20 Questions with Alden

A quick ten years ago, Jamie Oliver and his crew landed in Huntington, West Virginia to attempt to improve the eating habits of the most unhealthy city (at the time) in the United States and film the process for television. Jamie hired Sustainable Food Systems from New England to work with the child nutrition office and the cafeteria staff in each of that county’s 26 schools, teaching them to prepare real food, mostly from scratch, to help build a foundation of better health. 

Having worked with the wellness teams at my daughters’ schools, I was head over heels with the whole project. When my friend Carol encountered a guy wearing a Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution hat on a flight from Boston to West Virginia, she stopped him in his tracks. So began my friendship with Alden Cadwell and his boss John Turenne, founder of SFS.

Alden is an expert at feeding healthy meals to schoolchildren and has worked his way through multiple programs that specialize in the fine art of delicious nutritious school food. He now works as the Director Of Business Development-New England at Revolution Foods. He is a father of two young kale eaters and when we chatted for this interview, they were en route to a weekend campout in New Hampshire.

What’s your 20 minute recipe? Because we have a garden, the kids love kale! They’ll run by and grab a fistful to eat. It warms my heart. A couple times a week we make a simple kale salad with carrots and peppers and make chicken wings in the oven. I roast them in a cast iron pan at 425. They get really nice and crispy. It’s super quick and a super happy dinner.

What’s your favorite city? San Francisco. I LOVE San Francisco! I can visit and get all the best parts: water, mountains, friends and family. The food is so incredible year round. I love the seasons of Boston. I love the ubiquitous produce that comes with California.

What’s your Favorite restaurant in your current city? I LOVE Sofra in Cambridge. It’s a Mediterranean Turkish inspired breakfast and brunch spot. The flatbreads and pastries are phenomenal! They’ve done a great job pivoting during the pandemic.

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? Pepper jelly. I love a hot and sweet jam. It can kick up anything I’m cooking. I pick them up at farmer’s markets. It’s great on my morning eggs or chicken wings at dinner.

Who taught you to cook? I just get one?! It’s a combo of my dad and my grandmother. I fell in love with the smell and taste of baking from her, she really piqued my interest. We lived in Italy for a year when I was 11. That sort of blew my mind! We left school for an hour and a half for lunch. On Sundays we went out to the country for four to five hour lunches. Parmigiano-Reggiano, Balsamico and Prosciutto all come from the area where we lived. It opened my eyes to what food could be. Also I did a NOLS semester in Patagonia and learned to make great meals outdoors with simple ingredients.

What’s your go-to dish for company? I have a pizza oven in my backyard and I love doing pizza. I also love making the summer strawberry cake from Smitten Kitchen. Amazing, impressive recipe you can do with all the summer fruits.

What’s on your cooking playlist? I will listen to anything from Al Green to Old Crow Medicine Show, all the way to Jay-Z. That’s my range.

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? YES.

Most stained cookbook? Probably Joy of Cooking.

Surf? or Turf? Again I have to say yes. I will crush a ribeye and I can eat my weight in oysters.

Indispensable kitchen tool? Cast iron pan.

Staple childhood comfort food? Mac and cheese.

Go-to olive oil? My parents get a case of olive oil every year from where we lived in Italy. I keep a few bottles for special uses and try to stretch it for the whole year, but it never lasts for the whole year. Berio is my everyday.

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? Michelle Obama. I’d really like to talk to her about her time in the White House. She’s a role model of mine for a lot of reasons.

Ideal grilled cheese? Sourdough bread, Vermont cheddar, Parmigiano and a couple slices of good melty American cheese. Definitely with butter.

Favorite pizza topping? We have some great local cheesemakers in Boston. I love burrata with squash blossoms and basil.

Where would you want to take a cooking class? In Jamie’s kitchen in England. I’d love to throw down with him.

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? I always keep a jar of homemade preserved lemons in the fridge. You cut off one end of the lemon and slice it, keeping it together at the other end and stuff kosher salt between the slices and put it in a mason jar. In three weeks it’s ready to add to anything. It’s a salty, syrupy, citrus deal. So good.

Three things next to your stove? Salt, pepper, olive oil.

Favorite Sports Team? Red Sox.

Crispy wings + colorful salad=a delicious weeknight meal. Per Alden’s suggestion, I served mine with some spicy-sweet jalapeño ‘jam’ on the side.

Alden’s Crispy Chicken Wings with Kale Salad

Cooking the separate pieces of chicken wings in a hot oven in a cast iron skillet makes for a super quick happy dinner in the Cadwell’s kitchen. Total time is more than 20 minutes, but it’s mostly hands off. All told, 8 ingredients and 40 minutes and you have a delicious family feast!

HEAT the oven to 425. Separate the wings into flat and drum pieces. Toss them with a little olive oil (I used a tablespoon for a pound and a half of wing pieces) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange them skin-side down in a single layer in a cast iron skillet (alternatively use a rimmed baking sheet). BAKE for 30 minutes, then turn and bake until deep golden and crisp, about 10 minutes longer.

While the wings are baking, prepare the kale salad.

Strip the tough stalks from a large bunch of kale and tear the leaves into bite sized pieces. Chop a rainbow of bell peppers and thinly slice a large peeled carrot. Drizzle with good olive oil and a splash of vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. With squeaky clean hands (or tongs if you’d rather), toss the salad well to coat with the dressing. Set aside until your wings are ready (pop it in the fridge if your kitchen is summer hot).

Serve with a smile.

20 Questions with Doug

Doug Toliver can pinpoint the exact circumstances of when we first met. “It was your espresso brownies, I’ll never forget it! I ate so many that I couldn’t sleep that night. I’m obsessed.” We catered hundreds of parties together with our friend Luisa, Charleston’s caterer to the stars. When one of Luisa’s clients was in search of a private chef, she sent Doug in to interview. He worked for them for 12 years and recently switched gears to cheffing at the Saint John XXIII Pastoral Center. 

Cooking is a second language to Doug. He grew up in the kitchen and recalls picking lettuce from the backyard garden to make the salad right before dinner. Tonight he is bringing dinner to the home of a mutual friend whose wife is going through cancer treatment. Rather than drop off a covered dish, Doug offered to cook in their kitchen and have the kids play along. He’s a gem!

What’s your 20 minute recipe? Chicken Marsala with mushrooms, garlic and Marsala wine or Chicken Piccata with white wine, lemon and caper sauce. It’s quick and easy, boom boom boom and I’m eating.

What’s your favorite city? I’m gonna say Frederick, Maryland in the Allegheny Mountains. It has great food with an eclectic restaurant scene. I have friends there who I visit regularly. It’s 17th century old, really fascinating. with great shops. 

