There’s often a perception that cooking involves a myriad of tools, ingredients, and techniques, along with time and energy in the kitchen. While some find pleasure in this (guilty), not all cooking creations require the whole nine yards. In fact, some of my favorite recipes involve the fewest ingredients (a simple caprese salad, avocados baked with eggs, spaghetti aglio e olio).

Part of what makes simple cooking work so well is when you have really fresh, flavorful ingredients that need no fancy techniques applied to them — think of a perfectly ripe tomato or a beautiful, healthy avocado: simply slice them, drizzle on some olive oil, and sprinkle on some salt and pepper, et voila, a simple and delicious treat. When you find fresh ingredients, the best thing you can do, often, is nothing with them. This works well in your favor too, because it means you can have a satisfying meal in no time.

I recently discovered the beauty of roasting fruit, and this delicious recipe for baked pears, which involves only four ingredients: Fresh pears, walnuts, cinnamon, and honey. Simply slice the pears in half (I use Bosc pears, but you can use any variety you like), carve out the seeds, sprinkle on some cinnamon and chopped walnuts, and drizzle on some honey. Once they’re prepped, bake them in the oven at 350 degree F for 40 or so minutes, and serve with some vanilla ice cream or yogurt.

The end product is a delicious, healthy, and hearty dessert (or breakfast!)

I’m always dreaming of having my own herb garden (though living in a city, I’ve come to terms that this may have to take the form of a windowsill planter filled with herbs). There’s nothing more satisfying than cooking with what you grow; and fresh herbs can make all the difference in a dish. There are a handful of herbs I always try to keep on hand — basil, thyme, rosemary, and sage — that I can easily turn to for pasta, fish, and veggie dishes, but I also love ending up with extra herbs from a one-off recipe, and having to think creatively about how to make use of them (chives, dill, mint, parsley, oregano, tarragon). I hate to see fresh herbs go to waste, so I’ll add chives to a weekend omelette, dill to a yogurt dip, mint to tea, etc. Herbs can also be a natural salt substitute, like sage, which is great for pasta dishes.

One of my favorite savory scone recipes involves a healthy serving of chives: Savory Scones with Goat Cheese and Chives (see below), with the chives adding a nice balance to the creamy goat cheese. These always make the kitchen smell so lovely, and they go quickly every time I make them:

So the next time you go to cook, think about throwing in some herbs (as simple as adding rosemary to your roasted potatoes, or thyme to your roasted cauliflower). Or if you’re up for a challenge like me, pick out the freshest looking herbs at your local market, and think of what to cook based on what you have on hand. Happy cooking!

“All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast.” — John Gunther

I’m squarely in the breakfast camp. Even though I love and respect my friends who aren’t morning food people, I’m a big believer in the value of having even a simple breakfast; an act of nourishment to start your day. Besides the health benefits (you get your metabolism going and fuel your brain), there is something zen and relaxing about carving out time before the madness of the day rushes in to enjoy a good breakfast.

While the weekends might afford you more time to prepare and savor a leisurely breakfast, you can easily find a routine simple-to-prep weekday morning breakfast to fit the bill. One of my favorites is overnight oats, which has endless possibilities when it comes to customizing and changing it up to match your food preferences. I love a simple version with oats, chia seeds, sliced almonds, raisins, a banana, and some almond milk and cinnamon to finish it off (sometimes with a lovely drizzle of honey).

Because overnight oats can be made the night before, all you need to do in the morning is prepare your coffee (or tea if it suits you!). Et voila – any easy and delicious weekday morning breakfast to enjoy.

Of course when you have more time on the weekends, there are even more possibilities of sweet and savory meals you can prepare. Some of my favorites are shakshuka (see blog post below!), spicy avocado toast with halloumi and fried eggs, or a full-on Sunday brunch if you’re cooking for a big group.

Another easy-to-prepare weekend breakfast that can be made for just one or two (or many if you scale up!) is breakfast tacos. A simple version is below, but you can easily add or subtract different veggies and meats depending on your preferences.

Easy breakfast tacos (for two):

Ingredients
– Four to six corn tortillas (depending on how hungry you are!)
– Two avocados
– Two medium-sized red potatoes, plus olive oil, salt, and pepper
– Four eggs, plus some salt, pepper, and grated parm
– Homemade pesto
– Hot sauce (optional!)

