Cabbage is one of the most versatile, affordable (cheappp), satisfying, digestively-beneficial, antioxidant-rich/inflammation-reducing veg out there, rich in vitamins K and C and potassium and brimming with cruciferous potential. And, dare I write that if made properly, incredibly sexy. I’m envisioning slow roasted wedges giving a structurally sound, cream-like yet toothsome texture…there is bite and caramelized flavor that makes you want to lick your lips and keep coming back. Fresh, raw cabbage super finely shaved or sliced or chopped gives us that crisp, crunchy deep satisfaction (great stress-reliever…god, I love coleslaw). Fermented cabbage (such as kimchi, sauerkraut, curtido, pikliz etc) provides a major pop of digestive-friendly work. Yes, it can produce gas at first as a fiber-heavy veg, but keep it in your diet rotation frequently and our bodies respond and adapt, making bathroom visits more smooth and your microbiome in extra-good standing and your skin and mood and cognition boosted (consuming fermented foods have been shown to reduce depression and anxiety). And lastly, quickly blanched cabbage leaves keep their integrity and nutrients and aesthetics, vibrantly green, gorgeous like a patterned cloak and able to be stuffed with a multitude of delicious fillings — see the photo and recipe for choux farci below. Keep in mind there are various types of cabbage and all have their own nice qualities:

• typical rounded green and purple/red - great for slaws, pickling, saukerkraut, braising, roasting

• cone-shaped (aka pointed or caraflex or hispi cabbage) - mmm…the sexy shape, lightly sweet when roasted/grilled or shaved raw and just overall delish

• savoy cabbage - this is that texturally “cabbagey” cabbage …puckered and smocked and the best for blanching and stuffing

• Napa cabbage - purple and green and so gorgeous in kimchi or thinly sliced in salads (like the cult-classic 1980s Chinese napa cabbage salad with toasted almonds, grilled chicken and sesame dressing)

I will leave you with a handful of ideas for quick cabbage-uses and two nice recipes below. I’m testing out this new recipe functionality that Substack just added, so let me know if it’s anymore reader-friendly or if you vote for old school analogue on this particular platform.

Quick cabbage ideas:

• place leaves/thin wedges of cabbage underneath a butterflied chicken while roasting it. The cabbage will suck up all the golden chicken drippings and get beautifully caramelized and soft and almost sticky. If I could name this dish, Royal Cabbage comes to mind. Because it is.

• shred cabbage very finely into ribbons and toss with cilantro, red onion, perhaps some paper thin apple slices, scallion and toasted almonds and drizzle with a punchy nuoc cham sauce

• pan-sear cabbage wedges until nicely caramelized and dark on the outer edges then add a bit of water or broth to steam and flavor the inner leaves until they’re perfect tender and almost translucent. Use a cake tester or the tip of a knife to test they’re doneness. Drizzle some Szechuan chili crisp over top or perhaps this addictive tahini-miso-maple dressing.

• saute some roughly chopped leaves in olive oil, shoot a little apple cider vinegar, salt and cracked pepper in and toss those babies over top a warming bowl of slowly simmered beans along with perhaps some fresh herbs, lemon zest and/or grated parmesan. Nature’s gift for a fortifying afternoon meal (especially in the winter months).

Recipe time…

Seared Cabbage with Buttermilk-Pink Peppercorn Dressing (just below)

Chou Farci / Stuffed Cabbage with Lentils or Minced Pork & Other Yummy Things in Your Fridge (paid subscribers only, scroll down) this is the artistic dish featuring savoy cabbage that pops on your insta explore feed more than you likely realize. It’s very pretty, a bit time-consuming, but totally worth it and makes a great main entree and conversation starter for a dinner party. You can pretty much stuff it with anything.

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It is Monday evening and we are coming off of a both a VERY hot and a VERY cold weekend. Bad Bunny’s SuperBowl halftime performance was literally en fuego, utterly joyful, hopeful and vibrant in all the ways we need right now. Benito Bowl also served as a welcomed balmy counterbalance to the brutal single digit temperatures and freeze-your-eyelashes-off wind chill the past few days (at least here in NYC). There are only so many layers one can throw on. Being a bit anchored to the warm-ish confines of my apartment, I had some time to revisit a few classics in advance of Valentine’s day this coming weekend. Not to add more fuel the unnecessary amount of “cute” Valentine’s day content and reminders you’ll likely be receiving this week, but sometimes having a good recipe on-hand for a good dessert is a nice thing. So regardless of your plans this Saturday, Feb. 14th, consider one of these recipes (or all of them) below and gift yourself, your crush, your gal pals, your doorman, your family, the cashier at the corner deli…a little sweetness.

Before I dig into the recipes, I feel a civic and professional responsibility to make a brief PSA.

weekly WELL-being PSA: ice-cold drinks during cold weather (yikes!)

This PSA is really for all the girlies walking around NYC in 10F degree weather sporting plastic cups of iced coffee. Makes me gasp and want to shake their poor over-caffeinated bodies to come down to a more sane version of reality. Isn’t your body already cold enough?! When I worked with nutrition clients full-time years ago, one of my consistent points of nagging gentle advising, was no iced coffee (or large daily quantities of iced drinks in general) once temps dropped below 60 degrees Fahrenheit…or 15 if we’re talking Celsius. Why? In traditional Chinese medicine, drinking very cold drinks slows digestion and shocks the body, not necessarily in a good way. When winters bears down hard on us, especially our immune systems, we really want to be pumping warm liquids through to keep things moving nice and freely. It’s kind of simply common sense.

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On to edible things that require a warm stove or oven…

First, this is more of a nostalgic mention, rather than a full recipe. A few weeks back I reorganized my fridge and freezer and realized I had many a few items to use up — and happened to have all the making for magic cookie bars, one of the baked goods my mom frequently kept a stock of in our freezer during much of my childhood. One of the best uses of condensed milk and graham crackers I can possibly think of—the recipe came right off the back of the Eagle brand condensed milk can. If you’re an 70s or 80s baby, you know what I’m talking about. Me being me, I had some homemade graham cracker crumbs stored in my freezer and an experimental homemade condensed milk (it’s surprisingly easy) along with dark chocolate, walnuts, and lightly sweetened coconut flakes. I also had a bit too much brown butter lying around, so all these things ended up in a baking dish. I took the old school magic bars, gave them a bit of a refresh and made them new school.

Here’s what I did: (and even if you don’t want to spend the time hand-making graham crackers, condensed milk or brown butter, this basic recipe is a hard yes/yum)

Magic Cookie Bars

9x9 or 9x13 baking pan (for a slightly thicker or thinner bar)

1 1/2 cups / 175g or so graham cracker crumbs (or see my recipe here for a spelt-coconut sugar cookie crumb that’s very similar)

115g / 1 stick unsalted butter (I used brown butter…melt butter in a small saucepan over low-medium heat until it becomes nutty and aromatic and “deeply golden” in color, about 15-20 minutes. If you’re going to try it with brown butter, make extra as some of the weight will cook out - you can use any extra in other dishes or over very tasty popcorn).

1 14oz / 415ml can of sweetened condensed milk (I made my own from some lovely upstate raw milk by cooking it low and slow along with some sugar and cream. This is a good reference recipe, or store-bought for ease)

2 cups or so of dark chocolate chips or baking feves, roughly chopped if the feves are large

1 1/3 cup sweetened coconut flakes - I used unsweetened desiccated coconut mixed with 1/3 cup water and 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar (simmer water and sugar together until sugar is fully dissolved and mix in with coconut)

1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts are my go-to as they’re a nice balance to the other sweet ingredients)

Maldon sea salt

Preheat your oven to 350F. Line your baking pan with parchment paper and prepare with baking spray. Mix graham cracker / spelt cookie crumbs with melted butter / brown butter. Press crumbs into the bottom of your baking pan to create the crust. Top with a layer of condensed milk so you’ve got a good sticky base for everything else. Layer on dark chocolate, coconut flakes and nuts and gently press all into the condensed milk so they stick. Sprinkle Maldon salt overtop. Bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating halfway for even baking. Cool completely—I’ll then place in the fridge or freezer for 1-2 hours before cutting . *Note if you’re using brown butter, these bars are next level, but also VERY rich and extra indulgent. I cut mine into bb size 1 1/2 - 2 inch square bites. Pro-tip, I like to store these in the freezer (like my mom). I will never drink iced coffee in 10F degree weather, but I’ll snag a frozen bite of heaven here and there.

