Zucchini Gratin, Heaped and Bubbling
A spicier, garlicky zucchini gratin adapted from Ina Garten, baked in individual ramekins until heaped and bubbling. More garlic, less butter, big flavor.
-
-
A Dozen Drumsticks and the Ridiculous Rack I Bought as a Joke
Crispy Kamado drumsticks, a dozen at a time on a hanging rack: a two-zone Divide and Conquer fire, a good rub, and dark meat pulled at just the right temp.
-
Homemade Chili Crisp/Crunch
Homemade chili crisp adapted from Ian Fujimoto: a big-batch chili oil loaded with crispy garlic and shallot. Cheaper than the jar, and better on eggs.
-
Bo Ssam on the Kamado: Momofuku’s Pork Butt, Smoked
Bo Ssam on the Kamado: A take on Momofuku’s bo ssam, remade on the Joe. Ginger and gochujang cured pork butt, smoked over applewood, pulled and wrapped in crisp lettuce leaves.
-
Zach’s Favorite Cucumber Salad
A crunchy, make-ahead cucumber salad with a soy, rice vinegar, and chili crunch dressing. It stays crisp for a full week and beats potato salad at any cookout.
-
Tortellini Broccoli Salad with Creamy Balsamic Dressing
A creamy balsamic tortellini and broccoli salad with bacon and red onion. Make it ahead for cookouts or busy weeknights; it’s even better the next day.
-
Carol’s Deviled Eggs
Carol’s deviled eggs: my mother’s classic recipe, made with Dijon and finely minced capers instead of yellow mustard and relish, dusted with smoked paprika.
-
Meemaw’s Buttermilk Biscuits
Every Sunday morning, Zach makes Meemaw’s biscuits. Light, flaky, rich with butter, tender, and just about perfect. We eat them with scrambled eggs and thick-cut bacon, sometimes with sausage gravy when we’re feeling indulgent, sometimes with nothing but butter and strawberry jelly when we want simple. Every once in a while he makes them for…
-
How to Grill a Flat Iron Steak (and What to Do With It After)
The flat iron is a shoulder cut nobody writes poems about, and I’ll take a good one over a filet most nights. Dry-brine it, sear it hot and fast (550–600°, 2–3 minutes a side), rest it, then pile it on a crunchy blue cheese salad. Full method plus the leftover steak sandwich on the blog (link in bio). The amount of blue cheese is between you and your conscience. More is better.
-
The Easiest Fruit Salad You’ll Ever Make
An easy fruit salad actually worth making: strawberries and blueberries in a brown-sugar, Greek-yogurt, and citrus-zest dressing. No mayo, and it travels.
-
Carol’s Potato Salad
Carol’s potato salad is mayo, mustard, yellow onion, celery, and dill relish dressed on hot potatoes. No secrets. Just muscle memory and good timing.
-
Lavender Blackberry Cake – Or Why I’m a Cook, Not a Baker
Adapting Sally’s lavender blackberry cake to gluten-free taught me what cream cheese does structurally. A redeemed disaster, plus the recipe I should have made.
