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It started as a fun little challenge back in 2014 when I launched Thursday Night Pizza, then grew into something else. Not page view spikes or cushy ad revenue—I learned quickly that doughs, tutorials, and classic toppings hog nearly all the limelight (and SEO clout) in the pizza-content micro-niche. Instead, “Pizzafied Classics” became a much-needed outlet for zero-stakes creativity. Why fuss over keywords and optimization for something no one Googles anyway? Except for Mac and Cheese and Penne with Marinara, unsuccessful attempts to capitalize on #carbporn Instagram hashtags, each one of these recipes came from my own curiosity. A tumble of deep-purple beets led to studies in borscht and this fuchsia beaut topped with horseradish cream. Scampi turned to coconut shrimp when I discovered coconut cream and red chili paste in the pantry on a cold winter’s night. A hankering for tomato soup and grilled cheese begot this version with bacon-y three-cheese dunkers.

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These are some of the poorest performing posts on ThursdayNightPizza.com, but performance isn’t always the point, is it? Researching traditional comfort food recipes and all their variations. Isolating iconic flavors, ingredients, and/or combinations. Brainstorming new, deconstructed versions to assemble on pizza dough and eat by the slice. Testing, retesting, writing, rewriting. Pizzafied Classics were the first truly original recipes I developed myself—and they’re the first place I turn when I need a creative boost.

Here are my top faves so far . . . plus a list of more to come:

French Onion Soup

Boozy caramelized onions topped with gruyere cheese and a sprinkle of parsley

FULL RECIPE

Spanakopita

Sauteed spinach and scallions mixed with ricotta, egg, fresh herbs, and a little nutmeg, then topped with crumbled feta

FULL RECIPE

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese

Dough brushed with bacon grease, parbaked with cooked bacon and American cheese, finished with sunny side-up eggs and heavy cream

FULL RECIPE

Future Pizzafications:

• Chicken and dumplings

• Mushroom or beef stroganoff

• Banh mi

• Birria

• Shawarma

• Pot pie

• Deconstructed egg roll

• BBQ pulled pork

• Rueben

• Apple pie

Got more ideas/requests? Leave ‘em in the comments!

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Bask in vicarious satisfaction as I empty drawers and cabinets, inventory jumbles of measuring equipment, then stack them up and stow them away. Assess your own “things that measure” stash. Swap those ceramic goose-shaped measuring cups your mom found at a cute little kitchen shop on vacation for a stainless-steel set with flat, non-wobbly bottoms and accurate capacities. (Or click the button below to send this post to a fellow cooking tool nerd.)

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Oh, and leave notes in the comments! Did I miss one of your favorites? Got questions or thoughts about specific measuring tools? Are you still using your grandmother’s Pyrex measuring cup or batter bowl? I. Want. To. Know.

VOLUME

Cups for liquids

Though I do keep a few plastic ones in the cabinet, glass is my go-to; it’s sturdier, safe for cold and hot liquids, microwaveable, stackable, stain-proof, and the measurements don’t fade over time. Choose a Pyrex or Anchor Hocking 2-cup measure if you only have room for one, or set yourself up with a 1, 2, and 4-cup trio. Got space for one more? This 4-ounce and this 2-ounce cutie are great for measuring small amounts of wet or sticky ingredients—and keeping spoons clean for dry ingredients.

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Measuring spoons and dry-ingredient cups

If the only measuring spoons and/or dry measuring cups you own are heart-shaped from your cousin’s bridal shower, it’s time for an upgrade. Novelty measuring tools are rarely accurate, and they tend to be bulkier than traditional ones, taking up more space than necessary. That being said, don’t fall for “fancy” sets with high price tags, either—look for stackable stainless steel (not plastic, which stains and loses its measurements over time), and resist the urge to pay more than $25 per set.

• For spoons: Get two sets if you can (at least one rectangular shaped to fit in narrow spice jars). Many recipes call for a mix of dry and wet ingredients; if you have a couple sets, you won’t need to clean your tablespoon or teaspoon measures mid-prep/cook. And resist “deluxe” sets of more than seven spoons. All you really need are 1 tbsp, 1/2 tbsp, 1 tsp, 3/4 tsp, 1/2 tsp, 1/4 tsp, and 1/8 tsp. Extras like 4 tsp, 2/3 tbsp, and 1/16 tsp are basically useless, as are connector rings and leveler knives.

• For cups: If you cook/bake a lot, get one stackable set of 6 cups (1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup, 2/3 cup, 3/4 cup, 1 cup) with nice flat bottoms. If you don’t cook/bake that much, a 4-cup set (1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup, 1 cup) is all you need. Just like with measuring spoons, “deluxe” sets are needlessly expensive and include pieces (like 1/8 cup and 1/16 cup) that you’ll never use.

Double-Duty Bowls/Pots

They’re technically not essential for everyday cooking, but an 8-cup mixing bowl and 8-quart stock pot with measurement marks on the inside are clutch on busy kitchen days when the sink’s already brimming with dishes.

WEIGHT + DIMENSIONS

Kitchen scale

Feel free to skip this one if you aren’t a baker . . . however, it’s also useful for weighing outgoing mail/packages and pasta and bean amounts (if you store yours in canisters).

Measuring tape and ruler

Trust. Me. You’ll thank yourself later for stashing a small measuring tape and/or ruler in your kitchen’s “everything” drawer. That way, there’s no guesswork involved when you need a 9-by-13-inch baking dish for lasagna or a 12-inch skillet for chicken cutlets. I like having both a tape and a ruler, since tape measures are best for pot/pan dimensions and flat rulers are ideal for measuring the thickness of cuts (1/2-inch dice, for example).

TIME

Small magnetic timers

You don’t think you need these . . . then you get one or two and can’t live without them.

• Making multiple dishes at the same time? Set the timer and put it right next to the pot so you know which beep goes with which recipe.

• Set your oven timer for the main cook or bake time of a recipe, and use a magnetic timer to mark the halfway mark if you need to rotate the baking pan or flip proteins/vegetables.

• Use the stopwatch function to track how long your favorite recipes actually take in your home kitchen and add notes in the cookbook margins for next time.

Unlike resolutions that set you up to fail, a single, well-chosen word can light the way toward big-picture goals or mindset shifts, north star-style, and give you something to focus on when life feels extra chaotic. It can be long or short, laser-focused or intentionally vague, serious or whimsical. The only person it needs to make sense to is YOU.

I came to this practice in December of 2023 via my dear friend Jen Dary’s planning e-course, Day of Big Dreaming, which orders you to clear off your desk (or counter) and think strategically about the next 12 months—with humor and friendly pep talks from a real-life leadership coach and entrepreneur.

For 2024, I chose EVOLVE. (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This was the year I wrote two books of my own, landed several career-changing projects, became involved in my local community, and reclaimed the confidence that lapsed in early motherhood.)

For 2025, I chose BALANCE. (👎 A better word might have been survive, as I managed overlapping projects, two book launches, husband’s increased work travel, and son’s third open-heart surgery. There were months when that word, written in block letters at the top of my office white board, gave guilt trip than north star vibes.)

And for 2026? This year, I chose . . .

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CONNECT

Isolation bad; connection good. In 2025, I learned that the hard way. In 2026, I’m taking it to the next level, venturing outward to widen my network, make friends, strengthen relationships, listen better, share more, and open my mind to whatever might come.

For work this means marketing myself (gulp), adding a few more conferences to my schedule, RSVP’ing YES to local industry mixers, responding to every comment (except the creepy ones), requesting meetings with people I’d admire (double gulp), and posting more here and on social media.