The next two recipes go nicely as a pair, or are lovely just on their own.

I love shortbread, I love a plain-ish buttery, lightly sweet cookie, and I love that these particular shortbread are 100% rye flour, but don’t taste “wholegrainy.” I love the slight bitterness of cacao nibs worked in there and the sultry addition of smoked salt (not necessary, but recommended). I first made a version of these in 2020 in the depths of the pandemic and forgot about them ever since. Until last week. They’re a nice little late afternoon snack with a cup of tea, or excellent dunked into the butterscotch budino (aka pudding) that follows.

Rye Shortbread with Cacao Nibs

Makes about 24 cookies, adapted from Southern Ground cookbook

260g rye flour

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

200g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and chilled

125g granulated sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla powder or paste

2 tablespoons cacao nibs, roughly chopped

3 tablespoons coarse sanding / turbinado sugar + 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt or smoked salt

Whisk together the flour and kosher salt in a small bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium until nice and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Add in the egg and vanilla and beat on medium-low until well incorporated.

Add in the flour mix in 2-3 iterations on low speed just until ingredients are well incorporated, not to over mix.

Very lightly flour a piece of parchment paper and place the dough on it, shaping into a rectangle. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Take the dough out and, on the same piece of parchment, shape it into a long rectangle, about 1 ½ inches wide on each side. I like to use a bench scraper to help straighten and smooth out each side of the rectangle. Wrap up the ends and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight, I find this helps the dough relax and develop flavor. Now mix together the sanding sugar and sea/smoked salt and place it on a separate piece of parchment. Press all sides of the chilled dough into the mix, you may have to bang it a little to get it to stick. Cut the dough into ¼ inch squares and place them in the freezer on a cookie sheet with parchment. Freeze at least 1 hour before baking to ensure a perfect square shortbread (so the dough doesn’t spread).

To bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line one more baking sheet with parchment and place shortbread about 1 inch apart. Bake 16-20 minutes depending on your oven, until shortbread are nicely browned. Rotate the baking sheets halfway through cooking for even browning.

And finally, the butterscotch budino. Budino (Italian) essentially means pudding (American). If you’re looking for a sexy, creamy, easy as 10 minutes (I swear!) dessert for V-day, this is it. Butterscotch feels more appropriate for the holiday than say a chocolate mousse or budino—it’s got more intrigue, nuance and understated appeal to me. I threw some whiskey in mine, but you could go sans alcohol or add in some dark rum or bourbon. I adapted a base recipe from pastry chef Dahlia Narvaez, but dropped the whipped cream and caramel toppings and opted instead for one of base dessert condiments I like to keep around during autumn and winter—apple cider vinegar reduction. Simmering down apple juice, apple cider vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt really makes certain desserts (or even roasted veg) pop with savory sweet acidity. It’s pretty sexy on the tongue and super easy to make. So alas, here’s the recipe.

Butterscotch Budino with Cider Vinegar Reduction (and Rye Shortbread)

makes about 1 1/2 liters

3 cups / 750ml heavy cream

1 1/2 cups / 375ml whole milk

1 egg

3 egg yolks

5 tablespoons / 50g cornstarch

1 1/8 cups / 240g dark brown sugar *don’t reach for the light brown sugar in your pantry, it won’t produce the same butterscotch-y flavor

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It was my original intention for this post to be about some of the (many) things I cooked (and ate) last week. But more on that down below. First, I feel the need to go off on a bit of rant after receiving a forwarded email newsletter from a dear, well-meaning friend. The email was published on this very vertical, the author has a highly ranked newsletter in the Fashion & Beauty category, and it was focused around “the way we think about our bodies from the inside out” speaking to the rocketed ascent of GLP-1’s, peptides, biohacking, and a brief summary of the author’s routine of countless procedures, pills, injections, doctor and beauty appointments, tools, meal tracking and more all in the name of health and self-care. My very honest response after reading it…”this is utterly vile.” I think my friend sent me the email knowing it would fire me the F up. No direct offense to the author, you do you, but the piece was yet another blaring, if not tone deaf and grossly entitled, signal to me that we, as a collective society, have gotten SO insanely far from what real, actual wellness, somatic health, self-care, community-care and holistic routines and reverence are that it is both mind-boggling and infuriating. [notation 2.3.26: If you are inclined to understand what piece riled me up so much, search for ‘m-a-g-a-s-i-n’, the piece is dated 2.2.26 on longevity and aesthetics. I am trying my best to be discreet here, so that’s all I’ll write ].

There are of course lots of meaningful examples of wellness if you seek them out, but, generally speaking, where does wellbeing (including eating/cooking/farming/sleeping/living) as nature intended it, powerfully come into the picture? The picture feels so hazy and blurred by money, tech, billionaire bullsh*t, influencer trends, over-saturation, user-insecurity and a baseline DISCONNECT from our actual bodies. It makes me tired y’all. Truly tired. Especially when there are any number of things occurring in this country and around the world that would be better uses of our energies and investments.

If we’re thinking about our bodies “from the inside out” I’m going to go out on a limb and say that it does not start, nor include, syringes, red lights, powders and pills, adulterated foods, manipulated ingredients…this is a long list. Tech, modern medicine and advancement have many wonders to be grateful for, but our bodies’s inherent modes of being, feeling and communicating are paying a deep price. You can’t expect your body to be its best self, in true fighting form, if you’re loading it with the “fuel” and foreign substances it doesn’t understand. Things nature did not intend for us to be consuming. Quality starts with the Earth and a quiet mind. Should I repeat that? Quality starts with the Earth and a quiet mind. Trust me, I love a good facial or massage as much as anyone (I opt for holistic practitioners whom I’ve deeply trusted and touted for years), and I would not say no to some occasional infrared light therapy/a face mask, but if we are not considering the core of the foundation we build for ourselves, we will end up at a true, distinct loss. Or maybe we’re so hopped up on peptides, Ozempic / Wegovy and trendy “health” supplements, and pre-made foods and drinks, we won’t even realize there’s a loss to be had, and that’s the saddest part. Building that foundation in an actually authentic, analogue way—getting extremely quiet and listening to yourself and to your wellbeing, getting to the grocery store or greenmarket, shopping and cooking for yourself—it is hard f***ing work. It’s hard and it is not flashy and it is not money-making. But the likelihood of you feeling actually like yourself, feeling good, doing good, acting good, it’s shockingly (or not) high. Less is actually more sometimes. If this is linked to the construct of quality, that begins with what food we buy, where we buy it from, how it’s grown and produced. It begins with the “wellness and beauty” products we invest time and money in, and the ingredients that make up those products. Our bodies understand, and “compute” ingredients, herbs, plants, flowers, foods, items on this earth, from this earth, in their most basic, truest forms. Personally, I vote for authenticity over entitlement and time-honored analogue over trend-driven and capitalized on. Let’s make that cool. Let’s make that appreciated and valued for what’s truly worth (A LOT). Hand-made, hand-crafted, hand-written, hand-painted, hand-sewn, baked, cooked, photographed, filmed…you get where I’m going - things that have soul and a resonating energy. Nature x quality = a fundamental internal foundation. A fundamental internal foundation = wellbeing. And wellbeing takes time and effort.

Ok, I am done ranting. Thank you for bearing with me. Perhaps, if it would be helpful for others, I’ll do a round up in another post of people, practitioners and things in my “wellbeing” world. Also, (more of a self-reminder note), I am planning to write a lengthier post about peptides and bolstering our microbiome health in the next few weeks. One of New York Magazine’s main articles last week was all about peptides…an interesting, eyebrow-raising read.

But to finish off today’s post, in the spirit of time and effort, I offer some thoughts and dishes for possible wellbeing. As I noted above, this post was meant to be about some things I cooked and ate last week. It dawned on me last night as I was meal prepping on a Sunday evening, that if I am plumb out of inspiration during these arctic-cold, emotionally-challenging days, many of you probably are as well. I cook for a living (and of course for myself), most days of the week, so I’m considering starting a quick weekly round-up post on Sundays, along with a recipe, of the things I cooked and ate that week. Most dishes are usually based on a few factors: what I need to use up in my kitchen/in my clients’ kitchens, what I find inspiring at the greenmarket, what my body is asking for, and what the weather and universal energy is calling for. If one or a few of these dishes serve as springboards for you in some way, amazing. Enjoy / happy cooking!

A quick list and a recipe or two….

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Winter Squash & Red Lentil Coconut Curry — my go-to version of Indian-inspired dal that I make every January, one of the most grounding, energizing lunches I can think of. Get the recipe here.

