Adam D. Roberts's Blog, page 9

Cavatappi with Pistachio Arugula Pesto and Sun Gold Tomatoes

One of the cruelest things food writers have asked innocent home cooks to do is to make pesto in a mortar and pestle. Yes, I know, Italian grandmothers do this instead of pilates; yes, I know, it yields a texture that’s so silky you want to rub it all over your body and wear it as a dress. I get that. But for most people, the idea of making pesto in a mortar and pestle just makes them not want to make pesto. And that’s a shame! Because pesto is one of the most terrific things you can make at home, especially if you make in the summer.

The formula is so simple, you can just memorize it right here (and I know that pan is dirty, I’ve scrubbed it with Barkeeper’s Friend; leave me alone!). Are you ready? Toast nuts: preferably pine nuts, almonds, walnuts, or — if you’re feeling fancy — pistachios. Set them aside to cool.

Take a hunk of good Parmesan cheese (don’t buy the pre-ground stuff), cut it into cubes, and throw that into the food processor. Pulse until it’s finely ground, then dump into a bowl.

Now, in that very same food processor, place the cooled toasted nuts, a few cloves of garlic (let’s say four?), and a pinch of salt. Pulse until coarsely ground. Then add big handfuls of either basil (which is the most traditional) or, my personal favorite, arugula. I love arugula because it’s a little bitter, a little spicy, and you don’t have to pick it off the stem like you do with basil. I just buy a big bag of it and dump it in.

Pulse that until it’s coarsely chopped up, then start drizzling olive oil in. You drizzle it in (through the tube) until it looks like pesto; at least 1/2 a cup, probably more.

The final step? Stir in lots of that Parmesan you ground up at the beginning.

In the past, I would add lemon juice here to make it zingy; but recently, this exchange happened on Twitter.

I tasted and it had a deep, umami flavor that lemon juice might spoil, so I listened to Carla Lalli Music and stuck with pesto instead of salsa verde.

Then to turn this into dinner, I boiled cavatappi in salted water just until al dente, then lifted into a bowl. I spooned a bunch of pesto into the big bowl, which had a little pasta cooking water in it, which helped the pesto stick.

Then came the fun part: the doctoring up! I had some sun gold tomatoes that were just sitting on my counter. So I sliced those in half and threw those in, along with some stray arugula.

I stirred that all in, along with more Parmesan, and at the very end I chopped up some leftover toasted pistachios and sprinkled them on top.

Now that’s a summer dinner if there ever was one! And you didn’t have grind it all together in a mortar and pestle; you just pressed “pulse” a few times and there it was. Just don’t do what I did and leave the dishes ’til the next day; the pesto really sticks on. I’m going to have to really put some elbow grease into doing the dishes; almost as much as work as making this in a… nah, never mind.

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Cavatappi with Pistachio Arugula Pesto and Sun Gold Tomatoes


A bright green pesto made with green pistachios and spicy arugula mixed with cavatappi and sun gold tomatoes.










Ingredients1/2 cup shelled green pistachiosKosher salt1 wedge Parmesan cheese, rind removed, cut into chunks (about 1/2 pound)4 cloves garlic, smashed, skin removed3 – 4 cups arugula1/2 – 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil1 pound dried cavatappi You could also use any other small pasta shape. Spaghetti would work too.1 pint sun gold tomatoes, rinsed and halved
InstructionsToast the pistachios in a small skillet with a pinch of salt until fragrant and slightly toasted-looking. Don't scorch. Set aside.Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season well with salt (it should taste like good broth, but not the ocean).In bowl of a food processor, grind the Parmesan until finely ground. Set aside.Now add most of the cooled toasted pistachios (save a tablespoon to chop and put on top of the finished dish). Add the garlic and pulse together with the pistachios and a pinch of salt until coarsely ground.Add all of the arugula, another pinch of salt, and turn the machine on. As it grinds the arugula, slowly pour the olive oil in through the tube. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides. Keep going until the pesto looks emulsified but still roughly textured. Stir in a big handful of the Parmesan and taste. Adjust for salt and more Parmesan. (You could add lemon juice here, just don't tell Carla Lalli Music.)Drop your cavatappi in the big pot of boiling water and cook just until cooked through; taste to know. You want it al dente.Using a spider tool, lift the pasta into a large metal bowl. (You want some of that pasta water to help the pesto stick.) Add big spoonfuls of the pesto and stir all around until everything looks coasted and glossy. I think it's better to use more than less here, but that's just me.Add a handful of Parmesan, the tomatoes, some extra arugula that you forgot to add to the food processor, and continue stirring all around. Keep tasting and adjusting.To serve: lift the the pasta into bowls and top with more Parmesan and some of the chopped pistachios I told you to conserve earlier.

Related Posts:

Instant Pesto (Amateur Gourmet; a very similar post to this one, but not as pretty and no recipe)

Toss Your Beans in Pesto (Amateur Gourmet; a healthier way to use up your pesto)

Samin Nosrat’s Basil Pesto (New York Times; this is the mortar and pestle version… I will try it someday!)

How To Make Pesto Like an Italian Grandmother (101Cookbooks)

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Spicy Black Lentils with Charred Eggplant and Urfa Chili

Cinderella has to pick lentils out of the fireplace in order to go to the ball (at least in Into The Woods) and for a long time I thought to myself, “At least she doesn’t have to eat them!”

