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Cottontail Cocktail

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A tall glass with a brown chocolaty drink, foaming over the side, with little pastel colored chocolate Easter eggs on a white surface. Cottontail Cocktail

Here’s a question about the mysteries of Easter: Why should the kids have all the fun? Our Cottontail Cocktail, a brunchy, fun concoction of chocolate and vodka, suggests that maybe the adults can join in on the festivities a little, too.

What to Pair with this Cottontail Cocktail  

Serve it in a tall glass to sip slowly and savor the flavor, or serve it in a coupe for easier Peeps dunking. This cocktail is just one of our answers to the aforementioned question. If you are a lover of Peeps, try this Orange Cardamom Peep Crispy Treats recipe. Or, for another fun and simple Easter cocktail, try our Peeptini. Happy Spring and Easter drinking!

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A tall glass with a brown chocolaty drink, foaming over the side, with little pastel colored chocolate Easter eggs on a white surface. Cottontail Cocktail

Cottontail Cocktail


  • Author: Star Laliberte

Description

Let the adults in on the Easter fun.


Ingredients

Scale
  • .5 oz Boyd & Blair Vodka
  • .5oz chocolate syrup
  • 1 egg white
  • .5 oz lemon juice
  • .25 oz simple syrup
  • Club soda


Instructions

  1. Add vodka, chocolate syrup, egg white, lemon juice, simple syrup, and ice to a shaker. Shake for 45 seconds until foamy.
  2. Strain into glass of your choice. Top with club soda.

Recipe by Boyd & Blair Vodka

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The Best Girl Scout Cookie Wine Pairings

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A look in photo of piles of Girl Scout cookies with a bottle of red wine and glasses of white and red wine and wine corks with a black background.

It’s everyone’s favorite time of year: Girl Scout cookie season! Ignore all those other cookie and wine articles you’ve seen lately. They’re not even close to correct: dry wines have no place in these pairings. Let us guide you into some truly fine bottle and cookie pairings.

How Do Wine Pairings Work?

Wine pairing is all about balance of flavor profiles, and the Girl Scouts helpfully lay out each cookie’s ingredients and taste of each one on their website, including what’s in each one and who produces them. You can check out our Ultimate Guide to Wine Pairing for some of the basic principles of how to pair flavors together with wine. Girl Scout cookies are, on the whole, going to pair best with sweet wines. So, you’re going to be looking at fortified wines like Port, sherry, or Sauternes. You can also use the chameleons of the sweet-dry spectrum like Riesling, which can go either way. But a dry Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Noir is going to taste off with a sweet, rich food like cookies.

Adventurefuls®

A Pedro Ximénez sherry is just the thing for these brownie-like bites. The wine has a chocolaty profile with hints of caramel, dried figs, and dates. It’s just what you need to power up this pairing.

Lemon-UPS®

An off-dry Riesling will do the trick to offer lemony loveliness to complement the citrusy cheer of these crisp cookies. The Finger Lakes of New York offers a whole host of options for you to enjoy.

Trefoils®

The butteriness of shortbread is a masterful match for sweet sparkling wines made in the traditional method. Think Champagne and Crémant from various regions in France. Look for the words “demi-sec” or “extra dry” on the label to ensure you’re getting a sweet sparkler — avoid anything with “brut” on the label, as those will be too dry.

Do-si-dos®

You might have heard of a straw hat, but what about straw wine? Grapes are left to dry for a few weeks to leave behind sugary concentrate, and Mullineux’s iteration from South Africa would be a delight with do-si-dos thanks to its marmalade-like flavors that are perfect for peanut buttery perfection.

Samoas®

Samoas and Sauternes: a match made in heaven. It’s hard to argue against the luscious sweetness of the wine that doles out dried tropical fruits like pineapple and coconut to accompany the toasty, caramel-rich decadence of these cookies.

Tagalongs®

Oloroso sherry is often overlooked, but it’s the perfect partner for Tagalongs thanks to its flavors of spice, dried fruits, and a nifty nuttiness that is highly complementary to this cookie.

Thin Mint®

Ruby Port, with its flavors of sweet black and red berries, as well as a kiss of leafy mint, earns its place at the table while snacking on these snappy sensations. If you’re feeling fancy, look for a Late Bottled Vintage — a significant step up in quality that won’t break the bank!

GS S’Mores®

A sweet sparkling red by the name of Brachetto d’Acqui, with its fabulous floral and fresh strawberry notes, takes this pairing to a whole new level. It’s like enjoying a berry coulis with your s’mores, only far more decadent.

