From the Desk of Alicia Kennedy

Za’atar Home Fries

Jul 2

Making home fries isn’t too difficult: Indeed, I learned how to make them by eating them. But if you don’t have a lifetime of diner breakfast to draw on, here’s how I do it.

Big Batch of Granola

Jul 17

I love granola, and I find that a big batch of it to put on yogurt or blended fruit or a smoothie makes me a lot more full in the morning. But I used to burn it all the time. This was probably why I was so sensitive to Gisele, when she thought she burned the granola—to the point that

Spicy Tomato-Coconut Soup

Jul 17

This was a recipe that ran in Lenny Letter in 2017, along with a brief essay about my brother, so it feels right to republish this week. I haven’t made it in a while, but a reader reminds me that it’s one she likes to make when money is low, because it’s a cheap one and can be adjusted to whatever you have around.

Dill-Forward Potato Salad

Jul 2

The truth about me is that I’ve never eaten potato salad made with mayo. It’s simply not my thing, but German potato salad is my thing. While it might usually come with bacon, I just go really heavy-handed with dill and dress it in my usual vinaigrette, punched up by fresh lemon. This is one of those “recipes” that’s really a method, and you have to be …

Vegan Mofongo

Mar 2

I’ve included sofrito recipes here before, and I always say to measure it with your heart. I am including measurements here only because I had to write them down for a recipe I was giving a cookbook. Please, still, make it with your heart. I also recommend putting all the ingredients in a jar and blending with an immersion blender, so you can easily sto…

Stove-Top Flatbread

Feb 6

Original recipe here. Makes 8 flatbreads.

Basic Olive Oil Cake

Feb 6

Original recipe here. Makes 1 6-inch or loaf cake.

The Monthly Menu: Eat More Potatoes

Jul 12

June was filled with good eating, good cooking—along with a little reprieve here and there for me, too, when a martini and fries were required (or, for breakfast, a mallorca and a spritz). A note that I write these from photo albums I build for each month, but the platform I’m using doesn’t always allow me to add the photos I want—thus, these galleries …

The Monthly Menu: Good Green Sauce 🌱

Jun 14

I’ve been reporting a piece lately that has seen me talking to a couple of small farmers. What do they want people to know for their work to continue, so that they can continue to steward their land? How to cook, and how not to waste food that makes it into their kitchens. These are, to my mind, basically the same skills.

The Monthly Menu: Eating In

May 17

Where We’re Eating

The Monthly Menu: March Went Out Like a Lion 🦁

Apr 12

The Monthly Menu: March Went Out Like a Lion 🦁

In high school, I played violin in pit orchestra, and we did Carousel one year. During “June Is Bustin’ Out All Over,” which we all laughed at like little jerks much to the consternation of the conductor, there’s a line that goes, “March went out like a lion…” and afterwards, one actor in the chorus would always give a little, “Rawr” with a suggestive pawing of the air. Throughout the rehearsals and multiple performances, our orchestra would all turn our heads to watch this moment when it happened, while still playing our parts—it was a nice subversive gesture of which I’m sure Brother Joshua didn’t approve. This inside joke from over twenty years ago inspired today’s title.

The Monthly Menu: The February That Was

Mar 15

It’s become a hard rule for me in 2024: I don’t boil water unless I can use it at least twice. Water usage in cooking is something I think about a lot—what’s wasteful, what makes sense. I’ve recently bought 11 pounds of beans from Primary Beans upon finding out they will ship to Puerto Rico, and so I’ll be boiling those, but I have been concerned that i…

The Monthly Menu: January Was So Long

Feb 16

January was so long! Oh, so long indeed… In the midst of it, we escaped the warmth and the parties of the San Sebastían festival to go to Montreal, yet again. This time, it had snowed and it was snowing, providing much-needed coziness.

The Monthly Menu: A Whirlwind December

Jan 12

I’m lucky to remember anything from December. Or rather, I’m lucky to have all these photos to jog my memory, because without them, I’d be lost. One thing I have not been able to forget is my Costco splurge on amarena cherries in syrup, because I haven’t known what to do with them aside from drink out-of-character Old Fashioneds. Any suggestions welcome…