There are so many foods that people associate with “health food,” they’re anything but enticing. Lentils definitely have a prominent place on that list. (The guiltiest offender? “Nutritional yeast.” Can you think of a food with a more awful name? I can’t.) And yet, just like The Best Broccoli of Your Life changed the way we think about broccoli, Ottolenghi has a recipe for lentils that’ll shift them into the category: “Something I really want to eat!”

The trick, here, is to develop deep, dark flavor that matches the deep, darkness of the lentils themselves.

A few things: Ottolenghi’s original recipe calls for Puy (green) lentils. He also calls for cherry tomatoes that get charred along with the eggplant. I took liberties here based on what I had around. If you’re feeling unsafe, I get that; head over to Ottolenghi’s recipe, and make that.

I also changed up his technique, starting with the eggplant first, so that I could get a really good sear on it without having to worry about burning garlic or tomatoes bursting and putting too much liquid in the pan to really get anything brown.

To emulate the charred tomato effect, I drained a can of tomatoes, and squeezed a few solid tomatoes directly into the pan and let them cook until they got deep, dark brown. The bottom of the pan had great brown bits that got worked up with the white wine.

If there’s one ingredient that you absolutely must procure before making this dish, it’s Urfa Chili. Frankly, my Urfa Chili was sitting in my spice cabinet, neglected, for way too long. Here, it finally has its moment to shine: the deep, profound heat you get from Urfa Chili comes alive with the lentils.

Make this for dinner, and “lentils for dinner” will sound like less of a punishment and more of a reward. Just don’t put Nutritional Yeast on it. Nobody deserves that.

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Spicy Black Lentils with Charred Eggplant and Urfa Chili


A hearty, spicy, healthy dinner featuring lentils and Urfa Chili, based on an Ottolenghi recipe.





Servings 4 people




IngredientsOlive oil4 Japanese eggplant, stemmed and cut into cubes You could also use one large globe eggplant and do the same.Salt1 red onion, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, sliced thin1 can San Marzano tomatoes, drained, liquid discarded, tomatoes crushed by hand1/2 cup dry white wine2 cups water or vegetable stock I used water, it was fine1 1/2 cups black lentils, rinsed and picked over1 Tbs Urfa chili, plus more to tasteFreshly ground black pepperSour cream, Greek yogurt, or crème fraîche for servingCilantro, for garnish
InstructionsStart by heating a splash of olive oil in a wide, metal skillet. When hot, add one layer of eggplant: don't crowd the pan (you may need to work in batches). Sear on all sides, then season with salt, and set aside. Do again until you've seared all the eggplant (you may need to add more oil as you go).Add more oil to the pan (a few Tbs), and add the red onion. Season with salt and fry until golden brown. Add the garlic and cook just until it starts to color. Add the solid tomato pieces, stir all around with salt, and cook until starting to caramelize. The bottom of the pan should be brown, but not black.Add the wine to deglaze the bottom of the pan, working everything up with a wooden spoon. Add the eggplant back in, then the water or stock, and finally the lentils, plus a big pinch of salt. Stir all around as the liquid comes to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer, and cook until the lentils are completely tender, about 30 – 40 minutes. You may need to add more water or stock if the lentils get too thick.Towards the end of its cooking time, start seasoning with the Urfa chili and black pepper. Keep adding sprinklings of both until you really taste it. Don't be timid! This is what makes the lentils special.Scoop into bowls and top with the sour cream and cilantro. Eat right away.

Related Posts:

Curried Lentil Soup (Amateur Gourmet)

Lentil Soup with Sausage, Chard, and Garlic (Smitten Kitchen, featuring Gina DePalma’s recipe from my cookbook!)

Lentils with Grilled Aubergines (The Guardian, another Ottolenghi lentils and eggplant recipe)

Lentils Diavolo (Ali Slagle, The New York Times)

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The Fluffiest Coconut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

My friend Ryan O’Connell is a superstar in every sense. Not only does he have his own show on Netflix, he was featured this weekend in a New York Times article about artists as activists. (Coincidentally, the article was written by Mark Harris, a Lunch Therapy alumni, just like Ryan.)

Suffice it to say, I feel very lucky to call Ryan a friend. And knowing that his birthday was coming up, and that he’s part of our quarantine bubble (a very small group of friends that we still see), I asked if he had a menu in mind for his birthday dinner. He didn’t hesitate: “Oooh, can we have Martha’s Mac and Cheese?” (The best of all time, in case you didn’t know that.) “Oh, and maybe a salad with peaches? Peaches are season, right?” (They are.) “And can we do a coconut cake for dessert?” “You got it,” I replied.

I like how Ryan knows what he wants. And it’s fun to make a dinner for someone who’s so looking forward to the food you’re making.

Strategy-wise, I made the cakes the night before, wrapped them in plastic, and refrigerated them overnight. (It’s easier to ice a cooled cake.) The next morning, I put together the mac and cheese — with almost two pounds of cheese — and refrigerated it. Then, in the afternoon, I set about icing the cake.

I’ve learned a thing or two about icing a cake over the years. Firstly, as mentioned, I always let the cakes cool for as long as possible before icing them. The refrigerator is a good idea. In my naive, early days I tried icing still warm cakes and you can guess how well that went.

The other major discovery is how important it is to line your cake stand with torn pieces of parchment as you ice. Why? Because when you do the outside layer — which is the hardest part — you can yank away the falling mounds of glop and have a clean-looking cake stand and a perfectly iced cake at the end.

See how messy that looks? But once that parchment was yanked away, the cake looked almost professional. Well, if not almost professional, like it was made by an expert home cook.