Toffee-tastic®

Toffee and tawny port are a tried and true combination for the senses. This style of port differs from the others and offers flavors of caramel, nut brittle, and dried fruits to take this treat to new heights.

Story by Adam Knoerzer
Photography by Dave Bryce

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Irish Cream

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A glass holds an Irish Cream with whipped cream on top, a shot of whiskey to the left, and ice cubes sitting in front of the glass all on a green background.

Baileys. It’s an Irish staple and possibly one of the most popular liquors on Saint Patrick’s Day. But, did you know that delicious Irish Cream can be made at home for a lower cost? With just 5 simple ingredients, you can have that smooth, cocoa goodness with a bit of a whiskey nip. Use our homemade Irish Cream recipe to mix into your coffee and cocktails, or sip it on its own for a delightful nightcap.

We tested the recipe in the TABLE Kitchen beside a shot of Baileys, unanimously agreeing that the homemade beats out the store-bought every time. It has a fuller flavor and creamier texture — you may just never purchase a bottle of Baileys again.

What Exactly is Irish Cream?

It is basically a liqueur made with Irish whiskey, cream, and other flavorings. It typically has an alcohol content of about 15-20% all depending on how much whiskey you add. You can serve it on its own or in mixed drinks, most commonly with coffee or in shots.

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A glass holds an Irish Cream with whipped cream on top, a shot of whiskey to the left, and ice cubes sitting in front of the glass all on a green background.

Irish Cream


  • Author: Kylie Thomas

Description

Homemade is just always better. Yes, even better than Baileys.


Ingredients

Scale

  • 1 ½ cups Irish whiskey
  • 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 tsp instant coffee grounds
  • 1 tbsp chocolate syrup
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • Whipped cream for topping


Instructions

  1. Combine Irish whiskey, sweetened condensed milk, instant coffee grounds, and chocolate syrup in a blender. This should take about a minute on medium speed.
  2. Add in heavy whipping cream and blend on low speed for about 30 seconds or until just combined. Do not mix too fast/long or the air will cause the mixture to bubble and foam from the heavy whipping cream.
  3. Serve in a glass with ice and whipped cream on top.
  4. Store extra Irish Cream in a bottle or airtight container (like a mason jar) for 1-2 months.

Recipe and Story by Kylie Thomas
Styling and Photography by Star Laliberte

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Butter Pecan Irish Soda Bread

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A dark green plate holds a Butter Pecan Irish Soda Bread with a slice laying on the table plus butter and a knife nearby.

Get ready for Saint Patrick’s Day with our innovative take on the beloved tradition of Irish Soda Bread. Combining the richness of butter, the crunch of pecans, and the distinctive taste of Irish soda bread, this recipe promises a perfect blend of textures and tastes. You can also try our Buttermilk Irish Soda Bread with Fennel Pollen for a more classic take on this dish.

Why Pecans In Soda Bread?

Usually, soda bread has raisins in it. But we were tired Drawing upon the traditions of his Irish great-grandmother, who baked up a storm in her Point Breeze kitchen for decades, Editor in Chief Keith Recker skips the usual raisins in this recipe, and instead explores pecans. It’s perfect for breakfasts, brunches, or afternoon teas, so get your baking apron on. Put a kettle on to make a pot of tea. And let’s get to work on this Butter Pecan Irish Soda Bread.

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A dark green plate holds a Butter Pecan Irish Soda Bread with a slice laying on the table plus butter and a knife nearby.

Butter Pecan Irish Soda Bread


  • Author: Keith Recker

Description

A sweet twist on a family soda bread recipe.


Ingredients

Scale

For the bread:

  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 ½ cups flour (measured and leveled)
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 ½ teasoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons butter, cubed, straight from the fridge
  • 1 cup currants or roughly chopped pecans (optional)

For the topping:

  • ½ cup pecan halves
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 4 tablespoons sugar for sprinkling, divided


Instructions

  1. Grease a 12” cast iron skillet and preheat oven to 400F.
  2. In a small mixing bowl, combine egg and buttermilk.
  3. In a separate mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
  4. Add cold, cubed butter to the bowl of dry ingredients. Using very clean hands, incorporate butter by punching cubes of butter between your forefingers and thumbs. You will want the butter to disappear into the mixture.
  5. Add buttermilk and eggs and then stir well to combine.
  6. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and kneed for a minute or two. The mixture is meant to be dry, but if it seems too dry, you can then brush a bit of buttermilk on top and kneed some more.
  7. Pat the dough into a nicely rounded mound. Use a knife to score it with an X.
  8. To prepare the topping, place pecans and butter in a skillet. Then over high heat, sautee the pecans, adding cinnamon and a scant sprinkle of sugar. When the butter begins to brown a bit, remove from heat.
  9. Using a fork, remove pecans from the butter and press them gently onto the surface of the dough. When finished, pour the cinnamon and butter evenly across the top of the loaf.
  10. Bake approximately 40 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from skillet to cool. Eat with loads of fresh Irish butter and then perhaps a drizzle of honey.
  11. Store tightly wrapped for up to a week.