Directions
1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degree F
2. Dice potatoes into small bite-size cubes, and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place on a baking tray lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper, and roast in oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
3. Prepare avocados by peeling, slicing and plating.
4. Once potatoes are done, remove from oven and place in a bowl.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and place in an oven to keep warm.
6. Whisk eggs with salt, pepper, and some grated parm. Scramble in a pan over medium-high heat.
7. When ready to eat, remove corn tortillas from oven, and plate with avocados, eggs, potatoes, and a drizzle of pesto. Enjoy!

Shakshuka is one of my favorite hearty, easy-to-make, and satisfying dishes. It’s perfect for a Sunday brunch, with a healthy serving of freshly poached eggs; a warm stew of tomatoes, onions, and peppers; and some hearty bread to soak it all up.

You can also easily expand this recipe, whether you’re cooking for one or two, or a large group of people – the ingredients are easy to dial up or down. And you can also adjust the spice level, depending on how spicy or mild you and your guests prefer.

Here is my go-to recipe for Shakshuka; and if you’re feeling extra ambitious, some recipes for fresh bread to make to go along with it. For a quick garlic bread: slice a baguette into mini pieces; drizzle slices with olive oil; and top with salt, pepper, and freshly chopped garlic; and pop in the oven until toasted on top. Happy (hearty) eating!

I’m always thinking about ways to try out new ingredients and cooking techniques, or to put a new spin on an old favorite — that’s the beauty of cooking; you can really get your creative juices flowing and have fun playing around with different recipes. You’d be amazed what different combinations of sweet, savory, and spicy go really well together. And while there are those times when experimental cooking doesn’t quite come together, more often than not, I’m pleasantly surprised with the outcome — and what better time to be thinking about new creations than the new year!

One of my favorite dishes is a classic pesto pasta; and while the dish itself is perfectly enjoyable as is, I decided to try out a variation using zucchini noodles. My sister got me this nifty spiralizer last year, and it’s great for spiralizing a number of vegetables, from zucchinis to carrots to beets. The texture of spiralized zucchini turns out to be very similar to al dente pasta, and the zucchini maintains a pretty neutral flavor, so it works well as a sub-in for most pasta dishes, not adding any overpowering flavor. (Pro tip: The extra ends and inner tube go great with a little Sriracha sauce for a yummy mid-cooking snack).

Making pesto is also very simple, and requires just a handful of ingredients: Basil, garlic, olive oil, walnuts or pine nuts, and parmesan cheese. Check out my recipe for a simple pesto here.

Once you have your pesto on hand, simply add it to your sautéed zucchini noodles, along with any other veggies you fancy:

Et voila! A new twist on an old favorite:

It’s crazy to think it’s been almost a year since I officially re-launched this cooking site — a year of discovering new recipes, finding new favorite food destinations, and sharing new meals with old and new friends. From pastas to pies to parathas, there was no shortage of good food and good company. Some of my favorite new recipes included matcha mint chocolate chip cookies, spinach & gruyere quiche, savory scones with goat cheese and chives, and spicy shrimp guacamole crisps.

It was also my first full year back in the States, which meant moving into a new apartment and re-stocking my kitchen again with new tools (a microplane grater, cast-iron skillet, and spiralizer were some of my favorite new additions) and getting reacquainted with using U.S. measurements again! It feels like just yesterday I was doing the opposite in my old flat in London — learning how to convert all of my recipes to grams, stocking up on new pots and pans, and figuring out how to get my tiny oven temperature just right. Even though I’ve moved several times over the past decade, cooking has always kept me grounded, allowing me to stay connected with my past while sharing with the present.

And though I lost one of my favorite cooking idols, Anthony Bourdain, this year, I realized how important it is to continue to carry on his passion of expanding our culinary and cultural boundaries. Some of the best travel experiences I’ve had were spent sharing a meal with others, bonding through the universal languages of food and laughter. As Bourdain once said, “If I’m an advocate for anything, it’s to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food. It’s a plus for everybody.”

Cheers to new chapters and cooking adventures in 2019.