That’s the thing about a cake like this: you do want it to look a little shaggy, so everyone can see the love you put into it. And the coconut, which was easy to sprinkle on to the top, but harder to get on the sides — I basically flung it and let the coconut go everywhere — hides most of your icing mistakes.

As you can see, the birthday boy was very happy indeed.

My only other tips are to make sure that your butter and eggs are at room temperature before you make the cake — it’ll make for a fluffier cake — and same when you’re making the cream cheese icing; it’ll whip up more cleanly.

Happy birthday, Ryan! Excited to hear next year’s menu.

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The Fluffiest Coconut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting


A perfect homemade coconut cake based on Ina Garten's recipe.





Servings 12 people




IngredientsFor the cake:3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pans 3/4 pound, if you don't measure by sticks.2 cups sugar5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature1 1/2 tsps pure vanilla extract1 1/2 tsps pure almond extract3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans1 tsp baking powder1/2 tsp baking soda1/2 tsp kosher salt1 cup whole milk4 ounces sweetened shredded coconutFor the frosting:1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp 1/2 pound, again if you don't measure by sticks.3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract1/4 tsp pure almond extract1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted6 ounces sweetened, shredded coconut
InstructionsPreheat the oven to 350. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray (or butter them, if you have softened butter); line with parchment (use this trick), and spray the parchment, and dust with flour. Knock out any excess dust.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high for 3 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Crack the eggs into a bowl and with the mixer on medium, add the eggs one at a time, scraping down as necessary. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter in three parts, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix just until combined. Fold in the 4 ounces of coconut with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the two prepared pans, smooth the tops, and bake 45 to 55 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. (I use a piece of spaghetti.) Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn out on to a baking rack to finish cooling. (It's not a bad idea to do this the night before.)To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and almond extract in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed. (Be sure everything's at room temperature first!) Add the confectioner's sugar and mix until smooth. Ina says: "Don't whip!"To assemble, place one layer on a cake stand, top-side down (I sliced a little off the top to make it sit flat). Spread with frosting, about a cup. Place the second layer on top, top-side up, and frost the top and sides. Sprinkle with the coconut and press more coconut on to the sides. Serve at room temp.

Related Posts:

Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting (Amateur Gourmet)

Hummingbird Cake (Amateur Gourmet)

Plush Coconut Cake (Smitten Kitchen)

Chocolate Coconut “Candy Bar” Cake (David Lebovitz)

Banana Coconut Layer Cake (Melissa Clark)

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My Love Affair with White Balsamic

This summer, I’ve been having an affair. No, not in the bedroom, in the kitchen. I’m passionately in love with a vinegar; not just any vinegar, but white balsamic vinegar.

It all started when I was ordering groceries to pick up from McCalls Meat & Fish (yes, I know I mention them a lot). Their online store has an oils and vinegars section, so I checked out their offerings and saw that they had white balsamic. I’d never used white balsamic before, but I was intrigued, so I bought it. And that’s when everything changed. I started feeling feelings I’d never felt about a vinegar before.

The tomatoes in my tomato salad were like the Von Trapp children and the white balsamic was Fraulein Maria, bringing joy and music where there hadn’t been joy and music in a long time. (The one above has cucumbers, Feta, olive oil, the white balsamic, salt, pepper, and za’atar sprinkled on top.)

What makes it so good? White balsamic has a roundness to it; it’s not as sharp and syrupy as regular balsamic. It has a sweet and sour vibe that brings any salad to life. My favorite way to use it is in a Caesar-ish dressing.

In a large bowl, I whisk together a teaspoon or so of anchovy paste, a tablespoon of Dijon mustard, a splash of the white balsamic, and then enough olive oil (added slowly while whisking) to emulsify. To that I add shredded radicchio, arugula, a sliced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and a bunch of grated Parmesan.

It’s not a Caesar salad by any means; it’s better.

My fling with white balsamic isn’t exclusive to salads. I use it in sautéed vegetables, like corn; I’ve drizzled it on to soups. I could even imagine mixing it with berries and sugar to make that classic Italian dessert that normally uses the red stuff.

But salads are where white balsamic and I are happiest. Here’s one we did together with a creamy dressing involving a tablespoon each of mayo and sour cream, a splash of buttermilk, and then a splash of the white balsamic, and enough olive oil to bring it all together. (The lettuce is Boston lettuce, with red pepper, scallions, and toasted, chopped almonds.)

So if your summer was a dull one, it’s not too late. Get yourself a bottle of white balsamic and go to town. Your husband never needs to know.

Related Posts:

Dorie Greenspan’s Mustard Bottle Vinaigrette (Amateur Gourmet)

What Is White Balsamic Vinegar and Why Do Chefs Love It? (Bon Appetit)

What’s The Deal With: White Balsamic Vinegar? (The Kitchn)

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One-Pan Salmon with Sugar Snap Peas and a Cherry Tomato Sauce

When we think about one-pan cooking, we usually think about a dish where all of the components cook together in one pan at the same time. But there’s another kind of one-pan cooking! (Sorry for the exclamation mark, I was excited.) It’s the kind where you cook multiple components in the same pan one after the other and then assemble everything together on the plate at the end.

That’s what I did here when I made salmon for dinner the other night. You may be thinking: “Make the components one after the other? Don’t they get cold?” And I’d say to you: “Not really, they’ll stay warm. Stop worrying so much.”

