Vacation Highlight Reel: Death Valley

January 21, 2020

Over holiday break, we traveled to Death Valley National Park in California. Why, You might ask, if you are like everyone else we know? To be honest, even though it’s a place that’s always fascinated us (IT’S CALLED DEATH VALLEY) we ended up there mostly because we were late with the planning, and the flights to Las Vegas (the closest… Read more »

Friday Eating & Reading

January 17, 2020

What I’m eating and reading this week… Hot take: Winter fruit salads are better than summer fruit salads! Especially when they look like this one from my everyday cooking hero Sarah Carey. A new book column called “Group Text” from DALS-favorite Elisabeth Egan, all about what to read with friends. Whoever made that call deserves a medal. What my kids… Read more »

Choose Your Own Bowl

January 13, 2020

We were about halfway through the Mojave dessert last week, praying the rental car wouldn’t break down, when I turned around to ask the girls — who were sitting on the same sides of the backseat they’ve sat on since they were toddlers in boosters — a very pressing question. We were on Day Six of our California road trip… Read more »

Holiday Gift Guide 2019

December 13, 2019

For all the readers and eaters in your life, herewith the ninth (!) annual Dinner: A Love Story gift guide. As in past years, I’m focusing mostly on food and books, and would love to hear ideas from you as well, if you’re so inclined. Happy shopping everyone! Nothing to See Here (by Kevin Wilson, $23). I finished this last… Read more »

A Vibrant Salad for Winter

December 5, 2019

I didn’t mean to make this beet salad for Thanksgiving. And when I was looking for a place on the buffet at my parents’ house, alongside the carved turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and other holiday dish royalty, it wasn’t entirely an accident that I sorta kinda placed it on a neighboring table where maybe nobody would see. (All the more… Read more »

Holiday Mission: Filling in Some Blanks

November 25, 2019

This Thanksgiving, after the turkey goes in the oven and before the potatoes get mashed, I’m going to interview my parents. I’ve been promising myself I’d do this ever since my friend Ingrid told me about Story Corps, the app that helps you record meaningful conversations (with anyone — parents, grandparents, friends, kids, anyone) then archives those conversations in the… Read more »