I decided that rather than look up a recipe, I would make up my own, putting things together and tasting and tasting until it seemed right.

After all, it’s kind of hard to mess up a chickpea salad. You start with some chickpeas, oil, acid, and fresh herbs. Then you add salt and tons of freshly cracked black pepper, and whatever else you think will taste good together, and voilà.

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Random chickpea salad

Serves 4 as a side

2 (15-oz) cans of chickpeas, rinsed and drained, as dry as possible
Juice from 1 lemon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced into half moons
1/2 teaspoon gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
1 tablespoon chopped pepperoncini, and a splash of pepperoncini brine
Handful of fresh mint, roughly chopped
Maldon flaky salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, then taste. You’re guaranteed to need to add more of something: lemon juice, another splash of the pepperoncini brine, salt, black pepper, etc.

2. Enjoy some and save the leftovers in the refrigerator for the next day, when it will taste even better.

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I always find it odd when people tell me they’ve never had the combination, made famous by the 1998 film The Parent Trap. It’s Americana at its finest. In this all-in-one version, the peanut butter, Oreos, and malt powder are like a milky peanut butter Oreo in a less messy package.

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Parent Trap Cookies

Makes 20-22 cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (113 grams)
Heaping 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (150 grams)
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed (175 grams)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons whole milk
Heaping 1 cup bread flour (155 grams)
4 tablespoons packed malted milk powder (~45 grams)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
6 classic Oreos (70 grams)
150 grams semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate bar

1. Combine butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until fluffy, stopping mid-way to scrape down the sides, about 2 minutes.

2. Stop the mixer and add the vanilla extract, egg, egg yolk, and milk. Mix for 15-20 seconds on medium speed until just combined.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together bread flour, malted milk powder, salt, and baking soda.

4. Add dry ingredients to bowl of stand mixer and mix on low until just combined, no more than 10 seconds. It’s okay if there are still spots of dry flour.

5. Blend Oreos and chocolate chips in a blender for a few pulses until you have a soil-like texture.

6. Mix Oreo chocolate mixture into the dough, just a few seconds on low with the stand mixer. Avoid over-mixing.

7. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to chill the dough.

8. When the dough is done chilling, preheat your oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

9. Scoop the dough into 1.5 tablespoon balls onto parchment paper, keeping space between the dough for it to spread while baking.

10. Bake for 10 minutes, until puffy. Allow to cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to completely cool.

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The Postcard Club is a small group of people who get a signed photo print in their mailbox each month. You can use the cards as artwork or actually send them as postcards.

New subscribers get 20% off through August 1st. That’s $48 for a full year of 12 prints (normally $60), mailed right to your door.

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Check out my website if you’re interested in documentary-style photography for your family or food business.

I love to start new creative hobbies. I used to think of it as a defect: the way I can walk into a craft store and spend $200 on art supplies to create something in a medium I’ve never used before. But lately I actually think it’s one of my gifts. To just jump into a new creative outlet without hesitation. To dedicate myself regardless of whether I think it’s going to become a lifelong practice or not.

It’s like a puzzle: looking at a kind of artwork you admire and then trying to figure out how it works.

Back in February, a coworker gave a few colleagues and me Valentine’s Day cards she’d created by block printing a design onto each one. I’ve had mine hanging in my office, and it’s been reminding me how much I enjoyed the single time we got to make prints in art class back in middle or high school. I don’t know exactly how many years ago that was…probably almost 20. So here we are, making prints! Better late than never.

I hope this guide will help you get started with block printing if it’s something you’ve wanted to try. But at the very least, I hope this post inspires you to go spend some money on art supplies and play.

SUPPLIES

Must Haves
I listed the brands I am using and liking where applicable, but don’t let that stop you from using something else if you already have it or prefer a different brand.

• Tracing Paper

• Graphite Sketch Pencils: Faber-Castell Graphic Sketch Pencil Set

• Erasers: Staedtler Mars Plastic Eraser

• Printmaking Blocks: Speedball Speedy Carve Blocks or Mounted Linoleum Blocks, start with smaller sizes while you’re learning, such as 3 x 4”

• Permanent Markers: Sharpie Ultra Fine Tip, Black

• Cutter Set: Speedball or Mikisyo Power Grip Chisel Set

• Block Printing Ink Set: Speedball 6 Color Set

• Inking Surface: a piece of glass from an old picture frame works great, or a paper plate in a pinch

• Brayer: Speedball Deluxe Hard Rubber Brayer

• Printmaking Paper: Strathmore 300 Series Printmaking Paper

• Bandages: for when you inevitably slip

Nice to Haves

• Cutting Mat

• Scrap Paper: Strathmore 300 Series Newsprint Paper

• Printer to print images that you may want to trace

STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS

STEP 1: Draw or trace an image onto tracing paper with a graphite pencil. I like to mark the paper with the outline of my printing block so I know exactly how much space I have.

