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otto’s one-legged turkey

granny pop-pop

I was lucky enough to know all four of my grandparents. Grandpa Van Buren showed up every Christmas as round and rosy-cheeked as Santa Claus, bringing with him a big suitcase full of gifts—sweaters with snowflakes, and sensible things like that—he and Grandma had picked out in Florida. Even into his 80’s, he remembered meeting her, clear as day, when she was a nurse at the hospital where he was a doctor: “Her red hair shone like an angel’s!” He fought in Korea, and they raised eight kids in Flatbush, and then Long Island. Though Grandpa has passed on, grandma is still with us, living in Massachusetts. She is 99. She still looks like an angel.

Granny and Pop-Pop raised my mother first in Queens and then in Long Island, just down the street from the Van Burens. The photo above shows them on their first date, on Central Park South, on May 1, 1936. They were so clearly already smitten, and they went on to marry and raise seven children together. (Our family weddings—teeming with aunts, uncles, cousins, and cousins’ babies, all of whom think they can dance—are no joke.)

My memories of Granny and Pop-Pop are ferociously strong, so I wrote about them—my Granny’s frugality, my Pop-Pop’s pride, and a one-legged, possibly rabid, rather Irish-Catholic turkey—for The Daily Beast this Thanksgiving. I think I edited this piece 33 times on my own before sending it to Noah Rothbaum, who is running one heck of a food and drink page for TDB. I hope you enjoy it, and that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

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new orleans!

Oh, my goodness, this is becoming a biannual blog. That *can’t* be good for SEO. This site is primarily for professional purposes, though, designed to send the curious to my writing, video and editing clips, which are here. It’s also a place to showcase recent work.

In other news, I finally made it to New Orleans for the first time. Ridiculous that I hadn’t been sooner. And wow. A town focused on bourbon and pork, friendly people and dancing? Are you kidding me? I love that it’s the only place I’ve ever been where it is more awkward not to dance than to dance at a party. I’m writing a little piece about NOLA, which I’ll tweet when it’s live, and I hope you’re staying warm this winter, wherever you are.

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picnic like you mean it

It’s been a while. And now it’s hot outside. I’m not one of these people who covets salads, tiny berries and buckets of water when it’s hot. I covet ice cream and barbecue, lobster rolls and chicken liver mousse. Weird but true.

To that effect, here’s my favorite picnic sandwich. A twist on the super-simple French classic of meat, butter and baguette, it combines prosciutto di parma, unsalted European butter, and a ramp dressing (minced ramps, olive oil, salt and pepper). Take a whole baguette, lace it with folds of prosciutto, and slather one side with butter and a scallion-or-ramp olive oil mixture (stick to butter if you don’t feel like puréeing scallions). Wrap the whole beastie in wax paper, then foil. Hand out mini wrapped sandwiches at a picnic. Wait for people to ask where you bought it. Laugh.

It’s expensive, sure, for the good prosciutto. But there’s nothing better than this and the Times on a lazy Sunday… unless it’s this, the Times, and a big glass of bourbon mint lemonade.

I’ve been writing for a few great clients lately. I did a piece for InStyle about which I can say nothing until it hits newsstands, wrote some fun marketing copy for Tasting Table (to which everyone should subscribe), and have started working with the lovely folks at Bon Appétit, where I’m a contributing writer. A few of my articles will be popping up there over the coming months.

Oh! And there’s this: Anthony Bourdain, whose life I find so fascinating, was kind enough to chat with me for an epic Grub Street piece—an effort to understand why people who love AB love him So Much.

Happy almost-summer, folks. Eat some salad. Just put cheese on it in case I’m in the vicinity.

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IACP Best Televised Culinary Series Nomination

So this is a little wild: The season of the NY CHOW Report that I wrote, hosted and produced and Alex Lisowski directed, shot and edited was just named a finalist for best “Televised Culinary Series” by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. We put together the segments for the fine folks at CHOW.com, including Lessley Anderson, Meredith Arthur, Blake Smith and Davina Baum, who advised on scripts and production. The finished product aired on CHOW and on NY1.

We’re up against heavy hitters like Jacques Pépin and Ming Tsai, so it’s a real honor to be nominated. The show’s second season is hosted by the talented Pervaiz Shallwani and Liza de Guia, and they’re doing a really nice job. Check them out!

And many thanks to the voters at IACP!

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chocolate pistachio tart… and it’s a wrap


Chocolate pistachio tart with brandied cherries at Bien Cuit.

It’s apt that the last piece I host and produce for CHOW is about chocolate, since I have a major sweet tooth. This chocolate pistachio tart is delicious, gorgeous and made with a lot of love. Props to Alex Lisowski for his usual expert shooting, directing and editing.

