As someone who was a blogger at the same time that Deb started, my peak moment was when she linked out to my food blog, commenting that I was hilarious. I will treasure it always, and wow do I miss what that community was like in 2007. That said, whenever I need a recipe for anything, I start with her - that broccoli slaw is my go-to for potlucks regardless of the season, and it's always a winner. I double the recipe because my husband will eat a literal plateful of it at a time.
In addition to agreeing hard with all the things everyone else has said, I love that she cares about dishes. Her one-bowl method for quick breads has made my life measurably easier. And she is reasonable about how long things take, so I can trust her to help me get food on the table on a weeknight without leaving my kitchen a disaster, and at least two of us will think it is delicious. I could go on and on with my raves, but suffice to say that her recipes are an absolute necessity in my cooking life. I can't even tell you how many of her recipes have become staples, but I will say that almost every recipe that is a staple in my repertoire is one of hers.
I’ve been following Deb forever! My son requests pizza beans on a regular basis (when I met her at a book signing, I had her sign the completely wrecked pizza beans page) .
I cannot believe no one has mentioned Deb’s Strawberry Summer Cake (probably because both strawberries and summer feel pretty distant right now). That cake is super easy and impresses people like you wouldn’t believe. It’s also delicious.
I have loved Smitten Kitchen for ages. The comments section there is one of the best, always helpful and sane with Deb chiming in to answer questions. Personal favorites are the pumpkin muffins and the cranberry orange sweet rolls that I now do every Christmas morning. As the mother of an extreme picky eater, I am so grateful that Deb shared her own kid’s pickiness because if a kid could object to food from Smitten Kitchen herself, then it is proof that picky eating can’t be the fault of the cook (despite what my mother in law likes to imply).
It's not online but I am making her carnitas tacos with sunset slaw for our annual Super Bowl party (you can find people's websites reprinting the recipe if you google it but I never know if those are annoying to recipe authors or not)
Ok this is definitely maybe kismet because Deb's Torn Olives with Almonds, Celery & Parmesan has popped into my head 4 times in the last week (IT HAS PARMESAN RUBBLE! All parmesan should be rubble!). This dish moved me onto Team Olive.
My entire family loves anything she comes up with that ends in "bread". I love the cranberry orange pecan bread, my daughter demands we keep a can of pumpkin on hand in case we need to immediately make the pumpkin bread and my son who WILL NOT EAT ANYTHING was talking about her ultimate banana bread the other day.
And the Easy Drop Berry Shortcakes. Stop. Literally stop what you're doing and make them. Yes, it's cold and winter! Pro tip- you don't even need berries because the biscuit/scone/carbs of joy are the best.
Brussel sprout frittata - probably the thing I have cooked the most - period. Healthy, delicious, keeps for awhile so it's great for quick breakfasts but just as good to serve brunch guests.
Thank you so much for putting into words what I have been struggling to for over a decade. She's just the best and real without "putting on real" for the camera.
And it was amazing to see your family's list of go-tos because, honestly, I thought her blog was veg for so long that I forget how friendly she is to different diets. Wow!
My husband is a pretty picky eater (no: meat with bones, meat that came from a cute baby animal, things that are too eggy or cheesy or oniony, or any mushrooms, for starters) so she really hits the sweet spot of offering ways to turn pretty ordinary ingredients into comforting/yummy things.
For just the adults, we love the leek and blue cheese toasts, and the butternut squash salad with farro and pepitas. Actually I have everything to make both of those so I think I have figured out my plans for today.
Oh my GOSH yes the black bean soup. I make it in the crock pot and use the dried diced bell peppers from Penzey's, dried minced onions, ground chipotle, and jarred minced garlic and it is an unending delight. We mix sour cream and cheese in to it and eat it like dip on tortilla chips.
SK baked ziti is a godsend. I do it with jarred sauce, and my moderately picky 5yo loves it, even with spinach. It takes an hour total and is extremely delicious and worth the work (makes a ton).
Her recipe for Charred Salt and Vinegar Cabbage in Smitten Kitchen Keepers is AMAZING. My husband and I eat it straight off the pan when it comes out of the oven.