Recipe, Styling, and Photography by Keith Recker

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Your New Moon in Pisces Horoscope: March 2024

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An illustration of an ancient shell drawn on a textured, cream background.

As winter wanes, the Moon and Sun join in the twentieth degree of mutable water sign Pisces on March 10 at 5:00 a.m. EST. Nestled between austere Saturn and mirage inducing Neptune, this new moon focuses on the disillusionment that precedes creation

A collective dream state

Aqueous Pisces, like water, is impressionable. It takes on the form of its environment as liquid, solid or vapor. Saturn and Neptune’s presence unhinge our sense of faith where undefined paranoia has become a collective sedative. As in the Wizard of Oz, structures of power continue to peddle a synthetic utopia. Like Dorothy, we skip tirelessly through a field of inebriating poppies towards The Emerald City. A gently supportive aspect between the profusion of planets in Pisces and Jupiter in earthbound Taurus offers a bed to lay and rest upon while entering a collective dream state before the birth of spring. 

Peace and understanding

This dream cuts the umbilical cord of dependency and addiction to a non-reality. It edges towards peace and understanding without appraisal. It is an auspicious new moon for questioning where we tend to be easily seduced by the carnival of culture, hollow infotainment, and chameleon-like politics. Notice where tempering the extremes of optimism and anguish have become an overwhelm frosted with numbing ennui. 

A month to re-engage

This is a month to re-engage with devotional practices that offer sensual transcendence; revealing core passions apart from culture.  It requires a quiet, humble and grounded centeredness involving hands-on engagement with the physical world.  

Aries

You’re seeking unusual and eccentric company within social groups and intimate relationships. You may feel like a party or army of one at the moment. This is because Mars is in the final portion of Aquarius in your eleventh house of allies/desired outcomes. Your actions are led by more unpredictable and independent impulses with no end goal that either enchants or repels. As the Moon meets the Sun in Pisces in your 12th house of liminal places you’re unraveling issues surrounding matters of home and family that are coming with more cost than one can reasonably bear. This month consider what you are unwilling to suffer when topics of pleasure seeking, convenience and the idealism of what makes a home becomes a bewildering drain on your financial and emotional savings.

Taurus

When Venus met with Mars in Aquarius in your tenth house of career, you may have experienced a work meltdown. Perhaps you now feel at odds with the principles underpinning the best use of those talents. The new Moon in Pisces will take place between sobering Saturn and spellbinding Neptune in your eleventh house of friendship. There is a theme this month of needing to gracefully detach from dubious expectations. Look for career, colleagues, and/or friendships where you are no longer certain of their significance.  Beware of the tendency to become entangled in false alliances or pursuing social situations contrary to your nature. Cultivate a healthy level of distance rather than being swept emotionally into relationships that are otherwise ill fated.

Gemini

The Moon joins the Sun in Pisces in your tenth house of purpose. The longing to merge your gifts with the appropriate illuminating voice may be a source of ambiguity. The Sun and Moon’s meeting between Saturn and Neptune spawn an infinity of possibility. This can feel at once mesmerizing and inspiring, which it should be, but also unnerving. Abstraction and its infinite outcomes has inherent limitations, reliant on the implementation of choice.  Decisiveness can be mystifying for curious Geminis but as your guiding planet Mercury transits the early degrees of Aries in your eleventh house of aspirations, goals and desires embrace a level of arbitrary thinking this month. As Mercury approaches the amplifying conjunction of the lunar north node on March 18, fake it until you make it.

Cancer

You’ve taken off the rose colored glasses. Or the inclination to glamorize ideals outside of yourself to such precarious standards, destined to fall. As the new Moon in Pisces passes in your ninth house of wisdom, you’re anchoring your philosophic principles with the highly emotional quality of your personality which is prone to dam and flood under blind faith. This transcendental reboot involves the ongoing unveiling of a bona fide public image. But, also a personal worldview contrary to communities you once were a part of, willingly or by inheritance. The Moon and Sun are parting from an alleviating configuration with devoted Jupiter and galvanizing Uranus in earth sign Taurus where the growing pains felt during this time will reveal layers of unbroken truths upon draining your own swamp.

