oh, hello!!

This summer we traveled to Hungary and Croatia, dipped in the sea, visited family, nourished our garden, played, hiked, and nearly burned all our masks—then promptly bought 1,000 more and re-enrolled the kids in school at the very last second. Because, well, rhythm.

So here we are: back to a rhythm-ish.

The first few weeks home from Europe I cooked Hungarian food madly, like a woman in love. Two weeks later I told my family I hated family dinner and took the entire week off (refreshing! They all survived). We’ve since landed somewhere in the middle….I’m cooking three to four meals a week from my book Instant Family Meals— falling in love with the ease and satisfaction of Instant Pot dinners all over again. I’ve dipping back into our fall favorites like Pumpkin Waffles (for weekend mornings), Pozole Verde (dreamy leftovers for days), Turkey Meatball Soup (a please-all!), Spinach Pie (a grown-up favorite), and no-fuss risotto (like this one) with next-day arancini on repeat.

We’re thriving then stumbling then thriving again.

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There’s a snow-storm here today, and my Alpine dreams are being made with a big bowl of steamy, cheesy risotto. We didn’t grow up eating much rice (aside from my mom’s amazing cashew chicken dinner—never enough cashews or snow peas, but i digress…), but as an adult, my forever comfort food is a creamy bowl of Cacio e Pepe style risotto. This is especially true in Winter, but solidified by our summer trip—my opinion is that it’s always a good day for risotto.

Cheesy risotto is a blank slate for any vegetable toppings you love (like shaved Brussel sprouts or crispy, wild mushrooms, as pictured here)—but can equally employ a festive topping of bright raw vegetables (think pea shoots and shaved radish, as seen below).

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BACK-TO-SCHOOL. I cringe at those words when I hear them in ads and get-organized campaigns. Yes, routine is good for us, but I miss the Indian summers of my youth, when creating structure (like homework nooks and regular meal times) wasn’t my responsibility. It's taken us a full four weeks to get back into the groove, but I’ll admit, having two kids in schools that have an actual start time—with a school bell—has created an order we haven’t known in eight years.

There’s been another game changer, too: Greta is super excited to help with way more meal prep, packing lunches and even tackling a few dinners on her own. The first thing I taught her to make is homemade Miso Ramen, with white miso paste, quick-cook ramen noodles, tofu, avocado and fresh greens or veggies she can pick from our garden. It's a super win for me (a healthy dinner I don't have to cook) and a pride point for my girl, who feels great about making a hot meal even her dad will devour.

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Did you know you can make risotto in the slow cooker?? (I KNOW!!!). My kids and husband love risotto, but I can’t always pull it off on a weeknight. Even though Italians consider risotto the ultimate fast food, the American brain auto-files it as fancy or complicated. It’s not, but it does require some standing and stirring, and on school nights (and work days), every minute counts.

So, gear up your slow cookers, your old grannie hand-me-down or a new fancy number like this one from Crate and Barrel that just come on the scene over here in my kitchen, and is already loved. Then, just follow along the recipe below. Mix in whatever veggies and greens float your boat, and serve with some serious pride—this beauty only took you about 15 minutes to prep, but they’ll never know.

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Fall brings with it all the cravings, for cozy sweaters, roasted aromas, plums and grapes and pears and with them, the kind of creamy toasted…..

Something easy, but earthy. Something spectacularly seeming with a secretly low workload behind it. Goat cheese toast delivers on this. Starting with honey chevre, which has a subtle sweetness that makes it palatable to even my four-year-old, you can top it with

To amp up the wow factor, I’ve seasoned my honey chevre with fennel seed, black pepper and maldon, and served it potted like a pate might be on a cheeseboard. Then, I popped a few clusters of grapes into the oven at high heat with salt and pepper and oil and yes, more fennel. It’s surprising how this anise-forward seed brings out the best of fall, and doesn’t overpower the sweet grape but instead, tempers them just a bit, keeping them feeling savory.

Clip with small scissors or pull off individual grapes to top your toasts.

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When I entertain, I like there to be a main event--a centerpiece that speaks of abundance, but also ease: a signal to both me and my guests that there will be plenty here, but we can relax and settle into it without a lot of shuffling about. This main event should be made or purchased ahead, and can look like a giant pork shoulder braised to a juicy, succulent tenderness, or a bountiful wheel of cheese, a no-hold’s bar approach to the cheese platter that we’ve all grown to know and love. There’s no worry of leaving enough for the person to your right or your left, just a welcome mat to heartily enjoy. 

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