Obviously, the advantage to making a dinner like this is that you only have one pan to clean at the end. This is my Scan Pan from Sur La Table (this is not a sponsored post, I swear) which I really love because it’s non-stick but it doesn’t have dangerous chemicals in it (The Wall Street Journal gave it the Blue Ribbon for nonstick pans).

I happened to have some sugar snap peas and cherry tomatoes that I picked up at McCalls Meat and Fish when I went to get salmon there the other day (you order everything online in advance) and I figured this was the best way to marry all of the ingredients into one harmonious dinner.

As you can see above, I cooked the cherry tomatoes with some garlic and olive oil and then finished with capers. The sugar snaps got the same olive oil and garlic treatment. I wiped out the pan each time, setting each component aside, and finished by searing the salmon in hot grapeseed oil (any neutral oil works well here).

I’ve learned the hard way that if it’s a thick filet, you want to finish it in the oven so it cooks all the way through. But these filets were thin, so I started them skin-side down until they got a nice crust, then finished in the pan on the other side.

It’s a summery, healthy-ish dinner that you can have on the table in twenty minutes. And there’s only one pan to clean! Not apologizing for that exclamation mark. I earned it.

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One-Pan Salmon with Sugar Snap Peas and a Cherry Tomato Sauce








Servings 2 people




IngredientsOlive oil6 cloves garlic, sliced thinRed chili flakes2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved Try to use multicolored heirloom cherry tomatoes if you can find them.Salt 1 – 2 tsp capers1 pound sugar snap peas, strings removed This recipe would work equally well with asparagus, broccoli (though you may need to blanch it first), and string beans.1 lemonGrapeseed oil2 filets salmon, skin-onFreshly ground pepper
InstructionsHeat the olive oil in a medium-sized nonstick skillet and add half of the garlic. When the garlic starts to color, add a pinch of red chili flakes, then all of the cherry tomatoes plus a big pinch of salt. Cook on medium heat until the tomatoes begin to burst and the liquid begins to thicken. Towards the end, stir in the capers and taste to adjust for salt. Spoon the tomato sauce into a bowl.Wipe out the pan with a paper towel and heat another splash of olive oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pan. When very hot, add all of the sugar snap peas and a big pinch of salt. Toss all around and then let the sugar snaps sit in the hot oil until they start to color. Continue tossing and charring until they're all a bit shriveled, hot, and brown in spots. Taste for salt and squeeze a wedge of the lemon on top. Set aside.Wipe out the skillet one more time, and heat a splash of the grapeseed oil in the same skillet. Pat your salmon filets very dry with paper towels and season generously with lots of salt and pepper. Carefully lay the salmon, skin-side down, into the hot oil. Cook on medium-high heat until the skin is crispy and bronzed (about 2 to 3 minutes), then flip with a fish spatula. If your filets are thin, they should finish cooking in the pan. If they're very thick, you may need to finish in a 400 degree oven. Either way, cook until a thermometer inserted into the center reads 125 for medium. Remove the salmon to a plate and top with the cherry tomato sauce. Serve the sugarsnaps on the side with a lemon wedge.

Related Posts:

The Miracle of Mustard-Brown-Sugar Salmon (Amateur Gourmet)

Slow-Roasted Salmon with Cucumber Yogurt and Quick-Preserved Lemons (Amateur Gourmet)

Seared Salmon with Roasted Broccoli (Amateur Gourmet)

Sheet Pan Salmon and Broccoli with Miso Butter (Simply Recipes)

Sheet-Pan Salmon and Broccoli with Sesame and Ginger (New York Times)

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The Ultimate Road Trip from Los Angeles to Bellingham, Washington

At first, I talked myself out of it. We were going stir-crazy in our very hot apartment here in L.A. and Craig said we should drive up the California coast, up the Oregon coast, and finally to visit his family in Bellingham, Washington, where they share a cabin in the summers with friends on Eliza Island, at the tip of the San Juans. It sounded ideal, but also a little scary in Covid-times: where would we stay along the way? Where would we eat? Would it be safe? I came down on the “no” side and Craig was disappointed.

Then he decided to fly. He started looking at tickets. Fly! Wasn’t that more dangerous? What germs would he encounter on the plane? Would he be bringing them to his parents? Back to me? I recalculated the risk of driving: we would have to stay in hotels or AirBnBs, but face-to-face interactions could still be minimized. Food-wise we could stick to outside or drive-throughs. Plus: wouldn’t it be great to get out of this fiery cauldron? I re-approached the idea while walking Winston and shifted my stance. “Let’s just do it!” I said and, before we knew it, we were on our way.

Craig had long fantasized about driving up the California coast, zooming along the cliffs James Bond-style. I had long fantasized about going up the California coast and eating at all the delicious places along the way, including The Big Sur Bakery, whose cookbook I have somewhere in my collection. As it was, the zig-zagging car ride made me pretty nauseous, and stopping at the bakery didn’t fit in our schedule, so we just zoomed on up to Carmel for our first night.

We stayed at The Carmel Lodge, right in the middle of town, which had a nice-enough room and a pretty unbeatable location. Surprisingly, there were crowds of people on the streets, which was a little unnerving. We made our way to the beach and let Winston run around a bit, which he loved. For dinner, I’d made reservations at Il Tegamino because it was outside, it allowed dogs, and it was on one of Eater’s lists.

Like many people, I’ve had reservations about dining out during Covid, not for just for our safety, but for the safety of the people who are working at these restaurants. On the road, though, it felt justifiable, especially since we weren’t likely to be in Carmel again anytime soon. This seafood pasta hit the spot, and was a perfect thing to eat near the beach. And we were sure to wear a mask anytime we were interacting with the staff.