Leo

The Sun greets the Moon in Pisces in your eighth house of inheritance, fragility and surrender. This month you’ll be stabilizing the extremes of emotional, physical, and financial dependencies. These may be within personal relationships or through other contractual arrangements. Topics of the eighth house can feel adverse and out of sight. Or, they can feel humbling since they can highlight where we may have caused imbalances of sustainability in relationships. Beneficent Jupiter in Taurus in your tenth house of advancements guides themes of luck and yearning. This makes it appear effortless to have it your way in relationships for better or worse. As the new Moon separates from an amicable configuration with Jupiter you should have the good grace to know where the glare of entitlement obscures your ability to communicate the well intended fine print you’re establishing in commitments of exchange and shared resources.

Virgo

You may be on the cusp of signing an agreement with a new partnership, event, or employment opportunity. As the new Moon in Pisces occurs in your seventh house of relationships, you’re primed to float in an adaptable state of mind as you unpack the terms of a new opportunity that comes with understandable concern and unknowns. Mercury, your guiding planet is in the first degree of Aries. This is a place of determined action and foresight into an offer that may affect your visibility and trade offs. As Mercury applies to a persuasive configuration with Pluto in your sixth house of toil your powers of deliberation are uncompromising, ensuring you have considered deeply how this relationship will, or not benefit all involved.

Libra

The emotional effects of your career or calling may be going through a tidal change as
murky boundaries and circumstances among colleagues have created an elusive
environment. The Moon meets the Sun in Pisces in your sixth house of toil and stress
between a turbulent brew of Saturn and Neptune. Unstable leadership in the workplace
may be going through growing pains as well. As Venus, your planetary ruler transits the
last degrees of don't-take-it-personal Aquarius, your best approach at this time is some healthy detachment from the tendency to take on the role of reconciler. When Venus soon enters Pisces in your sixth house you should feel a restored sense of balance where
you’re able to refocus on the quiet strength you bring to your work.

Scorpio

The new Moon occurs in your fifth house where our senses are aroused by courtship, risk, and pleasure. In a portion of Pisces associated with passionate Mars, this is a vital month for basking in creatively sensual opportunities. These opportunities may involve your talents and matters close to the heart. This is a utopian focused new Moon. So it’s aware of limitations providing just enough grip to create a spark of unorthodox friction. When seeded with erotic fantasy it can be applied to pleasures of the intellect, material, or flesh. With your ruler Mars in the later degrees of Aquarius, there will be little desire to make sense of new pleasures you are seeking. With a supportive aspect involving Jupiter in your seventh house of relationships, trust that the risks you’re taking is a force that makes all fountains of pro and co-creation possible.

Sagittarius

You have been especially concerned with how to integrate a life of healthy work, play, and a feeling of belonging. Tracing the divide between a fruitful and pleasing personal life with variable resources has felt like a source of stress this year. Recently, as Mercury coursed Pisces, you may have experienced a final straw suffering further dissolution in the emotional tug and pull of merging a place to articulate your talents upon a sound foundation. The Moon joins the Sun in your fourth house of origins, or a place to bring matters of the heart and mind to rest. Consider remaining in close proximity to your chosen family in order for growing tender roots to discover osmosis again. Sometimes the wanderlust for change is vital and other times we need to remain in place long enough to realize the grass is not always greener elsewhere.  

Capricorn

The new moon in Pisces will occur in your third house of relatives, the familiar and communication. The Moon, who guides your seventh house of debates in love and war, is comfortable in the third house. Here you’re sensing clearly what is on the minds of others.  New Moons offer pause and deep insight. In your case, there’s a need to sort through illusory messages received from a relative, partner, or collaborator. Saturn and Neptune, co-present with the new moon in Pisces further challenge you to make sense of a fictitious reality stemming from a wounding in the area of home and family life. Uncertain where your thoughts and words may take you, your planetary guide Saturn here offers careful considerations that are objective yet discerning enough to reach the marrow of the situation.

Aquarius

This month will be a sobering time with the handling of material possessions and financial assets. The Moon will meet the Sun in your second house of sustenance. This will initiate a month where recent shakes on the home and work front have made peace of mind a more sensitive issue. Notice where embarrassment arises in the potential of fluctuating life circumstances beyond your control and the tendency to act as if there is nothing to worry about. No need for poker face. Rather, look your circumstances straight in the eye during this new moon with a forgiving embrace. Jupiter in your fourth house of stability, who guides your streams of livelihood, is in a supportive aspect this new Moon. Trust that at minimum a place to call home right now is no match for the ebb and flow of expendable goods.