One of my favorite fall activities on the east coast is going apple-picking. There’s one farm where my family has been going to for years — we go for peaches and berries during the summer, and apples and pumpkins during the fall. It’s a nice way to spend the weekend when all of us are in town (a rarity!), and get into the fall spirit with apple cider and sweet treats. Without a doubt, every year we manage to fill our barrel with way too many apples (it’s easy to get lost in the fun of picking apples and not realize how many you’ve tossed into the pile!). This year was no different.

Over the years, we’ve tried to be creative with the different apple creations (apple pie, crumble, muffins…). This year, we decided to try a recipe of a favorite dessert from Paris — la tarte tatin.

Out of all of the deliciously and beautifully crafted desserts in France, one of my favorites is the tarte tatin — a simple buttery tart baked with caramelized apples, often served warm and with a dollop of crème. There’s something about the warmth and familiarity of the dessert that makes it special, and I like the fact that it’s not too sweet, but just right for an after-dinner finish. Because there’s often not a “set” dessert menu at many Parisian restaurants, but rather a rotating ensemble of potential chef creations, I always get excited when the kitchen has a tarte tatin on the menu for the night. Below is one of my favorite restaurants in Paris, Le P’tit Canon, where they serve a delicious tarte tatin:

In all of my years of eating tarte tatin, I realized I had never actually attempted to make one from scratch. Since hopping on a train to Paris has not been as easy since moving back to the states, we decided it might be nice to try to make one from scratch to be able to enjoy it at home. The dessert is especially prime for the fall, when apples are in abundance. Armed with a bucket full of apples from apple-picking the other weekend, we decided it would be the opportune time to try it out.

The result was delicious and addictive (warning: if you make one at home, be prepared to see it go quickly). Here’s the recipe if you find yourself with an abundance of apples and craving a warm and comforting dessert. Happy cooking!

While noodle soups and hearty pies are the perfect winter meals, these hot summer days make me crave lighter, more refreshing fare — cool salads, light seafood, and crisp fruit. Cooking lighter doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice flavor; maximizing your use of fresh and fragrant herbs, and fruits and veggies that are in season, can bring out naturally delicious flavors in your dishes.

Some of my favorite summer recipes are spicy shrimp guacamole crisps, deconstructed Mexican-style corn, and peach and tomato caprese salad. You can easily do variations on all of these, adding or substituting in your favorite produce. It’s also fun to share family-style, so you can try a little of everything. And when the weather is nice, bring your food outside! I love a lazy weekend afternoon meal al fresco — on a rooftop, in the park, or on the deck. Pair your summer eats with some cold and refreshing drinks, and you’re good to go.

One of my favorite weekend activities is strolling through the local farmers’ market — seeing the vibrant colors of fresh fruit and veg, smelling the just-baked bread and pastries, and listening to local producers talk passionately about what’s in season. It’s amazing how so much sensory delight can be packed into just a few blocks of stalls. Whether it’s Boulevard Raspail in Paris, Borough Market in London, or Dupont Circle in D.C. — now home to my local Sunday market — there is something so inviting and inspiring about the art of the market.

For me, farmers’ markets are the perfect place to get inspiration for what to cook during the week. For one, you know the produce on sale is typically what’s in season – that means that those tomatoes are going to be perfectly ripe and ready for a fresh salad, and those berries are going to be fresh and juicy and ready for a pie. You also know that what you see in the market is locally sourced, and as close to fresh as you can get to actually going into your own backyard (for us city folks who don’t have a yard). And often times, I stumble upon new produce or products that are specific to the particular region where the market is based. In those cases, it’s fun to think about how I can incorporate those new ingredients into familiar recipes.

So next time you’re ready for your regular grocery run, consider stopping by your local farmers’ market – it’s a great way to get inspired and support your local businesses. And if you’re ever in Paris or London, be sure to check out some of my favorite markets there! See the full lists: Paris and London.

Bourdain was one of my first idols growing up in cooking and food – I always admired his raw storytelling, wit, and sense of adventure that brought him (and us) off the beaten path. He had a captivating way of writing, and a dedication to the truth, and he was never afraid to tell it like it is. And through all of his fame and fortune, he remained humble, down-to-earth, and an advocate for important causes. RIP, Bourdain. You will be missed.