Pot Au Feu x Tagine — a soup to brace freezing temps last week felt so, so right and necessary. Pot au feu is a traditional French dish, basically a broth made with slow-cooked vegetables and beef. Warming and satisfying, damn this was so good. I took the expedited route and enhanced already-made beef broth and used very thinly sliced beef to cook quickly, rather than the typical slow, all-day cooking type of beef cuts traditionally used. But still, this dish was like a bath of internal goodness washed over me. I added some freekeh (a type of smoked green wheat that’s like bulgur wheat) and some harissa paste to finish it off because, more warmth…duh. If a French pot au feu cozied up with a Moroccan tagine, this would be it. The recipe for the pot au feu and my homemade harissa paste (it’s clutch y’all) is down below for paid subscribers.

Pasta with Wintry Kale Pesto, and a Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Apple & Walnut — I normally cringe at the thought of kale pesto, but some things you do for good people (like clients who love kale) so here we are. It actually was damn tasty and v easy. Blanched kale leaves, a grated garlic clove or two, grated parmesan, some toasted walnuts and pistachios, lemon zest and a little juice, olive oil and salt. Done and done. (I used a farro casarecce pasta just fyi, nice and nutty with the kale pesto). Served with a cute and quick B.sprout salad with apples, and more walnuts (a double omega-3 powered dinner). Thinly shave/slice the Brussels sprouts raw, maybe saute a few whole leaves until they’re super crispy, toss with thin apple slices, toasted walnuts and a citrusy vinaigrette like this one:

Citrus Vinaigrette

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Yellow-Eyed Peas, Collard Greens, & Smoked Ham Hock — I am from Virginia and I have never made a ham hock before (I mean, I do have Jewish heritage so it’s not surprising). I have new found ham hock appreciation. Wow. This dish requires a forthcoming post all to it’s own.

Roasted fuschia pink turnips and Brussels sprouts tossed in the remaining leftover kale pesto and topped with some tiny chunks of salty fresh mozzarella. Fuschia pink turnips from Halal Farms at the Union Square greenmarket…one of the joyful highlights of my week.

Quick pan-seared pork loin and roasted sweet potatoes with a sesame-egg yolk emulsion sauce. parboil some sweet potatoes for 5-7 minutes and roast em at like 415-425F with a slick olive oil, salt and pepper and a garlic clove or two, even plain with a sprinkle of salt, they’re comforting AF in these trying times.

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Pot Au Feu x Tagine with Harissa Paste

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** First and foremost, if you are reading this post and want the full recipe (below the paywall), please note, I will be donating proceeds from any new paid subscribers and this week’s proceeds from current paid subscribers to the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee. The hospitality industry and so, so many independent restaurants are able to serve you because of the dedication and labor of immigrants, documented and not. Their work extends into farming, agriculture and supply chains. Our food systems and how we feed and care for each other through food (from cook to customer) is deeply reliant on a spectrum of collective energy and hard work. Their wellness and safety is something we all should be grateful for and treat with care and respect. **

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This is weekend (in the spirit of today’s nationwide blackout in protest against ICE and in the spirit of never-ending single digit frigid temperatures), feels like a particularly good time to share things with your neighbors, your community…this lasagna, in my opinion, falls into that category. Why? One, it is a bit too rich and decadent to savor all for yourself. Two, it is fortifying and very hearty to combat the chilliest of temperatures. Three, it brings smiles, fully bellies and conversation around a table—I have witnessed this multiple times—something I think we all could use more of right now. As is not uncommon with some of my recipes, this is one is a bit of a project—but aren’t all lasagnas? Lasagna is one of those dishes that feels almost to the utter brink in term sof labor-intensity, but the yearning and anticipation of the end result keeps us charging towards the goalpost or end zone (yes, I am weaving in sports metaphors here after finally deep diving into Heated Rivalry and in advance of next week’s Superbowl and Winter Olympics). Ilya Rosanov and Shane Hollander would definitely crush this lasagna, and share it with their respective teammates. Enough said.

I will make a few notations/caveats before releasing the recipe.

1. This recipe was birthed in Copenhagen, Denmark where I have found dairy products (cheese, milk, butter, cream etc) to be generally richer even with the most basic of brands. So if you have the means and proximity, I urge you to source the best quality of ricotta and fresh mozzarella you can possibly can…please invest in this weekend project without freezing your as* off or spending a zillion dollars. The better the ingredients, the better the lasagna.

2. I originally made this dish for a New Year’s Eve party where the request was for a vegetarian main (shout out to Cecilie for prompting this lasagna’s creation). In true NYE fashion, I pulled out all the “jazz hands” — boosting the luxe factor with chestnuts, the true jewels of winter, and with a extra top layer of fancy mixed mushrooms (you know, the expensive ones you always look at in the grocery store and then pass over). Neither of these ingredients are necessary to produce a gorgeous, drool-worthy bubbling lasagna and can be skipped over. That said, if you’ve never cooked with chestnuts, they are a total hassle (though you can find them conveniently peeled in a jar), but they also add a texture, depth of flavor and hint of balanced sweetness that is unmatched. A soft and quiet delight. But, maybe save them for next New Year’s and just score straight mushrooms this weekend. You will produce a winning dish of solidarity either way.

   Wishing you all a warm, kind weekend. Lasagna is for community, of any kind and all kinds.

Mushroom-Chestnut White Lasagna

Serves 9-12

Mushroom-Chestnut Mix

4 shallots or 2 medium onions, finely minced

5 cloves garlic, finely minced

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

800g (about 28oz / 2 large containers) white or brown button mushrooms, finely chopped

200g (about 7oz / 1 small container) oyster mushroom or fancy mushroom mix, cut into large pieces *fine to leave out and sub in regular mushrooms

2 tablespoons dehydrated mushrooms, rehydrated with 3 tablespoons hot water *fine to leave out, but if you’ve got ‘em, use ‘em- they add nice umami and big flavor!

200g (about 1 1/2 cups) peeled and toasted chestnuts, roughly chopped *see note about preparation below

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely minced

1/3 cup (about 20-25) sage leaves, finely minced

12-15 sprigs timian leaves (yes, it’s a lot - more flavor!), strip the leaves from the sprigs

120ml (1/2 cup) white wine or skin-contact orange wine (use whatever is lying around your kitchen)

kosher salt or sea salt to taste

ground black pepper to taste

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In the spirit of full transparency, I am not a big oatmeal person. But given the weekend ahead of us, frigid temperatures and a huge pile of apocalyptic snow, my mind is going towards all things extremely warming and cozy at every hour of the day — which includes breakfast, so hence the deep veer into the world of steaming hot oatmeal. In addition to snow, I’ve been thinking about oatmeal recently because somehow — I am guessing factors of age and perhaps genetics are at play — I was recently informed by my doctor that I have high cholesterol (both the good and not-so-good kinds). A (solidly) healthful diet and exercise multiple times a week aren’t enough sometimes. And of course, as it was drilled into us, or at least me, for years—especially during my years getting a masters degree in nutrition—oatmeal is a prime source of soluble fiber which essentially globs onto LDL cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (the “bad” kind) and carries that cholesterol out of the bloodstream, lowering it and in turn, lowering risk of cardiovascular disease. That said, a bowl of oatmeal (from rolled oats) contains about 3-4g of fiber. It’s recommended to get a total of 25-30g per day. Swap for steel cut oats, and you’ll get double the amount of fiber. To be fair (mostly to myself), there are plenty of other sources of soluble fiber which I regularly consume, and so do you most likely. If you’ve been reading this little column for a few months, you’ll know well that 2025 was the “year of the bean” for me (honestly, probably every year is a bean year). Beans and pulses (lentils, peas etc) are another excellent source of soluble fiber, as are many fruits, veg and nuts/seeds like apples, pears, flaxseeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and kale to name a few.

But, back to oatmeal…you might be wondering, soluble fiber aside, why am I writing about a dish so (potentially) uninspiring and (potentially) flavorless as oatmeal? Well, all this “thinking” on the hearty breakfast grain took me on a trip down memory lane. My first fond memory of the dish is from childhood—my dad used to make us plain old-fashioned oatmeal with a zillion banana slices, raisins, a dab of butter, sprinkle of salt and a splash of extra milk. Notice the absence of any sort of brown sugar, maple syrup or microwaveable packets stacked full of excess sugars, fake flavorings and oats so refined they cooked that much more quickly and lacked any valuable fiber content. I guess my parents were on to something all those years ago. Anyhow, I honestly really think my dad’s oatmeal was remotely palatable because I loved the hit of butter and salt.