What’s your Favorite restaurant in your current city? It was the South Hills Market and Cafe. It’s no longer open. It’s where I always took my friends from Maryland. I haven’t been going out much lately.

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? Buttermilk. I’m in this buttermilk phase now. I soak chicken in it, make cornbread.

Who taught you to cook? My mother. I was Spanky in the Little Rascals. I was ALWAYS in the kitchen! My family can’t tell my cooking apart from my mother’s. I was in charge of Sunday dinner. We always had a garden growing up. After the summer harvest, we planted all the greens.

Surf? or Turf? SURF! I can’t tell you the last time I ate a steak.

What’s on your cooking playlist? 80’s R&B. I love my 80’s R&B!

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? Coffee, French roast. I love a strong intense smoky brew.

Most stained cookbook? I download a lot of recipes, mostly from the Food Network. I’m amazed that I can print from my phone! I love the Neely’s potato salad recipe. It’s better than my mama’s!

 Indispensable kitchen tool? A Spurtle, it’s a ladle and spatula in one. I can flip, stir or mix with it.

Staple childhood comfort food? There’s so many! I remember having chicken noodle soup and PB&J when I wasn’t feeling well. When I have that now, it takes me right back to my mom.

What’s your go-to dish for company? When my friend group gets together they say, “Doug, you’ve gotta make your kale and collard greens.”

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? I would love to sit down with Patti LaBelle. I would love to cook with her and then sit down and eat with her. I would thoroughly enjoy that!

Best thing you’ve ever eaten in an airport? I had a great breakfast on the way back from San Francisco.

Ideal grilled cheese? I just made one the other day. I like Muenster and double up with another cheese. I like a big ol’ slice of tomato with a little dollop of Duke’s. Butter on the outside. 

Favorite pizza topping? Caramelized onions and roasted whole garlic cloves.

Where would you want to take a cooking class? Your kitchen. I LOVE April’s kitchen! I want to learn those broth recipes and red beans and rice, dirty rice, too! You are my sensei! 

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? Keep your knives sharp and clean as you go.

Three things next to your stove? Butter dish, olive oil, pepper grinder.

Favorite Sports Team? I’m a tennis fan. I like Grigor Dimitrov from Bulgaria. Wimbledon is my favorite tournament. The grass, the lawn, the prestige!

Chicken Piccata over a bed of linguine and broccoli in twenty minutes flat.

Chicken Piccata

Doug likes to serve this with linguine. Start your pasta water, gather your ingredients and in 20 minutes you’re ready to feast. I add broccoli to the pasta cooking water a few minutes before the al dente timer.

• 8 ounces linguine

• 2 cups fresh broccoli florets

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/4 cup all purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• 4 boneless chicken breast cutlets

• 1/3 cup white wine

• 1/2 cup chicken stock

• zest and juice of 1 lemon

• 1 tablespoon butter at cool room temp

• 1 tablespoon drained capers

• thin lemon slices for serving

BRING a pot of salted water to boil and cook the linguine until al dente, adding the broccoli 3 to 5 minutes before the pasta’s finished cooking time. Drain and set aside until the sauce is ready.

HEAT 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

COMBINE the flour with the salt and pepper in a large shallow plate. Dip the chicken into the flour mixture and press lightly to coat on both sides, shaking off the excess flour. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the flour for the finishing sauce.

COOK the chicken in the hot oil until golden brown and turn to just cook through, about 4 minutes per side. Cook in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the skillet. Transfer the chicken as it’s cooked to a plate and repeat with remaining olive oil and chicken if working in batches.

POUR the wine into the skillet and scrape up any brown bits. Reduce the wine for a minute or so, then add the stock and lemon zest and juice.

MASH the butter with the reserved tablespoon of flour and roll it into 5 or 6 small marble sized balls. One at a time, whisk the butter-flour balls into the sauce in the skillet, then stir in the capers.

LIFT the cooked linguine/broccoli into the sauce in the skillet and toss well to coat. Lay the cooked chicken breasts on top and place a lemon slice on each.

SERVE a twirl of linguine/broccoli onto each plate and top with a chicken breast. Drizzle any extra sauce over each serving.

20 Questions with Cosima

Half a dozen women convened on the phone for Molly O’Neill’s Cook N Scribble, an online food writing workshop. A chime announced someone new on the line. “HI! It’s Molly! Did everyone get their pieces done?” For this inaugural call, the assignment was a taste memory, one single taste. A voice said, “this is Cosima” (the ‘s’ sounding like a soft ‘z’) and she read her piece, describing a melon she ate in Italy every summer when she visited her relatives, honey sweet and not available in any grocery store in the U.S. 

When the six-week session ended, Molly hosted an in-person food media bootcamp and I cleared my calendar to attend. Thrilled to meet my idol, I wasn’t sure who else would be there. It was the phone calls coming to life! Cosima Amelang, Judy Allen, Kim Dolan, Cathy Branciaroli and me.  Molly ushered us around her upstate New York town, visiting the who’s who of farmers, beekeepers and potters. Then the experts arrived at Molly’s barn-turned-kitchen to teach us photography, food styling, recipe formatting and cooking with the season’s bounty. it was a blissful weekend for food lovers and aspiring bloggers. Cosima and I dream about perpetuating the writing, gathering and inimitable networking that Molly initiated.

Visit her blog for more of Cosima in the kitchen and beyond.

What’s your 20 minute recipe? My go-to is sort of spaghetti with pantry sauce. Extra virgin olive oil, smashed garlic, red pepper flakes, capers, canned tomatoes/crushed or whatever I have in the pantry. Cook that super simple sauce and boil the spaghetti, that’s my kind of comfort food when I don’t want to think. It hits the spot! I don’t even strain it, just pick it up with a pasta fork with some of that salty water clinging to the spaghetti and put it over in the sauce. Maybe if I have some parsley I’ll put it on top. If you like cheese and you have it, grate some Pecorino or Parmigiano. 

What’s your favorite city? This is so hard! I’m gonna say Montreal. I went to McGill for four years. Those were some of the best years. If Minneapolis and Paris had a baby, it would be Montreal. It was cool before other places became cool. Tons of good music and tons of good bars. I love the history of the city! It’s very diverse, all the layers upon layers. It’s a great three day weekend spot. 

What’s your favorite restaurant in your current city? These are all hard! That’s tricky, I don’t know if I can pick a favorite. I haven’t even gotten takeout at all lately except for this one place. Lucy in Silver Spring, Maryland. I love Ethiopian food! I love how tasty it is and no nonsense. I got the vegetarian combination because I can’t decide on just one thing. It is so good! They make this really fresh salad with tomato, cucumber, onion and jalapeno. It packs really well for takeout. I miss going in person, too.

