What to Cook

Iceberg Salad with Onions, Capers, and Pecorino

This salad goes with everything, and is exactly how I like it (acidic, herby, and mostly iceberg lettuce).

Crispy Cutlets with Fennel Salad

This crispy cutlet, inspired by the New York City restaurants I love so much goes by many names, but all you need to know is that it’s chicken (or pork) and it’s crispy.

Strawberry Shortcake Cobbler

It’s also the the season of the prettiest, sweetest little strawberries, and this juicy, jammy cobbler with fluffy shortcakes and freshly whipped cream is quite simply the best way we know how to celebrate it.

Pasta Salad with Zucchini, Sizzled Scallion, and Parmesan

The capers and lemon give it the bright brilliant tanginess that pasta salad craves, but what truly makes this one special is the mix of textures.

Charred Kale Frittata

Make this frittata and a batch of garlicky yogurt one morning and reap the benefits all week.

Spring Chicken with Crispy Leeks

Golden brown skin, crispy bits of chicken, and leeks that are both braised and tender, crunchy and crackly.

Shrimp Scampi

To me, Shrimp Scampi is decidedly about the shrimp. The important thing here is that you have a lot of saucy, glossy businesses all over whatever you’re serving it on or sopping it up with.

Key Lime Pie

This is constantly a go-to, a crowd-pleaser (except for the one person who doesn’t like limes, I guess!), wonderful 365 days a year, ideal when there’s no seasonal fruit to be had, and perfect for transportation and outdoor soirées.

Buttered Salmon with Red Onion, Capers and Dill

To serve the salmon, I just use a large spoon and scoop out large hunks of it (as in, no need to “slice” or cut into even portions). The more rustic and wild, the better.

Matzo Brei

Frizzled onions, fluffy eggs and matzo, lots of herbs and sour cream. A matzo brei morning is the best kind of morning.

Spiced, Braised Short Ribs with Creamy Potatoes

These are a lot, flavor and texture-wise, and but because they are a one-pot meat and potatoes kind of dish, they don’t need much more than a good tangy salad and a light, maybe chilled, red wine.

Citrus Marmalade

This marmalade makes everything taste better. It’s a great project for preserving that sweet, sweet winter citrus, and your future self will thank you for it.