thyme fried almonds

Things that take almost no effort to make but are so much better (and more impressive) than their store-bought counterparts.

chocolate bark

Melt chocolate, pour it out, cram anything (within reason) you love on top of it before it sets.

curry-spiced cashews

I started making these spiced cashews on Sundays, in anticipation of a new episode of Mad Men. I hope you make these nuts for equally epic but lighter events.

sour chili peanuts

These are just toasted peanuts in a little sauce. Not the star of the show but a fine little thing to eat between bites.

chocolate hazelnut banana cookie sandwiches

These are cookies for Santa. The first time I bit into one, I knew.

fruit and nut chocolate bites

I have to tell you I'm not a big fruit and chocolate person. I like fruit + nuts, and nuts + chocolate but I don't like dried fruit in my chocolate bars. However, this is different.

butter generously, bake and peel

It's you and this indulgent, dense, salty, herb-scented, roasted chestnut, slicked with butter, and this moment.

(sort of) pasta alla norma

Is this Pasta alla Norma? A little checklist to help you decide...

eggplant and walnut pesto

This pesto has a lot in common with bread and butter.

a very LA salad

Don't turn your nose up if you're "so over" these sprouts. This is a salad to love long-term.

burrata with pumpkin seed pesto and chilies

Not a recipe, just a suggestion. I've sung the praises of burrata before. So good, I like to have it as simply as possible: Grill or lightly toast a ...

weekend class: roasted beet and blood orange salad

This salad is brazen. Powerful. Violent even--the dressing at least.