For life this means saying yes to in-person hang-outs and happy hours, calling friends and family more often, and initiating conversations with neighbors and others in our community.

Feeling these vibes? Click below and send me a message! I really do want to hear from you, whether you’ve got recipe or other content requests, cooking-related questions, or just want to say hello.

What I’m reading:

• I Believe in Everything: A Memoir of Illness, Motherhood, and Magic, by Jen Dary (Yes, the very same mentioned above!) When doctors found a lemon-size tumor in Jen’s brain back in 2016, her leadership coaching business was just taking off and both of her sons were little (the younger 8 months, the older a toddler). In her brand-new memoir—officially published TODAY!—she chronicles her sickness, surgery, recovery, and the magical, mystical realms that revealed themselves along the way. Her story is moving. Her writing is gorgeous and gut-wrenching and somehow funny, too. Yes, I’m biased, but seriously GO BUY MY FRIEND’S BOOK.

What I’m cooking:

• Chicken stock. The recipe testing project I’ve been working on since September requires pots and pots of simmering chicken bones and vegetables, which means my whole house smells like schmaltz.

• Pork tenderloin, rubbed with spices, pan-seared, roasted to a 145°F internal temp, then rested for 5 to 10 minutes. Last night I used this spice blend from Natasha’s Kitchen, featuring Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and ground coriander, which was cozy and peppery and perfect dunked in honey mustard sauce.

• Old Bay roasted potatoes. Quarter Yukon gold or baby potatoes, cut fingerlings, russets, or sweet potatoes into wedges or sticks, and toss them with enough olive oil to coat and a few good shakes of Old Bay seasoning. Roast on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 400°F for 30 to 45 minutes, until the bottoms are browned and the thickest pieces are easily pierced with a knife.

Current obsessions:

• This cleaver I gifted myself for Christmas.

• Hard-boiled eggs. Especially sliced and layered inside toasted whole wheat bread with mayo and sweet pickles for lunch.

• Our new kitten, Luna, who is snuggly and hilarious but also claws her way up my back when I’m test cooking.

• Basement layout and storage/pantry ideas. Five years into our Philly rowhome’s basement project, vinyl floors are halfway in, cabinets are built, and we miiiiight finish the pantry and tool closets this weekend 🤞

Since my last post two months ago, I made COUNTER SPACE free for all; developed a new Brussels sprout pizza recipe for Thursday Night Pizza; tested dozens of recipes for my current cookbook client; celebrated my son’s recovery from heart surgery with an epic family vacation to Disney World and Universal Studios; bought a banjolele and learned three (very basic) songs (could that phrase scream “middle age” any louder?!); caught up with family around the Thanksgiving table and elsewhere; sent out holiday cards; had my very first book signing event (at Philly’s sole cookbook store, Binding Agents); started the surprisingly long process of adopting a kitten (!!!); made and photographed Christmas tree-shaped pizzas (posting photos on Instagram this week); trimmed our real Christmas tree; decorated the house; and—just last night—helped my husband return empty holiday decor bins to their shelves in the basement.

2025, it seems, is going out like a lion. Or maybe a cat with the zoomies? So instead of writing about gifts to buy for other people, I cleaned out my kitchen’s everything basket, made this video, and wrote a list of practical items I buy myself to make mealtimes a little less hectic. Think of it as a gift list for serious home cooks who already have it all. Use it as a check-list for your own “everything” drawer or basket. Or just clock it as proof of my nerdiness and obsession with office products.

What’s in your everything drawer or basket? Lemme know in the comments!

Kitchen “Everything” Drawer/Basket Must-Haves

Slim clamp binder (like this one) for storing print-outs of frequently used recipes and techniques like marinades, sauces, roasts, stews, cookies, pie doughs, etc.

Magnetic tear-off weekly planner (like this one) for keeping our schedule and daily meals on the fridge where everyone can see it

Small notebook for recording menu ideas, cooking notes, equipment wish lists, new recipes or flavor combos, and whatever else comes to mind

Assorted sticky note pads (like these) for marking pages and writing notes in cookbooks, writing grocery lists, and labeling timers when you have more than one going at the same time

Pens and pencils, so you don’t have to scavenge for them when you want to use the planner, notebook, or sticky notes

Masking tape and permanent markers for labeling containers of prepped ingredients, made-ahead recipe components, or leftovers

Extension cord for when you need to make toast or vacuum seal leftovers but have run out of counter space

Bag and binder clips for sealing half-used bags in the pantry, holding cookbooks open and keeping stacks of recipes together when you’re entertaining or baking lots of different cookies

Ruler and/or tape measure for checking pan sizes (especially for baked goods), making sure your cookie, pie, and pizza doughs are rolled out thinly enough, and cutting equal-size pieces/cubes/etc. when it matters for a recipe

Minutes after my husband, John, and I opened our laptops on the couch for some side-by-side email catch-ups last night, John shot up and yelped, “That was definitely a mouse!” Before I could ask if he was sure, a tiny brown furry thing with a long pink tail skittered across the living room floor right where I happened to be looking, under the single step up to the kitchen. Hilarity ensued.

We barricaded the poor dude in our son, Jack’s play space alcove using two photo background boards, trays of LEGO bricks, and kitchen towels. The mouse escaped.

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We chased it around the living room, I wielding a Swiffer mop and John with a big green storage bin to trap it under. The mouse slipped under the radiator, then zoomed to the other side of the room, disappearing in a pile of stuff we keep meaning to bring down to the basement.

This went on until 12:30am, at which point we gave up, messaged an exterminator, and went to sleep, neither of us successfully.

So today, instead of bopping all over Philly to see my new book baby, THE DIP DECK, on real-life bookstore shelves as I’d intended, I drove 20 minutes to the Barnes & Noble in Cherry Hill, NJ, peeped it in the cooking section, rushed home to meet the exterminator, and shot this video flip-through after she left:

She’s a stunner, this one, and practical too. Grab yourself a copy wherever books are sold (and let me know what you think!).

Thanks, as always, for reading!1

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You’d be surprised how hard it is to write a comprehensive list of 50 dip recipes. My first attempt for The Dip Deck topped out at 85, and I could only whittle it down to 71 by the recipe list’s due date. The rest I left up to my editor, who thankfully accepted the role of “ruthless recipe cutter.”

Tzatziki was cut in favor of Raita. Ranch was cut in favor of Green Goddess. Cowboy Caviar was cut in favor of Hoagie Dip . . . and so on.

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Is it a dip? Is it a salad or veggie side? You be the judge!

Because of its salsa-like qualities, cowboy (a.k.a. Texas) caviar—a mix of canned beans, finely chopped veggies, and lime vinaigrette—makes a great party dip or snack dinner centerpiece, scooped up with sturdy, cup-shaped tortilla chips. However, it’s also a great side dish for grilled or barbecued meats or cheese quesadillas, and a fun addition to breakfast burritos the next morning.

I call this version Cowboy Caviar, not Texas Caviar, because it veers from the original dish, including corn and avocado and black and pinto instead of black-eyed peas1. (For whatever reason, canned black-eyed peas seem nearly impossible to find here in Philadelphia.)

Make it as is (the way our family loves it), or experiment with different types of canned beans, raw veggies, and homemade or bottled vinaigrettes (like “zesty” Italian dressing).

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Cowboy Caviar

This veggie-and-bean dip/salad hybrid2 makes a fun, snacky dinner served with tortilla chips (the scoop-shaped ones are best) or cheese quesadillas.