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? Laughing! Good question! Capers are definitely one of them, and miso. Anchovy, miso and capers. I’m more of a salty girl than a sweet girl.

Who taught you to cook? My mom for sure. You cannot take the Italian out of her. She’s a good effortless cook. Oh and the relatives in Italy! Growing up we went every year to see my grandpa. A lot of my food memories are attached to him. A lot of my love of food comes from him. It was really great to have a male presence in the kitchen. His gnocchi alla bava (translates to ‘drool gnocchi’) with tomato sauce and Fontina cheese!

Surf? or Turf? SURF! I do love blue crabs, I’m from Maryland. I also love octopus and squid, all that fun stuff.

What’s on your cooking playlist? I love listening to soul music. The Staple Singers, Otis Redding. I just see where Spotify takes me. 

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? I definitely need a coffee to get started in the morning. I make an espresso on the stove in my Moka pot.

Date night—at home? or out? Depends. Half and half.

Most stained cookbook? The Silver Spoon, one of the Phaidon books. It’s one of the Italian bibles, sort of. The recipes are written in paragraph form. And do you remember Ian Knauer who we met at Molly’s? I LOVE his cookbook The Farm.

Indispensable kitchen tool? My big skillets, I have a big All Clad nonstick and a cast iron. I would be lost without them.

Staple childhood comfort food? Gnocchi, with peas, tomato sauce and Fontina cheese.

What’s your go-to dish for company? Depends on the season. Risotto is a fun one. It’s special and luxurious. You can do it while your guests are there having a glass of wine. Serve it with a nice salad or fresh vegetable side.

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? There’s so many people! I’ll say Padma Lakshmi. I’d love to just chat with her. Have you seen her new show Taste the Nation? It’s fascinating!

Best thing you’ve ever eaten in an airport? You know what I eat at airports? Caesar salad. I crave something healthy when I travel and it’s not really healthy food, but it makes me feel like I’m being healthy.

Ideal grilled cheese? Very simple. Sourdough with Gruyere. I don’t want much in it and then I love to dunk it in tomato soup.

Favorite pizza topping? Mozzarella. The fresh fresh kind. It’s so good!

Where would you want to take a cooking class? I would love to learn more about Japanese knife skills, so maybe I’ll say Tokyo. Everything is so well executed and intentional.

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? Maybe people know this already? I don’t really drain my pasta. I don’t use a colander with pasta at all. I have a horrible memory and I never remember to save this bit of pasta water you need to thin out your sauce. I just lift the pasta out and the water is clinging to the noodles when I add them to the sauce.

Three things next to your stove? A hand painted fish plate from Italy, it’s my spoon rest. I have a catch all vase thing for all my utensils and I have a quartet of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper.

Pasta sauce so simple you hardly need a knife.

Cosima’s Super Simple Spaghetti with Pantry Sauce

A recipe in paragraph form. Freestyle for your taste and number of diners.

Boil a pot of salty water for your spaghetti. Heat some good olive oil in a skillet large enough to hold the sauce and cooked spaghetti. Add a couple of anchovies, as many smashed fresh garlic cloves and red pepper flakes as you like. When the garlic is just golden, stir in some canned tomatoes and a spoonful or so of drained capers. Let this sauce simmer enthusiastically while the spaghetti cooks to al dente. Lift the cooked noodles from the pot with some of the salty water still clinging and add to the sauce. Give it a nice stir and serve with chopped fresh Italian parsley and/or fresh grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano.

20 Questions with Graison

Flour, water, salt and time are the basic elements of a loaf of bread. Graison Gill, owner of Bellegarde Bakery in New Orleans, takes these ingredients to the highest level to create praise-worthy loaves. Each ingredient is sourced with care and an emphasis on building relationships with each producer. Select varieties of wheat and heirloom corn arrive at his bakery as whole grains and are stone-milled on site before being mixed and shaped by hand. The milled grains are also packaged in small batches, then find their way into kitchens where chefs and home bakers can create at their whim.

One of the first things I do when I visit a city is search for good bread, the farmer’s market, and the makers and growers who are devoted to these crafts. I met Graison at a farm to table dinner at Bartlett Farm in Folsom, Louisiana shortly after moving to Baton Rouge from West Virginia. The event was a trifecta of the South Louisiana local foods scene. I took my seat at the table where gorgeous loaves of bread served as the centerpiece, delightful sensory overload! Throughout the meal I raved about the bread, which I learned at the dessert course was baked by the young man across from me.

The praise for Bellegarde Bakery extends far beyond Louisiana. Last year, Gill was on the cover of Food and Wine’s Makers issue and is a 2020 James Beard Award finalist in the Outstanding Baker category. He and his staff continue to pivot on demand, adding walk-up service to complement curbside pickup and online orders (for flour and pasta) to their retail offerings.

What’s your 20 minute recipe? My cooking is pretty informal. I work with what I have. I recently made some roasted sausages from Terranovas on Esplanade and served them with tomatoes from my garden and radishes from my produce box from Grow Dat Youth Farm and couscous from the bakery cooked in chicken stock. I use olive oil from Texas and Avery Island salt.

What’s your favorite city? I love Biarritz a lot, in southwestern France.

What’s your favorite restaurant in your current city? Saba and Compere Lapin.

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? I keep a pretty tight ship in there, it’s hard to hide things. I guess some tahini from Soom.

Who taught you to cook? My mom and my grandmother.

What’s your go-to dish for company? Something nice from the bakery. Pasta with a salad from my garden or Grow Dat.

Surf? or Turf? Surf.

What’s on your cooking playlist? I listen to WWOZ a lot.

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? Coffee. A lot of coffee. Congregation Coffee from Algiers. We have it at the bakery.

Date night—at home? or out? Date night at home is good. We are ready for places to open back up.

Most stained cookbook? Cooking by Hand by Paul Bertolli. He was executive chef at Chez Panisse.

Indispensable kitchen tool? Immersion blender.

Staple childhood comfort food? My grandmother’s beef roulade.

Go-to olive oil? Texas Olive Ranch

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? My grandfather.

How do you like your toast? Warm to the touch, not crunchy.

Ideal grilled cheese? The one with the mayo on the outside, on sourdough wheat.

Favorite pizza topping? Margherita

Where would you want to take a cooking class? A Basque cooking school sounds good.

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? Don’t refrigerate bread. If you’re refrigerating your bread, you’re buying the wrong kind of bread.

What’s your favorite sports team? There’s a hockey team I like, the Nordiques from Quebec. They became the Colorado Avalanche.

Slow food at its finest. Roasting whole Italian sausages in a hot oven with garden tomatoes is quick to make and long on flavor. Serve with couscous from Bellegarde Bakery and elevate this simple dish to a fantastic feast.

