Currently browsing: Kitchen Notes

I’ve been putting balsamic vinegar on everything lately—even ice cream. I should probably stop, but I won’t. Some obsessions are seasonal. Some are personal.

I remember when the pumpkin spice latte showed up—I thought it would fade. It didn’t. Here’s my homemade pumpkin spice blend that works in brewed coffee and on dinner.

If I’m alone, I don’t sauté—I open a can. This is the no-shame, no-frills recipe I turn to when nobody’s watching (and I’m not using a real spoon).

Before anyone walks in, before the playlist even starts, I confit garlic—not for the recipe, but for the smell. That slow, warm scent that says: you’re welcome here.

What started as a guilty salad became something real: goat cheese, stale bread, a lemon stripped for martinis—and dinner that asked nothing more of me. Here’s why it mattered.

Relaxed cooking is where the best meals begin—no pressure, no perfection. Just instinct, flavor, and food that works without trying too hard.

Sometimes dinner is a roast. Other times, it’s buttery crackers and a martini—and honestly, both count. Here’s why the bare minimum can still be your best meal.