Friends, I have news! I’m taking over daily hosting duties here on our flagship New York Times Cooking newsletter.
The recipe that launched my NYT columnAs longtime readers know, I’ve been writing this newsletter a few times a week for a while already. From now on, though, I’ll be your host five days a week, and I’m excited about it. I’ll be serving up the same seasonal mix of recipe ideas you’ve come to know and trust, matching up thrilling new dishes from New York Times Cooking with beloved classics and deep cuts from the database. But my daily dispatches will hew closer to the natural rhythm of cooking, allowing me to bring you into my kitchen and share my own hands-on experiences. We’ll be going to the farmers’ market together and visiting restaurants for inspiration. I’ll share cooking tips and reading recommendations. I’ll bring in special guests for culinary Q&As, and I’ll also dedicate space every week to answering your questions. So feel free to ask away at hellomelissa@nytimes.com. As Mrs. Rudnick, my third-grade teacher at P.S. 139, constantly reminded us, “If you have a question, never be afraid to ask. Someone else with their hand down probably has the same one.” Of course I’ll continue to develop new recipes and write my Good Appetite column every month, and I’ll be making more videos, too. How could I not? I love doing it all far too much to give it up. And isn’t that what the cooking life is about — sharing as much deliciousness as possible? So let’s kick off with the first recipe I published in my Good Appetite column when it debuted in 2007. Easy to make and deeply satisfying, it’s still a go-to for a quick weeknight dinner or leisurely weekend brunch. View this recipe: Polenta with olive oil-fried eggs My top-rated recipesMy biggest hits on NYT Cooking also happen to be, unsurprisingly, very doable on busy weeknights. That red lentil soup is particularly painless and turns inexpensive pantry staples — garlic, onion, tomato paste, red lentils, plus a lone carrot and half a lemon — into a velvety soup to make all year long. For a limited time, you can enjoy free access to the recipes in this newsletter in our app. Download it on your iOS or Android device and create a free account to get started. A book I can’t stop thinking aboutAt the suggestion of several readers I picked up Elizabeth Strout’s “The Things We Never Say,” and I’ve been thinking about the book ever since. Food is used strategically throughout the novel, most often to illustrate the family strife of the middle-aged protagonist, Artie Dam. Dull-sounding meals are microwaved and eaten with a heavy heart: chicken, broccoli, mashed potatoes, a sign of domestic life gone awry. In one particularly telling moment, Artie doesn’t even bother heating up his dinner; he makes do with a plate of cold fish. And then there’s Artie’s recurring memories of his sister Maria, furtively eating confectioners’ sugar straight from the package in the cellar. In their unstable childhood home, she was just looking for a little sweetness, Artie thinks. Read this while eating something home-baked and nurturing, perhaps Jordan Marsh’s blueberry muffins, spread thickly with butter, preferably still warm from the oven.
What are you reading? Let me know at hellomelissa@nytimes.com. I’m always looking for my next great read. That’s all for now. I’ll see you tomorrow. Melissa Clark has been writing about food for The New York Times since 1997 and is the author of 46 cookbooks. Her latest is “The Big Book of Dinner,” coming in November. You can reach her at hellomelissa@nytimes.com. Editors: Mia Leimkuhler and Li Goldstein. Host photo: Melanie Dunea. For help with your New York Times Cooking subscription, please email cookingcare@nytimes.com. Was this email forwarded to you? You can sign up for our New York Times Cooking newsletter here.
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