Roasted Sausage with Tomatoes and Couscous

Sauce makes itself when you high-heat roast sausage and tomatoes. I added a handful of fresh basil in place of the radishes.

• 4 links Italian sausage

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes

• Salt and pepper, red pepper flakes to taste

• Handful of fresh basil, roughly chopped, for serving

HEAT oven to 400

DRIZZLE about half the olive oil in an ovenproof skillet (10-12”, large enough to hold the sausages and tomatoes in a single layer) and heat over a medium high burner. Lay the sausages and tomatoes in the skillet, drizzle the remaining olive oil over the tomatoes, and give the skillet a shake to quickly blister the sausages on each side, or use tongs to turn them.

PLACE the skillet in the oven and roast until sausages are cooked through and tomatoes are soft and blistered, about 15 minutes. The juices from the sausage and tomatoes make a lovely sauce with the bit of olive oil.

TRANSFER the sausages and tomatoes to 4 plates, sprinkle with basil and pass salt and pepper to taste. Red pepper flakes are a nice addition. Serve with couscous

Cooking Bellegarde Couscous

The couscous from Bellegarde is coarser than most packaged couscous, therefore takes more than a quick steaming in boiling water. Allow about 8-10 minutes for cooking into tiny nut brown pearls.

• 2 to 3 cups stock or water

• 1 cup Bellegarde couscous

• salt to taste

BRING the stock or water to boil in a small saucepan. Whisk in the couscous and salt and cook at a low boil, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. If using the greater quantity of liquid, drain in a fine-mesh sieve, reserving the cooking liquid for another use. (I cooked one cup in three cups of homemade chicken stock. There was about a cup of luscious whole wheat-infused stock remaining which I refrigerated and used the next day to make a light cream sauce)

20 Questions with Janet

Meeting someone in Baton Rouge who knows the West Virginia University fight song is not an every day occurrence. Janet Deal and I met at a coffee date ‘Meetup’ event shortly after we both moved to Baton Rouge. The moment we realized our West Virginia common thread, we became fast friends. It didn’t take long after our first hello that we discovered our shared love of cooking!

Janet invited us over for pizza and is always looking for an excuse to deliver cookies. She recently baked some dog biscuits for humans, decorated to resemble our golden retriever Gus. When she was sampling cookie recipes to prepare a Pittsburgh-style ‘cookie table’ for a bridal shower, we got to be the tasting committee. Her 20-something minute shrimp and pasta dish is a home run!

What’s your 20 minute recipe?  Shrimp and feta over vermicelli. It’s a quick dinner dish that always impresses. It’s super easy, too! You can double or triple it and bring it out on a platter for a great presentation. Add a simple salad and crusty bread. It’s kind of zesty with the nice tangy bite from the feta. It doesn’t taste like just a regular red sauce.

What’s your favorite city? I’m going with Pittsburgh. I’m gonna go with my roots. The coal mining steel worker immigrant population of the yesteryears have left behind a tradition of their cuisines. Irish, Polish, German, Italian, Croatian, Russian, Serbian cuisines. There’s a huge variety of European dishes. 

What’s your favorite restaurant in your current city? The Little Village on Airline Highway. The bread! And the eggplant and chicken parmesan are really really good!

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? The bag of dried oregano from our garden. I found it in the back of the pantry.

Who taught you to cook? I’m kind of self-taught. My biggest influence has been my sister in law. She has taught me the most. She’s pretty adventurous in the kitchen.

Surf? or Turf? Oh that’s a tough one. I’m gonna say steak!

What’s on your cooking playlist? Lately I’ve had the Hallmark channel on. It’s kind of feel good. I might turn a talk show on during the day.

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? Starbucks flat white decaf with skim milk and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Date night—at home? or out? Could be either. Little Village if we go out. If it’s a home date night, we’ll get crawfish from Just Wingin’ it. I have to give him a plug, they are so good! I think he’s placed in the annual crawfish contest. Their fish tacos are really good, too.

Most stained cookbook? I have condensed a lot of my recipes into a binder. My sugar cookie recipe is pretty stained. It’s been used year after year.

Indispensable kitchen tool? My big spatula from Pampered Chef. It’s really big and great at getting everything out of the bowl. I reach for it a lot. It’s a big spoon and scraper in one. I love that thing!

Staple childhood comfort food? There’s so many, I can’t choose! My mom’s cherry pie. We had a sour cherry tree in the backyard. It was so seasonal, just such a treat. Sometimes she would do a cherry cobbler and that was just as good. Oh yum! 

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? My dad.

Ideal grilled cheese? Good sharp cheddar cheese, nice thick crusty bread with a lot of cheese. So good! Maybe a little side of tomato bisque.

How do you like your toast? When i was little I liked it pretty dark. My ideal childhood breakfast was two little slices of just right toast and a cup of tea with milk and sugar. I would take that over cereal any day.

Favorite pizza topping? Mushrooms.

Where would you want to take a cooking class? I’ve been doing an online pastry class with Marco Ropke. I’m going to make you an apple pie that I learned. I’d love to find a class in New Orleans, the culture is so steeped in food.

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? We’ve had some AHA! moments with trying to keep our produce fresh longer. I’ve been using the Meyer green bags for fruit. They really work! They help keep your produce longer, especially now when we don’t go shopping as much. They can keep my bananas for a week! Also wrapping a bunch of celery in foil keeps it fresh for a long time. You can extend the life of strawberries if you soak them in a 4:1 water vinegar solution, then let them dry on a towel. They will keep for days.

Do you have a wellness tip you’d like to share? I love using the frozen riced cauliflower. I made jambalaya with it. The flavors in jambalaya are so robust, it was great. I’ve enjoyed doing a lot of recipe research online. I’ve needed to find recipes that are balanced for the diet I’ve been following for the last four months. I started the Noom diet at the end of January which focuses on the psychology of eating. I’ve lost almost 30 pounds. And with daily lessons, goals coach and recipes it has been great. It’s backed up with science. low carb, lower calorie and low fat and still filling and satisfying.

What’s your favorite sports team? Oh you’re going to make me choose. I’ll say the Pittsburgh Steelers. I don’t want to have to choose between LSU and the Mountaineers. I was born and raised a Steelers fan. It’s in my blood.

A quick tomato and feta sauce dresses up a pound of shrimp for a delicious company-ready dish!

Shrimp and Feta over Vermicelli

Vermicelli is the perfect partner for this sauce. It cooks quickly and is sturdy enough for the chunky sauce. Dried herbs are a time saver and add plenty of flavor.