I left my oatmeal ambivalence behind after childhood and looked to other breakfasts for a few decades…up until I opened a tiny jewel box of an all-day cafe in the West Village nearly 13 years ago. I needed a comforting, warming breakfast option for the menu that was nourishing and relatively easy to prep ahead and tugged at the nostalgic tastebuds of our wonderful, dear clientele. Enter the entire purpose of this post: Nourish Kitchen + Table’s Baked Oatmeal. If you were a customer at Nourish all those years ago and are reading this, this recipe is for you. This oatmeal, ironically given my ambivalence, became an everyday staple. Absolute backlash and uproars would occur if we tried to take it off the menu. It gained a widespread early morning (and late morning) fan-base across the West Village and beyond. It was mentioned in New York mag articles (thank you Ali Cayne) and, somewhat amusingly, led me to Art Basel Miami one year to collaborate on an artful ode to oatmeal exhibit featuring 7 oatmeal variations for 7 times of day (thank you Christine Muhlke—check out Christine’s cool, culture/culinary-centered Substack, Xtine).

That baked oatmeal had a storied life of its own. And for a time (5 years), it did indeed feed a village. When Nourish closed its doors in 2018, I think the most emails and bittersweet notes I received were about that oatmeal. I have never published the recipe until now. This week, this year so far, and the year past, have been challenging and heartbreaking in America (and abroad) in so many unfathomable respects. Food, and feeding a community (or even a community of just 1 or 2), can be both incredibly impactful and nourishing…and, as I’ve noted before, a deep act of powerful resistance. Food, taking time and care to make something that will sustain, energize and/or comfort yourself or another, even for a brief moment, or a few hours, breaks down barriers and builds bonds and trust. Perhaps, this oatmeal, in its own small way, did just those things. And so I pass it on to you in hopes of the same.

*I do think it’s worth noting that this oatmeal is in the sweeter camp of breakfast options. I myself straddle the middle savory-sweet and might opt to add a scoop of plain yogurt or a spoonful of nut butter alongside this for a little savoriness and some protein. Personally, cholesterol aside, I find oatmeal can unbalance my blood sugar early in the morning—that’s me though. Listen to your body and if oatmeal works for you, you do you. This baked oatmeal is a great way to prep oatmeal for a few days ahead or for a family (kids love it)…it’ll hold in the fridge and reheats nicely with a splash of nut milk/milk/water.

Wishing all of you a very warm and toasty snow-filled weekend.

Nourish Kitchen + Table Baked Oatmeal

makes about 4-6 servings *this recipe is completely gluten-free (and can be dairy-free/vegan)

Oatmeal

1 diced apple, unpeeled

2 teaspoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon sugar

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, paste or powder

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup water

2 cups almond milk (or any plant-based milk, coconut milk or organic milk) *the almond milk gives a really nice nuttiness though. I love Elmhurst plant-based milks if you’re wondering…no emulsifiers, simple ingredients, no added sugars.

pinch of kosher salt and sea salt

1 tablespoon golden raisins

streusel topping *see recipe below

maldon flaky sea salt for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350F. In a medium sauce pot, toss the diced apple with one teaspoon sugar and the maple syrup and a teaspoon or two of water. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes simply to caramelize the apples for a little more flavor. Add in the oats, vanilla, cinnamon, water, almond milk, salt and golden raisins. Cook over medium-low heat for 7-10 minutes until oats are fully hydrated, but there’s still some liquid remaining.

Transfer the oatmeal to a small/medium-sized baking dish or cast-iron skillet. Spoon streusel topping overtop oatmeal and sprinkle with maldon salt. Bake for 7-10 minutes until streusel is golden brown.

Streusel Topping

½ cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon coconut oil *look for a good brand of “coconutty” coconut oil (from experience, I would not recommend Whole Foods brand)

1/3 cup raw oats

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and then blend lightly in a food processor.

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If you’re really hunkering down for this “apocalyptic” storm, here’s a few cozy and warming recipes for other times of the day (aka not breakfast)…

Moroccan-inspired lamb stew

Velvety (dairy-free) cauliflower soup

A craveable pot of lentils

A very good broth

Super comfort shepherd’s pie

White bolognese…one of my faves for winter and early spring (pictured above)

This is most definitely not the first post of the new year I thought I would be writing. Yet, here we are. Backed by MAHA and the secretary of Health & Human Services, RFK Jr., a new food pyramid and dietary guidelines were released just a week ago. Bringing back the pyramid after nearly 15 years of its graphical absence, RFK Jr. has flipped it to prominently feature protein (a hunk of red meat) and dairy, both of which were likely purposefully placed in the upper left corner where viewing eyes fall first. I was relaxing quietly on the couch in Denmark, still on holiday break, when I saw the New York Times’s alert come up. I literally screamed out loud and was jolted back to reality a day early before flying back to NYC the following afternoon. There are many mind-boggling, infuriating things about the flip and the new dietary guidelines for 2025-2030 (are we necessarily all that surprised?). Here’s what (problematically) immediately stood out to me, along with some takeaways after digging a bit.

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Protein, with an emphasis on red meat, and dairy gets equal visual / graphic prominence as fruit and vegetables - which I will gladly roll my eyes at. The guidelines support high-protein diets essentially doubling the recommended amount of protein per kg of weight for an individual each day. I did a quick calculation based on my own body weight, and if I were to follow recommendations, I’d be eating more than 3 chicken breasts per day. (My digestive system, skin, not to mention the environment’s climate, would hate me). “Healthy fats” were rolled in with meat and full fat-dairy, but with no clear explanation or nod to animal welfare/quality of ingredients. Beef tallow and butter were particularly called out I’m guessing because of RFK Jr.’s trendy penchant for both. He’s a little behind the times to be honest, full-fat should have never gone out of style and as New York Magazine reported in 2021 , whole milk, has made a full-stop comeback.

To be clear, I buy full-fat everything (fat from quality sources, in my opinion, is GOOD for us — quality sources meaning grass-fed, free-range and pastured, smaller farming production, regenerative/thoughtful growing practices). A lot of the medical and nutrition community fears that the pyramid’s new recommendations will bump society’s intake of saturated fat. But, saturated fat from good sources does not impact our health or arteries in the same way saturated fat from processed foods does. And in my opinion, there’s a host of far more problematic issues with adulterated low-fat items. I cook with butter when it’s called for and makes culinary sense (it’s delicious, duh), and believe that beef tallow, lard and chicken fat (depending on how the animals are raised) can absolutely be part of a healthful diets. If you think about it, they were often the primary fat sources our ancestors used in daily cooking for generations, healthfully — because their food sources were in their natural, intended states, and because society’s general lifestyle was much more tied to nature pre-industrialization. If you ask my friends who run the regenerative farm Søagergård outside of Copenhagen (noted as one of the Top 50 Farms in Europe last year), and who are intentionally raising animals on open land and producing exceptional pork, beef, dairy and eggs, they will forever tout the benefits of *unprocessed* animal fat.

But onto other initial impressions from the pyramid graphic…fiber-rich beans and legumes are bumped towards the bottom and whole grains and other complex, satiety-rich carbs are at the very very bottom, the tiny tip. From a health standpoint this infuriated me and immediately caused me to surmise that there’s pandering to the beef and dairy industries going on here (someone’s getting some kickbacks from lobbyists in DC). Not shocking, that certainly seems to be the case. Among the group of reviewers assessing the dietary report the guidelines were based off of, 2/3 have financial ties to the cattle and milk industries. Whole grains from whole, basic sources (things like rolled oats, rice, barley, wholegrain flours, wheat and rye berries etc) and beans and legumes are a great source of fiber (like fruits and vegetables) which keeps our digestive systems running smoothly, our weight in check, and prevents disease. All of them should most definitely play a heavy part in a balanced diet.