Pisces

You’re focused this month on the susceptibility of your bodily senses. The new moon in your sign Pisces occurs in your first house of the mind and body where you register the influence of your immediate environments. This month may feel like you are being led by remote control. The Moon is symbolic of shadows and guides your sense of bodily pleasures. The Sun is symbolic of radiance and guides your awareness of service and dutifulness. As the Moon and Sun meet between contradictory Saturn and Neptune, making good sense of what brings you pleasure in your world right now may feel like mixing oil and water. There is a quite literal confluence of opposites here where determining your sense of satisfaction remains a slippery, shifting, and unamable feeling at this time.

Story and Imagery by Shane Powers, Enon Valley Astrology

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Trends at Paris Déco Off 2024

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A deco styled room with a flower shaped dining table and three stool type chairs to show off a display at Paris Deco Off 2024.

Each January, interior showrooms in Paris display their latest wares during Paris Déco Off, a city-wide event open to the public. The presentations center around fabrics, wall coverings, and trim, and there is much beauty to see. The St. Germain area (also known as the 6th arrondissement) has a concentration of great venues— including Schumacher, Pierre Frey, Jim Thompson, and Dedar —that are pretty much heaven on earth.

While in the area, be sure to pop into the excellent spice shop Compagnie Francaise des Poivres et des Epices at 7 Rue de Furstenberg. They stock ethically sourced spices from around the world in an apothecary-like shop. The little tins make perfect gifts. And when you’re ready for a break, it’s always fun to hang out at Les Deux Magots (6 Place Saint-Germain des Prés) which, despite its fame, is still a perfect place for a coffee or a kir.

To the left an image of a bedroom with dark burgundy walls has a dark blue bed in the photo while on the right a dark blue cushion chair sits on a blue background.

Left: Yugen is a purple textured wallpaper from Arte has the appearance of a (very chic) brick wall. The surface has an appealing suede-like texture to boot. Right: Déjà Vu Jamais is a cotton Jacquard velvet with a maze-like pattern in thick pile. It looks especially delicious in this sapphire hue.

Purple (with a side of Deep Blue)

Jewel tones showed up everywhere, and manufacturers weren’t shy about bold, saturated colors. Purple was popular, as was cobalt and other deep blues, plus amethyst and ruby.

To the left is a deco styled dining room table with three chairs and a funky lamp. To the right is a beige deco living room with low, rounded couches.

Left: Prelle’s Paris showroom was done up in a wild disco mashup of color and form by architectural firm Uchronia in collaboration with Passementerie Verrier and fabrics by Prelle. Right: There were a lot of groovy patterns and 70s color palettes in Paris, but this Deco-like display by Zinc Textile was among the very best.

Disco/Deco

An interesting overlap of the graphic punch of the 60s and 70s with the curvy elegance of the 20s and 30s resulted in some very powerful designs. Some skewed more disco, others more Deco.

On the left is a couch that's half grey in color and half black and white flower patterns. On the right is a table that has red block patterns facing different directions in a living room.

Left: Patterns that might not go together were nevertheless paired. Sahco mixed an animal print with an over-scale floral to great success. Right: While not technically part of Déco Off, Mahdavi’s showroom is a short walk from St. Germain, and there she confidently played with color and scale.

Playing with Pattern and Scale

Designers weren’t at all shy with pattern this year, and that included mixing and mismatching different—seemingly unrelated—prints. The results were often revelatory.

On the left a white couch sits in front of a brown grasscloth while on the right a cabinet sits in front of a teal grasscloth.

Left: A combination of old school and new, this wow-factor grasscloth played with contrasting graphics and rich texture. Right: Grasscloth chowed up in ways you wouldn’t expect, as a surprising backdrop for modern geometrics (here a take on the classic trellis) where you’d expect something glossier at Jim Thompson.

Grasscloth Reimagined

The natural fiber wall covering is often used to provide a backdrop that relies on texture. But this year there were many dynamic patterns and unexpected uses.

On the left is a living room decorated with bright pops of abstract color while on the right huge paintings of flowers cover the walls and all the furniture is in a black and white stripe pattern.

Left: Print by artist Emily Jackson for Pierre Frey. A little bit Matisse—yet completely original—it’s designed to create a sense of optimism and joy. Right: Paying homage to the haute couture world from which its creator comes, this paper from Christian Lacroix Maison for Designers Guild depicts a sort of forest of imaginary flowers. 

Artistic Intentions

Collaborations with artists and designers are popular in the fabric and wall covering world, and this season had no shortage of top notch results from these meetings of the mind.