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided use

• 1 pound small or medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus extra for serving

• 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

• 2/3 cup (5 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juice

• 1/4 cup white wine

• 3/4 teaspoon dried basil

• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper

• 8 ounces vermicelli, cooked to al dente in salted water

PREHEAT the oven to 400.

HEAT 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, rotating the skillet to coat. Add the shrimp and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring a bit, until the shrimp just turn pink, about 2-3 minutes. Reserve the skillet for the sauce.

TRANSFER the shrimp to a large baking dish (13x9 or 12-inch round) and sprinkle with the feta.

HEAT the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet over medium heat and sauté the garlic for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, cook 1 minute. Stir in the wine, basil, oregano, salt and pepper and let the sauce bubble to slightly reduce, about 5 minutes.

SPOON the sauce over the shrimp and feta in the baking dish and bake until the shrimp are cooked through and sauce is bubbling, about 5-7 minutes.

COOK the vermicelli while the shrimp bakes, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking water if needed to thin the sauce.

TOSS the vermicelli with the sauce and serve, dividing among 6 pasta bowls. Pass extra crushed red pepper at the table for a little extra spice.

20 Questions with Laurina

Sometimes new friends feel like forever friends. Laurina Kilby became our friend for life on May 6 of last year, the day she entered my daughter Reilly’s ICU room at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan. She turned our frowns upside down and instantly became our Angel nurse. She is the age of my own daughters and calmed all of us in a precarious situation. Laurina made an effort to check in on Reilly throughout her six weeks in the ICU and when Reilly transferred to a rehab hospital, Laurina visited on her days off bringing us a portable feast.

Now we are home and Laurina scheduled a visit to Baton Rouge for Reilly’s birthday. That’s on hold and our angel nurse is now out of trauma ICU and working in a COVID-19 ICU, an experience she described in a Facebook post that frankly went viral. It is hard to imagine how the healthcare teams cope during this unprecedented crisis. Now our FaceTime calls with Laurina feature the new puppy that she and her husband DJ just welcomed into their lives, planned long before the pandemic.

What’s your 20 minute recipe? We just moved into a new apartment so we are trying to get into a better routine. We are surrounded by great restaurants and our kitchen is tiny, so we aren’t always cooking at home. I do a creamy pasta dish with spinach and shrimp that’s really fast.

What’s your favorite city? Probably here, I love it! The customer service is so great, everything stays open late, I don’t get home until after 9 so I can usually find a place that’s open on my way home.

What’s your favorite restaurant in your current city? There’s a pizza place called Sofia’s, it is the BEST pizza I’ve ever had! They use these tiny pepperonis, they’re spicy. The crust is really thin and crispy. I LOVE it!. In Phoenix where I’m from there’s a burger place that makes the BEST burger with pb&j, sriracha and bacon. Sweet salty spicy. It’s delicious! The warm burger melts the peanut butter, it is soo good!

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? Probably a jar of Claussen pickles.

Who taught you to cook? Actually I didn’t start getting into cooking until I was in college. My aunt has a passion for cooking and is really good at just throwing things together. I would visit her regularly when I was in college and we would cook together. It was so fun! Cooking is really hard in New York, ingredients are expensive, then you have to carry it all home and cook in your tiny kitchen. When i do cook DJ really appreciates it!

Surf? or Turf? Turf.

What’s on your cooking playlist? Actually prefer to listen to a podcast. I like Crime Junkie, I really like it. I also like to FaceTime people when I cook.

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? Coffee. I’ve been making oat milk lattes. Oh my gosh, it’s the best thing! We bought a Nespresso machine after our trip to Italy. We had fallen in love with affogato and had to make espresso when we got back, so this is perfect!

Date night—at home? or out? Out. I like going out to eat. It’s one of my favorite things! It’s nice being served and not having dishes to wash.

Most stained cookbook? My phone! I usually go on Pinterest, really good recipes and they’re easy to find.

Indispensable kitchen tool? I have a really expensive blender that I love. It’s a Blendtec. You can make really good soups, it will crush a whole apple. Makes great mixed drinks and smoothies and it’s awesome for acai bowls in the summer.

Staple childhood comfort food? I really love meatloaf. And you know what’s funny, the other day I made meatloaf and put gravy on it. DJ wasn’t familiar with having gravy on meatloaf. He likes his with a ketchup sauce.

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? My mom. I miss her! She was supposed to come visit this week but she can’t with the pandemic. She’ll get here eventually.

Ideal grilled cheese? Sourdough bread from the deli with Gouda cheese.

How do you like your toast? Not too burnt, with butter. Just toasted enough to melt the butter.

Favorite pizza topping? I really like pepperoni and olives.

Where would you want to take a cooking class? I kinda want to learn how to make sushi, that would be fun. I feel like I could learn somewhere in the city, maybe Sugarfish? We had Sugarfish donated to the hospital last week. Each of us had our own huge container. I’ve been in the COVID ICU for 2 months now  and we have had meals donated every day!

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? I usually follow a recipe as it is the first time through and then change it up the next time to customize it.

Best thing you’ve ever eaten in an airport? I’m a sucker for pretzels, I’ll get Auntie Anne’s when I’m in an airport.

What’s your favorite sports team? I’m only into this because DJ always has them on. The Tottenham Hotspurs. We’ll go out to bars in the city when the games are on. It’s standing room only and everyone’s singing the songs. It’s so great!

Laurina’s creamy pasta dish with spinach and shrimp is lovely for a spring supper

Creamy Pasta with Spinach and Shrimp

Start your pasta water, assemble your ingredients, and you are serving a beautiful meal in 20 flat!

1 pound pasta, we used tagliatelle, borrowed from a neighbor’s pantry (I had angel hair on hand, wanted something a little sturdier. Anything goes here…use what you have or can barter for)

2 tablespoons butter

1 pound shrimp

1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning (out of Old Bay? Tony Chachere’s works great! Choose a seasoning salt that goes well with seafood)

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (definitely a treasured find in my freezer!)

5 ounce bag of fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped

1 cup cream

generous amount of freshly grated parmesan cheese

lemon wedges, crushed red pepper and chopped green onions for serving (optional)

COOK the pasta according to cooking instructions, reserving a mugful of cooking water before straining.

HEAT a large skillet over medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter, swirling the skillet to melt the butter without it burning. Add the shrimp in one crowded layer, sprinkle evenly with the seasoning, and cook about one minute before stirring. Give it all a good toss and when most of the shrimp are just pink, scoop them from the skillet into a small bowl using a slotted spoon.

ADD the remaining tablespoon of butter to the hot skillet and cook the spinach just until it wilts. Stir in the cream, let it bubble for a minute, then add the shrimp back in, stirring to coat.

