Bear with me: I grew up an hour from Cape Cod and it's November. There are about to be more cranberries. Are you a beet person? I never liked them as a kid, but I got super into them in college, where they were always at the salad bar. It was Maine and it was cold, and it felt wrong to eat things ...
Old Bay Sweet Potatoes with Avocado Tartar Sauce
What do you do when you need a laugh? I have a suggestion: pick up the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living and read Martha's monthly calendar in the front. I'm not sure if it's even meant to be funny, but it reads like something straight out of McSweeney's or Shouts & Murmurs. Here are some ...
Ultimate Fall Salad with Cranberry-Orange Vinaigrette
What's your take on salad at Thanksgiving? We usually skip it. Most of my family members would rather save their stomach real estate for extra helpings of stuffing and pie. Plus, we've fasted all day in preparation for the feast, and no one wants their first bite to be...lettuce. But this year ...
Apple Crisp-Stuffed Apples
Do you ever order apple crisp in restaurants? I always think homemade apple crisp tastes better, but one thing I do love about restaurant versions is the presentation. It usually comes to the table perfectly portioned in its own ramekin, with a crown of crunchy, crumbly topping and a dribble of ...
Brussels Sprout Salad with Rice Krispies
How often do you get out for date night? Alex and I are fortunate to have grandparents nearby, but even so we are lucky if we go out once a month. Since we moved to Westchester last year, our favorite restaurant has been The Parlor in Dobbs Ferry. It's at least as good as the artisanal pizza places ...
Broccoli Apple Soup
Much to my chagrin, Owen will eat exactly three vegetables: corn (only on the cob, thanks), steamed carrots, and broccoli. When he was a baby, I made him all sorts of healthy veggie purees: sweet potato, peas with mint, and zucchini with basil. He loved them! I smugly thought that my diet must have ...
Blondies with Pistachios and Dark Chocolate
Alex's birthday is three days before Owen's. Two years ago, when I was 100 months pregnant and probably already a little bit in labor, I baked him an outrageous cake covered in chocolate ganache and decorated with chocolate- and toffee-covered pistachios. It was a cake to end all cakes. Literally--I ...
Classic Carrot Salad
When I was a single girl, I used to make a delicious carrot salad all the time. It was just grated carrots, lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and cilantro. A huge bowl of it with some crusty bread and a glass of white wine can make a pretty great dinner. But alas, Alex is a cilantro hater. When I ...
Easy Black Bean Tacos
For 30 years, Alex thought he didn't like Mexican food. Then we went to a wedding in Napa Valley and the morning after there was a fabulous homemade Mexican brunch, complete with guava mimosas and a woman pressing fresh tortillas. Alex was converted. He realized that he actually loved authentic ...
Jalapeño Acorn Squash with Cranberry Walnut Sauce
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. (Can you tell? It's only mid-October and I'm already talking about it.) For us, it's a big multi-family affair: my mother-in-law roasts a massive turkey (and always frets that "it just won't be enough." A few years ago, she actually made a roast beef too, just in ...
