Life and Lunch
Updates and Recipes for Orzo, Gruyère Frittata, and English Pea Salad with Avocado Mousse
Last week, Sam turned 35 (and one of our nephews turned one!), so with plenty of reasons to celebrate and gather with friends and family, we hosted a birthday-slash-late-housewarming party. It’s extremely fun to sit down with the one you love and map out what you’ll serve for those kinds of things, and kicking off the day with sandwiches from The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills felt like the right call—you can customize your selections for the tray, and, for the future, it’s worth noting that the “La Zuca” disappeared first. Who doesn’t love crispy zucchini, pesto, ricotta, and artichoke tapenade? Later came pizza from DeSano, and all (10? 15? I already forget) of the pies were demolished by 8 PM. Over the course of the party, grown-ups and overwhelmingly sweet small children also gnawed on roasted almonds, carrots and celery with homemade dip, various cheeses and crackers (specifically cracked pepper Triscuits, because they’re the best), and kettle cooked potato chips (specifically Miss Vickie’s, because the recipe for those began in Ontario, Canada, and I’ve always been obsessed).
On the evening of Sam’s actual birthday, for dinner I made slow-roasted pork shoulder with lettuce cups, rice, and sweet and spicy gochujang and ginger scallion sauces (we’ve been snacking on leftovers and having fried rice for breakfast ever since). Glazed orange cake for dessert, with a small side of granita. The following night, with more family, we went to Chi Spacca. It was my first time there, and the space felt intimate, and sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with our group of eight was the best treat. I wasn’t wearing my glasses, so landing a table pretty close to the open kitchen made the experience extra special—seeing the pastry chef roll out paper-thin dough for back-to-back thin and crisp focaccias was a warming delight, and, on our way out, it was nice to be able to tell him so.




In other news: Time has been passing with lots of recipe writing, catering planning, brainstorms and lunches with friends, and entire Sundays of testing hors d'oeuvres, cocktails, and small and large salads. My latest recipes for The Bittman Project, all featuring celery—which I believe everyone can and should be a fan of—are now up on the site. Next up will be ways to use tinned fish that don’t feel associated with any tinned fish trend, which I’ll share in a future newsletter. In the meantime, here are some recipes for building spring lunches I hope you’ll enjoy:
Marinated Olives
Ingredients:
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Rind of 1 orange, sliced into thin strips
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 cups green olives, pitted
Instructions:
Add olive oil to a small pan over low-medium heat. Add orange rind, garlic, cumin, oregano, and rosemary, and warm until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add red wine vinegar. Add olives to a jar and pour everything from the pan over them. Allow time to marinate, at least a few hours but up to a few days. The olives will keep well in the fridge for the week ahead.
Glistening Orzo Salad
You read that right: glistening. Add olive oil to your drained orzo as it cools (after cooking for about 7 minutes) to prevent dryness or stickiness and provide shine. Chop whatever herbs and vegetables you have on hand—cucumber, tomato, onion, dill, mint, parsley—and bring them into the mix. Marinated olives (made in advance) add a lot of personality.
Ingredients:
2 cups orzo
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1 lemon, juiced, or more as needed
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
½ onion, finely diced
1 cup olives, preferably marinated, halved
¼ cup parsley, chopped
Salt, to taste
Instructions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Cook orzo until slightly tender but still with some bite, about 7 minutes. Drain, and, as it cools, drizzle and toss with olive oil and lemon juice. Add cherry tomatoes, onion, olives, and parsley, and mix until well-combined. Taste and season with salt as needed.
Gruyère Frittata
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ onion or 1 shallot, finely diced
3-4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ red pepper, diced
1 jalapeño, finely diced
Salt and black pepper, to taste
8 large eggs, whisked
1 cup Gruyère, chopped into small cubes
Small handful fresh herbs, chopped, for garnish
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Add olive oil to a medium-sized oven safe pan or skillet over medium heat. Add onion or shallot, green onions, garlic, red pepper, and jalapeño, and season with a couple pinches of salt and black pepper. Once softened and fragrant, add eggs and distribute the Gruyère cubes evenly around the pan. Transfer to the oven until just set, about 8-10 minutes. Optionally, broil for 1-2 more minutes for a golden exterior. Garnish with herbs, slice, and serve, or wait until it’s reached room temperature, or store in the fridge and enjoy anytime.
English Pea Salad and Avocado Mousse
Ingredients:
For the avocado mousse:
2 small avocados
2 small limes, juiced
¼ cup labneh
Salt, to taste
For the pea salad:
1 ½ cups shucked English peas
1/2 grapefruit, peel and whites removed, sliced in small triangles
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
Salt, to taste
Instructions:
Add all avocado mousse ingredients to a blender, food processor, or bowl (if using a hand mixer). Blend together until light and airy and smooth, taste, adjust salt and lime juice as needed, and set aside or refrigerate.
Bring small pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Add peas, cook for just under one minute, and transfer to an ice bath. Drain, dry, and combine with grapefruit, olive oil, dill, and salt. Chill until ready to serve, then plate on a bed of avocado mousse.
And, as always, some of the food-related (sometimes tiring, sometimes inspiring) subject lines of my inbox lately:
The trick that makes restaurant carrots so good
spring pastas
Apple + Cheddar Stuffed Radicchio
Do You Eat Clockwise, Top-Down, or Bite-By-Bite?
25 new jobs for “cook”
The Spices in your Welsh Cakes
Our Most Requested Spice Blend
Y’ALL ❤️ OUR SARDINES
Here, I made you a matcha latte 🍌
Two recipes for either side of the equator
Open Kitchen Discussion: Is there a seasonal ingredient you use year round?
Chic Bites for an Elegant Easter
Searching for Sweetness at Coachella
Kitchen Projects for Easter Weekend
Beans with Italian-style salsa verde
take a look at these deviled eggs 🤤
These are NYC’s best bar menus
Uh, what’s going on with LA restaurants?
What Do Angelenos Want From Restaurants Right Now?
Hollywood is full of great restaurants
MORE PLEASE - MORE BIG SALADS
an easter menu
On building truly resilient farms
Spring Flings & Flavourful Things 🌸
A Love Letter to Korean Home Cooking
The Story of the Fried Dill Pickle