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On Our Minds and in Our Carts: Tomato and Saffron Spaghetti

This week: Pasta making with (3-year-old) Max, why NYC bike lanes should be recognized as part of the food system, eating (harmoniously) with your family, and grilled pecorino and honey bruschetta.

By Kate Bittman Published September 18, 2026

Bruschetta al Pecorino Grigliato e Miele (Grilled Pecorino and Honey Bruschetta)

The combination of savoury, slightly spicy and tangy pecorino cheese with the aroma of the rosemary and the sweetness of the honey on a bed of crispy, grilled sourdough bread creates a rustic and very appetising bruschetta. When pecorino melts, it becomes gooey and takes on a rich, creamy texture while its strong flavours become slightly more subtle and nutty. It’s a great addition to an antipasti board (see page 16), but it also works as a quick starter (appetiser) or even as an afternoon snack. It might not be a dish you’d often find in restaurants but it’s something you’ll see a lot of in Sardinian households. It’s a true representation of Sardinian flavours and one of the best ways to start any meal. – Francesco Mattana

By Kate Bittman Published September 18, 2026

Spaghetti al Pomodoro e Zafferano (Tomato and Saffron Spaghetti)

So many people over the years have asked me, ‘What’s your favourite pasta?’ It might be surprising, but really it’s a simple spaghetti al pomodoro! This version of this simple dish also has a touch of saffron, which adds a subtle but beautiful aroma that marries perfectly with the rest of the sauce.

The quality of the ingredients here is really important. They must be at their best if you are to get an incredible result. If you can, buy the best-quality extra virgin olive oil you can afford and bronze drawn dried pasta. As this is a summer dish, make the most of the tomatoes during or at the end of the season, when they are sweetest.

– Francesco Mattana

By Kate Bittman Published September 18, 2026

Bread Pudding

Nana always made it a point to try not to let anything go to waste, and this is exactly the kind of dessert that came from that mindset. Bread pudding is toasted bread soaked in a sweet custard that bakes into pure comfort. It is rich and soft and the kind of dessert that feels old-school in the best way. Simple ingredients, big flavor, and even better the next day. The one upgrade Nana never had? The vanilla butter sauce. It takes something already good and makes it the kind of dessert people talk about for weeks. Just a few basics, done right, and suddenly you’ve got a dessert everyone keeps going back for. — Justin Ellen

By The Editors Published September 16, 2026

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrots… in a cake? I know. When I first heard about carrot cake, I was confused too. Why would vegetables go into something sweet? Nana and I used to go back and forth about it; she swore by it, and I wasn’t convinced. But once I finally gave it a chance, I got it. (So she was right… this time.) Carrot cake is genuinely one of the best. It’s unbelievably moist, packed with warm spices, and finished with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting. Every bite is soft, rich, and perfectly balanced. One bite in, and you’ll understand exactly why this cake is a classic. — Justin Ellen

By The Editors Published September 16, 2026

Chocolate Cobbler

This was a new dessert for both Nana and me, as neither of us had ever heard of chocolate cobbler. Maybe we’ve been living under a rock, but I’m glad we stepped out for this one. Here’s what makes it special, and a little magical: You make a thick chocolate batter, pour it into the pan, dust the top with a cocoa sugar mixture, and then pour hot water straight over everything. No stirring, no mixing it in. Just trust the process. As it bakes, the water sinks through the batter and creates a warm, gooey fudge sauce underneath while the top bakes into a rich, brownie-like layer. It’s part brownie, part lava cake, part ultra-moist chocolate cake, and it comes out of the oven ready to scoop straight from the pan. Every chocolate lover’s dream, and honestly one of the most impressive things you can make with almost no effort. — Justin Ellen

By The Editors Published September 16, 2026

When You Look At Your Cereal Box, What Do You See?

The FDA says companies can use fruit names and images to describe a flavor, but the Federal Trade Commission requires the advertising on a cereal box to be “truthful and not misleading.” Thus, the use of fruit in cereal names and images occasionally land the companies in trouble with regulatory agencies and consumer advocates.

By The Editors Published September 10, 2026

On Our Minds and in Our Carts: Epically Good Carrots

Plus: The poignant and lasting lessons Wendell Berry left behind, Mark on TalkShopLive, and another fantastic novel.

By The Editors Published September 5, 2026

Roasted Carrots with Garlic and Lime

Simply put, a carrot is a plant storage unit loaded with starch as an energy bank. Usually, an enzyme called amylase present inside the cells of the carrot chop up the starch to release fuel for the plant to grow (a reason why a raw carrot will eventually start to taste sweeter over time). When the carrot is roasted, the starch breaks down and releases sweet-tasting sugar molecules. The sauce is quite simple; I like the taste of raw garlic, so I don’t cook garlic with carrots. Instead, I dress the hot carrots with the flavored oil as soon as they come out of the oven, the heat helps release the aroma molecules from the garlic and lime zest, and their fragrance bumps up. The fish sauce brings the umami game. If you don’t consume fish sauce, there are vegan versions available that you can try. – Nik Sharma

By The Editors Published September 5, 2026

On Our Minds and in Our Carts: Theodora Beach Club

Holly tells you about a mindblowing dining experience, Mark wants you to sail away with him, and we want you to know about two novels we love.