RETURN the strained pasta back to its cooking pot and add the creamy spinach and shrimp along with a good handful or so of parmesan and some of the reserved pasta water. Toss well with tongs or a pasta tool, adding additional parmesan as desired.

DIVIDE among 6 bowls (or save extras for later if serving fewer than 6) and top with another sprinkle of parmesan, some green onions, crushed red pepper and a wedge of lemon if desired.

20 Questions with Gabby

Gabby McGlynn is the consummate hostess, whether she’s teaching a yoga class or entertaining a houseful of friends. She is grace in the kitchen. I met her at a couple of neighborhood gatherings when I first moved to Baton Rouge. She is so enviably fit that I assumed she adhered to a strict food regimen and when I inquired, she answered, “I’ll eat anything. Well I’d rather not have nutria or frog.” It’s fun to see her lighting up the kitchen with a flaming flank steak.

The McGlynn home has a revolving door with four kids and always space for more. They opened their home to neighbors whose home flooded in 2016, housed an NFL football player in the offseason and entertain the entire neighborhood with a skyscraper-sized Spartacus sculpture who is festively dressed for every occasion. He currently wears a surgical mask.

What’s your 20 minute recipe? We eat a lot of pasta! I make a quick tomato sauce with olive oil, onion, garlic and shallot. I love shallots! And I use Alessi crushed tomatoes and a can of whole tomatoes that I puree. I rinse the can with some white wine, whatever’s in the fridge. Fresh cracked pepper and a teaspoon of chicken Better Than Bouillon base. I love to add a drop of fish sauce, it just gives it depth. Without it there’s a little something missing. It’s done in 15 minutes. Right before serving I add tons of fresh parsley and basil. My boys love it on rotini or bowtie pasta.

What’s your favorite city? I LOVE Lake Tahoe. If Danny said we could move anywhere in the US I would pick Lake Tahoe. It’s small town, nature, mountains, the big lake and rivers running through everything and all four seasons. It’s awesome!

What’s your favorite restaurant in your current city? That’s really tough, we never eat out. I do love BLDG5. The food is so fresh and I love the atmosphere. I just feel like I’m tucked away in Austin.

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? Homemade seafood stock in the freezer.

Who taught you to cook? Both of my parents. I grew up in the restaurant business. My dad had three restaurants in New Orleans. I grew up in those kitchens.

What’s your go-to dish for company? Probably Bouillabaisse. It’s visually appealing and it’s just so good! I never make it the same.

Surf? or Turf? Oooohhhh can it be surf AND turf? We do a lot of surf and turf.

What’s on your cooking playlist? A lot of times I put on Amy Winehouse radio and my daughter has a nice playlist on Spotify with some blues and jazz, R&B.

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? Coffee! Really dark coffee with a splash of Trader Joe’s hazelnut creamer. We have a Nespresso machine, it’s heaven.

Date night—at home? or out? At home, we are homebodies.

Most stained cookbook? Oh I have so many stained ones! Probably Cookery New Orleans Style, one my aunt wrote. It has a lot of recipes from our restaurants.

Indispensable kitchen tool? My little mini food processor-chopper. I couldn’t be without that. And my apron. I can’t cook without my apron.

Staple childhood comfort food? Oh gosh it’s pasta! Gnocchis and pesto, makes my eyes roll. We just had a gnocchi night.

Go-to butter? Kerrygold Irish butter. When my kids see it their eyes get big. It never makes its way to the back of the fridge, it’s always up front.

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? Maybe Gwyneth Paltrow. I love her cookbook. That’s another one that has torn pages.

Ideal grilled cheese? Alpine multigrain bread (we call it yummy bread) with Havarti cheese and a slice of tomato. Heaven.

Favorite pizza topping? Whipped ricotta. I can’t eat a pizza without it.

Where would you want to take a cooking class? In Italy.

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? We like to travel the world from our kitchen. The boys will ask, “what country are we going to tonight?” It’s a fun way to explore and introduce new ingredients.

Three things next to your stove? My Google Home, the little mini chopper and my good wooden cutting board.

What’s your favorite sports team? I mean, the Saints! Am I allowed to say anything else?

Just add parmesan! A quick homemade tomato sauce is hard to beat!

Gabby’s Quick Tomato Sauce

a couple of secret ingredients make Gabby’s quick sauce taste like it simmered all day. Keep a batch at the ready to serve with your family’s favorite pasta.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

• 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

• 1/2 cup white wine

• 1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes, pureed*

• a few drops of fish sauce

• 1 teaspoon ‘Better than Bouillion’ chicken stock base

• Salt and cracked black pepper to taste

• heaping handfuls of flat leaf parsley and fresh basil, chopped

Before you chop a thing, heat the olive oil in a wide bottomed sauté pan or preferably a stockpot (the deeper pot allows for some aggressive simmering and less mess) over medium-low heat.

ADD the onion to the hot oil, increase the heat to medium and toss to coat. When the onion just begins to soften, add the shallot, then the garlic. These ingredients will be singing in the hot oil. When you feel tempted to taste a spoonful of this, add the full can of crushed tomatoes and crank the heat a bit. You want to have a lava-like soft boil. Rinse out this can with the wine and add it to the pot.

STIR in the puréed whole tomatoes (*if you have an immersion blender, tip the juice from the whole tomatoes into the simmering sauce, then quick blend the tomatoes right in the can with the immersion blender. Alternatively you can hand crush them or blitz them in batches in your mini chopper or even use a second can of crushed tomatoes. The puréed whole tomatoes add a nice texture.)

ADD a few drops of fish sauce, up to a teaspoon (fish sauce = pantry staple) and the chicken stock base. Give it a good stir and taste.

SEASON with salt and lots of cracked black pepper as desired. Add the fresh herbs and you are ready to spoon this sauce over your freshly cooked pasta. Break out your parmesan grater!

Depending on your sauce level preference, you will likely have some extra for later. When the sauce is cool, spoon it into one or two cup containers and refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for up to six months. Don’t forget to label with the contents and date, could become a treasured find in your fridge or freezer!

20 Questions with Reilly

Reilly Hamilton is my second born daughter. When she became a big sister at the age of 4, she announced, “I can’t believe we have a baby!” She continues this fondness for babies with regular FaceTime sessions with her cousins’ babies and toddlers. She learned her way around the kitchen from the get-go and once accompanied me, in her monogrammed chef’s whites and houndstooth pants, on Good Morning West Virginia where we made her Dressed in the Bowl Caesar Salad. So many years later, this recipe is still a family favorite.

If you made Reilly’s name into an acrostic poem, the E would certainly be Enthusiastic! Her Aunt Maura always said, “no one’s more psyched than Reilly!” a point that’s hard to argue. When she chose to leave West Virginia for college, we were thrilled she landed at the University of Kentucky and got to visit her often. Since we moved to Louisiana during her college years, she requested a crawfish boil for her graduation celebration. We packed up cases of fresh crawfish like luggage and boiled them up with her friends in the backyard of their rental house, such a fun flashback!

