What to Cook

Baked Potato Bar

Even though I find it hard to improve on the simple “lots of butter, salt, and too many scallions” combo, I do love to get dressed up for company and break out the picked herbs, sour cream, and fancy fish eggs.

Wine-Roasted Artichokes

Once these artichokes are cooked in their oily, white wine bath, you can eat them without teaching anyone how to navigate the thorny beast or deal with the feathery choke.

Vinegar-Marinated Butter Beans

These butter beans are just as much a snack as a side for me; I love them as part of a larger spread, alongside raw vegetables, and/or all the cheeses.

Your Very Own Marinated Artichoke Hearts

I will happily eat these all on their own, pierced with a tiny fork or toothpick in between bites of hard, salty cheese or maybe very thin slices of cured meat, but they also make an excellent topper for long, thin crackers or thick pieces of toast smeared with a creamy cheese.

Parsley Salad With Fennel and Horseradish

This salad is an obvious nod to the Seder plate, including both parsley (bitter herbs) and fresh horseradish, except it’s less ceremonial and more just a very delicious salad. I love, love parsley and think a well-seasoned bowl of it is something that most tables can benefit from, especially if thos

Crispy Potato Kugel

At its core, kugel is a casserole. This version, made with potatoes, is decidedly salty and savory, with onions in the mixture and chives to finish. It can best be described as something between a Spanish tortilla and a giant latke. Sounds dreamy, doesn’t it?

Citrusy Cheesecake

It’s basic, it’s perfect and it’s a classic for a reason. Slightly more citrusy than your average (to use up your winter citrus), almost creamsicle-esque.

Braised Brisket with Horseradish and Shallots

The key components in this recipe are really just the brisket, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and broth (or water). The liquid the brisket creates with just those ingredients is magnificent on its own, but everything else here really does make it so good - and, it’s extremely customizable.

Chocolate Banana Bread

This version of banana bread is more cake than bread, and I wouldn’t be able to get away with saying “There’s banana in it, so it’s basically breakfast!” because no, this is not breakfast.