Sarah and Jessy: more posed than a high-school yearbook photo

EVENT: Dinner for Jessy and Sarah; high school gab session
VENUE: Phoebe’s Apartment, Flatiron
PARTY SIZE: 3
TYPE: Casual Weeknight Dinner, Experimental Menu
MENU: Crispy Duck Salad with Pear, Pecans, and Ginger-Honey Mustard Vinaigrette; Sweet Pea and Ginger Dip

It has been passed down to me through firsthand tales and various internalized catch phrases from my favorite Food Network matrons of entertaining, that the golden rule of hosting is always to…

EVENT: Boston Birthday/I Miss My Sister In Maine
TYPE: Sendable!
BAKED GOOD: Brownies with add-ins

I’ve been baking brownies from Molly O’Neill’s New York Cookbook for as long as I can remember. Back when my metabolism was speedy, I’d bake a pan, then eat it warm, even uncut, from the oven. Now, I stick to picking at the crust as I cut the brownies into morsels to send to friends, in the process expelling them from my apartment immediately.

My main method of

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Clicking through Big Girls Small Kitchen’s dedicated Q&A site is a fun and easy way to find out what those around you are cooking, eating, and thinking about eating. And as we’re two among many of quite a sprawling demographic, we’re really and truly eager for some good old-fashioned feedback. So…

Click here for the BIG GIRLS SMALL KITCHEN Urtak.

Event: NYC Inauguration Ball Pre-Party
Venue: Sarah’s brilliant new Lower East Side apartment
Party size: About 15
Menu: Savory onion tart (C); gooey Mexican dip (P); cheese platter; Sarah’s (addictive) pecan bars

The weekday potluck presents a very particular challenge to those of us with full-time jobs. On the one hand, there’s little more appealing after a day of work than to sit in someone’s cozy apartment with a bit of wine, some passable gossip, and a meal that everyone’s contributed to. On the other hand, being punctual to…

EVENT:Santacon Hangover Brunch
VENUE: Adam’s Apartment, Chelsea
PARTY SIZE: 13 Santas, 3 Mrs. Clauses, 2 Christmas Trees, 1 Slutty Elf, and yes, Scrooge
TYPE: Casual Hangover Brunch Buffet
MENU: Breakfast Burritos, Big Kid Hot Chocolate

When I was little (we’re talking 7, 8, 9), I showed an early flair for service-sector food preparation. Every summer, I would open Phoebe’s Restaurant—a one-day-only affair where I exhibited shameless only-child, attention-seeking behavior and indulged in a burgeoning multiple-personality disorder, playing…

EVENT: Dinner with Kate and Elyssa; dinner for me
VENUE: Cara’s apartment, Park Slope
TYPE: Cozy comfort cuisine
MENU: Traditional Baked Mac and Cheese with Breadcrumbs; Skillet White Pasta with Root Veggies

Did we mention in this blog yet that it’s winter? So far that’s meant stews, chili competitions, having people over so we don’t have to leave the house, etc. But naturally it also means Macaroni and Cheese.

The Mac and Cheese my mom made us growing up wasn’t orange, and it wasn’t baked. It was really good though—thick, creamy, cheesy, and filling. At some…

clockwise from top: potatoes, edamame, scallions, sweet pototoes, zucchini, mung bean sprouts, and carrots - and shrimp in the middle

EVENT: Informal supper for the Urtak-ers
TYPE: Small dinner party
SIZE: Two guests and me
VENUE Cara’s apartment, Park Slope
MENU: Baguette with carrot dip; Bibimbap and condiments; Coconut pudding with star sables

My friends Aaron and Marc have launched an ambitious and attractive public opinion website called urtak.com. It’s revolutionary in that it lets users generate their own questions as well as answer the queries of others.

While…

DISHES: Meghan’s Turkey Lasagna; Whole Wheat Rigatoni with Turkey and Cremini Mushroom Bolognese
MAIN INGREDIENT: Ground Turkey, Pasta
TYPE: Repurposing Leftovers

When I haven’t hijacked the kitchen for one of my weekday experiments, my roommate Caitlyn can usually be found there whipping up one of her sister’s recipes for hardy, yet healthy comfort food. But what her dishes lack in fat (Meghan is a nutritionist), they make up for in serving sizes that defy the rules of portion control. Caitlyn’s brother-in-law is a former football player, and judging from the family lore, eats more in one sitting than my

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