What’s your 20 minute recipe? Mediterranean chicken. It’s so simple and so flavorful! You can change it up, adding sliced mushrooms or artichoke hearts. 

What’s your favorite city? Valencia, Spain. I spent a semester there my junior year. I still keep in touch with my host family and have been back to visit them. The people are so friendly and the beaches are beautiful. The architecture is really cool, too.

What’s your favorite restaurant in your current city? Tsunami in downtown Baton Rouge. I love their sushi and the view at sunset is great.

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? Pickled green beans, the ones from Cajun Chef.

Who taught you to cook? You did. For my ninth birthday I asked for a chef’s outfit with my name on it so I could be like you. 

Surf? or Turf? Turf. With a side of surf.

What’s on your cooking playlist? Anything from Leon Bridges to The Rolling Stones.

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? TEA! Unsweetened. Iced. Sometimes with a splash of peach syrup.

Dinner with friends—at home? or out? Out. In New York you’ll never run out of amazing restaurants.

Most stained cookbook? Nothing Fancy, Alison Roman’s newest book. She makes having people over for dinner so approachable.

Indispensable kitchen tool? Silicone spatula.

Staple childhood comfort food? Filet. I have always loved it.

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? Poppa Tom. We would laugh the whole time and both have seconds. Ice cream for dessert.

Best thing you’ve ever eaten in an airport? Probably Shake Shack. Don’t forget to ask for pickles.

Ideal grilled cheese? White bread with Kraft American singles, cut diagonally.

How do you like your toast? Golden brown with butter and lots of flaky sea salt.

Favorite pizza topping? All of them.

Where would you want to take a cooking class? In Italy.

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? Always make your own salad dressing.

What’s your favorite sports team? Kentucky Wildcats.

Mediterranean chicken is quick enough for a weeknight and also impressive for weekend guests. Boneless chicken is seasoned, quick-browned, then baked in a HOT oven with grape tomatoes, olives and capers which make a tasty sauce in minutes.

Mediterranean Chicken

Brown some boneless chicken in an ovenproof skillet, add grape or cherry tomatoes, olives and capers and the sauce makes itself while you put on some couscous and toss a salad.

• 4 4to5 ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• salt & pepper

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes

• 3 or 4 small garlic cloves, lightly smashed with the flat of a knife and peeled

• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, or more if you like

• 2 to 3 tablespoons capers

• about a cup of sliced mushrooms or artichoke hearts, optional

HEAT the oven to 450.

SPRINKLE the top side (where the skin used to be) of the chicken with a good bit of salt and pepper. Note: if your chicken breasts are larger than 5 ounces, cut them into 2 or 3 cutlets each.

HEAT the olive oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet. (I prefer stainless steel which doesn’t react with the acidic sauce). Lay the chicken, seasoned side down, in a single layer in the skillet. Season this second side of the chicken with salt and pepper. When the chicken is golden and releases from the skillet when you coax it with tongs, turn them over.

ADD the tomatoes, garlic, olives, capers and optional mushrooms/artichokes to the skillet and shake to combine.

PLACE the skillet in the hot oven and set your timer for 15 minutes. Put on some couscous and toss a salad. Remove the skillet from the oven, covering the handle of the skillet with an oven mitt or pot holder. The tomatoes will be juicy and blistered and chicken cooked through.

SERVE in pasta bowls: a piece of chicken, a scoop of juicy tomatoes and a spoonful of couscous.

20 Questions with Lance

Lance Nacio launched Anna Marie Shrimp, his commercial fishing business, in 1997. His acclaim stretches far beyond Louisiana with television appearances on The Food Network, CNN’s Eatocracy, and the TODAY Show with Al Roker. Partnerships with Rouses Supermarkets and Market Umbrella have helped him weather some extremely difficult times and he is constantly innovating. He started selling his catch at a pop up market in Baton Rouge in 2003 which is where I discovered his celebrated Louisiana shrimp and fish. I caught up with him recently at his booth at Red Stick Farmer’s Market, the week before the market switched from walk up service to drive through.

My freezer is always stocked with one pound packages of Lance’s peeled and deveined shrimp. I made his suggested Grilled Shrimp Salad to rave reviews from my family and will run through the ‘Bubba Gump’ ideas to keep these delicious shrimp in regular rotation in my kitchen. Taking a page from his playlist, I cued up some Guns ‘N Roses for this writing session.

What’s your 20 minute recipe? Grilled shrimp salad. It’s quick and easy. You can do like Bubba Gump and do all the things with shrimp! It’s so versatile.

What’s your favorite city? I would have to say it’s New Orleans. It’s so rich with food and culture. There is so much history.

What’s your favorite restaurant in your current city? For the ultimate food experience, go to New Orleans. Big Al’s or Spahr’s Seafood in Des Allemands. It’s the catfish capital of the world!. They have THE BEST catfish platter! It’s a really nice place for a sit down authentic Cajun dinner. You can see pelicans, egrets, seagulls and gators right outside the window.

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? Not in the fridge, it’s in my freezer. Squid, I’m fixing some now. It came from my boat, Anna Marie.

Who taught you to cook? My mom, and one of my first jobs was as a cook on a tugboat. I learned from some tough Cajuns.

What’s your go-to dish for company? Seafood boil. It’s a community meal. Newspapers out and everyone sits down and enjoys.

What’s on your cooking playlist? I like 80’s rock. Classic rock is my go-to.

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? Coffee every morning, two cups of dark roast from Community Coffee.

Date night—at home? or out? Preferably at home.

Indispensable kitchen tool? Black iron skillet or pot.

Staple childhood comfort food? We call it sticky chicken. It’s an excellent meal. Seasoned with salt and pepper and browned in pork fat. We ate that growing up a lot.

Ideal grilled cheese? At home I make it on Evangeline bread with a good thick slice of cheddar.

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? Leah Chase. I have shared a few meals with her, what an awesome experience! She called me the shrimp man. I’d like to do that again.

Best thing you’ve ever eaten in an airport? That’s a tough one! I’ve been through a lot of airports, the food is not really up to par.

Favorite pizza topping? I like a lot of things on pizza. Mushrooms, Italian sausage, Canadian bacon, onions. I don’t put seafood on pizza.

Where would you want to take a cooking class? Probably at Nicholl’s. They have some really good chefs who volunteer there.

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? Use leftover bacon grease to start any meal.

Three things next to your stove? A container containing bacon grease, Tony Chachere’s, garlic powder.