Story by Stephen Treffinger

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Crispy Chicken Thighs with Leeks and Mushrooms

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A plate full of crispy chicken thighs in leeks and mushrooms with wine and a salad nearby.

Author and food writer Lidey Heuck created this special Crispy Chicken Thighs with Leeks and Mushrooms recipe just for TABLE Magazine. The recipe comes ahead of the release of her first book, Cooking in Real Life. This cookbook is an homage to simple, doable recipes that you can make any night of the week with the ingredients in your home. Also with a forward by Ina Garten, it’s filled with recipes that will become staples for your kitchen.

A cutting board holds chopped up mushrooms and leeks with salt and pepper sitting in little bowls.

Is a Leek an Onion?

A leek is not the same as an onion but they do come from the same family, giving them some similar qualities such as their onion-y flavor. Leeks are much more mild than onions and come in a long shape. They’re also a bit sweeter so they do not overpower a dish like our Crispy Chicken Thighs.

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Crispy Chicken Thighs with Leeks & Mushrooms recipe in a skillet

Crispy Chicken Thighs with Leeks and Mushrooms


  • Author: Lidey Heuck
  • Yield: Serves 4

Description

A comfort meal perfect for a weeknight dinner.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 lb skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, about 46 thighs
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and more as needed
  • 1 large leek, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced, about 3 cups
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 8 oz cremini or shiitake mushrooms, or a mix, cleaned and 1-inch diced
  • 3 large garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • Chopped fresh parsley, for serving


Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and heat a large 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and then season them with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Add the oil to the skillet and then working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding, place the chicken thighs in the pan, skin-side down. Cook for 4-6 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and the chicken releases easily from the pan. Flip and cook for 1 more minute on the other side, then transfer to a plate and set aside.
  3. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the leeks and thyme to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are tender but still bright green, 3-5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’ve released their water, about 5 more minutes. (Add a splash of olive oil if the pan looks dry at any point.) Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute, until fragrant.
  4. Add the wine and cook, scraping the bottom of the skillet, until almost all the liquid in the pan has evaporated. Off the heat, stir in the mustard, along with ½ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
  5. Return the chicken thighs to the pan, skin-side up, nestling them into the vegetables. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the chicken thighs are cooked through. (An internal thermometer inserted into the center of a thigh should then read anywhere from 175-190 degrees.)
  6. Cool for at least 10 minutes, then sprinkle with parsley, salt and pepper and serve directly from the skillet.

A woman chops up a leek on a wooden cutting board with a few mushrooms nearby.

Recipe by Lidey Heuck
Photography by Tara Donne

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Lidey Heuck Releases First Book ‘Cooking in Real Life’

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Lidey Heuck smiles on a yellow sofa in her home with her head rests on her fist and a black blouse on.

A typical day for Lidey Heuck starts with a decent breakfast — so she doesn’t start cooking with the needle on empty. “It’s like how you shouldn’t go grocery shopping hungry. Then you’re not distracted.” She definitely needs to stay focused: In addition to developing recipes for the New York Times, Heuck has a blog, Lidey Likes, where she shares recipes, entertaining ideas, and travel stories. Her first book, Cooking in Real Life, comes out this month from Simon and Schuster. We met up in Central Park one sunny day (she brought along her adorable dog, Winkie) to talk about her philosophy, process, and career.

Lidey Heuck cuts up mushrooms on a wooden cutting board in her kitchen.

Heuck grew up watching The Barefoot Contessa after school, and loved looking through Ina Garten’s books. When she graduated college, she took a leap of faith. “I got this harebrained idea that maybe I could work for her.” Through a connection, she sent Garten a note asking if she needed help with her social media. And, as a matter of fact, Garten did. “It was crazy lucky timing.” She started three weeks after graduation and stayed for over six years.

Working with a Legend

In addition to managing social media, she did everything from helping with the shopping to recipe testing. “Because I was a new cook, I think that was actually helpful. I was like a guinea pig, just a regular person making the recipes.” Over time, her role increased. “I really liked the recipe development process and — at Ina’s encouragement — I started developing my own.”

An interior kitchen with beige walls, a wooden dresser in the back, and a table with a green printed tablecloth.

She and Garten share a philosophy about food and home cooking: that people want really simple ingredients and simple recipes that are approachable and don’t take all day — yet are still in some way remarkable. “The thing I like about her recipes, and that I try to emulate in mine, is that there’s always a twist or something special that makes you come back to it.”

Creating Recipes for a Living

During her last six months with Garten, she began to develop recipes for the Times, mostly at night and on weekends. “They were growing like crazy and I pitched them a bunch of ideas.” This, she says, helped give her the confidence to strike out on her own. “I just felt ready for a new challenge. It was time.”

