Author: Allie Zerby

ina garten’s skillet-roasted chicken & potatoes

ina garten’s skillet-roasted chicken & potatoes

Allie Zerby

Similar to many people, during quarantine I’ve been cooking even more than normal. With this, I’m constantly searching for and trying new recipes. Some work out well and others are failures. I figured since I am spending so much time scavenging through recipes on Pinterest, the Food Network, and my large selection of cookbooks (some could say too large), I’d start to share the recipes here that have worked for me and the ones that didn’t quite live up to my expectations. Hopefully, it can help you weed through the vast recipe options available to you.

Since we have had a few cold and rainy days in New York this week, I was looking for hearty comfort foods that slow-cook or, better yet, need the oven so that my chilly house gets a boost of warmth. This recipe from Ina Garten’s latest cookbook, Modern Comfort Food, seemed to check all those boxes: sliced potatoes and buttermilk-marinated chicken thighs get slow-roasted together in a skillet before being showered in fresh herbs at the end.

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learning italian through duolingo

learning italian through duolingo

Allie Zerby

Last week during a visit to my mom’s on Long Island, I excused myself so that I could peek at and mumble into my phone.

There was no way I was going to let a visit to my mom’s make me miss my Italian lesson.

For most of the past year (353 days and counting!),  I have been religiously attending to my 15-minute-or-so daily encounters with the language-learning app Duolingo. I used it on the subway, while walking across town, during previews at the movies. It’s safe to say that I’ve become addicted to the app.

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the perfect scrambled eggs

the perfect scrambled eggs

Allie Zerby

You probably rolled your eyes. I don’t blame you. Scrambled eggs are such a simple dish to throw together, and I have no doubt in my mind that you know how to cook them.

I personally have cooked scrambled eggs the same way for years, and they’ve always turned out fine. But a couple of weeks ago, I stumbled across a video of Gordon Ramsay’s technique for scrambling eggs, and I’m never turning back. They come out so rich, dense and creamy, and it’s all just in the technique (well, technique and a little creme fraiche). On top of that, they require fewer dishes and are incredibly simple to make.

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