Recipes

Blackberry Pie Blackberries can be found across the country and ripen at the same time peaches do. Be sure to wear a long-sleeve shirt when picking blackberries since vines with thorns are prickly. Look for berries that are plump and almost black. Only pick the berries that come off the stem easily. If you have […]

Traditional Art of the Pie All-Butter Dough An all-butter crust is not as flaky as a butter and leaf lard crust, but the flavor can’t be beat. For one double-crust pie or two single-crust pies 2 1/2 cups (363 grams) all-purpose flour, unbleached 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) salt 14 tablespoons (196 grams) salted or unsalted […]

My Favorite Peach Pie Peach pie is one of the absolute best ways to make friends of your neighbors. If they don’t love you after eating this pie, then I believe there just might be a serious question as to their character to begin with. I could tell you the story of the man who […]

Poached Wild Striped Bass With Tomato and Garlic Striped bass is a chef’s favorite because it’s a hearty fish that cooks up silky and sweet. I love it because it’s rich, and even though the meaty flakes hold up well with many preparations, poaching makes them even more moist and consistent. Topping the fish with […]

Crispy Whole Mediterranean Branzino Thirty years ago you found this wild Mediterranean fish only in southern European countries. In Italy it’s called branzino, in France it’s known as loup de mer, in Greece lavraki, and in Portugal robalo. Today it’s probably the second most popular upscale farmed fish in the world, after salmon. While it […]

Sautéed Soft-Shell Crabs Ask me what seafood I like best and I’ll tell you I love it all. Press me for an answer and I’ll admit that one of my favorites is soft-shell crabs. On the East Coast, soft-shell crabs are available early March through September. Crabs are caught in a pot, then put into […]

Unicorn Universe Baked Donuts Makes: About 24 small donuts Total time: 45 minutes You will need: Donut pan, large piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip For the donuts: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 1/2 […]

Eat-the-Rainbow Fruit Salad Makes: 4 to 6 servings Total time: 20 minutes 1 cup dragon fruit balls or cubes 1 cup papaya balls or cubes 1 cup cantaloupe balls or cubes 1 cup pineapple balls or cubes 1 cup diced cucumber 1 cup purple grapes 2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons warm water 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 5 […]

DIY Rainbow Pasta Use natural food dyes to give this pasta a variety of colors, and shape it into fun bow-tie shapes. It’s a perfect project for a girls’ night in or a colorful dinner date! Makes: 1 pound pasta Prep time: 1 hour Cook time: 90 seconds You will need: Pasta maker or rolling pin, fluted pasta roller […]

Caramel & Walnut Tart A rich, irresistible tart. As ever, the quality and freshness of the walnuts really matter here. If you don’t have enough of your own, seek out whole walnuts or shelled biodynamic walnuts, which seem to be the best quality among bought nuts. Serves 8 For the Pastry: 1 cup all-purpose flour, […]

Swiss Chard with Tahini, Yogurt & Toasted Cashew Nuts  Chard is such a brilliant vegetable, it’s another brassica that gives double value for money and keeps on giving. The currants, golden raisins, or raisins add an appealing sweetness. Spinach, plus the stalks, may be substituted in this recipe.  Serves 4  3 pounds Swiss chard  2 […]

Family members and visitors alike testified that hoecakes were among George Washington’s favorite foods. He invariably ate them at breakfast, covered with butter and honey, along with hot tea—a “temperate repast” enjoyed each morning. Years after Washington’s death, Nelly Custis Lewis described her method for preparing a yeast-risen version of hoecakes in a letter to […]

Competition Brisket, Cool Smoke Style Brisket is often treated much like a pot roast, which is cooked until it falls apart. When competition brisket is perfectly cooked, you’re able to slice the flat to about the thickness of a number 2 pencil, and can pick up the slice and pull it apart with a gentle […]

Spice-Rubbed Chicken Wings With Celery Seed White Sauce Makes 6 to 8 servings What really gives these chicken wings their zip is the tanginess of the Celery Seed White Sauce. They are a refreshing change from the more common barbecued or Buffalo-style wings. 1/4 cup Poultry Rub 1 1/2 cups Celery Seed White Sauce 24 […]

Morels With Calvados Morels and apples seem made for each other and, in fact, they are—the best place to track the mushrooms down is in abandoned apple orchards. Each spring, I make this recipe with the first morels that come in. The voluptuous flavor of the morels snaps to attention when bathed in apple brandy. […]

Camp Mess Nachos It was the first snowmelt of spring when I discovered I was pregnant, and suddenly I was infatuated with melted cheese and pickles. Firelight Camps had just opened for the season, and I realized I was going to have to master campfire nachos to keep my insatiable appetite in check on busy […]

Foil-Packet Salmon With Lemon, Thyme, and Blueberry Foil packets are one of the best—and easiest—ways to prepare juicy, flavorful salmon. I created this recipe with Coley Gaffney, my cast mate on “Food Network Star,” as part of a multicourse “dinner and a movie” event at Firelight Camps. We paired this dish with a documentary about […]

Tiramisu French Toast With Strawberries This is an Italian twist on a French dish originally designed to make use of pain perdu, or stale bread. For this recipe I use a baguette, which when sliced into rounds and sealed in a ziplock bag is space-saving and holds its shape; it’s also the best bread for […]

Tucked into the woods, around a crackling campfire, Emma Frisch lays out a luxurious spread. There are cheeses and olives and crackers, next to homemade hummus and bread charred over the fire. Grilled sausages are topped with sauerkraut and honey mustard, alongside grilled asparagus and kale raab and a rainbow of peppers tossed in za’atar […]

Caveman Porterhouse With Pepper Hash Yield: Serves 2 and can be multiplied as desired Method: Caveman grilling (directly in the embers) Prep Time: 15 minutes Grilling Time: 6 to 12 minutes Grill/Gear: Sorry, gas grillers: You’ll need a charcoal grill for this one. (But see an interesting plancha variation at the end of the recipe.) […]