A living room interior shows a wick chair, a dark brown dresser with photos on top, and a small brown and black terrier dog in front of the dresser.

Because she felt she needed restaurant experience, she reached out to Erin French, who runs The Lost Kitchen in Freedom, Maine, saying she’d prep cook or do whatever was necessary. She was scheduled to begin in June 2020. Oops. But it turned out to be a fantastic experience. The restaurant managed to stay open with outdoor seating, and to maintain a farmers’ market for its hurting vendors. “It was great to have something to do, to get out of the house. All the weirdness contributed to it being a very special time.”

Trying Something New

Her testing process, done in her home kitchen, begins with a Word document containing a sketch of a recipe, an educated guess at the ingredients, with blanks left for amounts and other details. “It’s like a backbone, which I then print out and mark up.” The blanks — two shallots, a teaspoon of salt, cook for 10 minutes — get scribbled all over the page. She tries not to over- or underexplain, preferring a middle ground “where joy and practicality meet.”

A cover of the cookbook "Cooking in Real Life" by Lidey Heuck featuring a picture of a pasta recipe in a white dish.

She enjoys working outside of her comfort zone, like when the Times asked her to develop a recipe for prime rib, not part of her usual repertoire. “People want to feel confident when they’re going to spend a bazillion dollars on a hunk of meat and don’t want to mess it up.” Living in a rural area, she understands it can be hard to find ingredients. And while she’d love to have a top-notch stove and oven, having standard appliances makes sense, because “people are going to be working with similar equipment.” Where she probably differs from her reader is that her dining room table is covered with dishes, pots, and pans. “We more often than not will eat at the kitchen counter.” And a side benefit of cooking all day? She loves leftovers.

Check out a Crispy Chicken Thighs with Leeks and Mushrooms recipe that Lidey Heuck made just for TABLE Magazine. Plus, attend her Book Launch Party for Cooking in Real Life on March 13 at Bass and Bennett.

Story by Stephen Treffinger / Photography by Tara Donne

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Carmella Padilla’s Red Chile and Blue Corn Enchiladas

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Freshly made Red Chile and Blue Corn Enchiladas by Carmella Padilla sit on a table with a side of beans, salsa, and tomatoes nearby.

Carmella Padilla prepares her enchiladas as her 100-year-old mother always has — flat, or stacked, rather than rolled, with blue corn tortillas. She makes her until-now secret red chile recipe from chile caribe, a coarse-ground type of New Mexican red. The slightly fruity flavor, a good heat, and intense red color are all important. She gets her chile from Harvest Gifts in Tijeras, which can be ordered by mail (505.281.0696). Small pork cubes enrich the sauce, too. She recommends making the chile on the morning of the day you plan to serve it, or even a day ahead, so that the flavors meld fully. Carmella and Luis both enjoy topping each plate of enchiladas with a fried egg, a popular local variation, so feel free to add it. Learn more about the couple’s story and their home once you’ve made the recipe.

Carmella’s Red Chile and Blue Corn Enchiladas Recipe

INGREDIENTS

For Carmella’s Top-Secret Red Chile:

1 cup medium to hot dried chile caribe
Pinch or 2 of salt
Pinch or 2 of garlic salt
Approximately 2 cups water
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1/2-1 white or yellow onion, chopped
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2-2 lb pork stew meat, cut into cubes no larger than 1/2 inch

For the blue corn tortillas:

2-3 tbsp olive oil
8 blue corn tortillas (2 tortillas per serving)
About 4 cups grated Monterey Jack
Finely chopped white or yellow onion
Chopped tomato, lettuce, and avocado
Fried eggs, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In a blender, combine the chile with salt, garlic salt, and about one-half of the water. Blend about 30 seconds then pour in the additional water, and blend again for about a full minute. The chile mixture should become extremely smooth. Stir up from the bottom and blend a bit longer, if needed.
  2. Warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until the onion is softened and translucent. Stir in the pork and continue cooking, until the meat has released its juices and is beginning to brown, about 10 more minutes. Pour in the red chile mixture and simmer for about 30 to 40 minutes, until the pork is tender and the mixture reduced somewhat. It should still be very spoonable. Add a little more water, if needed for the proper consistency. Let the chile sit at room temperature for an hour, or refrigerate it for at least several hours, or up to overnight. (If refrigerated, reheat it before using.)
  3. Prepare the tortillas. Warm the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Dunk each tortilla in the oil and let it soften, a matter of a few seconds. Drain the tortillas on paper towels and reserve.
  4. Shortly before serving the enchiladas, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Assemble each portion of enchiladas on a separate heatproof plate. On each, spoon out several tablespoons of the red chile. Top with a tortilla. Add a generous 1/2 cup of red chile, fully covering the tortilla, then sprinkle on about a tablespoon of onion, and about 1/2 cup of cheese. Repeat with another tortilla, more chile, onion, and cheese. (Any leftover chile can be kept for up to several days to top or accompany other dishes.) Build the additional enchiladas in the same way.
  5. Bake the plates of enchiladas for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly in spots. Garnish with tomato, lettuce, and avocado. Serve immediately

