Hello, friends. To start with the big news: my older brother got married last weekend in Maine and I now have a sister!!! It was a joyous, outdoorsy, playful occasion, full of good food and drink and even better people. I look forward to giving you a better glimpse of the event when I have more photos to share. Upon my return to Brooklyn (and my everyday life), I felt the blues I always experience after spending such special time with loved ones. One of the best parts about a sibling’s wedding is that their guest list includes so many of my dearest people, too. I wish I could’ve packed my entire family — plus all our family friends — into Teo’s and my little car and driven them to New York to live with us. Alas, no such luck.
Anyway, there are lots of good things about being back in Brooklyn, nesting in our new apartment. A few highlights:
Stopping by Lei in Chinatown for a glass of wine and swooning over the green Sabre chopsticks
Meeting one of our new neighbors, a little girl with a sparkly scooter
Turning the wilting spinach and herbs in our fridge into a punchy sauce for sandwiches and roasted vegetables
Spotting a neighborhood dad on a tandem bicycle, his son behind him in a dinosaur helmet, reading a book
Hanging artwork on the walls and finding the perfect place for each piece
Hosting a friend for dinner here for the very first time!
Today, I want to write about that last one — and share a foolproof formula for hosting. When you don’t know what to cook, or when you’re short on time (or both), this is a reliable move.
A Foolproof Formula for Hosting
My friend Devra is a poised and frequent host, and a source of much kitchen inspiration. I recently rounded up some favorite photos of meals she’s cooked for me over the past several years and shared them on Instagram. As I looked through the images, I noticed that many of the meals we’ve shared have followed a similar formula: one bread, one cheese, and a few different seasonal salads. We graze on everything laid out on the table, refilling our plates as we wish, and I always leave her apartment feeling nourished but not weighed down. This, I think, is the perfect way to eat.
The formula of bread + cheese + salads offers a framework for planning a menu while leaving room for endless variation. One day the bread might be focaccia, the next a baguette; the cheese can be whatever you’re craving or whatever the cheesemonger suggests; and the salads should follow the seasons, changing with what’s freshest. When bread and cheese are served as part of the meal, I find that I feel satisfied enough that I don’t long for fish or meat, which is a win-win-win: for my health, the planet’s health, and my wallet.
We followed this simple formula for dinner with our friend, Bel, the other night, and here’s what we came up with together:
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