Makes 8 to 12 servings, depending on how you serve it

For the dip/salad:

• 3 Roma or 2 medium ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced

• 1 large bell pepper, seeded and diced

• 1 or 2 just-ripe avocados, diced (buy two, it’s OK if only one makes it in)

• 1 shallot or ½ red onion, minced or finely chopped (I use 1/3 cup minced shallot)

• 2 (15-ounce) cans beans, drained and rinsed (I like either 1 can of black beans and 1 can of pinto beans or 2 cans of black-kidney-pinto bean trio, but black-eyed peas are the traditional choice)

• 1 (10-ounce) bag frozen corn kernels, 1½ cups

Optional add-ins:

• 1 jalapeño or poblano chile, seeded and minced

• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

For the dressing:

• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (from 1 lime)

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1½ teaspoons granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a large bowl (preferably one with a lid), mix the tomatoes, bell pepper, avocados, shallot, beans, and corn. (Add the jalapeño here, if using.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the lime juice, vinegar, sugar, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and cumin. Slowly stream in the oil, whisking constantly, until the dressing looks creamy (emulsifies).

Dump the dressing into the bowl of veggies and beans and mix well. If you’re eating this right away, sprinkle with the cilantro or parsley (if using); if you’re making it ahead, store the cilantro/parsley in a separate container in the fridge and add it just before eating.

Serve right away with chips or spoons, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Notes

• If you want to keep this for longer than 3 days, leave out the avocado or add it right before serving.

• Serve with hint-of-lime tortilla chips for an extra punch of flavor

*Inspired by this recipe by Spend with Pennies.

First came pizza . . .

Two or three months into 2024, the title Pizza Rules set up camp in my brain.

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I’d just added two more cookbooks to the pizza shelf, and as I flipped through them—plus others I’ve accumulated over the past decade—I noticed they mostly followed the same formula. A dough chapter, featuring one signature or a handful of variations and detailed, photographed instruction, followed by a short sauce chapter, then longer chapters of composed pizzas that repeated the same baking instructions with ranges of simple to cheffy topping combinations. Almost every book proclaims rules like “best ways” to mix dough and bake pizzas, “ideal” dough hydration percentages, and “authentic” ingredients and techniques, and many stick with one core style (either round, puffy-edged Neapolitan or rectangular, slab-style Sicilian).

Don’t get me wrong; I love these books. Whenever I’m stumped by a comment on TNP or my YouTube channel, I lay them open on my office floor to compare gluten structure explanations, hydration calculations, and other factoids you can only learn by slinging hundreds of pizzas a day in professional kitchens.

What most of them miss, though, is my favorite part of pizza-making—versatility. Sure, it’s fun to know how the wetness of your dough affects the final bake, but when you’re making dinner for your family, all you really need are some solid dough and sauce recipes, topping guidelines, directions for baking the pizza in whatever way you feel like baking it (on a baking sheet/pizza pan or stone/steel in the oven, in an outdoor pizza oven, or on the grill), and room to sketch out planning schedules and keep track of actual baking/proofing times.

Give a person cheffy pizza recipes and they’ll host a bougie pizza party; teach them to create their own recipes and they’ll make it a weekly ritual.

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No other book seemed to address the way real home cooks make pizza on weeknights—using equipment they already have, simple dough recipes (some quick, some long-fermented for when there’s brain space to plan ahead), and whatever toppings they find in the pantry or fridge. So, I decided to create it myself, based on 11+ years of weekly pizza nights and recipe development for Thursday Night Pizza and the TMNT Pizza Cookbook.

I shot a quick description to my agent, Rica, and she responded with a twist: Yes, she’d put out feelers about Pizza Rules. Also, was I interested in writing a deck of 50 dip recipes for Clarkson Potter (the Penguin Random House imprint where I started my cookbook editing career)?

. . . then came dips . . .

“Oooooh,” I responded. “I was practically raised on dips!”

My mom, the entertaining queen of her side of the family, died a year after I graduated from college. She taught me to press on a cantaloupe’s bellybutton to check for ripeness, snip off asparagus spears an inch or two beneath the dirt, identify parsley and cilantro at quick glance, build gingerbread houses with structural integrity, and stew pot roasts to warm up the coldest days. She never once made a pizza (I learned that on my own), but man did she know her way around the apps table. No family gathering was complete without her seven-layer dip, assembled in a Pyrex dish and topped with a careful grid of sliced black olives, or my favorite—dried beef and horseradish dip with ruffled potato chips.

In the middle of April, 2024, I signed a contract with Clarkson Potter for The Dip Deck and heard back from Rica about Pizza Rules’ fate. All editors had the same response: The idea was great, but they already had other pizza cookbooks in the pipeline (likely with larger author platforms).

I was bummed for exactly one day. Then, I grabbed hold of another thing my mom taught me—relentless persistence—and decided to self-publish Pizza Rules with part of the Dip Deck advance. A few emails later, I locked in an illustrator (Joanna) and expert graphic designer (Danielle), both friends and former colleagues. A few searches after that, I had a plan: I wrote an entire pizza book back in 2020, yet the publisher cancelled the book due to COVID-related money issues and restructuring. How hard could it be to simply move things around, create a few extra chapters, and rewrite existing ones to fit the new vibe. (Spoiler alert: None of this was simple.)

Could I pull off two cookbooks at the exact same time? Maybe.

Could I ignore the fact that a dip book, of all things, made it possible? Definitely not. (Thanks, Mom!)

. . . and now both books are (almost) out in the world!!!!!!!

May through August, 2024, was the summer of dips. In the fridge, cream cheese stacks teetered next to masking tape and Sharpie–labeled containers. “Walnut + blue cheese — 6/8 — 1st test.” “Green goddess w buttermilk — 7/19.” “Cannoli — 8/1 — 1 c. CS.”

Snack dinner joined the weeknight rotation. I made and remade Mom’s 7-layer and dried beef dips, grinned when I realized they were both perfect as she’d hand-written them in her recipe box, then added them to the manuscript along with gooey skillet pizza, salmon-and-dill, curried mango, and a hoagie dip she would have adored.

Meanwhile, Pizza Rules screeched into motion. There were printing costs to decipher. Self-publishing platforms to compare. Book maps to sketch, erase, and sketch again. Recipes to test and tweak. Illustrations imagine, request from Joanna, and review. Layouts to approve. And, obviously, a whole new manuscript to write and wrangle.

In early September, when all 50 dip recipes were developed, tested, retested, and compiled, I sent the first chapter of Pizza Rules to my designer, Danielle. A month later I took the train up to NYC for the Dip Deck photo shoot.

Yada yada yada . . . I finally published Pizza Rules in May of 2025, and here I am, three weeks from the Dip Deck’s release (anxiously awaiting my author copies!!!). Eight-year-old me would be screaming right now. Forty-three-year-old me is bursting with gratitude—for my agent, Rica Allannic; for Danielle Deschenes and Joanna Quigley-Turner, who made my Pizza Rules vision come true; for Darian Keels, my editor at Clarkson Potter, who helped fine-tune the dip recipes, photographer Doaa Elkady and stylists Mallory Lance and Julia Rose, who made them look so pretty, and designer Lise Sukhu, who whipped it all up into a gorgeous deck I’m dying to hold in my hands. There’s also my husband, John, and son, Jack—resident taste testers and endless supporters; the Thursday Night Pizza commenters who keep me inspired and on my toes; my big sister, Gretchen, and family near and far, who lift me up and cheer me on.

Up here in the quiet of my third-floor home office, I close my eyes and feel my mom behind me, reading as I type. Thanks doesn’t feel like a big enough word.