By The Editors Published August 28, 2026

Industry, Greed, and Fishing in the Golden State

“The California Current isn’t a place so much as a tendency, the tropical migration of trillions of gallons of seawater and its consequences.” An excerpt from Tin Can Coast, by chef and author — and this week’s podcast guest — Joseph Ogilvy.

By The Editors Published August 20, 2026

On Our Minds and in Our Carts: Mark Talks Cyclospora

Plus: tomato soup, the best coconut rice, our first bread pop-up, a bunch of recipes perfect for now, and a giveaway.

By The Editors Published July 24, 2026

Cantuccioni (Oversized Soft Biscotti)

I spent a coffee-fueled morning looking for inspiration in the streets of Siena’s historic center, stopping in at every café and pasticceria I came across to down a shot of espresso and ogle and taste their selections of ricciarelli and other cookies.

At Panificio Il Magnifico I found an unexpected and delightful stand out: cantuccioni. The name means big cantucci, and these oversize sliced cookies do share some similarities with the famous crunchy twice-baked cantucci di Prato. But they are also entirely their own thing.

The sugar-coated cookies are first baked as small, fat loaves. Then they are cut into large, oblong slices, fitted back together, and packaged in cellophane bags tied with red raffia string. I bought a package, expecting something like classic crunchy coffeehouse biscotti. Instead, the cookies were soft, tender, and crumbly. I realized they had been baked just once, rather than twice like classic cantucci. They were so good dunked in cappuccino that I resolved to figure out how to make them at home. It took a few tries, but here they are.

By the way, these cookies make an artful holiday or hostess gift packaged in cellophane bags and tied with colorful string, the way Panificio Il Magnifico does it. – Domenica Marchetti

By The Editors Published July 15, 2026

Pasticcini di Mandorla (Little Almond Cookies)

How I love these elegant little almond sweets. Their ingredients are similar to other almond-based cookies in this book. But it’s the pretty piping and finishing flourishes, plus a splash of amaretto liqueur, that elevate them beyond an everyday cookie. Pasticcini di mandorla are a classic of Sicilian pasticceria and every bakery sells them. They vary in character; some are more like little mouthfuls of marzipan, others are like cookies in texture, with a crispy exterior and tender center. Some are piped, others molded by hand into little rounds or misshapen nuggets. The typical decoration for these cookies is red and green glacé cherries, but you can stud them with almonds, if you prefer. I tend to do some of each. The final touch is a light brushing of honey once the cookies come out of the oven, which gives them an alluring shine. – Domenica Marchetti

By The Editors Published July 15, 2026

Occhi di Bue (Bulls-Eye Jam Cookies)

These classic jam-filled butter cookies are by no means exclusive to Italy. But they are ubiquitous in Italian pastry shops, especially in Alto Adige, where alpine butter is essential to baking. There, they are also known as Spitzbuben, a nod to the region’s bilingual status and its proximity to Austria. Be sure to use a good-quality jam—homemade if you have it. If you want to go all out, try filling them with Nutella or pistachio cream. – Domenica Marchetti

By The Editors Published July 15, 2026

On Our Minds and in Our Carts: Here’s What to Do With All That Zucchini

A wonderful summer recipe, ‘our’ butter, a frozen aisle alternative, and Shirley Chung’s journey.

By The Editors Published July 10, 2026

Slow-Cooked Zucchini with Basil, Garlic, and Olive Oil

Here’s an Italian-inspired stewy vegetable dish of the kind I love so much. With enough good olive oil and garlic, firm, small-gauged zucchini becomes a perfect no-effort stew to eat on a hot summer night with ripped-off hunks of bread and a bit of sharp ricotta salata or pecorino. This method of cooking also works well for onions, peppers, beans, and more. Ingredients cooked this way are wonderful both at room temperature and chilled (though you don’t want them too cold, or the olive oil will still be solid—take them out of the fridge fifteen minutes before serving, and make sure to add a big glug of spicy olive oil before you serve. – Renee Erickson

By The Editors Published July 10, 2026

On Our Minds and in Our Carts: An Emulsification Success Story

GOOD peaches, a sandwich that will satisfy your bánh mì craving, and an emulsification success story.

By The Editors Published June 26, 2026

On Our Minds and in Our Carts: Crispy Potato Salad

A fitting tribute to a food hero, a careful selection of useful recipes, free croissants, and what to do about your hooch-y starter.

By The Editors Published June 19, 2026

Crispy Potato Salad

When I was a child, potato salad was one of the few things I had to eat fresh while it was still warm. As soon as my mama finished adding the seasonings, I wanted a bowl because I wasn’t a fan of cold potato salad. Now, as an adult, I can eat cold potato salad, but I just prefer it to have some crunch or for it to be on the chunky side, so crispy potato salad was the perfect combo! One day, I cooked roasted potatoes and ate a few crispy ones and thought about a coating being on it but with a mayo richness, and that’s when I had the idea to try it as a chunky potato salad! I added carrots because I love a raw cold crunch, like crisp lettuce or cold veggies. The best part is that this salad holds some of the firmness when it cools, and it’s still delicious! Let me tell you, the shredded carrots are optional, but will blow your mind altogether! – Toya Boudy

By The Editors Published June 19, 2026