Here’s a simple, satisfying idea for a quick weeknight meal (which is what we chose to do) or a make-ahead Mother’s Day brunch for the upcoming weekend.
Brunch
Buttermilk Olive Loaf
Shortly before leaving the North End, we discovered a little bakery that makes fantastic loaves of Italian bread. The North End is full of bakeries: Modern and Mike’s are the classics for pastries, there’s a 24-hour bakery that sells pizza at 2:00 a.m. after the bars close, and a spattering of smaller shops selling Italian … Read more
Gruyere Egg Bake
I made this breakfast bake for a brunch I hosted with several of my friends from the publishing world. Four of my friends, their husbands, and kiddos were some of the first guests David and I have hosted in our apartments. We had three small (but mobile!) infants, a two-year-old, and a four-year-old playing with … Read more
Strawberry-Rhubarb Breakfast Loaves (or Muffins)
We’re beginning to enjoy our first spring in Cambridgeport. The day David and I moved in, it was snowing. Now, we’re starting to see flowers come up and trees in bloom. It’s such a change from the North End, which, while charming, had a lot of brick and cement without a lot of green space. … Read more
Pear and Walnut Coffee Cake
My sister joined us for the weekend as our first house guest in the new apartment, and I made this coffee cake to celebrate. Things aren’t quite put together just yet in the kitchen, which this time meant we didn’t have any cinnamon on hand, so I substituted Chinese five spice instead. I’ve done that … Read more
Everyday Blueberry and Strawberry Smoothie
David has been making these smoothies on a daily basis for a few years. He has the method down to a science, and though we sometimes tweak the ingredients, it’s been an easy, reliable recipe we both enjoy. We’ll make a large batch that makes two 16-ounce smoothies. We’ll either both have one in the … Read more
Quick-pickled Red Pepper Wraps
Pickling vegetables can be an ambitious endeavor, and it’s a science trying to develop delicious flavors while avoiding incubating dangerous bacteria. This technique of a quick pickle, however, produces the best of flavor in just a short time (and without having to sterilize the jars). These wraps have great flavor and enough bite to lift … Read more
Fig and Goat Cheese Salad
This fig salad is a bridge between summer and fall: the weather is warm enough to warrant something light and easy for dinner, but seeing fresh figs for sale at the store signals the coming of chillier weather. For us here in Boston, a busy summer is melting into a busy fall. I’m settling into … Read more
Greek Hummus Wrap
It was a pretty wild summer. I finished the last rotations of my internship, which involved some very early mornings and very late nights, and somehow David and I managed to plan the details of our wedding, which took place on August 24th. We focused a lot on spending quality time together throughout the summer … Read more
Potato and Egg Breakfast Bake
To be honest, David and I have become the team to beat at our local bar’s trivia night. A few weeks ago a question came up about the movie “Drop Dead Gorgeous,” a pretty campy movie starring some kinda (but maybe not really) big-name actresses (Kirsten Dunst, Denise Richards, Kirstie Alley, Amy Adams…) about a … Read more