What I will give the current pyramid a shred of credit for is the emphasis to “EAT REAL FOODS” and steering clear of added sugars and ultra-processed, nutrient-void foods (similar to previous guidelines), that tend to include a load of refined carbohydrates. All of this fuels the obesity and health crises our country faces (nearly 70% of Americans are overweight or obese), but in my professional (and common sense) opinion, a flip to heavy doses of protein is not going to fix that. For over 2 decades, as a nutrition and culinary professional, I’ve stood on a soapbox (like the very one I’m writing this post on) and encouraged that our plates typically be compromised of 50-75% vegetables and fruits at most meals. And I still stand by that. The previous iteration of the dietary guidelines, MyPlate, which the Obama administration introduced in 2011, depicts a plate half full of vegetables and fruits. That plate graphic looks a lot like the one I used to draw for my own nutrition clients—which is great, but MyPlate also lacked user-friendly explanations and detailed information (what to look for at the grocery store and what to steer clear of etc). You would think that something as simple as “eating” shouldn’t be so difficult or potentially harmful to our health. But navigating a food industry that has gotten so far away from the basic tenets of how our grandparents and great-grandparents ate, is like dodging a minefield (of advertising dollars, lobbying interests and foods far, far from their intended benefic states) every single day, every meal.

So kudos to RFK Jr. for advocating “real food”, BUT where I will openly criticize the pyramid and murky guidelines is the absolute lack of mention about how that real food - meats/fish, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, healthy fats (nuts, seeds, oils etc), and whole grains — is actually grown and raised. Quality and sourcing plays the biggest factor (imo) in nutrient-density, overall health and satiety…all of which contributes to maintaining a healthful weight, undoing / preventing disease conditions and more. So if your beef tallow is coming from a cow that has been pumped full of antibiotics raised in terribly confined, stressful conditions, that quickly degrades the health value that is passed onto us. If your healthy-fat peanut butter is made with genetically modified and/or partially-hydrogenated soybean oil (not to mention added sugar), again, the health potential passed onto us goes poof. If we’re consuming whole vegetables and fruits, organic/seasonal or not, grown thousands of miles away or by a big pesticide-friendly farm, and shipped only to sit in warehouses for a few weeks, the nutrient levels, and the flavor, plummets. Of course, I recognize not everyone has means or access to greenmarkets or grass-fed beef or fancy expensive yogurt, etc, but pushing big ag and manufacturers is not the long term answer. There are no regulations within the guidelines report around farming conditions, ultra-processed food (upf) companies or animal welfare. Kate Ray writes an interesting piece around the UPF’s and the new pyramid here in her Substack Ray Bake.

Lastly, the guidelines ease up on alcohol, which personally, I’m not complaining about. But in all seriousness, there’s no clear daily caps or measures in place which for some populations could be concerning. The guidelines just simply say we should consume less alcohol “for better overall health” and “limit alcohol beverages.” There’s no mention of alcohol’s potential tie to disease, underage drinking or drinking during pregnancy.

THE BREAKDOWN & ACCESSIBLE TAKEAWAYS

So how does all this mess really breakdown for you on a daily basis? Honestly, use your senses, not a graphic. We shouldn’t need a pyramid or a plate of any graphic kind to know what makes our bodies feel their best.

In one simple phrase, go BACK TO BASICS.

If I were back counseling clients, here’s the bite-sized advice I would give…just as relevant 20+ years ago as it is today:

50-75% (ideally seasonal) vegetables/fruit at meals. That’s what you should be aiming for at most meals. Fresh, cooked, frozen, seasonal! *Mass-produced canned veg/fruit lose a lot of their nutrients in production just fyi.

Buy the best quality within your means. Food is not meant to be inexpensive-producing something of real value and health-benefit takes labor, time, land and energy. I find that typically, smaller brands and farms (not mass-market), locally raised/farmed items and items with the fewest ingredients listed (ideally all of which you recognize) will do you right, and well. Grass-fed, pastured, free-range, local are good words to look for. Organic does have benefits, but I think it’s become far too much of a marketing term…with “regenerative” sadly quickly following suit. Carrots grown on a local farm in regenerative soil, yes. Potato chips mass marketed with “regenerative” on the label, not so much…or at least in intelligent moderation.

A fist-sized amount of protein (your own fist) at a given meal is generally a good target. There are lots of healthful animal, and plant-based protein options. To round out a balanced meal, add a fist-ish of complex carbs/whole grains and another fist (or two) of veg/fruit.

Embrace inconvenience, make more meals on your own. Make a meal, not from a boxed mix, but from scratch. I think we’re going to start hearing a lot more about “friction maxxing” this year — which I’ll likely write an entire post on in the coming weeks. If 2026 is being tagged as “the year of analogue,” I’m totally here for it (apparently I’ve been in that bucket all along…I guess following in my dear father’s footsteps in his general disregard for tech — he’s never owned a cell phone and has always loved a typewriter).

Shop the perimeter of the grocery store first. And then shop what’s notably in season. The easiest, least complicated way to fill your grocery cart (kind of as RFK Jr. would like us to…real whole (seasonal!) foods, simple, basic ingredient lists).

Short ingredient lists say it all. The shorter, more basic the list, the better. If you can identify the ingredients on something that’s boxed or pre-made, great. If you have no idea what 3 or more ingredients are, or how to pronounce them, that’s typically my benchmark to leave it on the shelf.

Seek out a greenmarket or farmers market if one is available to you. I will always seek out “smaller,” more localized/regional/seasonal foods when possible—a true friction maxxer since I was very small. Eating food grown and raised with intention, and in closer proximity to where you live, makes a difference in so many aspects. I’ve written more about that, and really tapping into your own “food intuition” in the past, here, here and here.

*For slow and steady weight loss if that’s an individual goal: Leave 10-15% of your meal behind (If you’re looking to lose a little, it is January after all, leave a little behind. Often times our portions are larger than they need to be).

I will leave my soapbox rant here. Hopefully, this makes digesting the new food pyramid a little easier to stomach! Pun intended. ;)

I could finish this year off with a post about reflecting the course of the past year, setting healthful, mindful intentions for the year ahead and charting a calm, grounding, meditative course into 2026. But, I will save some thoughts around January wellbeing (I have many) for next week when we’ve all circled back into a quieter headspace and our typical post-holiday routines. The week between Christmas and New Year’s always feels a bit like a black hole blur, we get to go quiet, sometimes contemplative, but mostly just quiet, which I am taking advantage of so I will leave with just one more recipe and few links from years past.

I think it goes without saying that peace, light and basic humanity can and should be amplified and spread as wide as possible this next year, and every day. Taking in small joys and present moments—sometimes, I need more reminding of these things. This popcorn, for me, is a small joy at most any of time of year, especially around the colder months of autumn and winter. Full disclosure, I have been known to on occasion (often), eat leftovers out of the bowl the next morning with my coffee—it’s that craveable. Maybe we should call this popcorn, FIRE HORSE popcorn (because 2026 is the year of the fire horse in the Chinese zodiac, a rare event that occurs once every 60 years and symbolizes dynamic energy and bold shifts. Homemade popcorn always feels festive and energetic to me and it’s just fun to make, so I’m offering this quick “keeper of a recipe” onto you all. Nutty brown butter, nutritional yeast, salt and ras el hanout spice blend (yes, my deep love of this spice blend extends to even popcorn-see links below for more about it and other recipes). That’s it - no big secrets, except maybe that nutritional yeast is a true gift to popcorn of any kind, umami heaven. Warming, aromatic brown butter makes most everything better, imo, and takes but 15 minutes to make. So here you go, may you enjoy this small joy and may it carry you boldly and lively into 2026. Just don’t eat too much in one sitting, or you’ll be taking a fibrous bellyache and too much air into 2026 as well. More from me next week. Cheers a fiery and peaceful, light-filled year ahead!

Fire Horse Popcorn

1 medium (or large) pot and a lid

neutral oil (like non-gmo canola or avocado)

whatever amount of popcorn covers the bottom of the pan in one layer (don’t overcrowd it otherwise too many kernels won’t pop)

kosher salt or salt to taste

1 teaspoon (or a touch more) of ras el hanout spice blend

a good couple of shakes of nutritional yeast (Bragg’s brand is my go-to and can be found in Whole Foods, online, health food stores, and most big name grocery stores if you ask nicely)

a few tablespoons of brown butter *see recipe down below, melted, enough to lightly coat the popcorn — 3-5 tablespoons should probably do it depending on the amount of popcorn

Add the oil into the pot along with 2-3 popcorn kernels and heat over medium heat. Once the kernels pop you know the oil is good and ready. Add a single layer of popcorn kernels into the pot and cover with a lid. Shake the pot a few times while kernels are popping to ensure every kernel gets its fair amount of heat and popping potential. Once popping is complete, add the popcorn to a large mixing bowl and mix all other ingredients together. Eat with joy and abandon. :)

Brown butter:

Place a stick of butter in a small pot over medium-low heat and let it melt and simmer until brown milk solids collect at the bottom and the butter turns a golden brown color and smells nutty and aromatic. Strain and refrigerate until ready to use - or don’t strain and keep the brown butter solids in …they’re delicious and add a lot of aromatic sweet/savory nutty flavor particularly into this popcorn and into baked goods.