STEP 2: Place the tracing paper graphite-side down on your block and rub the back to transfer the image. Depending on how complicated the design is, you may next want to trace it with a fine-tip Sharpie. The pencil lines will smudge as you’re carving, but Sharpie won’t.

STEP 3: Begin to carve your block! There’s a learning curve here in figuring out exactly what to carve and what to leave behind. A simple way to start is to just carve the lines of your image away. As you get more experienced, you may start to play with carving away more of the background, or consider how to incorporate multiple colors by creating the same design on multiple blocks, each with different parts carved away.

STEP 4: Ink your block. Squeeze some ink onto a piece of glass and roll your brayer in it like a paint roller until it’s lightly covered in ink. You’ll need to practice rolling the ink onto your design to figure out the technique that works. This is where having newsprint or scrap paper helps. Press your block onto your paper, then gently lift it away to reveal your print.

STEP 5: Wash your block with soap and water when you’re done using it.

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Check out my website if you’re interested in documentary-style photography for your family or food business.

POSTCARD CLUB

The Postcard Club is a small group of people who get a signed photo print in their mailbox each month. You can use the cards as artwork or actually send them as postcards.

New subscribers get 20% off through August 1st. That’s $48 for a full year of 12 prints (normally $60), mailed right to your door.

Get 20% off for 1 year

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People say bananas are the perfect portable snack. I say wrap up a Rice Krispies treat instead: even better.

For as long as I can remember, I've given my Rice Krispies treats a little smush before eating them, to make them more compact. Which is exactly why I wrote this recipe. These bars are dense enough that you don’t need to smush them (if that was always weirdly your thing too). The trick is blending some of the cereal into a fine flour, which gives them that density.

I've given very specific ingredient brands here because they really matter. I've tried Whole Foods' store-brand "rice cereal," for example, and it just didn't have the right texture. Kerrygold butter makes them taste so much richer. Bourbon vanilla bean paste makes them adorably speckled. And the rainbow sprinkles are the perfect silly hat for an otherwise boring-looking bar.

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Brown butter & vanilla bean Rice Krispies treats

Makes 9 (giant!) treats, or 18 regular-sized ones

7½ cups (225 g) Kellogg’s Rice Krispies, divided — 7 cups (210 g) for mixing, ½ cup (15 g) for blending
2 tablespoons Carnation malted milk powder
1 cup (2 sticks / 226 g) Kerrygold unsalted butter
Two 12-oz bags (685 g) Jet-Puffed regular marshmallows
2 cups (100 g) Jet-Puffed mini marshmallows
1 tablespoons bourbon vanilla bean paste (I like Nielsen-Massey or Trader Joe’s)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
~1/3 cup rainbow sprinkles (try Watkins, which I think are the prettiest natural colored sprinkles), for topping

1. Grease an 8½ × 8½-inch pan (or whatever size you have) with canola oil spray, or butter it generously.

2. Add the ½ cup Rice Krispies and the malted milk powder to a blender. Blend until they reach the consistency of flour. Set aside.

3. Melt the butter in a large pot over low heat. Keep cooking, low and slow, until the milk solids turn toasty brown, about 5 minutes. Don’t walk away like I did once… it goes from brown to burnt fast, and wasting two whole sticks of butter is a tragedy.

4. Add the regular-sized marshmallows, vanilla bean paste, and salt. Keeping the heat low, stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the marshmallows are completely melted.

5. Remove from the heat. Stir in the blended Rice Krispie–malt mixture and the 7 cups whole Rice Krispies until everything is evenly coated. Gently fold in the 2 cups mini marshmallows, mixing as little as possible so they stay intact — those become the pockets of gooey marshmallow in the finished treats.

6. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan. Lightly wet your hands and press it firmly and evenly into the pan; the water keeps the marshmallow from sticking to you.

7. Scatter rainbow sprinkles generously over the top, pressing lightly so they stick.

8. Let cool completely before cutting, at least 1 hour.

Join The Postcard Club

The Postcard Club is a small group of people who get a signed print in their mailbox each month. You can use the cards as artwork or actually send them as postcards.

New subscribers get 20% off through August 1st. That’s $48 for a full year of 12 prints (normally $60), mailed right to your door. A pretty good deal, if you ask me!

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Also, July's print is going to be a little different. I've been playing with block printing, so next month you'll get a handmade block print.

The start of CSA season is a very exciting time in our household. It means that every Friday for the next six months, we’re getting a box of fresh local vegetables, fruits, bread, milk, eggs, meats, cheeses, and more delivered to our doorstep. This is the best 6 months of every year.