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Almost every piece of cooking equipment I own has a story and/or corresponding book project. My mom’s vintage brown “Early American” Pyrex mixing bowl with pourers on either side (a gift from her mom sometime in the 1960s); the heavy, stainless-steel saucier given to me by the mother of a toxic ex-boyfriend 20 years ago; the sword-like pizza cutter I bought for the TMNT Pizza Cookbook photo shoot in 2017 (though I don’t think it made it into the book); the so-called “professional1” food processor + blender duo I had overnighted when my old processor shorted out testing a double batch of falafel for Mike Solomonov and Steve Cook’s Israeli Soul; my first real chef’s knife, stolen from a roommate in Brooklyn, and my second, gifted by my husband 5-ish years ago; the wide, flat-bottomed steamer basket and earthy hued ramekins used for testing steamed meat, egg, curry, and fish recipes in Nok Suntaranon’s Kalaya’s Southern Thai Kitchen2; plus all the pizza-making tools, measuring cups and spoons, and wooden spoons/spatulas/whisks/etc. my utensil crocks, drawers, cabinets, and pot hanger can withstand3.

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You’d think my arsenal would be complete after nearly two decades editing cookbooks and one testing and developing recipes. But here I am, a couple weeks into a new recipe testing job, with some pivotal additions:

Bright-red, arch-supporting clogs

Last week, after two 6-hour test cooking days that wouldn’t have bothered me in my thirties—all on unsupported feet, of course—my achy, spasmy back forced me to buy the kitchen clogs I knew were inevitable. They’re made of lightweight, springy ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), have just-firm-enough arch support, and are waterproof and easy to clean. Oh yeah, and they come in ripe-tomato-red, the color of my soul.

Even if your back is in great shape and you don’t cook for long periods of time, I still recommend getting lightweight, wipe-offable clogs like mine. They can prevent slips in the kitchen—from soapy dish water or oil splatters on the floor—and protect your feet from the occasional dropped pan, hot spill, or shattered glass.

New cutting boards

All but one of my wooden cutting boards were warped, so I tossed ‘em and bought five freshies: A set of three bamboo and the large and medium Epicurean ones, made of paper composite.

Why not wood? Lots of cooking and prepping means lots of washing, and that can dry out wooden cutting boards over time, causing them to curve and crack (if, like me, you forget to oil them periodically). Bamboo can crack and warp, too, but it’s harder than wood so it holds up longer. Also, bamboo boards are lighter! The downside is that bamboo cutting boards can dull knives a bit faster than wooden boards do, though I have not noticed much of a difference in this area. (I’ll let you know what I think of Epicurean’s paper composite after a few months of use—I’ve had their pizza peel for years, but this is my first time trying their cutting boards.)

Why not butcher block? A thick slab of rich-colored wood is pretty to look at, but it’s really heavy—especially topped with food—and takes up a lot of counter space. As a recipe tester, I need to prep various dishes at the same time for staggered cooking, so I need a bunch of different boards, not just one or two. A third case for several thinner cutting boards (rather than one giant, hefty one) just occurred to me: Delegation! It’s easy to divvy up prep tasks when you can hand someone their own little cutting board and send them to wherever there’s space.

Deluxe box grater

I’ve been using the same regular-size box grater since I got it at our bridal shower 11+ years ago. Now, I have a jumbo one, too! Upgrading from standard (4-by-3-by-10-inch) to this 6-by-6-by-10-inch behemoth is downright luxurious, especially when I attach the 3-cup storage container to the bottom so I can measure while I grate. However, I did shred the tips of my fingers pretty badly using the finest side for pecorino (100% my fault).

What’s the most recent kitchen purchase you’ve made? Have you found a new favorite cooking utensil, appliance, or tool? Tell me all about it in the comments!

Pizza

Very little brain space/time: Buy one or two frozen pizza crusts and follow the directions using jarred pizza sauce and pre-shredded mozzarella. Or, spread toasted bagel or English muffin halves with pizza sauce, top with shredded cheese, and bake or broil just until the cheese melts.

Medium amount of brain space/time: Buy a ball or two of pizza dough (a BALL, not a can), let it come to room temperature, roll it out, put it on a dark-colored baking sheet or pizza pan, top with quick homemade pizza sauce, diced fresh mozzarella, and any leftover veggies you find in the fridge; bake at 500°F for 10-ish minutes, until the underside is browned all the way across. (Or, if you have a baking stone or steel, put it in your oven, preheat to 550°F, then switch to Broil on high; roll or stretch out the dough, top it on a floured pizza peel or upside-down baking sheet, transfer to the stone/steel, and bake for 8-ish minutes.)

More brain space/time than normal: Make your own pizza dough—the night before, a few nights ahead, or 1 to 2 hours before you plan to bake the pizza—mix a batch of dump-and-stir marinara, dice or shred 4 ounces of cheese per pizza, gather a mix of other veggie and/or meat toppings, and make funny faces (as above) or pretty designs. Follow these directions for topping and baking.

Snack Dinner

Very little brain space/time: Make a mish-mash meal. Dig through your snack drawer or cabinet for something crunchy and/or bready: pretzels, chips, crackers, pitas, tortillas, etc. Spread them out on a big cutting board, then scavenge in the fridge and pantry for dips, dressings, spreads, cheeses, pickles, nuts, meats, olives, raw vegetables, leftovers, and anything else that looks good. Put the board on the table and let everyone make up their own plate.

Medium amount of brain space/time: Stop by the store. Buy a tub of dip or assortment of cheeses and/or cured meats from the grocery store, along with any other snacks you know everyone in your household likes (making sure there’s a mix of veggies, proteins, and crunchy snacky things). Lay it all out on a big cutting board or line up the packages right on the table.

More brain space/time than normal: Whip up a dip (or cook one thing). Make one or two snacky things yourself: A dip or two (sneak peek DIP DECK recipe below), roasted fingerling potatoes, cauliflower, or other veggie sticks or wedges, and/or grilled chicken tenders, flank or skirt steak, portobello caps, or tofu planks. Lay out everything on the table and encourage people to mix and match.

There’s so much to say/write . . . but for now, LOOK AT THIS FUN, PRACTICAL DIP EXTRAVAGANZA I made (with photographs by Doaa Elkady), officially publishing in 49 days!

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Stay tuned for stories about the process, tips for making and using dips—beyond gatherings and potlucks—bonus content, sneak peeks, and more (in addition, of course, to my regular programming).

Do you have a favorite dip? What occasion wouldn’t be complete without it? Comment with dip-related nostalgia, your go-to dunkers, pet peeves, etc. Then, gather round the app table and grab yourself a chip. This dip-tastic party is just getting started.

I didn’t know how many brands made everything seasoning until I tried to add it to my online grocery order last week and got five different options. So, I did what any responsible food content creator would do—bought all five and roped my husband and son into a Saturday morning taste test. (Shockingly, we all agreed on the winner.)

What’s “Everything”?

Everything seasoning is a mix of dried garlic and onion, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and salt first used in NYC bagel shops in the 1970s or 80s. Shockingly, it didn’t become an official seasoning until 2017, when Trader Joe’s released their jarred version, but now there’s no shortage of options in the spice aisle.

Here are my favorite ways to use it, the five brands we tasted last week, and the one we liked most.

How to Use It

This seasoning is truly all-purpose! Keep a jar on the counter to add texture and garlicky flavor to salads, breads, meats, pastas, pizza, veggies, eggs, savory snacks, and more.