We designed the trip so that every day’s drive was between six and eight hours — we had gone to visit friends in Sun Valley, Idaho, earlier this summer, and the thirteen hour car drive was pretty extreme — and breaking it up this way allowed us to visit lots of places we’d always been meaning to visit. It was also kinder to Winston, who was a trooper in the back seat.

Our next stop was Ashland, Oregon, where Craig gone in the past for the Shakespeare Festival, something he’d been raving to me about for years. Sadly, there was no Shakespeare Festival this summer, but Ashland was still charming to visit for its own sake (and maybe the lack of a Shakespeare Festival allowed us to concentrate on its other charms).

We stayed at the Ashland Springs Hotel, an iconic, historic hotel, smack in the middle of town: you can’t miss it, it’s a big yellow building, the tallest for miles. The hotel was really great: you could enter through the back, so you didn’t have to ride the elevator, and the room was very clean and dog-friendly.

Craig’s old friends Todd and Jessica live in Ashland — Todd works for the Shakespeare Festival — and they had us to their backyard, where we got to hang out with their kids, admire their peach tree (they gave us peaches to take with us), and enjoy this cheese plate, featuring cheeses from Rogue Creamery, which took top prize recently in the World Cheese Awards. Also: Todd and Jessica grew these cucumbers and tomatoes.

The next day, it was time to do the final haul to Bellingham. In the car, we mostly listened to music (God bless you, Sirius Broadway, which Craig tolerated for bits at a time), the occasional podcast (loving Desert Island Discs), and every so often we’d ask each other a profound or perverted question. Finally, we arrived and we met up with Craig’s sister Kristin and crew at a new Bellingham pizza place called Storia Cucina.

This may have been one of my favorite meals of the trip: never have I been happier to sip a cold Negroni and to bite into a perfectly crusty slice of pizza.

The next morning, we set sail for Eliza Island. There was some confusion finding the ferry (it’s not an actual ferry, it’s a guy named Bob who shuttles people into the San Juan Islands) but once we were on it, the air never smelled sweeter and never had I felt so proud to have finally reached my destination.

And, at last, there we were on Eliza Island with Craig’s family: 1200 miles away from L.A.

We spent a week there doing all of the things you do on an island in the Pacific Northwest. We caught Dungeness crab and ate it with rosé on the beach.

We kayaked around the island and saw seals on Seal Rock.

Steve, Craig’s dad, made the world’s best crab cakes; Julee, Craig’s mom, made that incredible blackberry peach crisp using peaches from Todd and Jessica’s backyard and blackberries that we picked ourselves. We watched Kristin cuddle with Winston while the sun set over Lummi Island (home of The Willows Inn).

And just like that, a week flew by and it was time to ferry back to Bellingham. Craig and I had dinner that night at Temple Bar, which was excellent, and ice cream at Mallard’s which was even more excellent. (I went with Coconut Chocolate Chunk with Almonds + Blackberry, which we ate in the car.)

Now I’m one of those people who has a hard time, at the end of a vacation, to truly enjoy those final moments instead of preparing myself for the big return to normal life. This trip didn’t really allow for that, though, because Craig was intent on showing me the Oregon coast instead of trying to zoom back home in two days. So our next stop? Cannon Beach, Oregon.

It took us a while to get there — we hit traffic going into Astoria and didn’t have time to see the Goonies house (which, apparently, is difficult to see anyway) — but finally we made it to our hotel, the splurgiest hotel of our trip, The Ocean Lodge (pictured above), which we absolutely loved. If we had endless money and endless time, I’d stay here for a whole week; as it was, we had one night, so we scurried down to the beach.

As suspicious as I was of Craig’s claims about how beautiful the Oregon Coast was, it was hard to deny it once I was there. This may be one of the Top Three beaches of my life (cue the Beaches soundtrack!) and Haystack Rock, which you see here, is absolutely stunning. Winston loved it too: he ran around like crazy and even found a few chicken legs to gnaw on.

That night, we tried to have dinner at Public Coast Brewing Company (per this Eater article), but it was a madhouse. So we just wandered into town and found a great restaurant, that seemed more local and authentic anyway, called Driftwood where I ate an amazing Oyster Po’Boy with oysters from Williams Bay washed down with a citrusy IPA from Astoria.

Winston enjoyed all the scraps that fell to the floor under the table.

The next morning, we grabbed coffee and a Kouign Aman from the lovely bakery/coffee shop, Sea Level.

Then we hit the road for our final stop of this big journey: Redding, California.

We didn’t know what to expect in Redding, but it was a perfect place to stop. We had a luxurious dinner at In-N-Out Burger, almost as satisfying as that pizza in Bellingham (maybe it helped that I’d been snacking on pretzels and M&Ms all day and was so hungry). Double double animal style, naturally, and extra-well fries for me.

We checked into our hotel, the Sheraton Redding at the Sundial Bridge, which is actually a Marriott Bonvoy? I was expecting a fine-enough hotel, but I actually loved it here: the room was so cozy with top-notch A/C and the best thing, of all? Outlets in the nightstands. It was so easy to plug in our phones.

We took Winston out for an evening stroll along the Sundial Bridge, by Santiago Calatrava, which cost $23.5 million and is pretty stunning. As was this sunset.

The next morning, we grabbed some Starbucks from the lobby, and completed the long haul home.