We’ve filmed 48 segments over the last year—48!—and I’ve learned a few things. I’ve learned to look at the camera like you’re telling your best friend an awesome story. (Sometimes it works, sometimes you look ca-razy). I’ve learned how to produce a shoot without pulling my hair out. I’ve learned how to stand in snowbanks on Brighton Beach in 30 degree weather while looking chipper in a thin vintage coat, and how to look bright and happy in 105 degree heat. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting all sorts of extraordinary business owners, and learned the tricks to their various signature dishes. It’s been something else, this experience, and I have really enjoyed it.

I’ll continue to work on a few freelance projects, including writing and editing alongside some wonderful writers and editors at Gilt Taste. I’m very impressed with what they’re up to.

Just for the heck of it, below is a list of all 48 segments, most of which you can find on the NY CHOW Report Youtube page. Thanks to all my friends, loved ones and CHOW colleagues for being so supportive as I took the leap from print to video, and I hope everyone’s autumn is as pretty as mine has been.

10/18 chocolate pistachio brandied cherry tart @ bien cuit
10/11 hanger steak @ st anselm
10/04 beer cheese & tomato soup @ earl’s
9/27 banana roti @ rhong-tiam
9/20 farcita at catania,
9/13 halusky at korzo haus
8/30 gelato flowers at amorino
8/23 ratatouille at thirstbaravin
8/16 peach-blueberry pie @ fort defiance
8/9 samosa chaat at mumbai xpress
8/2 arepas at arepera guacuco
7/26 chicken with foie gras at the beagle
7/19 bananas foster @ coolhaus/ lot on tap
7/12 crudo at esca
7/05 malted milkball ice cream at ample hills
6/28 strawberry gazpacho at northern spy
6/21 middle eastern picnic, governor’s island
6/14 okonomiyaki, otafuku
6/07 tres leches, empellón
5/31 moi moi at buka
5/23 burger, burger garage
5/17 fusilli with octopus and bone marrow, marea
5/10 jamaican picnic, flatbush
5/03 pizza, zero otto nove
4/26 pernil, sofrito
4/19 lobster roll, red hook lobster pound
4/12 chole bhatura, sapthagiri
4/05 duck rillettes, colonie
3/29 lemon cake, betty bakery
3/22 papaya salad, ayada
3/15 deviled eggs, tia pol
3/08 fish and chips, the cuckoo’s nest
3/01 chilaquiles, el paso
2/22 irish coffee, dutch kills
2/15 elk chop, henry’s end
2/08 blueberry scones, ted & honey
2/01 khachapuri, georgian bread
1/25 cumin lamb noodles, xi’an famous foods
1/18 chicken liver mousse, vinegar hill house
1/11 Restaurant Week: pork chop, riverpark
1/04 sabich, taim
12/28 poutine, mile end
12/21 champagne cocktail, flatiron lounge
12/14 boozy hot chocolate, l.a. burdick
12/07 chicken adobo, purple yam
11/30 Mexican food: fonda; sunset park; tulcingo del valle
11/23 brats & dogs, Brats and Bark
11/16 mad scientist beer, sixpoint

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nostalgia, irish coffee and dutch kills

It’s pretty nostalgia-inducing to do a piece about Long Island City.

When I lived around the bend from PS1 in 2002 there was only one local grocery store, where a cute cat roamed the premises. Less cute was the fact that the owners stowed open boxes of eggplants and tomatoes on the floor, with a box of cat litter in between them. Also, I’m pretty sure the people who lived above my apartment wore rollerblades in their home all day long, such was the hue and cry they raised.

At any rate, it’s great to see a local– Richard Boccato, who hails from Queens– gently helping transform that neck of the woods with a small, hidden bar called Dutch Kills. It got a ton of hype when he, Karin Stanley and Sasha Petraske opened the venue two years ago, and it continues to deserve it now. I didn’t have a bad drink on my visits, and I really did love this simple Irish coffee. Jameson can have a slightly bitter aftertaste, so to soften it with sugar, cream and coffee makes everything copacetic, whether you’re at the bar or making one at home.

Check it out, if you please, and long live LIC. (Many thanks to Alex Lisowski for his expert shooting and editing, and to my pal Christy Harrison for keeping me company!)

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chow news

It’s been a while, but I have some cool news: I’m now a Contributing Editor for CHOW, my favorite food site. You can RSS them here and follow the New York Digest that Mark Hokoda and I run over here.

Oh, and also, I’m on T.V. Isn’t that wild? I feel like Journalism Barbie minus that spectacular bustier-jacket combo.

