DISH: Grilled Cheddar Sandwich with Pears and Pecans
TYPE: Weekday Lunch
MAIN INGREDIENTS: Homemade Bread, Cheese, Pears

I adore grilled cheese by whatever name: quesadilla, panini, pizza (ok, maybe that last one’s a stretch). It is practically in my blood, at least the blood from my mother’s side. My father’s side almost universally detests cheese. But my maternal grandparents, as I understand it, when they went to Paris for the first time fell in love with Croque Monsieurs. They ordered them at a bistro for lunch and were blown…

DISH: Radicchio and Fresh Mozzarella Toasts; Grandpa Caprese Panzanella
TYPE: Summer Lunch

MAIN INGREDIENTS: Whole Grain Bread, Fresh Mozzarella, Tomatoes, Radicchio
A few Saturdays ago, after my mom had gotten back from her tennis match and I had finished up a long bike ride on my new and very cool road bike, we went out to the farm stands for vegetables. Our favorite stop is at Marilee Foster’s farm. The labels by the vegetables are artistic endeavors in their own right, and, even more charmingly, business used to be conducted on an

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VEGETARIAN DINNER PARTY: Avocado and Radish Crostini; Oversized Mozzarella Arepas; Sweet and Sour Cabbage Salad; Coffee Sables

There were a few years, while I was in high school, when arepas were a regular on our weeknight menu. We would make a pot of beans-as simple as refried beans from a can, or as complex as chocolate-y black beans-and serve them with arepas instead of rice or some other starch. My mom and I had been introduced to arepas in a class we took with Peter Berley, at the Institute of Culinary

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LADIES LUNCH MENU: Artichokes with Caper-Scallion Mayonnaise; Biscuit Club Sandwiches; Apple Crumb Coffee Cake

I grew up eating whole artichokes with homemade mayo for dipping. These were a treat, something my mother and I would share or, when I was big enough, eat side by side. If we were eating the same head, there would always be a bit of tension when we got down to the heart, the best part. My mother would usually give it to me, after making…

MORE QUESADILLAS: Avocado Quesadillas, Cilantro Succatash Quesadillas, Curried Sweet Potato Quesadillas, Butternut Squash & Leek Confit Quesadillas, Spinach Pie Quesadilas

In his book A Platter of Figs, David Tanis has a recipe for avocado quesadillas. I remember reading it at my mom’s over breakfast and noticing that it sounded delicious, but also thinking it was curious to be featured in a book that also contained recipes about how to make duck leg hams from scratch. Of course the idea of the cookbook, captured in its name, is…

WEEKEND BRUNCH: Zucchini-Shallot Frittata; Panzanella Salad with Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette; White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies

My mom makes the best frittatas. As it turns out, it was the first dish she ever cooked for my dad. And while eggs are a sure way to any man’s heart, she must have done something very right with that particular frittata.

When I was growing up, the frittata was the only breakfast item that we consistently ate for dinner. It often made an appearance when there was some sort of miscommunication as to whether we would all…

DISH: Potato Chip Chilaquiles
TYPE: New kitchen tools, old leftovers
CINCO DE MAYO BRUNCH MENU:Guacamole; Potato Chip Chilaquiles, Spinach Salad with Corn, Avocado, and Cilantro Citrus Vinaigrette

Chilaquiles is a Mexican dish that uses leftover tortillas, crisped, as the base for sauce, cheese, and eggs (or chicken). As a frittata uses up extra sauteed vegetables and yesterday’s pasta, or as fried rice makes the most of Sunday night’s dried-out takeout, Chilaquiles takes chips, eggs, and salsa, and makes them each transcend their individual taste value into a dish that you would…

SPRING DINNER MENU: Avocado and Radish Crostini; Lemon Roasted Asparagus; Carrot Raisin Cookies

It’s officially spring. I know this because when I got down to the subway platform last week, I immediately started to sweat through my tank top. My whole body feels the change in season, especially my stomach. But it’s a strange transitional period for my pantry and crisper. I haven’t quite gotten used to buying fresh vegetables at the beginning of the week again, because, well, there still isn’t a whole lot of green lining the…

DISH: Spaghetti with Spicy Red Sauce and a Fried Egg; Spinach with Bacon Bits
TYPE: Dinner for Breakfast
MAIN INGREDIENTS: Spaghetti, Canned TomatoesThere are certain people who can eat breakfast all day long. I’d put myself in that group. Really, there is nothing more delicious than a fried egg or a stack of pancakes for dinner. But I’ve also been known to eat extremely bizarre meals—Turkey Burgers, Fried Rice, Coleslaw—at 9am in

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DISH: Rice Bowl with Peanut Sauce
TYPE: Day-Before-Vacation Lunch
MAIN INGREDIENTS: Rice, Coconut Milk, Peanut Butter

Though this lunch isn’t anything that out of the ordinary, I like it because it was made out of truly the barest fridge I’ve ever laid eyes on. It made me glad for the miscellany of my possessions that I normally curse myself for, all those jars and bottles that clutter my life and that, more often than not, have approximately one teaspoon remaining of their original contents. It made me glad that I hadn’t thrown away the last 1/3 cup…