So, was it worth it? Absolutely! All of those fears that I had about hotel rooms and being on the road, in general, were for naught. Sure, we exposed ourselves to more risk than we would have just staying home, but sometimes the reward outweighs the risk. And that was definitely the case here.

If any good thing came out of this pandemic, it was an awareness of how easy it is to get into your car and have an adventure. Post-pandemic, I plan to make it a regular habit.

Related Posts:

Surfacing on Eliza Island (Amateur Gourmet)

My Dungeness Crab Adventure (Amateur Gourmet)

Get Away to Kennebunkport (Amateur Gourmet)

Our Tour De France (David Lebovitz)

Healthy Eating While Traveling (101 Cookbooks)

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Harissa Honey Chicken with Blistered String Beans

Grilling in the summer is difficult when you don’t have a grill. We had a communal one in our fourplex’s backyard, but I haven’t seen it in a while. Maybe I just don’t want to see it. I don’t really love our backyard, though I love our apartment in general; the backyard’s just not a place I want to spend much time. That’s my big realization about grilling: grilling is only fun if you like the environment in which you’re grilling.

So until we have a house with a pool surrounded by citrus trees and male models, I’m staying inside and using my broiler. It’s funny to me how many people don’t know about their broilers. When I interviewed the amazing Kate Berlant on Instagram Live, she said she didn’t even know if her oven had one. People! Your broiler can be your best friend in the kitchen. Let me tell you why.

A broiler replicates the grill in the sense that you’re cooking directly under (as opposed to over) a flame. You ever hear the expression “flame-broiled”? That’s what your broiler’s capable of. It can give your food that char that everyone craves so much in summer. Your oven can’t get your chicken skin crispy and golden by itself, but your broiler can. It can also work magic on ribs, meatballs (I use my broiler instead of frying them in a pan, these days), even desserts.

I got the idea for a honey harissa chicken from the Sababa cookbook, which has a very different recipe that doesn’t involve the broiler. But I liked the idea of mixing harissa and honey together, so I used harissa in a tube that I had in my fridge and combined it with a generous amount of honey, plus some lime juice for acid.

I painted it on to a chicken that I had spatchcocked and cooked in a cast-iron skillet at 425, just until the internal temperature reached 160 (about 30 minutes). While the chicken roasted, I tossed a bunch of beautiful string beans with olive oil, salt, and pepper and inserted them into the oven until they were charred and soft all over (about 20 minutes). Then I broiled that chicken until it looked like something you’d see in a commercial.

It’s a simple, summery dinner that makes you feel like you’re outside, even if you’re not outside. And in this heat, who wants to be outside? Well: I suppose people who have pools, citrus trees, and male models. Until that happens, make this.

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Harissa Honey Chicken with Blistered String Beans


An easy summer dinner with lots of big flavors.





Servings 2 people, with leftovers




Ingredients1 3 – 4 pound chicken, preferably organicSalt and pepperGrapeseed oil (or other neutral oil)2 big handfuls haricots verts (aka: large string beans), stemmedOlive oil2 Tbs harissa Store bought is fine, but feel free to make your own!1/2 cup honey1 lime, juiced
InstructionsPreheat the oven to 425.Cut the backbone out of your chicken using kitchen shears (this is called spatchcocking). Discard the bone or save it for stock (you can freeze it); and flatten the chicken breast with the palm of your hand. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season generously with lots of salt and pepper.Heat a large cast iron skillet on the stove until very hot. Add a splash of grapeseed oil (a few tablespoons) and lay the chicken in breast-side down, being sure to unfold the chicken so as much surface area touches the bottom of the pan as possible. Using a lid, press down on the chicken to really help it brown. Do this for a few minutes, then check the chicken. If it's golden brown in spots, use tongs to turn the chicken over and place in the oven. Cook for at least 30 minutes, or until a thermometer reads 160 (it'll keep cooking when you broil it).Meanwhile, toss your string beans with enough olive oil to coat the beans (I use about 1/4 cup), lots of salt, and pepper. Place on a cookie sheet, spread out, and cook in that same oven until the beans are caramelized in spots, about 20 minutes, shaking the pan every so often. When the chicken's cooked through, remove it from the oven and mix together the harissa, honey, and lime juice. Paint on to the chicken, being sure to get it everywhere, using up the whole mixture. Place the chicken under the broiler, a few inches away, and turn onto high. Broil the chicken for several minutes, monitoring the whole time, until the chicken is charred in spots and the honey starts to caramelize. Remove from the oven, put the chicken on a cutting board, and let it rest for ten minutes before cutting it up. Serve with the string beans.

Related Posts:

The Ultimate Weeknight Chicken and Broccoli Dinner (Amateur Gourmet)

One-Pan Harissa Chicken (David Lebovitz)

Harissa Chicken with Leeks, Potatoes, and Yogurt (Food52)

Harissa Chicken Thighs with Shallots (Colu Henry, New York Times)

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Very Good Chocolate Chip Cookies

The internet can be an overwhelming place when it comes to finding a chocolate chip cookie recipe. You type “chocolate chip cookie” into a Google search and suddenly you’re bombarded with thousands of recipes featuring various techniques, many of which ask more of you than you’re willing to give right now. There are recipes that have you age the dough for twenty-four hours, there are recipes that have you melt the butter, others that have you bring it to room temperature (which, in this L.A. heat, is basically the same thing).

Here’s my most controversial opinion: almost all chocolate chip cookie recipes are the same — with varying amounts of brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking soda, salt, chocolate — and you don’t need the best one or the latest one; you just need a very good one. Look no further.