Sprinkle on/add to:

• Bagels with butter or cream cheese

• Breads and biscuits (use it instead of garlic salt or powder for garlic bread)

• Salads (sprinkle on lettuce and raw veggies to add extra flavor or stir into creamy dressings for coleslaw, egg salad, tuna salad, potato salad, or chicken salad)

• Dips (Stir some into guacamole or hummus, or make a quick everything dip with equal-ish parts sour cream and cream cheese and 1 to 2 tablespoons everything bagel seasoning.)

• Eggs (scrambled, fried, poached, deviled, egg salad)

• Avocado or ricotta toast

• Tomato sandwiches or BLTs

• Pizza (especially white pizza or Bacon, Egg, and Cheese pizza)

• Pasta (MAC & CHEESE!!!!!!!)

• Soups and stews

• Baked potatoes

• Breading for chicken cutlets

• Roasted veggies (either before or after roasting)

• Popcorn and crunchy snack mixes

• Roasted beef, pork, chicken, or salmon

The Five Contenders

(1) BADIA EVERYTHING BAGEL

• Price: $5.42 for 5.5 ounces ($0.99/ounce) on Amazon.com

• Ingredients (in order): White and black sesame seeds, onion, garlic, poppy seeds, salt, canola oil

(2) TRADER JOE’S EVERYTHING BUT THE BAGEL SESAME SEASONING BLEND

• Price: $7.35 for 2.3 ounces ($3.20/ounce) on Amazon.com

• Ingredients (in order): Sesame seeds, sea salt flakes, dried minced garlic, dried minced onion, black sesame seeds, poppy seeds

(3) EINSTEIN BROS EVERYTHING BAGEL SEASONING BLEND

• Price: $5.99 for 5 ounces ($1.20/ounce) on Amazon.com

• Ingredients (in order): Sesame seeds, dried onion, dried garlic, salt, poppy seeds

(4) MCCORMICK EVERYTHING BAGEL ALL PURPOSE SEASONING

• Price: $6.47 for 4.8 ounces ($1.35/ounce) on Amazon.com

• Ingredients (in order): Garlic, poppy seeds, salt, onion, sesame seeds, sunflower oil, natural flavor

(5) SIMPLY ORGANIC EVERYTHING BLEND

• Price: $9.33 for 3.49 ounces ($2.67/ounce) on Amazon.com

• Ingredients (in order): Organic sesame seeds, organic garlic, sea salt, organic toasted onion, organic black sesame seeds, organic poppy seeds

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Taste Test Results

On Saturday morning, while John toasted bagels and our son, Jack, spread cream cheese, I assigned a number to each everything seasoning, dumped some into correspondingly labeled prep bowls, stuck a blank Post-It note on the table next to each bowl, and grabbed the closest writing utensils.

“Taste a pinch, write down your thoughts, take a sip of water, and repeat,” I explained when John and Jack brought the bagels to the table.

They understood the assignment:

First, we tasted the seasoning blends on their own, then we sprinkled them on the bagels, scribbled more thoughts, and wrote our names on our favorite ones’ sticky notes.

We unanimously agreed that Simply Organic had the best flavor and texture, with the perfect balance of salt and garlic and the ideal distribution of ingredients1. Trader Joe’s and McCormick came in second, both tasty but with less-favorable texture and flavor balance. Einstein Bros and Badia came in third and fourth, respectively; neither one had enough garlic for our tastes, and Badia’s giant onion flakes reminded us of expired slivered almonds.

Do you have a favorite everything blend that’s not on this list? Got an idea for our next taste test? Let me know in the comments!

1

The downsides of Simply Organic’s version are the high price and the tiny holes in its plastic shaker cap, which make it difficult to sprinkle. The former issue can’t be changed, but I solved the latter issue by snipping off the pourer flap:

“In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.”1

“Combine the rice and water in a medium saucepan.”

If you’ve read something similar and puzzled over which pan to grab, you’re not alone. “Medium” appears everywhere in cookbooks—used to describe pots and pans, stovetop heat levels, sizes of produce and cuts of meats—yet it’s rarely quantified with actual measurements. [Worse, recipe writing books, such as The Recipe Writer’s Handbook (RWH), The Complete Recipe Writing Guide (RWG), and The Food Lover’s Companion (FLC) give conflicting answers. In RWH, 2-quart saucepans are medium; in RWG, 4-quart saucepans are medium. FLC stays out of the debate, simply explaining that “saucepans come in sizes ranging from 1 to 4 quarts.”]

So how do you know you’ve got the right one? After 17 years in cookbook editing and recipe development, here’s what I’ve learned (about saucepans anyway):

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Pots vs. Saucepans

Pots (a.k.a. stock pots) have wide bases, usually two loop handles, and volume capacities up to 20 quarts; saucepans have narrower bases, usually one long handle (maybe a little helper handle on the other side), and volume capacities from 1 pint to 4 quarts. Both have tight-fitting lids and tall, straight sides, and can be made of a variety of materials, my favorite being stainless steel.

** Reference: 1 pint = 2 cups; 1 quart = 4 cups. **

As far as their uses, pots and saucepans are meant to hold liquid. Pots are great for boiling pasta or vegetables, steaming, making big batches of soups and stews, and braising meats. Saucepans, with their similar shapes but smaller capacities, can be used like mini pots to hard-boil eggs; cook 2 to 4 portions of pasta, rice, or grains; steam vegetables (with an insert like this one)—and, as their name suggests, make sauces. Their tall sides and narrow bases create an ideal environment for liquids to develop and reduce over time without burning or evaporating too fast.

What size is “medium”?

The generally agreed-upon capacity for medium saucepans is 2 to 3 quarts. So, when I use the term “medium saucepan” in my own recipes and clients’ cookbook manuscripts, I mean a long-handled, 2 to 3-quart2 pot with sides that are 3½ to 4½ inches high and a top opening that’s 6½ to 7½ inches in diameter3.

Got more questions?

Let me know in the comments if there are other pots, pans, cooking utensils, or recipe terms you’d like me to cover. I’m always open to content requests!

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We abandoned our perfectly functional propane grill in 2018 when we moved from our old Philly rowhome to this one, a mile away in the same neighborhood. It wouldn’t fit through the alleyway to the street, and wheeling its rusted frame through the empty, freshly cleaned house felt like a bad idea. Plus, we’d already discussed a better one for the bigger backyard.

Spoiler alert: That “better grill” never happened.

Except for the charcoal model I bought for a recipe testing project back in 2021 and never used again, I’ve been grill-less since we moved. (Hype it all you want—charcoal grilling is way too finicky for weeknight cooking.) So, when I want outdoor-char flavors, I have to be creative.

Here are four of my favorite ways to add smoky vibes to summery meals:

Ground sumac: Most chefs and food experts describe this Middle Eastern/Mediterranean spice as having a tart, lemony taste, but whenever I use it on roasted potatoes/oven fries or veggies with salt, pepper, and olive oil, it reminds me of barbecue sauce. Try it with anything that loves lemon (seafood, chicken, veggies, salads, pasta, dressings/vinaigrettes, hummus) and keep some on the table to add smoky zing to any meal or snack.

Urfa pepper: I fell for these crushed dried pepper flakes while testing and editing recipes for Mike Solomonov and Steve Cook’s Israeli Soul many moons ago. They’re deep-dark brown like pulverized coffee beans with a rich, smoky, floral aroma you must inhale to believe. Another bonus: Since Urfa pepper is less spicy than “regular” dried red chile flakes, it can serve as a gateway for kids and spice-sensitive eaters to expand their palates.