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The first box almost always includes garlic scapes. Last year, I had no idea what to do with them, but as a chef, of course Max did. Last June he made this pasta, and I remember being blown away by how simple and perfect it was. So much so that I took a bad photo of my mostly empty bowl just so we'd remember to make it again the following June. Well…now is the following June!

(If you live in the delivery range of Flocktown Farm and aren’t part of the CSA, get on the waitlist and sign up early for 2027.)

Garlic scapes & rainbow chard rigatoni

1/2 lb thick-cut bacon, finely diced
1 bunch of garlic scapes, thinly sliced
1 bunch of rainbow chard, stems separated from leaves, stems diced, leaves sliced into 1/2 inch ribbons
2 tablespoons capers
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 egg yolks
1 cup microplaned Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1 lb rigatoni
Kosher salt
Lots of freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

1. In a saute pan over medium heat, render the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and set it aside, leaving the fat in the pan.

2. Add the garlic scapes and rainbow chard stems to the bacon fat. Sauté until they develop color, 3–4 minutes. Add the capers and continue cooking over medium-low until everything deepens further, another 3–4 minutes. Turn off the heat.

3. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook the rigatoni until al dente, reserving at least a cup of pasta water before draining.

4. While the pasta cooks, shake the cream, Parmesan, egg yolks, and a truly generous amount of black pepper (50+ grinds) together in a mason jar until combined.

5. Return the sauté pan to low heat. Add the chard leaves and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the drained pasta and toss to combine. Pour in the cream mixture and toss until the sauce turns silky, adding pasta water a few tablespoons at a time if it tightens up. Toss in the reserved bacon. Taste and add salt as needed. Finish with more cheese, black pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

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The Postcard Club is a small group of people who get a signed print in their mailbox each month. You can use the cards as artwork or actually send them as postcards.

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Aperol & Rum Grapefruit Sour

Bonus for paid subscribers: a perfect drink for pairing with your pasta

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In mid-May, I began noticing a new stray cat slinking across our yard. There are at least a dozen stray cats in our neighborhood, so this was nothing especially notable. Except for the fact that I had never seen this particular one before, and he was coming quite close to the house.

Most of our cat neighbors keep a healthy distance, only watching us from their perch on a fence, or scurrying away under a car when they see us walking our dog.

This cat would appear walking just a few feet away from the window in the corner of my eye while I was typing an email. I’d jump up to look out and only catch him for a second before he disappeared to wherever the cats go.

I’m not sure of exactly when he became a daily visitor, but at some point in the last two weeks, he began coming by reliably every single day, often peering through our back glass door at Duck, our indoor cat. They would sit side by side, separated by the thick glass of the door, like two best friends. One locked inside and wishing to go explore, the other with all the freedom in the world, looking for something stable and familiar.

Noting their closeness, and this stray cat’s coloring, the name “Goose” came naturally as I began feeling the need for a name for this cat that was the subject of many of our daily conversations. We soon began to offer him some of Duck’s cat food, which he devoured each time and then sat sleepily on the porch watching the robins and cardinals fly in and out of the garden.

Every day, he seemed to grow insatiably curious about what was going on inside our house. Upon closer inspection, we noticed he had a wound on his left side. It was about the size of a pencil eraser, and looked serious.

After he showed up for breakfast and dinner every day for the next three days, we noticed his wound was starting to look worse, not better. We hatched a plan to catch him and bring him to our vet. We would put his food inside of a cat carrier, and then simply shut the door while he was distracted and eating.

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We called our vet on Memorial Day to leave a message about trying to bring him in the next day, and she generously returned our call that afternoon.

“What is your plan for Goose?” she asked.

We had to begin to think through this beyond just fixing the wound. Would we adopt Goose? We weren’t looking for another cat, but it seemed that the cat distribution system had different plans.

We agreed that our goal was to welcome Goose to the family in one way or another, if he would be amenable to it.

Our first attempts to catch Goose didn’t go well. Sensing us coming up behind him in the cat carrier, he would turn quicker than human eyes could register, and jump out of the crate before our hands could reach the metal door.

Our next idea was to use our larger dog crate. By putting the food in the back of that crate, he would be just inside far enough that we might be able to close the door faster than he could jump out. On Wednesday morning, he was groggy from sleep as I fed him, and Max simply shut the door.

He wasn’t happy to be captured. His paws jabbed out of the holes in the crate. You could see that he was deep in thought as he paused, inspecting the place, looking for a way to escape. But after a few minutes of meowing and pacing, he settled down and continued to eat his breakfast.

Max took him to the vet that morning, where they generously offered to surgically repair the wound, neuter him, and provide all the basic care he needed (bloodwork, vaccines, etc.) at a discounted price. They would call us later in the day with an update.

The vet called us while Goose was anesthetized and told us we could have 5 minutes to decide what to do, but the news was not good. Goose tested positive for feline immunodeficiency virus. His wound was so deep that it reached from his shoulder down to his elbow. His teeth were damaged. He would need a four-month rabies quarantine, because the vet could not determine that the wound was not an animal bite.