This is the recipe that I use whenever the situation calls for chocolate chip cookies. It comes to us from The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook by Cheryl and Griffith Day, one of my favorite baking books, and it’s as simple to put together as it is to eat. It yields a most excellent cookie, as long as you follow a few basic tips.

Tip one: use the best butter you can. I’ve been going through a Kerrygold phase (because I saw Melissa Clark using it in one of her Instagram stories) and the fat percentage of the butter yields a more decadent cookie. Tip two: use the best chocolate you can. I buy a big bar of Scharffen Berger Bittersweet at Gelson’s, which has more chocolate in it than you need for these cookies, so chop what you need with a big knife and snack on the rest.

It is important to bring your butter and eggs to room temperature (as much as I mocked that in the first paragraph), but since it’s summer, that should only take about thirty minutes tops. Use an ice cream scoop to shape them; it’s actually a lot easier that way. And, finally, be generous with the salt you sprinkle on top. It gives the cookies a tingly sensation that makes you want to keep going back for more (it’s fine, swimsuit season is basically over).

I made these cookies for our neighbors who brought in our mail and took out our trash while we were gone these past ten days. I didn’t ask them what they thought, and they didn’t task me for the recipe, but that’s what happens when you make very good chocolate chip cookies. You just eat them and feel happy. What more do you expect from a cookie?

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Very Good Chocolate Chip Cookies


My go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe from The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook.





Servings 24 cookies




Ingredients2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour1 1/4 tsp baking soda1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature If you use Kerrygold, it's just one package.1 tsp pure vanilla extract1 cup granulated sugar1 cup packed light brown sugar2 large eggs, at room temperature2 cups semisweet or bitterwsweet chocolate chunks Best to chop the chocolate yourself from a bar. I recommend Scharffen Berger.Fleur de sel, for sprinkling
InstructionsPreheat the oven to 350 and line two cookie sheets with parchment.Sift together the flour, baking soda, and sea salt, set aside.In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer), cream together the butter, vanilla, and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.Add the eggs and mix for no more than 1 minute; the eggs will not be fully incorporated. Turn the speed down to low and add the dry ingredients in thirds, beating until just combined. With the mixer running, sprinkle in the chocolate chunks, beating until just combined.Using a large ice cream scoop or a 1/4-cup measuring cup to form the cookies and place on the prepared cookie sheets, leaving 2 inches between the cookies to allow for spreading. Lightly tap each cookie with the palm of your hand and sprinkle the cookies with fleur de sel.Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time for even doneness. The cookies should be golden brown around the edges but still light in the centers. Let the cookies cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container (if you can resist eating them all) for up to 3 days at room tempearture.

NotesIf you want to save a treat for later, bake one tray of cookies now and stick the other in the freezer. Leave them overnight and the next morning, lift them into freezer bags and keep them in the freezer for up to three months. When you want to use them, just place them on a baking sheet and bake like normal, adding a few more minutes to the baking time.

Related Posts:

Nancy Silverton’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Momofuku Milk Bark’s Compost Cookie

Perfection? It’s Warm and Has A Secret (David Leite, The New York Times)

Spicy Chocolate Chip Cookies (A Brown Table)

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This Blackberry Peach Crisp is Summer in a Pan

Is there anything better than a hand-written recipe?

When my mom got married, her father’s co-workers gave her a bunch of handwritten recipes that she still has. And here on Eliza Island, where we’re on our last full day of summer vacation (which we’re lucky to have, considering what’s going on in the world), it’s not just the crab cake recipes that are handwritten. The dessert recipes are handwritten too.

Behold this recipe for raspberry crisp cobbler.

From looking at it, you may have mixed feelings at first. Clearly, this is a well-loved recipe (it comes to us from Craig’s Aunt Verna by way of Katie V., whoever that may be) but the author crossed out “crisp” and wrote “cobbler.” So which is it?

Truth is: doesn’t matter. In person, we’re calling it “cobbler,” but on the internet, where everyone has their knives out when it comes to such distinctions, this is clearly a crisp. The truth is it’s a formula for taking the sweetest, tangiest summer berries — in this case, blackberries that we picked ourselves — cooking them with enough sugar and corn starch to give them a jam-like consistency and then topping them with a mixture of sugar, flour, egg, and butter to get that beloved crispy, crunchy surface.

The peaches came to us from our friends Todd and Jessica’s tree, when we visited their backyard in Ashland, Oregon on the way to Washington. It was Julee’s (Craig’s mom’s) idea to add them to the blackberry mixture as the blackberries were cooking. It was Kristin (Craig’s sister) who sliced them up.

As for the topping, I’d never seen anyone mix an egg and flour before and then pour the melted butter on top, but it worked.

The cobbler… sorry, crisp, came out of the oven burbling and bubbling and giving off that loveliest perfume of summer fruit cooking together with butter. And though the recipe calls for raspberries, clearly this works with blackberries, peaches, and, I’m guessing, blueberries, nectarines, and any other summer pie fruit you want to throw in.

It’s a lot of sugar, but so is candy, and candy doesn’t taste like summer. So trust the authority of the handwritten recipe and make yourself this cobbler/crisp. Whatever you call it, you’ll be clinging on to it as we ride into the fall.

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Summer Blackberry Peach Crisp


An easy summer dessert using blackberries, peaches and a simple, crispy topping.










