Hi everyone, and happy Labor Day to those of you celebrating. Steven and I have had a mostly quiet weekend, with some scattered outings and some family time today. I’ve been taking it easy on purpose as I prepare to dive back into classes later this week, while doing my best to keep up with the recipe testing process. Speaking of class, I so appreciated everyone’s thoughts on my weekend reading musings last week, particularly the newfound candor about graduate school and my…

I’ve been fortunate to see a few wonderful dance performances this summer. The first was a performance of Glass Pieces in May, which I wrote about the following Sunday. In the past two weeks, I’ve seen productions of Romeo & Juliet and Like Water for Chocolate. Three very different kinds of dance performances, spanning the distance from classic to contemporary. Each one of them was exhilarating. I’ve always loved going to the ballet, but I didn’t use to prioritize it as much as…

There’s this chocolate cake recipe I’ve been working on for the better part of two years. The recipe is intended for the cookbook I’m still working to complete, though I was playing around with versions of it even before the book became a reality. Like most cakes, it has required a lot of tinkering, but I’ve probably iterated it more than any other baking project that I can remember. At one point this past summer, after tasting maybe eight or nine versions, my…

Happy Sunday! I hope you’ve been having a lovely weekend. Thanks a million for the nice feedback on my vegan lunch bowl post–glad that you found the tips to be helpful! Little by little, I’m seeing more spring fare appear on some of my favorite food blogs. It’s all getting me excited to have asparagus, peas, radishes, and other seasonal produce at my fingertips. For now, I’m still enjoying a lot of soups and stews, and chilly weather in NYC this weekend makes…

Hey everyone! Happy Saturday. It’s been a chilly weekend here in NYC, and I’ve largely spent it bundled up at home, catching up on the things that fell behind while I was studying for exams this past week. It feels great to have them behind me, and only my finals remaining for this semester. I’m also starting to feel a true sense of holiday festivity, with Thanksgiving right around the corner, and I’m excited to plan some of my own dishes for this year’s feast….

Good morning, friends. Happy Sunday. It’s nice to be entering the winding down that always seems to precede Christmas and New Year’s. My book manuscript deadline is looming, so the week ahead will be a fairly productive one (I hope), but I won’t be multitasking, and that’s a relief. I always take pleasure in work that feels deep and focused. For many people, the winter holidays present an opportunity to experience, observe, or celebrate faith–and by this I mean organized faith. I’ve been thinking…

I feel as though I’ve been talking a lot about the weather lately, but it’s been so unpredictable that it gives me and fellow New Yorkers plenty to say. It was mild and sunny last weekend on Easter Sunday, which made Monday morning’s rapidly accumulating snowfall a surprise. It was balmy on Friday, and it’s in the thirties now. Go figure. My internal and external state seems to be ebbing and flowing with similar lack of predictability. My emotions have been all over…