It was such a treat to be interviewed by The Washington Post about 15 Minute Meals — they shared the inspirations behind the book and a few of the “clever shortcut[s]” in the book. They also included one of my favorite recipes from the book, the shrimp fried rice that uses the flavorful combo of sriracha, ginger and garlic powder. Give it a look!

It was such a thrill to be on NPR’s All of It with Alison Stewart - one of my all-time favorite shows! You can listen to the whole segment and get lots of advice for keeping your meals quicker!

So fun sharing a recipe from Modern Freezer meals on the Today Show!

This recipe achieves that wonderful double bonus of being quick to make and quick to reheat. Portobellos are filling while also fulfilling any dietary restrictions; they cook quickly and add a meaty flavor without being obtrusive; and, lesser known, they hold up in the freezer like a dream. You can heat these up as a quick vegetarian side or have them as an entire meal. Either way, you'll have something delicious on the table in minutes.

Healthy food always seems to mean giving up flavor, but I loved chatting with chef Akhtar Nawab about his new book Good for You to try and dispel the myth. We talked about his favorite recipes and his secrets for adding more punch to your favorite healthy options.

I know, I know. The title of this post is intentionally trying to make you look. But it’s also true, because one of our favorite writers, Kenji López-Alt of Serious Eat’s Food Lab, is taking his time before creating a followup to his smash first cookbook. Lucky for me (and anyone with kids in their life) his next project was a kids book all about celebrating diversity in food. The book is Every Night is Pizza Night and it explores what it really means for a single food to be the best. It’s a conversation we all have, children and adults.

I had a wonderful chat with Kenji about the book, the importance of trying unfamiliar foods, and what is up next on his docket.

When I had my son suddenly everyone started talking to me about ‘baby food’ and ‘kid food.’ I had never been raised with the idea that somehow kids got to eat something different - we always just ate whatever my parents ate. And from having lived in India and watching kids eat an array of flavors it struck me as a sort of bizarre thing that our culture has imparted on us, that kids need to start with blander food. People now ask me all the time how I got Guy to eat and I always say it’s simple really: he never had a choice! Kids are sponges and you can teach them to love and appreciate food by giving them diversity and flavors from an early age.

We are all grappling now with how to approach restaurants, but what about for the chefs and owners themselves? We had a chat with Pig & Khao’s Leah Cohen to get her take on everything that goes into re-opening.

We might not be able to travel as far as we would like this summer, but we can still be transported through food and drink. We had a chat with Joy Spence, the Master Blender of Appleton Estate Rum in Jamaica, to get her take on embracing summer with rum cocktails.

We are starting to get into that time of year where summer sunshine departs and the cool weather starts the change the tone of the day. But for those of us who try to hold onto that brightness a little longer, there’s nothing better than a cocktail to keep us going.

We went to Jungle Bird, a tropical cocktail bar to try and find a drink that is stiff enough for the fall but still retains the breezy air of warmer weather. And we think we’ve found it in their signature cocktail. It’s only 4 ingredients so it’s easy, it works great as a punch if you need something for a group, and it strikes a great note any time of year.

For a party I am always looking for the intersection of easy and ‘looks impressive’. You want to make guests feel like you’ve gone the extra mile but you also don’t want to be running around worrying the whole time.

So I loved the idea of flavoring your own liquor in advance to make it cocktail-ready. You look impressive with very little work and you have something a little different for people to get excited about. Instead of mixing ingredients the day-of you’ve already infused your ingredients together. It’s the perfect combo.

We got the details from Chris Joseph of Wild Roots - which makes their own infused spirits if you want to remove a step - and he gave us the details on two potential liquors you can infuse.

There’s nothing like a bright cocktail for spring - but what about one with a bit of a lady-fied twist? We got Ghost Donkey’s Cat Sutherland to give us a bright treat ready for warm weather. With a smoky mezcal base and light ingredients like lemon and yuku, it’s an easy drink with a lot of flavor to make when you want to impress.

Classic cocktails have stood the test of time for a reason, but even the most perfect cocktails can use a good twist now and then. As long as the twist is from the right person!

Enter award-winning bartender Luis Hernandez of Gibson + Luce in the Life Hotel. He takes the perfect combination and tweaks it to give it little more life and modernity.

So if you’re in need of a good warming cocktail for the weather watch the video below and give it a whirl.

The problem with any cocktail or cookbook is always where to begin. With dozens of options in front of you it seems impossible to choose. But this is the beauty of the new book Be Your Own Bartender. It really starts with just the idea of ‘what should I drink tonight?’ and takes it from there. Through questions and flowcharts it will get you where you need to go. Do I want something light or heavy? Is it cold outside? Am I drinking alone? This book has you covered.

The delightful authors are two of the best experts around- Carey Jones and John McCarthy. The cocktail-loving duo know how to approach cocktails from both the geekiest cocktail side and the simplest consumer perspective. It’s a book for anyone who loves to drink and hates making decisions.

We got them both over to make an easy but perfectly balanced winter treat- the Gin Gingerly!

Every party needs a good cocktail to start and it shouldn’t be made in a vacuum separate from the food. Instead it should all flow together like different elements to the same meal.

Alex Guarnaschelli - chef at Butter and a judge on Food Network’s Chopped - is of the same mindset, which is why she included an entire section for cocktails in her book The Home Cook. So when we had a chance to catch up with her I wanted to get her chef’s perspective on a good cocktail to serve to kick off a party. Her take is a classic and simple lemon ginger concoction that goes perfectly with easy bar snacks.

I love cocktails but I am not usually a big fan of cocktail books. I don't want to buy 3 new liquers and a set of bitters just to make one drink. So I can't tell you how happy I was to see Maggie Hoffman's The One Bottle Cocktail. The entire premise eliminates your fear of cocktails in that it centers on the idea of only one spirit. Every drink is complex, fresh, interesting and only requires purchasing a single bottle of booze. Add onto that that Maggie is delightful - and that she shines through the pages - and you have an essential book on your hands.

I was so glad that on a recent trip to NYC Maggie decided to stop by the test kitchen and make a cocktail. This one is particularly awesome because in making it you also get a side of salsa. It's perfect for brunch, parties or just snacking at home with your very own bottle of vodka.