IngredientsFor the fruit:4 – 5 cups blackberries, raspberries, or blueberries3 peaches, thinly sliced1 cup sugar3 Tbs cornstarch For the crisp:1 cup flour1 cup sugar1 tsp baking powder1 tsp salt1 egg2/3 stick butter, melted
InstructionsPreheat the oven to 350 degrees.In a pot, cook the berries and peaches with the sugar and the cornstarch until thick. Pour into a 9 X 13 baking dish.To make the topping, mix together the flour, the sugar, the baking powder, the salt, and the egg until crumbly. Sprinkle over the berries and drizzle with the melted butter.Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top, with the juices bubbling. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Related Posts:

Vanilla Bean Brown Butter Nectarine Blackberry Crisp (Amateur Gourmet)

End-of-Summer Plum Cobbler (Amateur Gourmet)

Elise’s Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler (Amateur Gourmet)

Summer Berry Buckle (Melissa Clark, New York Times)

Breakfast Berry Summer Pudding (Ben Mims, LA Times)

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The World’s Best Crab Cakes

Craig’s dad Steve has opinions about the title of this post. “Well,” he says, “if people like it, great. If they don’t, tell them it’s not my recipe.”

I have no qualms about calling these the world’s best crab cakes. Here’s my evidence: 1. The crab is freshly caught Dungeness crab; 2. That crab is cooked in sea water; 3. The crab cake itself is composed mostly of that crab; and 4. The man who makes them has the following sign in his kitchen.

In case you haven’t been following along on Instagram, Craig and I went on a massive road trip: L.A. to Carmel, Carmel to Ashland, Oregon, and then Ashland to Bellingham where we set sail for Eliza Island, in the San Juans, where Craig’s parents share a cabin with their friends. (I’ve told you about it before.)

We helped Craig’s dad carry his boat to the beach, set up a motor, and then he pulled up the crab traps that he dropped the day before with turkey legs to lure in the highly prized Dungeness crabs. Back on shore, we boiled the crabs in sea water and then picked them apart at a table while drinking rosé.

The hardest part of that task was not eating each piece of crab meat as we pulled them out. Finally, Steve invited me into his kitchen to show me how he makes the world’s best crab cakes.

The recipe comes from The San Juan Island Cookbook, but like most recipes, it’s less about how closely you follow the directions and more about the motions that you make while doing so. As you can see, this is a well-loved recipe.

The family forgoes the celery because of an aversion, but every other ingredient remains the same. I had the honor of chopping the red onion; when I suggested adding lemon zest from the lemon, it was meant with skepticism. Some recipes aren’t to be trifled with.

The most important step in the process is the shaping of the patties. Steve works the filling together with his hands, just enough to bind everything, but not so much that all of the crab falls apart. Once combined, he rolls the filling into balls, shapes into discs, that he then coats in Panko. Then he reforms them once again on a cookie sheet, really packing it all together.

The final step is to cook the crab cakes in hot oil. Steve recommends cooking on high heat on the first side, then lowering the heat a bit for the second side so they don’t burn. As you can see, they look kind of dreamy in the pan.

To serve, Steve whips up a quick aioli using mayonnaise, garlic, and lemon juice. It’s the better way to go than making the aioli from scratch because then nothing distracts from those crispy, crabby wonders you’re about to put into your mouth. Except the salad, which balances things out nicely.

So if you find yourself with fresh Dungeness crab, or fresh crab of any kind, really, or even if you’re trapped at home with a can of crab and want to imagine you’re on vacation, whip up Steve’s crab cake recipe. They’re the best in the world, even if he’s wary of saying so.

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The World’s Best Crab Cakes


Dreamy, crispy crab cakes made with freshly caught Dungeness crab.





Servings 12 crab cakes




IngredientsFor the aioli:1 – 1/2 cups mayonnaise2 cloves garlic, minced1/2 – 1 lemonFor the crab cakes:4 cups crab meat (1 pound) Use the best you can get.1/4 cup mayonnaise1 egg, beaten1/2 cup Panko (Japanese bread crumbs), plus more for breading1 Tbs flour2 1/2 tsps fresh lemon juice1/4 cup finely diced red onion1 cup finely diced celery Steve doesn't use it; up to you!1/2 tsp salt1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper1/2 cup Vegetable oil, plus more as you need
InstructionsMake the aioli by combining the mayonnaise, the garlic, and the juice of half a lemon. Taste and adjust with more lemon and garlic to your personal preference. Set aside.In a colander, drain crab, using your hands to squeeze excess moisture from the crab meat. Place in a large bowl and add the mayonnaise, the egg, the 1/2 cup Panko, flour, fresh lemon juice, onion, celery (if using), salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly with your hands.Shape crab mixture into 12 balls, pressing balls tightly together. Flatten balls into patties, dip into Panko, coating evenly on both sides. (The cakes are so delicate, they tend to fall apart, but continue to press together.) Be sure they're tightly packed; it sometimes helps to re-form them.In a large frying pan, over high heat, heat the vegetable oil until shimmering but not smoking. Add the crab cakes one at a time, but don't crowd the pan (you may have to do this in batches). Let cook until golden brown on the first side, then flip carefully and lower the heat to medium. Continue cooking on the second side until golden brown (about 5 to 6 minutes total).Serve right away with the aioli.

Related Posts:

My Dungeness Crab Adventure (Amateur Gourmet)

Dungeness Crab Cakes (Simply Recipes)

The Best Crab Cakes (Serious Eats)

Crab Cake Burgers (Leite’s Culinaria)

Regina Schrambling’s Crab Cakes (The Wednesday Chef)

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