Quarter-Life Coaching

On a rainy night, roughly three years ago, the two of us sat in a coffee shop in the West Village, still in our business casual work clothes, drinking tea. Our notebooks were open on the table in front of us, and they were covered in scrawled handwriting analyzing cooking for two, considering how to entertain without turning your apartment into a mess, and weighing the costs of shopping at the farmers’ market versus the plain old supermarket.

We were total newbies. To food blogging, to working for ourselves, to entrepreneurship. All we knew was that we wanted to…

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Picture us at age twelve or thirteen.

Growing up in New York City, every weekend played host to at least one bar or bat mitzvah. And where would you have found the young quarter-life cooks at these weekly events? Not on the dance floor, getting down. Not by the photographer, grabbing attention from the bar mitzvah boy. No, we were hovering by the door to the kitchen, waiting to accost the poor cater waiter each time he emerged with a new tray of crab cakes, or chicken skewers, or bite-sized…

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EVENT: Sarah & Evan Give BGSK a Lesson in Crab Cakes

VENUE: Sarah’s Apartment, Lower East Side
PARTY SIZE: 4

MENU: Perfect Mini Crab Cakes with Chipotle Mayo and Corn-Pepper Relish; Lobster Rolls on Brioche; Squash Slivers with Truffle Salt and Lemon; Coronas; Mark Bittman’s Tofu Chocolate Pudding (chili powder omitted)

The first meal I ate with Sarah and Evan as an almost-couple was at Spitzer’s Corner, after we’d all been to hear Colson Whitehead read from Sag Harbor at McNally Jackson. When Evan was down for sharing…

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EVENT: Twin dishes for twins
VENUE: Phoebe ‘s Apartment, Flatiron
PARTY SIZE: 8
TYPE: Weekend experiment; executing the teachings of Chef Jennie
MENU: Jennie’s Tuscan Spaghetti Bolognese; Pappardelle with Lamb Bolognese; Spinach Fettuccine with Mushroom Bolognese; Shortbread Two Ways and Airy Chocolate Mousse (Cara)

Though we QLCs receive far more cries for help now than during the dark years (before the blog), we are always thrilled when the opportunity arises to get a little coaching ourselves. Some time back, Cara and I asked…

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EVENT: Baby’s First Kitchen Flight
VENUE: Wendy’s Apartment, Financial District
PARTY SIZE: 2
TYPE: Market to Table
MENU: Mixed Greens with Baby Radishes and an Asparagus Drizzle; Cavatelli with Radish Leaf Almond Pesto

My friend Wendy has all the ingredients to warrant the title of hostess with the most-ess. She has an expertly decorated apartment, in which she entertained 30 hungry mouths at this year’s holiday party, an innate gift for organization and planning, and an appreciation for all things food-related. So it came as a surprise to me, as I searched aimlessly…

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The Birthday Girl, heapin’ a helping, making eyes at a cowboy.

EVENT: Alyssa’s Surprise Birthday Fiesta
VENUE: Phoebe and Caitlyn’s Apartment, Flatiron
PARTY SIZE: 12
TYPE: Weekend Festive Dinner
MENU: Chips and Salsa, Mexican Shepherd’s Pie, Spinach and Avocado Salad with Cilantro-Citrus Vinaigrette, Assorted Brownies and Cupcakes, Margarita

While I spent 9 post-college months attempting to cohabit with my parents, all the while venturing down the dark path of corporate America, my roommate-to-be Caitlyn was…

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EVENT: Date Night
TEAM: Dave
TYPE: Romantic Meal
MENU: Shrimp Risotto with Sweet Peas and Leeks, Roasted Asparagus with Lemon

Though I know a free meal could never been viewed as a form of abuse, I still get occasionally paranoid that my friends feel taken advantage of for being my culinary guinea pigs time and time again. When I am not calling them to duty at my coffee table poufs, more than anything, I hope they are home experimenting themselves. So it is always a pleasure when…

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