BEST VEHICLES FOR HOT FUDGE: Matzoh Crunch Ice Cream; Pecan-Pumpkin Pie; Pound Cake; Coffee-Toffee Ice Cream Squares; Chocolate-Bottomed Blondies
In honor of my impending birthday, dessert week at BGSK plunges on! On today’s menu: hot fudge sauce.
When I was a college student, I found my sanity in wax paper cups of ice cream with hot fudge sauce from Herrell’s in Harvard Square. It was the kind of treat that was small enough not to seem overly unhealthy-my grandma eats ice cream with hot fudge sauce every day, and

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EVENT: Roomie Reunion
VENUE: Phoebe’s Parents’ Apartment, Upper West Side
PARTY SIZE: 2
TYPE: Casual Weeknight Dinner
MENU: Zucchini-Fennel Slaw; Tuna Burgers with Lemon Paprika Aioli; Preserved Lemon Budino

As you well know, I am not the baking half of our little quarter-life kitchen marriage. When Cara comes to dinner, I make her bring dessert. When she does not, the lack of a third course makes more room for wine. But sometimes a sweet comes along that’s so extraordinary, I just can’t resist testing…

CHANGE OF SEASON MENU: Eggplant Caponata with Balsamic Drizzle; Late-Summer Chicken Stew; White Rice; Fig and Walnut Cake

We all know that feeling, around May, when our appetites finally shrink after a long winter of craving mashed potatoes and stew. It’s a refreshing feeling, like we no longer need to eat more than our share to be satisfied. For me, this year, that diminished appetite simply didn’t last that long. When we set up a photo shoot, in July, that included Beef Stew, I found myself wanting to eat every last morsel of the hearty

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HIGHBROW SANDWICHES: Roast Beef Baguettes with Cider Onion Jam and Fennel Remoulade; Tuna Burgers with Lemon Paprika Aioli; Lobster Salad on Toasted Brioche Rolls

There is a certain camp of foodies that doesn’t believe that highbrow ingredients should be incorporated in such lowbrow ways as, say, ye old pedestrian sandwich. These are also the staunch purists who don’t believe oysters should be fried, Kobe ground and slapped together in patty form, or caviar used as a common condiment for potato chips. Perhaps it’s because Ina Garten introduced me to the last…

EVENT: Grizzly Bear at Governor’s Island

WEATHER: Rain
PARTY SIZE: 2
TYPE: Stealth Picnic
MENU: Egg Salad, Arugula & Bacon Wraps; Mustardy String Beans with Pickled Shallots; British Biscuits
Whenever I go on vacation, my mom gives me a strict warning. “Be careful,” she says. “Really.” Her words may not be dissimilar from those of most parents’, but her worries are more targeted. While out of town, I have a tendency to believe that rules are not for me. I cut in line, cross caution tape, and disobey every museum guard in sight, and

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EVENT: Naptime Cocktail Cruise
VENUE: Kelsey Banfield’s Boat, Martha’s Vineyard
PARTY-SIZE: 6
TYPE: Casual Summer Sail
MENU: Ina’s Guacamole (Kelsey); Gorgonzola & Pear Toasts (Kelsey); Pesto Shrimp “Lollipops”

Last summer, I tweeted about making one of these rainy day salads on Martha’s Vineyard. Or, perhaps it was a tweet about how Obama’s security helicopter circling the island was giving me a headache. Whatever it was, The Naptime Chef responded enthusiastically that she too was on the vineyard, and began a tweetastic

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Thank you to everyone who participated in our Back-to-School Lunch Tote Giveaway courtesy of Built NY.

We chose a winner randomly from the list of commenters and recent newsletter subscribers. Congrats to reader Elizabeth!

Here’s what she had to say:
Cannot imagine ever being without 11-inch round comal. Tortillas are a staple in my family, so use it practically every day. This one heats up quickly and also cools off fast, good for getting it out of the way when done. Make quesadillas, heat up pita once in a while, bolillo, and pizza…

OTHER FINGER FOOD FAVES: Black Bean Cakes; Open-Faced Spinach Pie Bites; Smoked Mozzarella Tartlettes; Zucchini-Scallion Cakes

Hot off the heels of Cara’s family’s competing kugels, we quarter-life cooks have also embraced the spirit of friendly competition. Today’s Recipe Flash features our two entries in the Are You a Saucy Mama Contest. Our friends over at Barhyte Specialty Foods sent us a box of their Saucy Mama brand marinades and condiments to play around with. Our experiments resulted in two finger food faves, jazzed up with these fabulous new condiments.

BREAK FAST MENU: Noodle Kugel; Phoebe’s Brisket; String Beans with Mustard Dressing and Cured Shallots; Asparagus with Tarragon Vinaigrette; Caramel Apple Cake

My family is a little competitive. When, at Rosh Hashanah dinner last week, my cousin Jordyn announced that she had just been chosen field hockey captain for her high school team-the fourth cousin to hold such an illustrious position-all eyes turned to her little sister Randi. The pressure was on. Randi had exactly three years to secure her captainship, or you could just tell that…

EVENT: Breakfast at Wimbledon
VENUE: Phoebe’s Grandparents’ House, Martha’s Vineyard
PARTY-SIZE: 4
TYPE: Televised Sporting Event & Egg-Eating Session
MENU: Bluefish Hash with Mustard and Lemon Thyme; Olive Oil Fried Eggs
WHAT YOU’LL NEED: Lodge Cast Iron Skillet-Buy It Now OpenSky!

I don’t really watch sports, to put it mildly.

I’m still not sure if I understand the rules of football. I “went” to a number of games in college—but never actually made it into the stadium for most. I’ll occasionally attend…