Recipe by Carmella Padilla / Story by Cheryl Alters Jamison / Photography by Tira Howard 

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Apple Pie

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A baked pie sits in a pie tin with a slice of apple pie sitting on a brown plate in front of the pie, topped with an anise star.

The homemade apple pie of my early childhood was enveloped in a flaky lard crust. After my grandmothers retired from baking, my mom—and it seemed like everyone else—succumbed to the ease of grocery store freezer-section pies. For holidays, a local bakery pie might come to the table. None had the flavor and texture of the old days, but I didn’t know what was missing. On my 1977 visit to Santa Fe, I was treated to dinner at the venerable Pink Adobe. The combo plate was satisfying, but the pie dazzled me. Cinnamon-scented apple slices were surrounded by the crust of my childhood. I discovered that lard was the secret adding flakiness and an elusive savoriness to the crust. Most pie recipes say it’s fine to substitute a store-bought crust but it’s not fine. Go to the effort to make your own and find yourself transported.

Print

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Homemade apple pie with flaky lard crust, cinnamon-scented apples, and golden-brown top crust.

Apple Pie


  • Author: Cheryl Alters Jamison
  • Yield: 9-inch Pie 1x

Description

There’s nothing quite like a classic Apple Pie to end your day.


Ingredients

Scale

For the flaky pie crust:

  • 1¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • ¾ tsp fine sea salt
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut in small cubes, well-chilled
  • 4 tbsp lard, well chilled
  • 2 tbsp vegetable shortening, well chilled
  • 34 tbsp ice water

For the apple pie filling:

  • lb apples, preferably a combination of tart and sweet, peeled and sliced thin
  • ¼ cup + tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 3 tbsp packed light or dark brown sugar
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp fine sea salt
  • Juice of ½ lemon, optional
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut in small bits

For the topping:

  • 2 tbsp milk or 1 egg white, beaten lightly
  • Turbinado sugar or other coarse granulated sugar


Instructions

  1. Grease a 9-inch pie pan.
  2. Prepare the pie crust. In a food processor, pulse together the flour and salt, then scatter the butter over the flour and quickly pulse several times just to submerge the butter. Scoop the lard and shortening into small spoonfuls and scatter them over the flour-butter mixture. Pulse again quickly, several more times, until they disappear into the flour too. Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of the ice water and pulse again quickly, just until the water disappears.
  3. Dump the mixture onto a pastry board or work surface. Then Lightly rub the dough with your fingers, adding more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed. When the dough holds together if compacted with your fingers, stop. It’s ready. Divide the dough in half and press each half into a fat disk. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  4. Roll out each dough disk on a floured surface into a thin round an inch or two larger than the pie pan. Arrange the crust in the pie pan, avoiding stretching it. Even out any ragged edges, leaving about ¾ to 1 inch of dough overhanging the pan. Then refrigerate both crusts for about 15 additional minutes.
  5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees then form a drip pan for the lower shelf of the oven, turning up the sides of a large piece of foil.
  6. Prepare the filling, first placing the apples in a large bowl. Then combine the granulated sugar and cornstarch, and spoon half of the mixture into the bottom pie crust. Stir the rest of the sugar-cornstarch mixture into the apples, and then mix with the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Spoon the filling into the crust and dot with butter. Top with the second crust and then crimp the edge neatly. Cut several vent holes. Embellish the top crust with any remaining pieces of dough and cut decoratively if you wish. Brush the top with milk, then sprinkle lightly with turbinado sugar. Finally cover the edge of the pie with a strip of foil.
  7. Bake the pie for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Continue baking for 45-50 additional minutes, removing the foil strip when about 20 minutes of baking time remain. The pie is done when the crust is golden brown and flaky. Let the pie cool for at least 1 hour, to allow the juices to be reabsorbed. Slice into wedges and serve.

 

Recipe adapted from American Home Cooking © 1999 Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison

Recipe and Story by Cheryl Alters Jamison / Styling by Merrie O’Donnell and Keith Recker / Photography by Dave Bryce

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