Hickory balsamic vinegar: I’m not usually a stickler for specific brands. However, when it comes to infused balsamic vinegar, nothing comes close to Cardena’s in South Philly’s Italian Market. Just a drizzle of their Hickory Dark Balsamic, made with thick, syrupy, aged balsamic vinegar, adds smoky-sweet tang to raw salads, sliced ripe tomatoes and summer fruits, roasted veggies, cheeses, homemade pizza, and even ice cream.

Smoked salt: Shuck and boil or steam fresh sweet corn, rub it with butter, sprinkle with smoked salt, and prepare to enjoy the purest summer bite. Just like spice blends and infused olive oils and balsamic vinegars, not all brands are created equal. I recently discovered Maldon’s coarse version, which is great for finishing dishes and seasoning salads and raw veggies, and I’m still experimenting with a few different finer smoked salts for general use. Let me know if you have favorites of your own!

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NEW ON THURSDAY NIGHT PIZZA

In case you missed it, I also run a recipe website called Thursday Night Pizza, where I share tips, doughs, sauces, toppings, and tutorials to help you make really good pizza at home.

DIY Balsamic Glaze

Click here for the full recipe, plus hundreds of other topping ideas, doughs and sauces, pizza-making tips, and tutorials.

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. . . thanks to this salad recipe by “scrumdiddly” on AllRecipes.com.

What I Love About the Original Recipe

LIME! Lots of fresh-squeezed lime juice gives the salad a bold punch, brings out the sweetness in the tomatoes, and excites your palate.

Texture. Crunchy herbs and scallion, juicy tomato, and tender black beans and quinoa create the perfect balance in every bite.

Heft. So many grain salad recipes insist that they’re a “meal in a bowl,” then leave you feeling hungry. Thanks to protein duo of quinoa and black beans, this one actually delivers.

How I Changed It

Increased amounts. This salad keeps well for up to five days in the fridge, so why not make enough for lunches through the week?

Swapped cilantro for parsley. There were two reasons for this: 1.) My son, Jack, hates cilantro and tolerates parsley, and 2.) Parsley keeps its texture longer than cilantro.

Served it with chicken. Though I do think this makes a hearty enough summer meal, a side of grilled chicken kept me full enough to resist ice cream before bed.

Why I Want to Like Quinoa

1. It’s nutritious. Not only is quinoa a complete protein, but it’s also packed with fiber, B vitamins, and other compounds that help digestion, keep you feeling full for longer, and even lower the risk of certain diseases1.

2. It’s quick and versatile. Fifteen minutes is all you need! Fluff the tender seeds after cooking and use them as a base for grain bowls, stir-fries, burritos, supper salads, or simple sides.

3. It’s different (for me, at least). Though there’s nothing wrong with our current rotation of pasta, rice, and pizza crust, it’s nice to see something else on the plate for a change.

How to Cook Quinoa

General Directions (for everyone)

Measure your quinoa (you’ll need 1/4 to 1/2 cup uncooked seeds per person), rinse it in a fine-mesh sieve, and dump it into a saucepan or pot. Pour in 1½ to 2 parts water. (For example, if you’re using 1 cup of uncooked quinoa, pour in 1½ to 2 cups of water.) Bring the water to a boil, cover the pan/pot, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the water has been absorbed (about 15 minutes). Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes, fluff, and serve.

Full Printable/Downloadable Recipes (for paid subscribers)

Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook/active time: 15 minutes

Equipment: Fine-mesh sieve, medium saucepan or pot

Makes 3 cups

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa

• 1½ cups water or broth

Rinse the quinoa. Measure the quinoa seeds into a fine-mesh sieve, then rinse them under cold running water, stirring them with your hand or a spoon to make sure every grain is well rinsed. (Rinsing removes the outer coating that can produce a bitter taste in the cooked quinoa; if you're short on time, though, feel free to skip this step.)

Add liquid. Pour the water or broth into the saucepan. (Many other recipes call for 2 cups of liquid, but I find that can make the quinoa too mushy.)

Cook until the liquid is absorbed. Increase the heat to high and let the liquid come to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook until the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Fluff, season, and serve. Remove the pan from the heat, let the quinoa rest, covered, for 5 minutes, and fluff it with a fork. Taste and season with salt and pepper, then stir in any other flavorings. Serve hot, at room temperature, or chilled.

NOTE: For more flavor, toast the quinoa and add onion and garlic. After you rinse the quinoa, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, wait 1 to 2 minutes, then add the quinoa. For extra flavor, you can also add up to ¼ cup minced onion and 2 to 4 minced garlic cloves. Sauté until you smell a nutty aroma and the quinoa begins to make popping noises, then add the liquid and cook as directed above.

How To Cook Quinoa

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Quinoa Salad with Veggies, Black Beans, Parsley + Lime

Original recipe

My adapted version

Quinoa Salad With Veggies, Black Beans, Parsley + Lime

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Do you have a culinary white whale? Something you keep trying to master but just can’t get right?

For all of my twenties and most of my thirties, mine was steamed rice. I’d mix it with water in a medium saucepan, follow the bag directions, and the grains would either congeal into a mushy mass or burn on the bottom and stay crunchy toward the top. Eventually, I gave up. The NYC apartment kitchens of my twenties and the first Philly rowhome I shared with my husband, John, were too small to justify a rice cooker, the failsafe solution. And since we didn’t make rice that often, I reasoned, mediocre would have to do.

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Then, one random weeknight when our son was still a baby (eight-ish years ago), John made a perfect pot of rice on our tiny kitchen stove. Though I don’t remember what he served it with, I’ll never forget staring at the tender, white, individual grains on my fork, a mix of awe and exasperation rising up my neck.

I was a cookbook editor, homemade pizza expert, and burgeoning recipe developer. John’s cooking repertoire included baked chicken breast, frozen veggies, burgers and hot dogs, and pasta with sauce from a jar. Well . . . and apparently perfect steamed rice.

“What? You don’t know the finger trick?” he said, amused by my shocked expression.

The next night, he walked me through the steps his mom had taught him in his late teens: Dump some rice in a pot, add enough water to come up to the first knuckle on your index finger, boil until most of the water evaporates, then cover, turn the heat to low, and cook until the rice is done.

Again, the results were perfect. Again, I wanted to strangle John for not teaching me sooner.

The method below is my own go-to version, tweaked over nearly a decade of weekly stir-fry nights (including two years testing and editing recipes for Nok Suntaranon’s southern Thai cookbook). It works with both white and brown rice, includes a rinsing step to reduce excess starchiness, and relies on visual cues so it’ll come out the same no matter which pot or pan you cook it in. Trust me: Once you get the hang of it, your rice game will never be the same again.

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How to Cook (Medium- or Long-Grain) Rice on the Stove

General Directions (for everyone)

Pour uncooked medium- or long-grain rice into a medium saucepan or pot. (You’ll need about 1/2 cup per person.) Put the pan in the sink, fill it about halfway with cool tap water, swish the water around with your hand until it looks milky, and then carefully pour out the water (without dumping the rice in the sink). Repeat until the water looks mostly clear. Pour in enough fresh, cool tap water to cover the rice by 1 inch, then place the pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a bubble and let the rice cook, uncovered, until most of the water has evaporated but it still looks a little wet on top; cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until all the water has evaporated and the rice is tender.

