All posts by Chef Alexis Hernandez

I keep two olive oils in my kitchen. One is for cooking. The other is the good one — the bottle I save for tomatoes, black beans, burrata, pasta, and anything that deserves the last word.

Some of the meals I remember best were never trying to impress me. A salad and torn baguette at a tiny table in Atlanta. A mushroom salad and steak frites from a chalkboard menu in Paris. They were simple, sure of themselves, and richer than plenty of more expensive dinners.

There are quick dinners I make because I need dinner on the table. Then there are quick dinners I make because I still respect them. This is the second kind.

In July, dessert starts outside. Peaches go on the grill with sugar, olive oil, cardamom, cinnamon, salt, and ginger, then get finished with something cold, something sharp, and a little crunch.

Rotisserie chicken has a reputation, and I know every part of it. I also know when I need the shortcut, what to do with it once I get it home, and why I do not apologize for that anymore.

In Atlanta, I made what I thought was just an appetizer — toasted bread, tomatoes, cheese, basil, lemon juice, and balsamic. Then we kept eating, the martinis stayed cold, and nothing else felt necessary.