Did we want to pay for the surgery and care, with all of this new knowledge? We decided we had no choice. In just a few days of regularly showing up at our door, he had become part of the family. Of course we would move forward with the treatment.

After a brief recovery, we had to let Goose back outside. Keeping him would have meant four months shut alone in one room: no yard, no birds, no Duck at the glass, no basking in the summer sun in the grass.

We worried we might never see our buddy again, and after about 24 hours of him not showing up for his normal meals, we began to expect the worst. But then one morning, I peered back at the door, and saw him standing in his spot, like he had never left.

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Every day we play the same game with him. We wake up and check to see if he’s arrived yet for his continental breakfast. If not, we check the door again every time we pass by to make sure we don’t miss him. Then he’s off for the day, but never fails to come back by 7 PM for his dinner.

The relationship we have with Goose is beautiful in ways that are so different from our pets that live inside our house. Whoever spots him first at the door yells, “Hey everybody! Goose is here!”, and then we all run downstairs to peer at him through the window as he eats his meal. Our behavior is a lot like that of pets whose owner has returned from a mysterious outing. We don’t know what his life is like outside of the fact that he eats two meals a day here, and likes the company of Duck.

We were sitting outside recently drinking piña coladas and talking about Goose, and Max remarked that we would need to call him “gosling”, since we already refer to Duck as “duckling”. I laughed that the word made me think of Ryan Gosling more than a baby bird. And then I quickly pulled up a YouTube video to show Max.

Giggling, I smiled, “It’s perfect,” as Ryan Gosling looked Rachel McAdams in the eyes and said, “If you’re a bird, I’m a bird.”

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Join The Postcard Club

The Postcard Club is a small group of people who get a signed print in their mailbox each month. You can use the cards as artwork or actually send them as postcards.

If that sounds like your kind of thing, become a paid subscriber and you’ll get your first print in June.

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They’re shaped by twisting two strands of dough together and then forming a circle, though the whole almonds make the task more difficult than it may sound. They’re baked twice, like biscotti: once to cook the dough, and then again a day later to dry the almonds.

Neapolitans recommend they’re consumed with a glass of cold beer while sitting near the water. Even better if you crack one in half and wrap a slice of prosciutto around it like grissini. It’s pork fat wrapped around pork fat.

One of these days I’ll try to source lard good enough to replicate them and formulate a recipe, but for now, just photos and a recommendation not to miss them if you find yourself in Naples.

Here’s the food tour we enjoyed with the team at Taralleria Napoletana.

Join The Postcard Club

The Postcard Club is a small group of people who get a signed print in their mailbox each month, sometimes from places like this.

It’s $6/month or $60/year, and you can use the cards as artwork or actually send them as postcards.

If that sounds like your kind of thing, become a paid subscriber and you’ll get your first print in June.

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Book a Photography Session

My calendar is open for family and business branding sessions in 2026! Check out my work at www.sodabreadstudio.com and use code READER for $100 off any session.

Here’s one of my favorites from a recent family session.

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Focaccia bread is low effort, high reward. It requires no kneading, just a loose sense of timing and a desire to eat better (way better) sandwiches.

I make focaccia bread all the time, but every time I make it I think I could make a small tweak to improve it, so I never published a recipe for it. I’ve tried sourdough-only focaccia and commercial yeast versions, and have finally settled on the fact that you can and should have both.

Sourdough delivers on flavor, while commercial yeast makes it impossibly bubbly, and ensures that you never have to worry that your sourdough won’t rise as much as you’d like.

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My hottest tip is that you start the focaccia 1 day ahead of when you want to eat it. For example, if you want to eat focaccia for dinner at 6 PM tomorrow, mix your levain (which is just a portion of the dough made sour ahead of time) tonight at 6 PM.

In the morning, you’ll make the final dough and let it rest in the refrigerator until around lunch time. Then you’ll take it out of the refrigerator and slap it onto a sheet pan for a few hours to finish rising before baking. If you need to stretch any timelines, the most flexible one is the period when the dough is in the refrigerator. You could leave it for up to 24 hours and still have something workable.

Levain
150 grams all-purpose flour
150 grams water, room temperature
50 grams ripe sourdough starter (fed within the last 24 hours or so is ideal)

Final Dough
Levain from above
500 grams water, room temperature
15 grams honey
2 teaspoons active dry yeast (I use Saf-Instant)
5 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
600 grams all-purpose flour
1/4 cup olive oil, for the bowl

For Baking
Non-stick pan spray
2 tablespoons olive oil
~1 teaspoon Maldon flaky salt

1. Mix the levain ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a silicon bowl cover, and let sit on the countertop for 12 hours. It will be very bubbly after 12 hours have passed.

