Even though my toddler still has a few years until she heads to school, I still get that “back-to-school” feeling at the end of each August. I’m actually looking forward to packing her lunches one day, and I know many parents are currently thinking about lunch options. Which is why I want to share this [...]

I love cooking with what I can find in my cabinet and refrigerator. I don’t have to get stressed about running to the store for a certain ingredient. Which is why I believe having a well-stocked pantry is key to getting dinner on the table, especially when there’s a young love bug, aka my toddler, [...]

I used to buy vanilla pods and scoop out the beans, that is until I found this vanilla bean paste from Neilsen-Massey. It makes baking so much easier, even though admittedly I still love the scent of the pods, so I’ll probably buy them every now and then. But being a busy mom, the paste [...]

Who doesn’t love summer’s bounty? Sometimes I feel guilty for not making it to the Union Square Greenmarket for all the glorious strawberries, peaches, plums and green beans. But now there is an alternative for New Yorkers: Fresh Direct is offering farm-to-table delivery. Think local fruit from Long Island, vegetables from upstate, cheese from local [...]

I love finding unique ingredients to use in recipes, which is how I came across vincotto, a subtly sweet and heady vinegar made from cooked grape must of Negroamaro and Malvasia grapes. This elixir can be used as a condiment: drizzle it over meats, salad, vegetable, soups and even desserts, especially ice cream and fruit. [...]

I always tell people that when stocking your kitchen with staples, it’s imperative to have alcohol on hand for cooking. And while wine immediately comes to mind as a liquid to add to stews and sauces, beer is also a must-have addition to many recipes. Cooking with beer imparts unique flavors to beef dishes [...]

My 2-year old daughter loves mango lassis. When we go out for Indian food, she gobbles one up along with some papadum. So I decided to make one at home. Indian food is so alluring, because although I can usually deconstruct a recipe and know exactly what’s in a dish, I can’t seem to do [...]

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo. When I was pregnant, my daughter’s due date was May 5th. I was hoping she born on this day because it seemed like a festive day to be born. But two years ago she arrived with much surprise and fanfare 3 1/2 weeks early, and now her birthday is all [...]

Have you ever cooked with galangal? I’d love to hear what you’ve made. I added a few slices of it to this Thai-inspired soup. The galangal, combined with some of the key ingredients—lime, coconut, lemongrass—gave the soup a tangy, fragrant flavor.
Check out my chicken galangal coconut soup recipe in Dean & Deluca.

What a joy to have warm, homemade flatbread (dusted with with nigella seeds, an unusual spice) to enjoy with two of my favorite dips: tzatziki and sweet potato/chickpea (both pictured above). Although it takes some time for the dough to rise, flatbread is otherwise very simple to make. Also great plain (or with a dab [...]