The Small Town Chef

A simple, citrusy Italian-inspired cake made for sharing. I made this Orange Ricotta Cake for a small family reunion where more than a few of the guests knew their way around an Italian dessert table. No pressure there. Jump to Recipe ↓ Whenever you bring a ricotta cake to a gathering filled with Italians, you know it’s going to be judged—quietly, perhaps, but judged nonetheless. Fortunately, this one disappeared quickly, which is usually the only review that really matters. This cake is rich without feeling heavy, exceptionally moist, and fragrant with fresh citrus. Whole-milk ricotta gives it a soft, tender crumb, while mandarin or clementine zest keeps the flavor bright. There’s something refreshingly unfussy about it. There’s no frosting to make, no layers to stack, and no complicated decorating involved. It’s simply a good cake that works just as well after Sunday dinner as it does alongside an aftern...

An Italian-inspired dinner featuring perfectly seared salmon, creamy Parmesan farro, golden artichoke hearts, and a bright, herbaceous salsa verde. Sometimes the best meals start with a carefully planned menu. Other times, they start with a few ingredients staring back at you from the refrigerator and pantry, practically daring you to do something interesting with them. This particular dinner started with three things: fresh salmon, farro, and artichoke hearts. Now, salmon is easy enough. Give me a beautiful piece of fresh salmon, a hot skillet, and a little patience, and we're already halfway to a great dinner. But I wanted something a little more interesting than the usual salmon-with-rice-and-vegetables routine. That's where the farro came in. I've always enjoyed farro for its wonderful nutty flavor and slightly chewy texture. It's an ancient grain with plenty of personality, and unlike rice, it holds its texture beautifully, even when you introd...

Every gardener eventually reaches that point in the season when abundance starts to feel a little less like a blessing and a little more like a storage problem. That’s where I am with jalapeños. I’ve been harvesting them like crazy. I’ve cooked with them, grilled them, stuffed them, frozen them, given them away, and somehow every time I walk back outside there are more hanging on the plants. At some point you stop asking, “What can I make with jalapeños?” and start asking, “How many jalapeños can one household reasonably possess?” The answer, apparently, is fewer than I currently have. So it’s time to pickle. And honestly, that’s one of the best things you can do with the end-of-season haul. Jump to Recipe ↓ Pickling Is Basically the Garden’s Escape Hatch Quick refrigerator pickles are one of those kitchen techniques that give you a ridiculous amount of return for very littl...