LOVE Deb Perelman!! One perennial fave is her Turkey Pesto Meatballs and Orecchiette, which everyone in my house likes (a rare feat), and where I learned her trick "If you use a bouillon base for broth, such as Better Than Bouillon, you could replace the 2 cups of broth with 2 additional cups of pasta cooking water and add the bouillon to it" which is brilliant because I'm not the type of cook that has homemade chicken stock on hand for a weeknight meal, but that really elevates the bullion paste. https://smittenkitchen.com/2022/09/turkey-pesto-meatballs-and-orecchiette/
Quick pasta and chick peas is the best cold weather easy food!!! And we keep a bag of parm rinds in the fridge to kick it up a notch. Literally they are kept only for this recipe.
As someone who was a blogger at the same time that Deb started, my peak moment was when she linked out to my food blog, commenting that I was hilarious. I will treasure it always, and wow do I miss what that community was like in 2007. That said, whenever I need a recipe for anything, I start with her - that broccoli slaw is my go-to for potlucks regardless of the season, and it's always a winner. I double the recipe because my husband will eat a literal plateful of it at a time.
In addition to agreeing hard with all the things everyone else has said, I love that she cares about dishes. Her one-bowl method for quick breads has made my life measurably easier. And she is reasonable about how long things take, so I can trust her to help me get food on the table on a weeknight without leaving my kitchen a disaster, and at least two of us will think it is delicious. I could go on and on with my raves, but suffice to say that her recipes are an absolute necessity in my cooking life. I can't even tell you how many of her recipes have become staples, but I will say that almost every recipe that is a staple in my repertoire is one of hers.
I’ve been following Deb forever! My son requests pizza beans on a regular basis (when I met her at a book signing, I had her sign the completely wrecked pizza beans page) .
I cannot believe no one has mentioned Deb’s Strawberry Summer Cake (probably because both strawberries and summer feel pretty distant right now). That cake is super easy and impresses people like you wouldn’t believe. It’s also delicious.
that is so cute about the pizza bean page! I wish my family appreciated beans as a main more but they are basic af
I have loved Smitten Kitchen for ages. The comments section there is one of the best, always helpful and sane with Deb chiming in to answer questions. Personal favorites are the pumpkin muffins and the cranberry orange sweet rolls that I now do every Christmas morning. As the mother of an extreme picky eater, I am so grateful that Deb shared her own kid’s pickiness because if a kid could object to food from Smitten Kitchen herself, then it is proof that picky eating can’t be the fault of the cook (despite what my mother in law likes to imply).
I love Smitten Kitchen so much. Bolognese was my go to fancy meal pre kids when I could spend 3 days making a meal. Always trust her.
The only question for her was why she wanted to makeGoldfish crackers from scratch …. My kids eat and drop them at such scale!
It's not online but I am making her carnitas tacos with sunset slaw for our annual Super Bowl party (you can find people's websites reprinting the recipe if you google it but I never know if those are annoying to recipe authors or not)
Ok this is definitely maybe kismet because Deb's Torn Olives with Almonds, Celery & Parmesan has popped into my head 4 times in the last week (IT HAS PARMESAN RUBBLE! All parmesan should be rubble!). This dish moved me onto Team Olive.
My entire family loves anything she comes up with that ends in "bread". I love the cranberry orange pecan bread, my daughter demands we keep a can of pumpkin on hand in case we need to immediately make the pumpkin bread and my son who WILL NOT EAT ANYTHING was talking about her ultimate banana bread the other day.
And the Easy Drop Berry Shortcakes. Stop. Literally stop what you're doing and make them. Yes, it's cold and winter! Pro tip- you don't even need berries because the biscuit/scone/carbs of joy are the best.
Is that salad recipe in one of the cookbooks? I haven't seen it but it's right up my alley.
The Broccoli Rubble Farro Salad slaps too.
Yes! It's in Smitten Kitchen Everyday. (And I have both broccoli and farro but no olives so thank you for saving me from a second grocery trip today!)
Brussel sprout frittata - probably the thing I have cooked the most - period. Healthy, delicious, keeps for awhile so it's great for quick breakfasts but just as good to serve brunch guests.
https://smittenkitchen.com/2020/12/brussels-sprout-and-bacon-frittata/
(Trader Joe's sells bags of shredded sprouts to make this even easier.)