2. In a large bowl, combine the levain, water, honey, yeast, and salt. Mix until you have a very thin, watery batter.

3. Add the all-purpose flour, and mix until you have a shaggy, loose dough gathered into the center of the bowl.

4. Pour 1/4 cup olive oil into the bowl around the sides of the dough, and flip the dough to coat in the oil.

5. Cover and place into the refrigerator for 6 hours. This slows down the rising of the dough, which allows it to develop a more sour flavor while keeping the yeast under control.

6. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and keeping the dough in the bowl, fold one half over the other half. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat three more times.

7. Spray a sheet pan (approx. 18 x 13”) with non-stick spray and then put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the center. Turn your dough out onto the pan, and then flip it over once. Gently stretch it out a bit, but don’t worry about getting to the edges of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature until very puffy and jiggly, about 2-3 hours.

8. Preheat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the center.

9. Right before you put the dough into the oven, dimple the focaccia all over with your fingers like you’re playing the piano, going down all the way to touch the sheet pan. Sprinkle the top with Maldon flaky salt.

10. Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Remove onto a wire rack to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

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Thank you to everyone who joined Postcard Club!

I mailed the postcards for May on Saturday, so most of you should have received them by now. This month’s postcard was a 5x7 print of a photo I took in Ischia, Italy.

If you become a paid subscriber by mid-June, you’ll get on the list to receive next month’s postcard! Each month promises to be something special that you can save for yourself or pass along to someone else.

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I strongly believe that cakes should be made at home. If you can make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you can make a beautiful cake.

By beautiful, I mean, kind of messy, and lop-sided, and evidence of the fact that you’re a full-time human with lots of responsibilities other than baking cakes. It’s not meant to look professional, because you’re not one (probably). To me, the perfect cake is the one from Sleeping Beauty. Made by someone who maybe doesn’t make cakes very much, but wants to do something nice for a person.

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It feels like one of the most meaningful things to do for someone. To sit and think about what combinations of flavors and colors and sprinkles and flowers and fruits feel representative of a person, at this time in their life.

I get a lot of cake compliments and feel somewhat embarrassed by them, because I really think it’s something so much easier than people believe it to be.

In this article, I’m sharing my entire process. The very limited set of tools you need. Recipes that work every time. Ways you can use these basics to build something unique every time.

The Tools

As an owner of a large box (or two) of cake-specific decorating equipment (including that one cake pan that turns into a Barbie dress), I’ve narrowed down the most crucial items for you so you don’t end up taking up half of your daughter’s closet with baking equipment.

• Kitchen scale: If you don’t have one, you’re creating a lot more dishes for yourself and getting less precise bakes. Time to spend the $30, and you can even get it in purple.

• Parchment paper: any one is fine, make sure it’s not wax paper.

• Round cake pan(s): I use the same 3 cake pans from a grocery store that I have had for 10+ years most of the time. But if I was in the market for new cake pans, I would get these.

• A cake stand or flat plate (or circle cut out of cardboard, if you want), slightly larger in diameter than your cake pan.

• Small offset spatula: I have every version of a cake spatula that exists, and now realize all I ever needed was this.

The Cake

King Arthur’s Original Cake Pan Cake is aptly described as “low effort, high reward.” Created during the Great Depression, it requires no eggs, milk, or butter. It comes out with a texture similar to boxed cake mix (something I think is a good thing), never dry, never dense, just moist and fluffy and exactly how I like it. I’ve written the recipes below for your easy reference, and with a few of my personal tweaks, because I can’t help myself.

Chocolate Cake
Double for 2 layer cake, triple for 3 layer cake

1 1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (20g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (227g) water
1/3 cup (66g) vegetable oil
1 tablespoon (14g) cider vinegar or white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Lightly grease an 8-9” round cake pan (or more than one if you’re making a layer cake), and to make your life easier later, put a piece of parchment paper in the bottom. It doesn’t need to be a perfect circle in the bottom, just cover a decent amount of surface area, and don’t let it go up the sides.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients, stirring until thoroughly combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s). For a multi-layer cake, I put the pans on the kitchen scale and then pour the batter in equal amounts into each one. (When I say “equal”, I’m allowing for swings of 50 grams or so between pans…this is a homemade cake after all).

5. Bake the cake(s) for 30 to 35 minutes, until you can gently press the top and feel that it’s solid in the center.

6. Remove the cake(s) from the oven allow to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Vanilla Cake
Double for 2 layer cake, triple for 3 layer cake

2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (198g) water
1/2 cup (100g) vegetable oil
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
4 1/2 teaspoons (21g) cider vinegar or white vinegar
1 tablespoon (14g) vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Lightly grease an 8-9” round cake pan (or more than one if you’re making a layer cake), and to make your life easier later, put a piece of parchment paper in the bottom. It doesn’t need to be a perfect circle in the bottom, just cover a decent amount of surface area, and don’t let it go up the sides.

3. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

4. In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the water, vegetable oil, sugar, vinegar, and vanilla.

5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine. It’s okay for a few small lumps to remain.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s). For a multi-layer cake, I put the pans on the kitchen scale and then pour the batter in equal amounts into each one. (When I say “equal”, I’m allowing for swings of 50 grams or so between pans…this is a homemade cake after all).

7. Bake the cake(s) for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top feels set, and the edges are beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan.

8. Remove the cake(s) from the oven allow to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

The Buttercream

Buttercream is easy. Whip butter, add powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla, and any additional flavorings of your choice (ideas below). This recipe is adapted from Samantha Seneviratne’s version on New York Times Cooking…which I recommend subscribing to if you haven’t already. Worth it just for the holiday cookie content.

Buttercream
Makes enough for a 2 or 3-layer cake.
Cut in half if making a single layer or 12 cupcakes.

4 sticks Kerrygold unsalted butter, room temperature
600 grams powdered sugar (I’m too lazy to sift in this case, but you’re welcome to)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt
A tablespoon or two of heavy cream, as needed
+ flavorings of your choice to customize, ideas below

1. Beat the butter in your stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) for about 30 seconds. Slowly begin to add in powdered sugar while continuing to mix. Beware of powdered sugar explosions around your kitchen.

2. Once the powdered sugar is under control, add in the vanilla and salt.

3. Now, you need to continue to mix for much longer than you think. Let your stand mixer go for 3-4 minutes on medium-high speed. The buttercream will become very light and shiny. If it seems dry, add a tablespoon of heavy cream, then re-assess.

Buttercream Customizations

• Strawberry: Blend 30 grams of freeze-dried strawberries (Trader Joe’s has great ones) into a fine powder in your blender. Add to the buttercream.

• Lavender, Pistachio, Blue Raspberry (?!) Monin Syrups: If it can flavor your coffee, it can flavor your buttercream. Start with small amounts (a teaspoon or two) and add more to taste.

• Chocolate: Blend in cocoa powder, again starting with a tablespoon or two, and adding more depending on how strong you want the flavor to be.

• Lemon, Orange, Lime, Grapefruit: Use your microplane to zest your citrus, adding 1 tablespoon or so at a time.

Tips for Frosting & Decorating Your Cake

1. Make the cakes a few hours in advance of frosting them. The buttercream will slide right off a warm cake (if you've seen The Great British Baking Show, you know exactly what I mean). I usually bake cakes the day before and keep them wrapped in plastic wrap after they’ve cooled down.

2. Place your first layer of cake on the cake stand or plate, and then rip pieces of parchment paper and place them under the cake (pictured below). This will keep your cake stand clean while you frost the cake, and then you can remove them when you’re done.

3. Simple flowers and cut fruit are often the most beautiful decorations, and no piping skills are required! Just be sure to look up any flowers that you want to put on your cake to ensure they’re not toxic. If you’re worried about it, go with fruit instead!

4. Apply sprinkles right after frosting to ensure they stick. And use a sheet pan under your cake when applying sprinkles to avoid them living in the cracks in your floors forever.

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Now that you have the framework, go back to the person the cake is for.

Think about what flavors they love as a start. But also think about what colors you see them wearing. Their coffee or tea order. The TV show or movie they’re into right now. Walk the baking aisles and see what sprinkles are too adorable to leave behind.

Make something you haven’t seen in the grocery store or bakery, because it’s too specific and personal and imperfect to sell there.

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School Day Chocolate Chip Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
60 grams neutral oil (canola, avocado, etc.)
150 grams granulated sugar
30 grams molasses
110 grams sour cream
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
240 grams all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1 tablespoon pearl sugar, for topping

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, oil, sugar, molasses, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.

4. Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients and gently fold together, adding in the chocolate chips midway through mixing. Do not over-mix, a few streaks of flour are okay.

5. Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin liners and sprinkle tops with pearl sugar.

6. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until muffin tops are firm to the touch. Remove from the tray and cool on a rack.

