I just returned for the summer from my first year of college. It’s weird and bittersweet to be back in my childhood bedroom, surrounded by relics of my upbringing—including a massive collection of French comic books (pictured above: me at age 5 devouring Les Schtroumpfs, aka The Smurfs). My first night home, unable to sleep, I found myself picking through… Read more »
Like a lot of people, my younger daughter, Abby, discovered cooking during the pandemic. For her it wasn’t about project cooking — she didn’t bake a single loaf of sourdough — it was much more about self-care, about ensuring that she had at least one moment of joy in a day spent mostly staring at her friends and teachers over… Read more »
For a holiday gift this year, our friend Avideh gave us ingredients to create one of her most favorite dishes from childhood: Ash Reshteh, an herby Persian stew, packed with noodles and beans. The gift felt so right for this moment, when we’re all squirreling away again by ourselves, unsure of how to proceed with dinner guests or nights out. Even though… Read more »
Greetings! I’m so pleased to present The 11th Annual Dinner: A Love Story Holiday Gift Guide, complete with ideas for all the readers and eaters in your life, PLUS a few DALS-exclusive codes to give you a discount or two. Happy holidays everyone! Fresh Catskills (Delivery or Gift Card, $50 minimum) I love going to the farmer’s market to run… Read more »
Every day is like Christmas when it comes to the mail lately. I’ve gotten review copies of some pretty exciting cookbooks, which isn’t surprising considering we are heading into the holidays, traditionally when all the Big Ones come out. A few to put on your gift-giving radar: Black Food, a collection of recipes and stories from the African diaspora (and the… Read more »
Fun fact: My daughter wrote her college essay on being a science and math kid living in a house of English majors. (If you want to earn a special place in her heart, ask her about the Unit Circle…or her new acrylic nails.) These past few months, she’s discovered a love for reading a very specific genre, what I’d maybe… Read more »
Alexi Pappas is an Olympian runner, actress, author of the new inspiring memoir Bravey, and one of the best role models out there. And it’s not necessarily because she’s so accomplished. She’s important to me, a college runner myself, because she’s actively changing the way people approach mental health in sports, specifically track and cross country for girls. In between her… Read more »
Greetings to longtime and brand new Dinner A Love Story readers! Herewith, the annual holiday gift guide featuring the best of eating and reading of 2020. In keeping with tradition, there’s an amazing giveaway for a few lucky readers, but this year, being 2020, there’s a little twist, and I hope you’re up for it. Happy Holidays, Everyone! Chef Knife… Read more »
Good morning! Back to regularly scheduled programming tomorrow, but today, I wanted to point you in the direction of a mystery novel I read and reviewed called The Boy in the Field, by Margot Livesey. I really loved it. The pages fly, it’s beautifully written, and it has exactly nothing to do with food. Here is my complete review. PS:… Read more »
There are many factors I consider when measuring the success of a cookbook, but ultimately, there’s only one that really matters: Does it get you into the kitchen? In my mind, I don’t care who wrote it or how trendy the recipes are — if it convinces you to cook, it’s worthy of a James Beard Award. If it inspires… Read more »
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 »
Remember that heartbreaking scene in Catcher in the Rye when Holden drops the record he bought for his little sister and it shatters into a million pieces? Or when Sylvia says she can no longer be with Dorian Gray because their love is interfering with her art? Or the deeply sad ending to Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men? Wait, what,… Read more »
Welcome to this year’s holiday gift guide, also known as the best place to shop for the eaters and readers in your life. This year, if you are so inclined, feel free to leave your best go-to gift idea in the comment section. The author of my favorite one will win a free copy Dinner: A Love Story, Dinner: The… Read more »
Today’s post is this hopeful correspondence lifted from the pages of To Obama, With Love, Joy, Anger and Hope (by Jeanne Marie Laskas), a compilation of letters from the Office of Presidential Correspondence during the Obama administration. The OPC, a staff of 50 readers and 30 interns plus hundreds of volunteers, were charged with sifting through 10,000-plus letters every day, then scanning,… Read more »
I am so psyched to present today’s guest-poster, my friend and reading guru Catherine Hong. You already know and love her because she writes the childrens’ book blog, Mrs. Little and because she’s an OG DALS favorite. (Could she be any cuter in this sleepaway camp shot circa early 80s?) Her family’s reading line-up right now is so perfectly summer — graphic novels, adventures,… Read more »
The berries are popping, the aperol is spritzing, and the grill (as well as the griller) is getting FIRED up. That means one thing: It’s summer, and time to talk about the latest crop of new cookbooks that make me want to get the most out of the season. Head over to the New York Times for my annual round-up,… Read more »
Quick post today to let you know that our friends at Mouth, assemblers of the coolest indie food gift baskets ever, are having a storewide sale as we speak. Use code SPRING30 for 30% off everything, including the deliciously delightful Mother Nature or Easy Like Sunday Morning pictured above. Check out all their Mother’s Day gift boxes here.
This is a very exciting day for me. Not only do I get to tell you about Curtis Sittenfeld’s brand new short story collection — You Think It, I’ll Say It, my favorite of all the books she’s written — it is the day that the real life Curtis Sittenfeld makes a cameo on Dinner: A Love Story. Yes, that’s right…. Read more »
Welcome! I’m Jenny, author of Dinner: A Love Story and The Weekday Vegetarians More