Full Printable/Downloadable Recipe (for paid subscribers)

Prep Time: 5 minutes / Cook Time: 30 minutes / Total Time: 35 minutes

Makes 4 cups

Ingredients

• 2 cups long- or medium-grain white or brown rice (I use jasmine rice)

• Water

Instructions

1. Rinse the rice. Put the rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse it under cool running water for 2 or 3 minutes.*

2. Add water. Dump the rinsed rice into a medium saucepan or pot and pour in enough water to cover the rice by 1 inch. (I measure this by dipping my finger in the water until I touch the top of the rice. There is enough water when it reaches the first knuckle of my index finger.)

3. Bring to a boil. Place the saucepan on the stove over medium-high heat. Let the water come to a rolling boil, then continue to boil for 5 to 10 minutes or until most of the water has evaporated and you see blow spouts on the top of the rice. As soon as this happens, cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to low.

4. Simmer until tender. Cook the rice on low, covered, for 20 to 30 minutes, until the water has evaporated and the grains are tender. Fluff and serve.

*Note: To reduce clean-up, I often rinse the rice right in the saucepan. Measure the rice into the pan, fill it up about halfway with cool tap water, and swish it around until the water looks milky. Carefully pour out the water, using your hand to keep the rice from falling into the sink, then fill the pan again about halfway with cool water. Swish, drain, and repeat until the water looks mostly clear after swishing it with the rice. Keep that water in the pan and add more if needed to cover the rice by 1 inch. Continue with step 3 of the recipe.

How To Cook Rice On The Stove

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One. Beat. At. A. Time.

I’m not ready to write about the months leading up to Jack's surgery, the eight-hour drive to Boston, the seven-hour wait for news from the operating room, or the six-day hospital stay, a haze of beeps, wires, anxiety, powerlessness, and triumphs big and small.

What I am ready to write about is the joy and oddness of returning to regular life after a month away.

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Jack began full-day claymation camp this morning, and I’m finally alone at my computer, staring down a to-do list that seems insurmountable. The cacophony of fear and coordinating and anticipating and helping Jack cope while also coping myself has quieted to a tolerable hum. Hopefully after tomorrow’s follow-up with Jack’s cardiologist here in Philly, it will quiet even more.

In the meantime, here I am—molding jumbles of pent-up thoughts into a semi-cohesive post, wondering what story Jack’s creating out of clay 24 days after major cardiac surgery.

My kitchen island—the counter space that inspired this newsletter—is moderately cluttered with the following objects: A bag of baby gold potatoes, three tubes/cans of sunblock, paper towels, all-purpose cleaner, my keys, a cantaloupe, a whoopee cushion, still in its packaging, a get-well card for Jack, and the rubber band ring he made me yesterday afternoon.

Out back, vines creep from the neighbor’s fence across the square of turf covering our concrete slab.

There are 15 unopened emails from myself in my inbox—brainstorms, notes, and reminders sent in the dark of Jack’s hospital room while he slept—and the same amount of unchecked to-dos on the marketing plan for PIZZA RULES, which I published back in May.

I also need to follow up with my agent about two pending projects, respond to Thursday Night Pizza comments, and sketch out a plan for social media and book promotion, but all that can wait.

My hiatus is ended, and I’m grateful to be back. Stay tuned for lots more here and on social media as I clear off the counter, gather my thoughts, and dust off the pots and pans!

As always, thanks for your support!

I was going to delay the announcement until Ingram Spark, the other platform I’m using, also went live, but after two-ish years of dreaming and writing and recipe testing and traversing the verrrrrrrry winding road of self-publishing, I’m too excited to do things the “correct” way.

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So, here you go, friends—a pizza book unlike all others, made with zero snobbery for real-life home cooks. Inside, you’ll find everything you need to create your own pizzas in a regular oven (on a pan, baking sheet, cast-iron skillet, or baking stone/steel), outdoor pizza oven, or on the grill. There are 10 different dough recipes to choose from, various sauces, 85+ topping ideas (complete with prep and pairing advice), plus 10 composed pizza recipes to fit any taste or mood.

At the end of each chapter, you’ll also discover guided workbook pages, meant to help organize your own recipes, favorite ingredients and toppings, pizza night menus and schedules, general notes, etc.

This was a true labor of love. Not only from me, but also from illustrator Joanna Quigley-Turner and designer Danielle Deschenes, who infused it with their immense creative talents. I can’t wait for you to hold it in your hands!

Click here to purchase

Note: I’ll be selling signed copies on my website in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for that announcement, as well as upcoming promotions and events.

Thanks, as always, for your support!

~Peggy

And yet, at 9:30am on Sunday, my phone pinged with a new email from KDP. “Attention needed . . . Your file contains insufficient bleed.” The book’s wildly talented and even more patient designer was able to edit and resend the PDF several hours later. (Thanks, Danielle!!!)

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I left the “upload processing” wheel turning while my son, Jack, and I sent my husband off on his latest business trip and got to cleaning. I was hate-scrubbing the bathtub when Jack came in holding the wooden AM/FM radio he made from a DIY kit Santa gave him for Christmas, blaring “I Believe in a Thing Called Love,” by The Darkness. In his other hand, he gripped a pen and spiral-bound notebook.

“DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS SONG IS CALLED?” he yelled over the chorus.

“TURN IT DOWN!” I yelled back, forgetting that the volume buttons on his homemade radio don’t work. The first time I heard the one-hit-wonder was during my junior year of college. Now, at extreme decibels, it fried my 43-year-old brain. I spelled out the title and artist names and watched Jack scrawl them in oversized letters across the page, impressed that, thanks to the simplest of listening devices, he’d discovered it on his own.

Later, between finishing the bathroom and folding the first load of laundry, I impulse-bought a $9 transistor radio for same-day delivery. It’s small and black with a skinny chrome antenna, analog display, and tuning and volume controls on the side. The first clear channel I found on the device was just starting “Smooth Operator.”

“Next song,” Jack chirped, rolling his eyes.

“The way we learned about new music was by leaving the radio on all day,” I responded. “You went along with whatever the DJ chose, until eventually they played your favorite song.”

When I woke to another “Attention needed” email from KDP this morning, my first thought—after expletives, of course—was of the radio. In some ways, growing up with AM/FM, cassette tapes, and CDs trained me to stay open-minded and accept delayed gratification. And, oh man, those qualities come in handy when you’re self-publishing a cookbook.

From big converging projects, unexpected rabbit holes, recipe testing, and revisions to brand-new platforms, technical difficulties, and infuriating minutiae, I’ve waited out a lot of songs. Now, finally, it’s next up, right after this commercial break.

Stay tuned here and on social media for the latest news on the book. I’ll post an update the second purchasing goes live!

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Thanks for all of your support and kind words. I can’t wait to have this book out in the world!

“I am a tagine machine,” says Pipo. “Chicken and apricots, you do belong together. Together forever in my belly.”

After the umpteenth reading, I waded through Google searches for a version of the dish Jack would eat and my husband, John—who’s not a fan of skin-on, bone-in chicken—would also enjoy. Then, I remembered a boneless chicken thigh recipe I’d made from Molly Gilbert’s Sheet Pan Suppers, seasoned with curry powder and cinnamon and roasted on a bed of cauliflower, dried apricots, and green olives. BINGO.

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What I Love About the Original Recipe

Everything cooks on a sheet pan. I make “stuff roasted together on a baking sheet” at least once a week for dinner. This method not only reduces the amount of dishes in the sink, but also frees up time to wipe down the counter, do my Wordle, or, in this case, cook a pot of rice pilaf simultaneously on the stove.

The chicken can be prepped ahead. In Molly’s recipe, she suggests marinating the chicken “for at least 45 minutes and up to overnight.” If you’re making it on a weekend and can start 2 hours before serving time, 45 minutes is fine. However, I enjoy the convenience of trimming the chicken thighs the night before or the morning of, coating them in oil and spices, and letting them soak it all up for 8 to 18 hours.