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Poppies bursting through the ash and stone of Pompeii’s ruins
Cornflowers lean sideways through corridors
Butterflies drinking from white-flowered laurel buds
Clover filtering the morning sunlight
Bottlebrush climbing over stone walls
Mallows unfolding one by one

To be seen as part of a whole, and also one
Breath cool and shallow among dusty ruins
Gasping for air against walls
Roots thread through corridors
Sticks startled by sunlight
Confirmed to be alive by the tiniest buds

Petals unfurl from sleepy buds
One by one by one by one
Glimmering in sunlight
Do they know they’re among ruins?
Well-worn corridors?
Life bursting through deadly red walls

Our minds create delicate, purposeful walls
Brick by brick, the bodies that made way to buds
Protect us from dangerous corridors
Surely we aren’t the only one
Hiding from our own ruins
When our bodies are filled again with sunlight

Shovels bite the earth in search of sunlight
Over mountains, hills, walls
Drinking from their fountains, digging in their ruins
In search of ancient peoples, animals, buds
Relocating fragments of fallen ash one by one
Hoping they escaped from these wind-struck corridors

Distract ourselves as we walk these corridors
An eruption won’t black out our sunlight
Our generation won’t also become one
Trapped in the ground, collapsing roofs and walls
Our bodies awakening only as flower buds
Our stories unearthed as ruins

Ruins unearthed giving way to well-worn corridors
Dark, buried buds stretching out into sunlight
We watch flowers burst through someone’s freshly frescoed walls and know our lives are numbered: one

Grand Tour Experience Website

Interested in documentary-style photography for your family or business? Visit my website Soda Bread Studio.

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I was hesitant to let Max make pancakes. Although he’s a chef, I considered pancakes closer to the baking category, and this was my area to shine.

To my dismay, Max’s pancakes have proven time and time again to be the best ones I’ve ever had. Recently, he discovered a tip from Alton Brown about sifting the dry ingredients (I know, I didn’t want this to make a difference either, because we all hate sifting, right?), and it made them so good that I kind of lost my mind. I began to regret ever making pancakes any other way.

I will take credit for the addition of malted milk powder, though, and I really recommend you add it to basically everything, ever.

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Max’s Pancakes

240 grams King Arthur all-purpose flour
50 grams granulated sugar
3 tablespoons malted milk powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
4 tablespoons Kerrygold unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
2 1/4 cups whole milk buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For serving: Kerrygold salted butter and Runamok sugarmaker’s cut maple syrup

1. Sift dry ingredients together into a large bowl: flour, sugar, malted milk powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla.

3. Gently fold wet ingredients into dry — about 10-12 folds. Resist the urge to keep mixing. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes while you heat your pan.

4. Heat a cast-iron pan or griddle over medium heat. Grease with butter and pour about ⅓ cup batter per pancake. Cook until bubbles form on the surface and the sides begin to pull away from the pan, then flip once. Don’t flip back and forth. (Or if you’re like Max, ignore and eat the pancakes with a completely undercooked center.)

5. Serve with a pat of Kerrygold and a generous pour of maple syrup.

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But recently I've felt that grip of hesitation slacken. I've seen so many times how having "nothing" to get pictures of brings out my most creative instincts and best work.

Documentary photography takes one hour of your life, stamps it into permanence, and then reveals back to you the richness that's there in ordinary days. It's actually at its best when it's so unplanned that you let go of the expectation of getting something "good" to allow what’s great to surface. Which means you have to be willing to get going without a clear path in front of you. Let life unfold and practice noticing, and noticing, and noticing (click, click, click).

Here's just one hour of my Friday — dinner and a walk — staring back at me and reminding me how lucky I am, and how important it is to keep creating when the voices in my head are assuring me that I have nothing to offer. There is always something.

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Remember to become a paid subscriber for just $6/month to be part of my new postcard club! You’ll receive a printed photo each month in the mail starting in May. Enjoy 25% off annual plans with the link below.

Subscribe for 25% off

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I’ve been inspired by his work for years, starting when I first saw it appear in Alison Roman’s cookbooks. When I saw he had a way for people to support his work directly, I signed up immediately - both to support his art and because I thought I’d end up with some beautiful things to hang in my office as I continue building my own photography business.

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What I didn’t expect was how much I’d love just getting the mail.

Not bank statements, advertisements for life insurance, or coupons from the plumbing company I used two years ago. Just a photo I can hold in my hands, addressed to me, with a handwritten note on the back sharing some insight into the piece.

It made me want to do that for someone else.

Starting this month, I’m relaunching a paid tier for Soda Bread Studio subscribers: $6 per month, and I’ll mail you a postcard every month. One of my images, printed and sent to you, with a personal note on the back about the moment behind it.

Something you can hold that’s not a phone. A monthly surprise. Hopefully something you’ll want to hang up.

If you want in, click the button below. I’ll mail out my first set of postcards in mid-May (U.S. addresses only for now). And if a paid subscription isn’t for you right now, I’m grateful you’re here either way.

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Every once in a while I feel like I hit this sweet spot where I make a dinner that doesn’t take a long time and is still really satisfying to eat. Here’s one from last night, since it’s my understanding that most of us have a daily moment of panic 🙀 trying to decide what’s for dinner. It's really just a version of Turkish shepherd's salad, but you can sub in whatever you have: radishes, chickpeas, watermelon, peppers, apples, zucchini, fennel, etc.