CHOW will be showcasing New York restaurants, bars, food trends, and wacky characters on NY1 twice weekly. The folks there have kindly introduced me to the wild world of television, and it’s fun, challenging, and full of people who talk faster than auctioneers. I’m excited and feel very lucky to work with both companies. (Do you know about CHOW’s honors? The James Beard Awards? The Emmy nomination?) Jane Goldman, Lessley Anderson, Roxanne Webber and the rest of the crew have incredible editorial sensibilities, and the video folks are totally awesome: This fun piece with critic Robert Sietsema was my first collaboration with them. The kitchen team creates things like Turkey Cakes and rock steady Chow Tips (mostly by cook-in-chief Jill Santopietro, formerly of the New York Times’ Tiny Kitchen).

My two-minute bit will appear twice-weekly, on Tuesdays in the half hour following 8am, 11am, 1pm, 4pm, 12:30am & 1:30am, and Saturday in the half hour following 6:30pm, 8:30pm, 1:30am, 2:30am, and 3:30am. (So now people I know can be hammered in a bar, see me yapping on the little screen, and go, “YO I know her!”)

I hope you dig it–our first piece featuring Mad Scientist beer* premiered yesterday and can be seen here –and I’m open to all your feedback and tips. After all, a good journalist is only so good as her sources.

Lastly, I’m still freelancing part-time, so editors can please continue to get in touch. My bio is tucked away over here. Thanks!

* The excellent photographer Michael Harlan Turkell kindly allowed us to use his Sixpoint pix.

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here we go, then.

Hi! I’m a Rhode Island–based writer, editor and content strategist specializing in food, drink, travel, culture and parenting. My portfolio, which contains my professional email address, is here. 

My work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Gourmet, New York Magazine, The Daily Beast, InStyle, Bon Appétit, Salon, Food & Wine, Real Simple, Men’s Health,  Grub Street, Martha Stewart Living, MyRecipes, and Everyday Food, among other publications. I write and edit cookbooks (Phaidon; Melville House) and advise on content strategy for companies such as Panna, Pylon AI and Food Republic. I’ve been a staff editor at Yahoo Food, a senior research editor for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, the staff food writer for Time Out New York, and an editor at Da Capo Press.

The videos I hosted, wrote and produced for CHOW, which aired 12 times weekly on NY1, were nominated for an International Association of Culinary Professionals award for best Televised Culinary Series in 2012. In 2009 I spent six months as Blog Editor of Slashfood, and co-authored the original edition of Clean Plates NYC, a restaurant guide. I’ve also done some copywriting for companies including Gilt Taste and American Express Custom Publishing. Most recently, I’ve learned that my essay for The New York Times about the language we use to describe and food and babies will be in the 2020 BEST AMERICAN FOOD WRITING anthology.

I’m on Instagram and Twitter. Here are a few favorite clips:

The New York Times: I was interested in why people talk about babies and fetuses as though they’re edible, so I interviewed a ton of smart academics and wrote “I Just Want to Eat Her Up!”

The Washington Post:  A feature on topics close to my heart: cooking, feminism, and personal freedom. (It’s also a profile of the talented writer Tamar Adler.)

The New York Times: I apologized to new parents on behalf of food writers.

Gourmet: Some weekends you catch a film or make a nice bowl of soup, and other weekends you walk 32 miles under the I-5 freeway with a dinner table strapped to your back. (Click here.)

The Washington Post: I was curious as to whether the madly hyped Instant Pot could triumph over my Dutch oven in a side-by-side taste test, so I wrote a lengthy cover feature story for the Food section of this great publication.

The Daily Beast: An Irish family, Long Island, and a one-legged Thanksgiving turkey caper.

CHOW/ NY1: The New York CHOW Report, an (award-nominated!) weekly segment I wrote, hosted and produced for CHOW.com, aired 12 times weekly on NY1 from 2010 through 2011. Check it out!

MyRecipes: I wrote a thrice-weekly home cooking column for this site all through 2017, and had so much fun with it.

The Kitchn: A 2,000-word reported essay on the state of our protein obsession.

Bon Appétit: My many BonAppétit.com pieces include 10 Weekender travel guides to cities including Boston and Seattle.

Salon: How Gourmet was for the young and the scrappy, too.

Yahoo Food: Why we need to cook for the sick and heartbroken.

Grub Street: Easter egg hunting gone wild, the Anthony Bourdain brand, and some thoughts on crack pie.

Time Out: I interview former New York Times food critic Ruth Reichl and ask whether her hobbies include the WWF. Sort of. A primer on Gotham’s wonderful ramen, and how to use cocktails to salve holiday woes.

InStyle: My features about Hugh Acheson, Katie Lee Joel, Giada De Laurentiis, Chace Crawford and Blair Underwood are available as PDFs upon request.

Metromix: Oenophile Ron Ciavolino knows more about wine—and life—than you do, and here elaborates.

Contact: If you want to discuss an assignment or full-time opportunity, or simply wish to say hello, please leave a comment (or email grublover AT gee mail dot com). Comments are vetted before posting. (NB: I don’t accept free meals in exchange for coverage, nor do I take press trips.) Thanks!