I want that right now. Are eggs cheap again yet? 🫠
Thanks for the TJ’s intel. My immediate thought was, I’m not shredding Brussels sprouts.
Thank you so much for putting into words what I have been struggling to for over a decade. She's just the best and real without "putting on real" for the camera.
And it was amazing to see your family's list of go-tos because, honestly, I thought her blog was veg for so long that I forget how friendly she is to different diets. Wow!
My husband is a pretty picky eater (no: meat with bones, meat that came from a cute baby animal, things that are too eggy or cheesy or oniony, or any mushrooms, for starters) so she really hits the sweet spot of offering ways to turn pretty ordinary ingredients into comforting/yummy things.
I also enjoy her recent podcast with Kenji Lopez-Alt called The Recipe where they make each others recipes and discuss.
SK's spicy sweet potato wedges saw me through so many dumb boyfriends and so little money. My grocery budget stretched far with these, and I still make them when I'm feeling nostalgic for my 20s/my family is driving me nuts. https://smittenkitchen.com/2008/02/spicy-sweet-potato-wedges-plus-five-etceteras/
LOVE Smitten Kitchen so much. Love it more now that I found out Deb is a witch.
Our top recipe from SK right now is the Crispy Rice and Egg Bowls with Ginger-Scallion Vinaigrette - https://smittenkitchen.com/2019/01/crispy-rice-and-egg-bowl-with-ginger-scallion-vinaigrette/
My kids ask for this. Repeatedly. Which is great because I love bibimbap and this means I can more or less have it at home.
A close second is the Weekday Banana Oat Pancakes. I triple the recipe and freeze the half dozen that are left over. https://smittenkitchen.com/2018/01/banana-oat-weekday-pancakes/
For just the adults, we love the leek and blue cheese toasts, and the butternut squash salad with farro and pepitas. Actually I have everything to make both of those so I think I have figured out my plans for today.
Deb’s relatable writing, along with delicious recipes and NYC tidbits make her one of my favorites. Love that she still has a legit Blog.
Favorites include:
Broccoli Slaw
Mom’s Apple Cake
Gingerbread Waffles
Black Bean Soup
Pumpkin Bread
Shakshuka
Oh my GOSH yes the black bean soup. I make it in the crock pot and use the dried diced bell peppers from Penzey's, dried minced onions, ground chipotle, and jarred minced garlic and it is an unending delight. We mix sour cream and cheese in to it and eat it like dip on tortilla chips.
SK baked ziti is a godsend. I do it with jarred sauce, and my moderately picky 5yo loves it, even with spinach. It takes an hour total and is extremely delicious and worth the work (makes a ton).
same, I use jarred sauce for just about every single recipe that calls for making tomato sauce even if it's easy. God invented Raos for a reason.
Her recipe for Charred Salt and Vinegar Cabbage in Smitten Kitchen Keepers is AMAZING. My husband and I eat it straight off the pan when it comes out of the oven.
LOVE Deb Perelman!! One perennial fave is her Turkey Pesto Meatballs and Orecchiette, which everyone in my house likes (a rare feat), and where I learned her trick "If you use a bouillon base for broth, such as Better Than Bouillon, you could replace the 2 cups of broth with 2 additional cups of pasta cooking water and add the bouillon to it" which is brilliant because I'm not the type of cook that has homemade chicken stock on hand for a weeknight meal, but that really elevates the bullion paste. https://smittenkitchen.com/2022/09/turkey-pesto-meatballs-and-orecchiette/
Also love her Quick Pasta And Chickpeas which neither of my kids will eat but is so good and so easy. https://smittenkitchen.com/2017/10/quick-pasta-and-chickpeas-pasta-e-ceci/
Also also that easy cast-iron spanakopita she posted works great, in case anyone was dubious like I was! https://smittenkitchen.com/2022/01/spanakopita/
Quick pasta and chick peas is the best cold weather easy food!!! And we keep a bag of parm rinds in the fridge to kick it up a notch. Literally they are kept only for this recipe.