Chop up some cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, and herbs. Toss them in a bowl with extra virgin olive oil, lemon or lime juice, and salt. Taste to make sure you got it right (I’m sure you did, but maybe add more salt). Slice halloumi and sear it in a hot pan that has been lightly coated in canola oil. Put the salad in your favorite bowl and top it with the crispy halloumi. If you need a side dish, I would love to recommend garlic bread.

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Extra butter and salt deepen the flavor, while the sugar in the dough is dialed up to echo the sweet pops of raisins. The result is a loaf with a buttery, tender crumb and a crackly, sugary crust that’s impossible to resist.

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For the cookie dough, adapted from Christina Tosi’s recipe:
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature (227 grams)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (100 grams)
2 cups all purpose flour (240 grams)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer on high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

2. Add flour and salt and mix until just combined. Form into a flat rectangle and refrigerate for about 20 minutes while your oven is preheating to 350°F.

3. When the dough is firm, dust your countertop with flour and roll the dough into a thin (~1/4 inch) rectangular sheet. Cut into about 24 cookies.

4. Place on parchment lined baking sheet and bake about 12 minutes, until bottoms are just starting to turn golden.

5. Cool on a wire rack before decorating.

For the blue cookies:
75 grams powdered sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon heavy cream (or milk or water)
1/8 teaspoon blue spirulina
Swedish pearl sugar

Combine powdered sugar, heavy cream, and spirulina. Mix until frosting consistency and spreadable.

For the chocolate cookies:
100 grams dark chocolate chips, melted in a glass bowl in the microwave
Rainbow sprinkles

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I’m still in early stages. I’m taking a few months to build thoughtfully, learn from experts, and set myself up for success. In February 2026, I’ll begin a five-month coaching program with the incredible photographer and educator Elena S Blair. During our initial conversation, she reminded me how important it is to clearly define my niche.

I’ve always said I love food photography, but when I pushed myself to dig a little deeper, I was brought back to some of my favorite images that have been sitting in a small vision board folder in my Google Drive.

Both could be categorized as food photography, but in each, the presence of a person is essential to making it a great image.

That was my lightbulb moment. There is food, and there are people. Both are fun to photograph on their own, but for me, the excitement lives in capturing the moment where they meet.

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Looking back through my own camera roll, the puzzle pieces started to click. Last weekend, when I brought my camera along on a family trip to Princeton, NJ, this image immediately stood out as my favorite from the day.

I could photograph a perfect mug of hot cocoa, steam rising against a styled backdrop. And I could take a cute photos of my kids in their winter coats, smiling next to a Christmas tree.

Or, I could capture the moment when tiny, freezing hands reach so eagerly for that hot cocoa they nearly spill it, and bigger hands rush in to steady the cup holder. That’s the image that stays with me.

To me, these photos hold memories. They’re so vivid I feel like I can step right back into the moment. That’s the work I want to continue to make.

If you live in New Jersey/NYC and would like to help me build my portfolio, please reach out, or share this post!

I’m offering three free Saturday sessions in January or February to families where we’ll capture images of you and your loved ones interacting with food (cooking a meal, grocery shopping, making ice cream sundaes, enjoying takeout…whatever!).

More to come… but I’m excited to finally begin!

If you have Instagram, you can also follow me there @sodabreadandbutter or check out my work-in-progress website at sodabreadstudio.com.

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For the falafel:
1 medium yellow onion, cut into a few pieces
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2, 15 oz cans of chickpeas, rinsed and then dried off
Handful of fresh parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (70 grams)
Canola oil, for cooking

For the labneh sauce:
1 cup labneh (sub: full-fat Greek yogurt)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

For serving:
Crusty baguette
Chopped Calabrian chili peppers (I like the ones by Divina)
Cucumber, thinly sliced

1. Make the falafel mixture:

   1. In a food processor, pulse onion and garlic until finely chopped. Add chickpeas, parsley, salt, and cumin. Continue to pulse in the food processor until you have the consistency of a chunky hummus: not fully pureed but coming together like a dough. You may need to stop it a few times and help the parsley get under the blade.

   2. Remove the mixture into a medium bowl and stir in baking powder and flour.

   3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Make the labneh sauce: In a medium bowl combine labneh, dill, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Store covered in the refrigerator until you are ready to use.

3. Cook the falafel:

   1. Create balls of falafel mixture about the size of a golf ball.

   2. Heat a few tablespoons of canola oil (enough to coat the bottom) in a pan, over medium heat. When oil is hot, add falafel balls and cook 3-4 minutes per side, until crispy and browned. I like to flatten them slightly after I flip them to the second side so they fit nicely into the sandwich and the surface area for crispiness is greater.

   3. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.

4. Assemble your sandwich: Layer Calabrian chili peppers, cucumber, and falafel into the baguette. Drizzle with labneh sauce. Serve with extra labneh sauce to dip on the side.