What’s your favorite sports team? Saints of course.

Favorite seafood dish? Shrimp and grits. Get it at GW Fins.

Post-crisis silver lining? People are going to be more conscious of where their food comes from. I think It’s gonna be better and stronger when we get through this.

Salad + Shrimp = quick, delicious, nutritious. This one is Lance’s version, with avocado, beets, carrots, and tomatoes, dressed with a ‘shaker jar’ lemon vinaigrette. Freestyle it your way with your market haul. Or wrap the grilled shrimp in tortillas for shrimp tacos

Grilled Shrimp

A sprinkle of seasoning and a few minutes on the grill turn Anna Marie Shrimp into the star of a quick weeknight meal.

• 1 pound large peeled and deveined shrimp

• 2 teaspoons Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning

• a swipe of canola oil for the grill

HEAT your grill to medium, about 400 degrees, or a grill pan over medium high flame. Using a heat-proof brush, lightly oil the grill grate of the grill pan with a little canola oil.

SEASON the shrimp while the grill gets hot: Sprinkle both sides of the shrimp with Tony’s (or your favorite seasoning blend).

COOK until the underside turns pink, then turn to cook the second side. Remove from the grill to a clean platter when the inside just turns opaque. This happens fast, about 4 to 5 minutes total. A perfectly grilled shrimp just snaps on the outside with a delicate charred crust and is juicy inside.

20 Questions with Helen

My mom Helen has magical powers. I realized this when I was tiny, wandering off to bed after family dinner and awaking to a world of intricate baked goods, hand-lettered posters or beaded wedding gowns. No matter the occasion, my mom was creating something special for it, into the wee hours of post-midnight. With five kids and a husband, birthdays came around quickly, always celebrated with fanfare and homemade cake. I can hear the mixer spinning and see her piping a sweet message with her retro metal icing set.

A couple of hurricane seasons ago, as Irma threatened my family and hometown on the east coast of central Florida, my sister mused, “I wish I could put her on a plane to stay with you.” and so it was! With a bit of arm twisting, a few days after mom’s 88th birthday, she boarded a direct flight from Orlando to New Orleans. I asked what she would like for dinner when she arrived. She didn’t miss a beat: “Duck. Louisiana style.” The month she stayed with us is time I will treasure forever! We cooked nonstop.

Last year we moved her to assisted living after a couple of serious health scares. She turned 90 in August and is thriving in her new environment. “I really like it here!” she sings. Truly music to my ears. Her only lament is that she can no longer cook. I had a great phone call with her this week to flashback on her food memories.

What’s your 20 minute recipe? Borscht! Cold beet soup. It’s very nice in the summer, so refreshing. The beauty of it is that it’s fast, not much preparation. Just chill a can of beets and a can of beef consommé. Pour them both into the blender and blend until smooth. Add the juice of half a lime, pour it into bowls and eat it! Some like to add sour cream.

What’s your favorite city? Melbourne Beach, Florida. It has a nice pier on the river. One of the first restaurants, Poor Richard’s, was so successful. It started out as just a collection of garage sale finds. Djon’s is there now.

What’s your favorite restaurant in your current city? I really like the Fish House. They have fried oysters and mountains of shrimp. It’s kind of dilapidated from the front and that’s it’s charm. And the Yellow Dog is excellent for a special occasion.

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? My sister in law left me a pound of Irish butter. What an unexpected treat!

Who taught you to cook? My mother was a very good cook. We also had cooks in our home and my sister and I always hung around the kitchen watching them. I never did take Home-Ec. I’ve learned a lot by doing. My first successful cake was when I was 12. I didn’t get into pies until later after I watched a woman from the Alabama Extension Service making a pie in a store window. I was just passing by as she was crimping her crust and I said, “I think I can do that!” since my success with my cake.

How many pies have you baked? Two a week for 50 years sounds about right, and maybe one a week for ten years after that. You do the math! (my calculation says 5,720).

What’s your go-to dish for company? Fried chicken. I think it’s what people like the most, for sure! Some of the other things you couldn’t be sure.

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? I don’t know what Kombucha is. Back in the day I liked coffee.

Surf? or Turf? I would rather have the surf. I like shellfish. I LOVE crab! It’s one of my favorites.

Most stained cookbook? Probably The Joy of Cooking. It’s like an encyclopedia, you could find anything in there.

Indispensable kitchen tool? My mixer!!

Staple childhood comfort food? Dill pickles. Whole ones with a glass of milk.

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? I think I’d like to share a meal with your dad.

Best thing you’ve ever eaten in an airport? I got some sushi that was really good, probably the Atlanta airport.

Ideal grilled cheese? Aged cheddar, thicker than normal sliced bread and I’d put in a slice of tomato and grill it with butter. Not TOO much butter so it’s not too messy on your hands when you eat it. And that’s it!

Favorite pizza topping? I like pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers, different variety of cheeses and chopped anchovies. Nestle them down in the cheese so they don’t get dried out.

Where would you want to take a cooking class? I’ve had some excellent food in New Orleans over the years. I’d like to take a cooking class there.

What’s your favorite community service cooking memory? When I was teaching confirmation classes at the church, our project was to cook and serve at Daily Bread Kitchen. Years later some of the patrons would come back with big donations as a thank you for helping them when they needed it.

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? I like the idea of using older eggs for hard boiling. If you salt the water and take the pan off the heat after the water boils, let them sit for 12 minutes, it makes them easier to peel. Another one is when you do a pie, butter the surface of the dough to seal it off from the filling so the crust doesn’t get soggy.

What’s your favorite sports team? My favorite to watch is the ice skating competitions.

Ideal indeed! Grilled aged cheddar on thick-sliced bread with tomato. Serve with slices of Florida sunshine:)

Helen’s Grilled Cheese

Dear Reader: This sandwich is at the top of my list of childhood comfort foods. Full disclosure, beets are a hard no for me so I’m choosing to highlight the glory of this grilled cheese instead of mom’s borscht. If you adore beets, give her super easy from-the-pantry recipe a go. Happy Cooking!

For each serving you will need: 2 slices of bread, some soft butter, thick slices of aged cheddar, tomato slices.

HEAT a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Spread the outside of each slice of bread with butter. Set one slice, butter side down, in the skillet as it heats. Top with an even layer of cheese, then slices of tomato, then another layer of cheese. Top with the second slice of bread, butter side out.

COOK the sandwich low and slow to melt the bottom layer of cheese. When the underside of the sandwich is your preferred shade of golden, carefully flip and cook the second side. When side two is golden and all the cheese is melted, maybe with some sizzling out on the hot skillet, remove to your waiting plate. Cut the sandwich in half on the diagonal for maximum enjoyment. Serve with orange slices.