Ras El Hanout - more info and some recipes! (can be found online, Middle Eastern specialty shops and many grocery stores)

Roasted Winter Squash with Spiced Labneh and Brown Butter

A Warming Wintry Lamb Stew

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One More BIG New Year’s Week Inspiration - Mushroom-Chestnut White Lasagna

In the interest of time, all I will say about this lasagna recipe is that it is GOOD and vegetarian by default, but so luxurious and satisfying. Perhaps a *bit time-consuming, but totally worth making over the course of this long holiday weekend. I made it for New Year’s Eve a few years back on a whim and people still talk about it.

Mushroom-Chestnut White Lasagna

This lasagna definitely takes some time and effort, but it’s worth the work for a special meal to usher in the new year.

Serves 9-12

Mushroom-Chestnut Mix

2 shallots or small onion, finely minced

5 cloves garlic, finely minced

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

800g white or brown button mushrooms, finely chopped

250g oyster mushroom or fancy mushroom mix, cut into large pieces *(fine to leave out if can’t find or don’t have on-hand)

20g dehydrated mushrooms, rehydrated with 100g hot water

200g toasted chestnuts, roughly chopped* see note about preparation below

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely minced

30 sage leaves, finely minced

20 thyme sprigs (leaves stripped off)

100ml , about 1/2 cup, white wine

Sea salt to taste

Finely ground black pepper to taste

Ricotta Cheese Mix

100g parmesan cheese, grated

1 – 200g ball fresh mozzarella cheese, torn or cut into large pieces

1kg ricotta cheese

2 eggs

Sea salt to taste

Finely ground black pepper to taste

Bechamel Sauce

56g (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into tiny squares

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 liter / quart milk

Nutmeg

Pinch of white pepper

100g parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 cup)

Sea salt to taste

Pasta

300-350g no-cook lasagna sheets (1 box basically) or you can get sheets you have to cook first, but it just takes more time!

Topping

125g parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 1/4 cups)

125g of some sort of nutty aged cheese like gouda or comte, grated (about 1 1/4 cups)

1 – 200g ball fresh mozzarella cheese, torn or cut into large pieces

Remaining bechamel sauce

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Not that you needed another holiday baking email in your inbox, but I made this chocolate rye mocha (aka coffee) cake with chestnut cream and simmered spiced pears earlier this week and thought perhaps it would be a nice non-traditional addition to the seasonal mix. The cake itself, made with a small percentage of rye flour for added depth and nuttiness, is actually fairly light, so it won’t weigh down a big holiday meal - there’s nothing worse than getting to the end of a big, festive dinner or lunch and then feeling absolutely, burstingly stuffed with a super heavy, overly-sweet dessert. This unadorned cake serves as a nice alternative-it’s festive in its flavors and modest with its refinement …meaning that I intentionally left it without a top heavy load of frosting/icing/buttercream. I love a layer cake, but who’s really got time for a layer cake these next 2-3 weeks? This time of year, I lean towards cookies, tarts and notes of warming cozy spices—I grew up celebrating Hanukkah, so I don’t have that backbone repertoire of family Xmas cookies, but I’ll gladly partake in them…I can still almost taste the spiced lebkuchen and anise cookies that my old childhood friend’s mother used to bake each Christmas season. I created the double-ginger and caramelized white chocolate cookie recipe further on down below last Christmas and it’s worthy of becoming my own holiday tradition.

But first, let’s focus on this nice cake. Yes, it has a few (multiple) charming components, as most of my recipes do. By no means, do you need to make all the components just to arrive at a tasty result, the cake alone is super moist and flavorful. But should the spiced pears or chestnut cognac cream be inspiring (chestnuts are intriguing and delicious!), then by all means, please proceed with the full recipe below. I multi-tasked the heck out of this (make the chestnut cream and spiced pears while the cake is baking). And I love the base cake recipe because it’s easy and fast and does not require breaking out my stand-mixer…a whisk and 2 bowls are all you need. That’s a win for me. I’ll write more on chestnuts next week, but this chestnut cream is something I’ll make once a year and it can be used in multiple ways—it’s very special and very delicious, and textural …I like to leave mine a little chunky as in the photo below so you can actually “feel” the chestnut. Outside of this cake, if you’ve got extra chestnut cream, it would be luscious on Christmas morning french toast, it’s great lightly spooned atop chocolate mousse, would be fab piped onto little shortbread/spritz Christmas cookie sandwiches…just for a few ideas.

To adorn your base cake, you can choose your own holiday adventure — salty, tangy creme fraiche whipped cream or boozy, silky custard sauce (that basically tastes like egg nog minus the nutmeg). Both are very tasty, I don’t think you can choose a “wrong” path.

So onto the recipe…

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Chocolate Rye Cake with Spiced Pear and Chestnut Cream

Base cake recipe makes 2 8 or 9” cakes | each cake serves 10-14 / cut the recipe in half if you only want to make 1 cake!

600g sugar

350g AP flour

70g rye flour *if desired, or use all AP flour)

200g cocoa powder *if you can swing it, invest in a high quality cocoa powder, it’ll really make a difference in flavor!

2g (like 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons) ground cloves

2g (like 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons) ground allspice

2g (like 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons) ground ginger

20g baking soda (about 4 teaspoons)

8g baking powder (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)

11g salt (2 teaspoons)

4 eggs

360ml buttermilk (~1 1/2 cups)

360ml brewed coffee, that’s been allowed to cool a bit (~1 1/2 cups)

140ml (~3/4 cup) neutral oil, like avocado or non-gmo canola

5g vanilla powder or paste (1 teaspoon)

Preheat oven to 170C, fan 2. Spray two 8 or 9-inch round pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with circles of parchment. Spray the top of the parchment with cooking parchment.

Sift together dry ingredients (flours, cocoa powder, spices, baking powder and soda, salt). Truth: I’m usually too lazy to sift, just whisk all the dries and the cake will still be delicious. In separate bowl, whisk together the wets (eggs, buttermilk, brewed coffee, oil and vanilla. Whisk in eggs, followed by remaining ingredients.

Divide between pans and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, 20 minutes rotate, and another 20 minutes.

Cool completely on a wire rack.

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The Layers

Chestnut Cream

I adapted this recipe from River Cottage, the legendary British cookbook/tv series from the 90s and aughts which somehow feels delightfully nostalgic this time of year.

250g chestnuts (or really any amount more and you’ll have leftovers - also 250g is a reasonable amount of chestnuts to have to score and peel…just enough work to make you want to pat yourself on the back when finished).

100-150g granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste or powder

25ml honey

25ml cognac (or brandy or bourbon etc)

kosher or sea salt to taste

Method

We gotta peel those dang chestnuts (please don’t curse me, I warned you!). With a small, sharp paring knife, score each flat side of the chestnut with an ‘x’. Then, pop them into boiling water for 2 or 3 minutes to soften the shell so you can peel it off. Let them cool just enough so you can touch them, then remove the out layer of peel. Remove the pan from the heat. There’s an outer layer of brown skin also that needs to be removed, usually it comes right off with the shell.

Put the chestnuts into a clean pan and cover with water. Bring them to a boil, lower the temp and simmer for 25–30 minutes, or until they’re nice and tender when pricked. Strain the chestnuts BUT but keep the cooking liquid - you’ll use some for blending.

Purée the chestnuts with a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid (25-50ml) in a mini food processor or using a hand blender. In a small pan, add another few tablespoons (25-50ml) and add the sugar (start with 100g and go up if necessary to reach a nice consistency). Add in the chestnut puree, vanilla and honey. Simmer 5-10 minutes until everything comes nicely together. Add in the liquor of choice and salt, simmer 1-2 more minutes. Blend additionally if needed. Cool and store in the fridge until ready to use.

While the cake is baking and the chestnuts are simmering, prep your pears.

Spiced Simmered Pears

2 bosc pears, thinly sliced

175ml (about 3/4 cup) water and/or apple cider

200g(about 1 cup) sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon vanilla paste/powder

1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

salt to taste

a splash of liquor of choice (cognac, brandy, bourbon etc)

In a medium skillet or saucepan, simmer the water, sugar, spices and salt together until sugar has dissolved. Add the pears and simmer on low-medium until all the slices are gently poached/cooked through. Add the liquor for the last 3-4 minutes of cooking. Don’t overthink this step too much. You just want the pears flexible, a little gooey and yummy. If there’s liquid leftover, that’s great! Reserve it to pour over the cake to moisten it.