It gets big flavor from a few familiar ingredients. The main seasonings Molly uses are olive oil, yellow curry powder, smoked paprika, cinnamon, cider vinegar, and salt. Chances are, you already have them in your pantry or spice cabinet.

How I Changed It

• Reduced the cook time. By increasing the oven temperature to 450°F and cutting the cauliflower into smaller florets, I was able to get everything tender and fully roasted in 30 minutes (rather than 45).

• Adjusted the spices. I increased the amounts of salt, curry powder, and paprika and omitted cayenne pepper (to appease my son).

• Added a side of rice pilaf. Although this negates its one-pot-mealness, chicken thighs with only cauliflower, apricots, and olives is not a substantial enough dinner for my family. So, as soon as I slid the sheet pan in the oven, I started a pot of simple oniony pilaf on the stove, which was done just a few minutes after the chicken finished roasting.

• Garnished with cilantro. Never underestimate the magic of fresh herbs. A sprinkle of chopped cilantro brightened up the whole dish and balanced the richness of warming spices and sweet roasted apricots.

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Curried Chicken with Cauliflower, Olives, Apricots, and Rice Pilaf

Yield: 6 servings

Prep time: 15 minutes | Marinating time: 45 minutes to overnight | Cook time: 30 to 40 minutes

Equipment: Kitchen shears, gallon-size zip-top bag, cutting board and chef’s knife, large rimmed baking sheet, parchment paper or aluminum foil, kettle, medium heatproof bowl, medium saucepan or pot with a glass lid

Ingredients

For the chicken:

• 2 to 2½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

• 1 tablespoon curry powder

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the cauliflower, apricots, and olives:

• 1 large (2 to 2½-pound) cauliflower head, cut into 1-inch florets or pieces

• ¾ cup dried apricots, sliced

• 1 cup pitted green olives (I use Castelvetrano), halved

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 teaspoons curry powder

• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt

For the rice pilaf:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)

• 1½ cups jasmine or other long-grain rice

• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt

For serving:

• Handful of fresh cilantro leaves and stems, chopped

Directions:

1. The night before or first thing in the morning, marinate the chicken. Use kitchen shears to snip the obvious fat off the chicken thighs, then put them in a gallon-size zip-top bag. Add the curry powder, vinegar, olive oil, cinnamon, paprika, and salt, seal the bag, and smush everything around until the chicken looks evenly coated. Place the bag in the fridge. (Let it marinate for at least 45 minutes or up to overnight.)

2. Start the water for the apricots. Put a kettle or small saucepan of water over high heat and put the apricots in a medium heatproof bowl.

3. Preheat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the middle position. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

4. Soak the apricots. When the water boils, pour it over the apricots until they are fully submerged. Let them soak while the oven preheats (about 10 minutes), then drain.

5. Season the cauliflower, apricots, and olives. Put the cauliflower, apricots, and olives in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, curry powder, paprika, and salt, toss well, then dump the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it out evenly.

6. Roast. Take the chicken out of the fridge. Open the bag, lay the chicken thighs on top of the cauliflower mixture, and discard the bag with any excess marinade. Slide the baking sheet onto the middle rack of the oven and roast for 30 minutes or until the chicken registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.

7. While the chicken and veggies roast, make the pilaf. Warm the olive oil in a medium saucepan or pot with a (preferably glass) lid over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the onion and cook for about 5, stirring frequently, until it’s soft and golden. Add the rice and stir for 4 to 5 minutes, until the grains are coated in the oil and begin to deepen in color. Pour in the broth and salt. Wait until the broth starts to boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and cook for 15 to 17 minutes or until all the broth has been absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat, let it stand, covered, for 5 minutes, then loosen it up with a wooden spoon.

8. Serve. Divide the rice among plates and top with the chicken, cauliflower, apricots, and olives. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro, and serve hot.

Recipe Notes

• If you’re making this on a weeknight, save time by marinating the chicken the night before or morning of, and measure/assemble all the ingredients before you start cooking so you can cook the rice pilaf while the chicken and cauliflower roasts.

• Only have regular (a.k.a. sweet) paprika? You can use that instead . . . but I do recommend adding smoked paprika to your selection of spices. It’s awesome on roasted potato wedges!

• Not a fan of cilantro? Garnish with parsley instead.

Curried Chicken With Cauliflower, Olives, Apricots, And Rice Pilaf

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For me, it was poetry. I loved toying with language, making rhymes, choosing words to sketch scenes or feelings that tugged at my brain. I’d carry a mini spiral-bound notebook wherever I went to record descriptions or fun-sounding words. Then, in the quiet of my room, I’d expand and embellish them, usually for only myself to read.

Though I kept with it all the way through college, as soon as I graduated and started my career in book publishing, poetry slunk off to the corners and eventually left my life completely.

So, imagine my surprise when, two-ish months ago, deep in the weeds of a cookbook editing project, the following epiphany stopped me mid-sentence: Recipes are a lot like poems, with strict parameters and no excess words. Recipes in poetic form???, I scribbled on the note pad I keep by my computer, laughing at the thought of my husband, who sometimes shares my desk, stumbling upon it.

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I impulse-bought The Making of a Poem: A Norton Anthology of Poetic Forms1, by Mark Strand and Eavan Boland, along with a rhyming dictionary, and decided to test my theory. Every week I re-learned one form and spent 30 minutes each morning molding phrases and words to fit within it.

The results: A villanelle, pantoum, sestina, ballad, and two sonnets about the pizza-making process . . . and a reminder to say “sure, why not” more often.

Just for fun—in honor of National Poetry Month—I’ll be sharing my pizza poems in newsletters and on social media throughout April, starting here2:

Pizza Night (a sestina)

At five I wipe the counter clean and flour

the marble slab for balled-up dough to rest,

spelunk through crisper drawers for vegetables

and turn the oven to its highest heat.

The sauce is next—tomatoes, garlic, oil—

then mozz or any other melting cheese.

I get a board and finely dice the cheese,

grab peels and dust the launching one with flour.

Slice toppings, stretch out dough, and find the oil

to drizzle over that and all the rest.

Assembled on a peel, ready for heat,

the pizza waits, adorned with vegetables.

Quick shimmy back and forth, the vegetables

come loose and move beneath the cubes of cheese

as I slide the pizza on the stone to heat.

Wait minutes, turn, then wait and turn. The flour

sifts off and crust is puffed. Take out and rest.

Then, finally, I drizzle it with oil.

On the table, ranch and chile oil,

a salad topped with any vegetable.

Let my son or partner grab the rest.

If there are extra bits of shredded cheese,

add them, too, plus a vase of pretty flowers.

Is the oven on? Check now; turn off the heat.

To watch the crust rise up in oven’s heat,

its edges shiny, brushed with olive oil.

To shape and stretch the dough dusted with flour,

make patterns on it with the vegetables.

To dice and scatter every bit of cheese,

and smell the fresh-baked pizza as it rests.

The ritual reminds my brain to rest

amid chaotic weeks, to turn up heat

against the cold, observe the melting cheese

spread slowly, merge with pools of yummy oil

and tender, caramelizing vegetables.

I wipe the counter clean, scrape off the flour.

The pizzas rest; I put away the flour,

check heat, toss trash and scraps of vegetables.

Cheese, on still-warm slices, melds with oil.

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Feeling inspired to dig up an old hobby or make time for something frivolous? Tell me all about it in the comments!