Category Archives: In the Kitchen

On Saturday night I had a serious hankering for dessert. So, naturally, I went rummaging through the kitchen in search of inspiration. I lit upon the idea of oats. And peanut butter. And chocolate chips. I found a recipe in … Continue reading →

It’s no secret that I love Earl Grey. It seriously brightens my every afternoon, and the ritual of putting on the kettle and measuring out the leaves makes me feel like I am doing a tiny nice thing for myself. … Continue reading →

Rabbits eat carrots, right? That was my rationale for making this cake for Easter. I didn’t need much of a reason, really, except that I love carrot cake, and I have a willing guinea pig to try everything I bake. I must … Continue reading →

One of my March goals was to finally make macarons. Totally intimidating? Why, yes! But my sweet brother and his wife gave us a little mix for Christmas, so that made it much more approachable. They went to a macaron … Continue reading →

This recipe is a special one. My aunt gave it to me years and years ago, when I was first learning to cook. I had just finished my PhD exams, and I was desperate to start eating something other than … Continue reading →

Red lentil soup is sort of the hamburger of the vegetarian world, or at least it has been for me: endlessly mutable, unceasingly tweakable, and deeply personal. I have made my way through at least ten different versions of it, … Continue reading →

I love dill. I suppose enough time spent in Russia will lead one to that allegiance. But back here in the States, I typically associate it with summer. I use it to spike my potato salad with flavor and to … Continue reading →

Eric and I had a really lovely low-key Valentine’s Day. He brought me lilies and chocolate, and I secretly made him this incredible tart. He has a very big proposal due this week, which has been keeping him busy for … Continue reading →

We had so many fabulous meals in Istanbul, but our favorite by far was at Çiya Sofrası, a culinary anthropologist’s dream. We chose small portions of ten or twelve dishes to share, but the real showstopper was a deeply lemony and … Continue reading →

Eric and I got a madeleine pan as a wedding gift, and, of course, being a literature-obsessed girl, I could not live without the world’s most literarily famous cookie (Proust, lime tea, madeleine: memory). When the hankering hit me, I … Continue reading →