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Now for assembly…

once the cake is fully cooled, cut it horizontally into 2 layers using a serated knife (a bread knife). It may be easier to put it in the fridge before cutting.

If you have liquid reserved from the pears, use a pastry brush and soak both layers of cake, the cut sides, with it.

Then slather on a nice layer of the chestnut cream on the bottom layer. Then follow with the pear slices. Pop the top layer of cake back on and viola. Now just to choose your side car of whipped cream or custard sauce. Both recipe options are below.

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Salty Creme Fraiche Whipped Cream

Makes 1 liter of whip

460ml 38% heavy cream

60g creme fraîche

16g sugar

4g salt

Now you’ve got to pull out that stand-mixer (insert my eyes rolling a little)…unless you want to cowboy it and use a hand blender carefully not to over blend. In a stand-mixer, whip on high just until you reach good, stable peaks.

OR

Egg Nog-y Custard Sauce

250ml / 1 cup milk

250ml / 1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla paste/powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 egg yolks

7 tablespoons sugar / 84g

1 tablespoon light brown sugar / 12g

3 tablespoons cognac or whiskey / bourbon

Warm the milk and cream until just steaming.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the vanilla, salt, egg yolks and sugars. Slowly pour in the milk / cream while whisking to temper the egg yolks. Pour the whole mix back in the pot and cook over low heat, while whisking constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add in your liquor of choice and cook 1 more minute. Pour custard sauce into a bowl and sit it the bowl into an ice bath to cool (or you can pop it right in the fridge to cool it in a pinch but don’t leave it too long or it will form a coating on the top).

Serve your cake with side car garnish of choice and enjoy. :)

A few other holiday bake options from years past…some of favorites.

Coffee-Poached Quince and Cognac Custard Tart

Double Ginger Spice Cookies with Caramelized White Chocolate

And if you’re going all out with a extra-cravable, BIG end to a BIG dinner, here’s a glorious chocolate souffle cake. Given the time of year, I’d swap the alcohol in the cake and the creme anglaise sauce for bourbon / whiskey instead of mezcal:

Dark Chocolate Souffle Cake

Happy holiday baking y’all!

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Freezing temperatures have blown through the streets of NYC just in time for tonight’s full supermoon in Gemini (so if you’re feeling swirling, vivid dreams, communicative energy today/this week, lean into it). Peaking around 6:14pm EST, the final supermoon of the year is appropriately named the “Cold Moon,” it’s extremely bright and channels a time of transformation and reflection, themes that I personally find always run deep the last few weeks of the year (not shocking). Translate all of this night-sky energy and wintry chill into a dish, and I arrive at a very warming Moroccan-inspired lamb stew (you could of course make this stew NOT on a full moon). There’s not many things I love more than searing ingredients off, throwing all of them into one pot and getting a gorgeously full meal as the result. If you’re wondering why I leaned towards Morocco…the use of warm, aromatic spices (like ras el hanout, turmeric, coriander, cinnamon, cumin, ginger and more) are a perfect compliment to the gaminess of lamb and keep internal body temperatures at a very comfortable, cozy level during cold weather. It’s as if your body was running by the gentle, constant hum of candlelight, yes please. Aromatic spices are also great at protecting against inflammation, boosting our immune systems, getting our blood, hearts and sensory systems simmering. Stews, of any kind, are also a wonderful vessel for being resourceful and making use of things lying around in your pantry or fridge. It’s a great flex to be able to turn out a meal without having to make a special trip to the grocery store. I took a spin (a tiny one given the size of my Brooklyn kitchen), and grabbed some lingering root vegetables—parsnips, baby potatoes, multi-colored carrots, onions, a stray very ripe persimmon for some sweetness, and a bundle of winter herbs). As for the lamb, I opted for what my butcher (shout out to Meat Hook) had on hand, a singular lamb shank and a pound of lamb stew meat…yes, you can rock these two different cuts in the same pot and both will turn out lusciously tender and melt-in-your-mouthy. Of course, you could always just do shanks or stew meat alone, or swap the lamb for beef, pork or simply amp up the veg (some meaty mushrooms perhaps) for a very homey vegetarian / vegan version. All in all, you land with a satisfying, grounding, a “complete” meal in a pot/bowl…though I’d urge the sidecar addition of some simple sauteed leafy greens like chard, collards or mustard greens for a fiber-rich antioxidant kick. So altogether, you come out with a very blood sugar-stabilizing meal. Why is that important? Blood sugar impacts pretty much everything in our bodies - general health, weight, fertility, hormone balance, satiety, insulin levels/diabetes, mental steadiness… A nice combo of well-raised/sourced protein (lamb in this case), some slowly-digested carbs (like potatoes and parsnips), a swath of healthy fat (oil/bone broth) and fiber (all the veg going on) work in tandem to keep you…well fed.

Onto the recipe, which is highly versatile and should/can be used as a gentle guided suggestion rather than rubric. See my notes within on what and why I used certain ingredients. Try em if you got em, or try whatever you DO have on hand.

Warming Moroccan-Inspired Lamb Stew with Winter Veg

Serves 6-8

1 lamb shank

1lb / .5kg lamb stew meat

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil

4-5 garlic cloves, minced or simply peeled and smashed (I’m lazy)

2 medium onions, finely diced

1 leek, minced

3-4 carrots, chopped into small chunks

3-4 parsnips, chopped into small chunks

baby / small potatoes, chopped into small chunks

kosher / sea salt to taste (you’ll want 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons salt per 1 lb of meat, a good rule of thumb for any meat)

pepper to taste

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 1/2 teaspoons ras el hanout - a spice blend typically featuring black pepper, cumin, coriander, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and turmeric among other spices

1/2-1 teaspoon curry powder (for some additional turmeric / heat)

a bit of extra ground cumin and coriander because I like it

1 teaspoon sugar

2-3 cinnamon sticks

1 herb bundle tied with kitchen twine (5-6 thyme sprigs, 1-2 bay leaves) - 1 also added 1/2 of a used vanilla bean to balance the punchy notes of ras el hanout and other spices below - you don’t taste it, it simply adds depth and a hint of sweet balance

1 dried lime - dried limes are often used in Middle Eastern cooking and can be found online / in specialty stores. they add a slightly tang without acidity to stews, soups and sauces

1/2ish bottle of orange wine (you could swap for red) - I like using leftover orange wine if I have it on hand especially during autumn, early winter and spring - it has a nice zippy left and isn’t too rich or deep like red wine can be…I like to use red for the depth of winter and sultry beef or chicken dishes

1/2 - 3/4 quart (500ml) chicken stock or veg stock

a shot of soy sauce, maybe 2 teaspoon, for some umami

spoonfuls or really ripe hachiya persimmon or thin slices of fuyu persimmon (you could always drop this or swap for dried prune, some pomegranate seed or even sweet pear slices)

coriander-horseradish creme fraiche for garnish (see below)

dill-parsley salsa verde for garnish (see below)

Method

Preheat the oven to 320F / 160C. Bring the lamb meat up to room temp, leaving it out of the fridge for 20 minutes or so. Season the lamb shank and stew meat with salt and pepper. Dredge the lamb stew chunks with a light coating of flour (to help them brown nicely). In a heavy-bottomed pot or a Dutch oven, sear meat in oil over medium-high heat about 8-10 minutes, turning frequently to evenly brown on all sides. Place meat in a separate bowl and drain excess fat out of the pot and wipe down. Add a bit more oil. Over medium heat, saute the veg (leeks, onions, garlic, carrots, parsnips and potatoes) altogether for 5-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add in tomato paste, give a quick stir, saute another 1-2 minutes, add in all spices and sugar and saute 1-2 minutes more. Pop the lamb meat back in the pot, stir, and add in herb bundle, dried lime, wine, stock, and soy sauce. Liquids should almost be covering the meat. Cover the pot with a lid and pop that baby in the oven for 2 1/2 -3+ hours until the lamb meat is falling off the bone and is super tender and melts in your mouth. Check / stir every hour or so and rotate the pot in the oven for even cooking. Towards the end of cooking, the last 30-45 minutes, add in the persimmon so it keeps it’s structure and sweetness, but blends into the stew.

To Serve

Take a cup of creme fraiche, sour cream or labneh, stir in some lime juice, grate in some fresh horseradish root, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander and salt to taste.

In a mortar and pestle (or using a hand blender or simply a whisk) blend together minced dill (or cilantro) and parsley with a bit of salt and a few tablespoons of olive oil.

Happy supermoon y’all. :)

Hello friends (new & old)! I wanted to take a quick moment to reintroduce myself as a number of you are recently new here. If you’ve found yourself here not directly through the Substack app, you have likely subscribed to one of my email lists/newsletters from years past (Nourish Nutrition, Nourish Kitchen + Table or Nourish Baby). Welcome back! I am working to bring all my past endeavors under one streamlined-ish roof here, a source for announcements, vibrantly fresh recipes, seasonal wellness information and more. If you’ve recently joined through Substack and don’t know much about my background, here’s the Cliff Notes version:

I’m Marissa Lippert, a chef, registered dietitian and writer based (mostly) in Brooklyn, NY and (a lil bit) in Copenhagen, Denmark. For over two decades, I’ve been exploring the intersection between food and seasonal wellness—counseling nutrition clients; juggling hot pans in restaurant kitchens; catering events, weddings and yoga/dance retreats all over the globe; providing new mothers and new infant eaters with integral, nourishing meals and support; and hosting workshops, classes and more. Having moving back to NYC this past January after a few years cooking overseas, I am re-finding my footing in our (generally) beloved city and as we close out 2025, I’m looking ahead to how I can best provide information/recipes and intentional food to the community around me (that’s y’all!). So stay tuned for more recipes and juicy tidbits here via this Well Fed newsletter. In the offline world, I spend most of my day cooking for and working with clients. Feel free to contact me if you’re seeking:

• intimate catering for an event or memorable private dinner

• if your fridge/pantry needs a little helpful overhaul of love

• if you’re interested in group wellness x nutrition x culinary counseling and workshops targeted towards females for fertility, postpartum and perimenopause

• or if you simply want to say “hey” or request a particular recipe up on this trusty platform.

  No matter what I’m doing or writing about, my aim and ethos is always to help create connections between our bodies, our community and nature’s energy and ecosystem around us.

And now, THANKSGIVING…!

I’m not sure if anyone else noticed, but it feels like there’s a been a visceral energy shift overnight (maybe it was yesterday’s new moon?) and we are full throttle in holiday mode as of this morning. (Yes? No?). I just ordered my turkey (10-15# for all 3 of us…I love a leftover situation) and from now until next Thursday, most of my thoughts will likely be consumed by dancing turkeys, tangy cranberry sauce, my grandmother’s clutch stuffing that I can’t live without, my “Thanksgiving salad” as my cousin lovingly termed it almost 20 years ago, and all the other bits that make our Thanksgiving tables, well, Thanksgiving. Oh, duh, and PIES! One dish I will not be thinking about, because it’s already locked in on the roster, is the roast veg side — yes, we need one. We also need mashed potatoes and mac & cheese (depending on where you hail from), but it’s really nice (to both your tastebuds and your digestive system) to have a tasty seasonal veg thrown in the mix. A bit of texture, color (NOT beige) and wait for it…FIBER. :)

I’ve been making this dish (typically with butternut or honeynut squash or pumpkin) for over 5 years now. It’s a winner hands-down every time. Don’t let all the little garnishes / extra chef’s kiss components scare you off (brown butter, fried sage, pomegranate), invest time and energy in all or some or just 1, the baseline roasted veg and labneh will still be ultra luxe and crowd pleasing. If there’s ever a holiday to come with your game ON point, this is it. Recipe is just below..scroll all the way down.

But first, as for the rest of the meal ****

Turkey: If you’re looking for an extra boost of turkey confidence / still figuring out your brining situation (dry or wet?…DRY!), here’s a solid tutorial from last year.

Stuffing & other sides: My grandmother’s stuffing, my ride-or-die stuffing, along with my favorite Tgiving chicory salad and the week’s prep guide /other side dishes is here.

Lest we forget, the PIES! My go-to apple crumble pie and bourbon pumpkin custard pie with gingersnap crust HERE!

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Roasted Pumpkin with Spiced Labneh, Brown Butter, Sage & Pomegranate

a happy, crowded plate of all of it…

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Welcome! Thanks for reading Well Fed, a fully reader-supported newsletter. If you’re not yet on the list, and would like to be, subscribe right below. - Marissa

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We have hit the first streak of real cold weather (under 40F / 10C), which means - for me at least - soup season is officially game on. I happened to spot some gorgeous sprouting cauliflower at the market last weekend — it’s just like normal cauiflower, but looks like a sprouted hand instead of a bulbous head and it tends to be even more delicious and flavorful — which sparked a long-ago tucked away memory of a soup, probably one of my favorites, from my former cafe, Nourish. The origins of this soup run at least 15 years now, and somehow I’ve left it dormant in recent winters. No more, joyful, bowl-filling resurrection has commenced and it’s left me, and hopefully you, very satisfied. In under 20 minutes (ok, maybe 25 with some sauteeing time), you can blitz this soup up into velvety goodness and top it off with anything that sounds delicious to you / or anything that is lying around in your fridge…lemon zest, seared Brussels sprout leaves, crispy bits of bacon, a grating of parmesan or gouda, some chili oil or flakes, old sourdough or rye bread crisped with garlic into craggy croutons/breadcrumbs, or simply a pinch of flaky sea and nice olive oil.

Recipe is below is just below these quick few announcements:

• BK GREENMARKET DEMO 11/16! If you’re located in Brooklyn, I’ll be doing a demo this Sunday morning (10-12pm) at the Carroll Gardens Greenmarket alongside Hidden Acre Farm — come find me for some pre-Thanksgiving inspo…carrots, hakurei turnips & honey nut squash roasted with ras el hanout spice & sage sitting a top a pillowy bed of labneh and lightly bathed in nutty browned butter. This is a GREAT side dish for a Thanksgiving table and it can be all yours - recipe highlighted in this post from last year (scroll to the bottom).

• ALL MY RECS IN 1 PLACE! If you’ve ever wondered what my favorite kitchen tools are (I can count them on one hand), my go-to pantry items; my ride or die vinegar, olive oil (it’s Psyche Organic!), spice blend brands etc.; the ceramics and tableware items that make every dish sing a little more special; my greenmarket shopping routine and tips; and my restaurant picks (and more) in cities around the globe…well, now you have them all! I’ve got a new page that launched on Rec League, a brand new platform for…”recs” of all kinds. Head here for some all sorts of things food/wellness/culinary-travel & lifestyle related. A sneak peak…

  

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And now for some very quick, very delicious Cauliflower Soup!

Cauliflower Soup with Chef’s Kiss (Your Choice) Garnish

Makes about 2 liters/quarts

1 1/2 -2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4-6 garlic cloves, finely minced

1-2 shallots, finely minced

1 small onion, medium dice

2 regular-sized (small-medium) heads of cauliflower (or 1 XL sized, or the equivalent in sprouting cauliflower , trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 liter / quart chicken broth (or sub in veg broth and make it vegan!)

3/4 to 1 liter / quart water (depending on desired consistency and how big / not big, your cauliflower is)

1 bay leaf (perhaps a sprig or 2 of thyme or sage if you wish)

zest of 1 lemon

kosher salt or sea salt to taste

dash of white pepper to taste

a hint of ground nutmeg

for the chef’s kiss garnish…let your imagination, and your resourcefulness, run wild

• some possibilities: minced chive; more lemon zest; seared Brussels sprout leaves or sauteed leafy greens; make it meta with more roasted cauliflower or romanesco; crispy bits of bacon; a grating of parmesan, cheddar, blue cheese or gouda, really any cheese will work; some chili oil or flakes; old sourdough or rye breadcrumbs/croutons; good olive oil; a throw back to the early aughts—truffle oil! (it’s actually really tasty)

Method:

In a stock pot, saute garlic, shallot and onion in oil over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add in cauliflower florets and saute another 5-7 minutes, just long enough so that the cauli gets a tiny bit of color/caramelization on it and starts to smell deliciously fragrant. Season alliums and cauli with a bit of salt and white pepper. Add in your stock, water and bay leaf, thyme / sage if using. Bring heat up to medium-high long enough for everything to come a boil and then lower, simmering until cauliflower is soft, about 20 minutes. Using a hand-immersion blender or regular blender, blitz everything until creamy and delightfully smooth (or a little chunky…I am a full proponent of chunks). Adjust salt and pepper as needed. Whisk in nutmeg and lemon zest. Serve with all / any garnish you wish.