mother's day
plus: an interview with david lebovitz
Monday, May 4, 2026
Good afternoon!
A great leek-trimming tip [Cook’s Illustrated]
Jacques Pépin Makes the Best Roast Chicken in the World [Grub Street]
I Bought a Vintage Dress With Recipes Printed on It. Then I Tried Them [Today]
Nineteen years ago I vented about how going out for brunch was so often disappointing that I’d rather just stay home — home, where the bacon is crisp, the scones are not stale, the eggs cooked correctly each time. Even two kids later, on a day I’m probably not supposed to be cooking, I haven’t changed a bit and still prefer to host and cook my own Mother’s Day at home. (They can take me out another time, promise. Should we go bowling, guys?) I would add to this several other perks: We don’t have to wear shoes, nobody is rushing us, and I’m probably pouring bottomless mimosas whether you request them or not. Below, a few of my favorites to cook this weekend, whether you’re the host or the one quietly forwarding this newsletter to someone you hope gets the hint. I hope you’re inspired.
And that’s not all! This week, we have an interview with one of my favorite people, David Lebovitz. His cookbook, The Great Book of Chocolate, Revised: The Chocolate Lover’s Guide, is out tomorrow, 5/5 and he says, “Of all my books, I may have had the most fun writing this one. How could I not?” Read the rest of the interview below.
Finally, New Yorkers, what are you up to Thursday, May 14th? I’ll be at the Museum of Food and Drink in Brooklyn chatting with Michael Szczerban about one of Italy’s most influential culinary texts, the book taught Marcella Hazan how to cook, no less,The Talisman of Happiness by Ada Boni. [Tickets and details]
Cheers,
Deb
I’ve written three cookbooks and one audiobook and I’m a tiny bit biased, but I think you’d love them all. Not sure which one to check out first? Take a look at the recipe index and see which collection jumps out at you most.
castle breakfast
Castle Breakfast is our weekend morning ritual which attempts to channel the calm, sunniness, and doting of a fancy hotel breakfast but in a way that’s extremely doable in real life. Plus: A recipe for simple brown soda bread scones, easy enough to make half-asleep, as I usually do. [Video below!]
challah french toast
A classic recipe for an impossible to mess up challah french toast plus two dreamy toppings -- a quick berry sauce and whipped vanilla bean cottage cheese -- that make it better than we can get at any fancy restaurant brunch.
bacon, egg and leek risotto
This hearty “breakfast” risotto with bacon, eggs, and leeks recipe got a refresh recently with simplified directions, including an oven option for those of us who have been converted to the no-stir risotto life and never want to look back. Breakfast-for-dinner? I’m always in.
mushroom crepe cake
Herby mushroom and cheese crepes stacked into a showstopping cake for brunch or lunch this weekend is, well, my favorite, so I’ll be right over, okay?
obsessively good avocado cucumber salad
Do you have a cucumber? Avocado? You should make this impossibly good salad from Julia Turshen and then eat it standing up in the kitchen, as I may or may not have for lunch at least twice this week (there were no witnesses). It’s the kind of thing you’ll want to make again and again, forever.
foolproof cacio e pepe
Cacio e pepe, one of my favorite dishes, as good at you’d have in Rome -- that is with only cheese, pepper, pasta, and water and not one other thing. You could be eating this in 20 minutes.
chicken milanese + an escarole salad
Never underestimate the power of a golden, crisp, thin, fried-but-somehow-not-heavy chicken breast piled with a giant, seasonal salad to quickly become the most popular thing you know how to make. This is one of my favorite things to make for friends and family.
steak sandwiches
Caramelized onions, peppery arugula, and a creamy-sharp dressing make this steak sandwich our favorite, and such low-key luxury for a spring weekend.
chocolate caramel tart
An unforgettable salted caramel tart with a chocolate cookie underneath and chocolate ganache on top. It’s like a Rolo candy, but a thousand times better.
easy basque cheesecake
Basque cheesecake -- you know, the kind with the caramelized top that contrasts gorgeously with the creamy interior -- that’s even faster and easier to make, and perfectly sized to take everywhere you want to go. Psst: Don’t miss the note at the end of the recipe on how to make a chocolate version.
AN INTERVIEW WITH DAVID LEBOVITZ
My shelves are full of wonderful cookbooks I don’t get to talk about enough, so I’ve added this section so you can get to know the cool people behind them. Today we’re chatting with David Lebovitz. His cookbook, The Great Book of Chocolate, Revised: The Chocolate Lover’s Guide, is out tomorrow, 5/5.
1. What inspired your cookbook?
The original edition of The Great Book of Chocolate was born at a time when Americans were on the cusp of wanting to learn more about chocolate. People wanted to know what percentages mean, how the country of origin affects the flavor of chocolate, the best ways to melt, bake, and savor chocolate, and interestingly, what “bean-to-bar” chocolate was, since the idea of making small-batch chocolate was still in its infancy. At the time, there was only one small-batch chocolate manufacturer in America and now there are over two hundred. So it was time to revisit my favorite ingredient: chocolate!
Taking a new look at chocolate let me explore new types of chocolate, such as dark milk chocolate and even ruby-red chocolate that’s naturally pink. And yes, I even did a tasting, and some baking, with the new “no-cocoa” chocolate substitutes, with surprising results.
In addition to updating all the information on chocolate so it was relevant to today, I recast and revised almost all of the original recipes to reflect the widespread availability of diverse ingredients, such as extra-dark cocoa powders and roasted cocoa nibs. I also added many new recipes for my favorite chocolate desserts, and even a few savory ones, such as turkey mole and chili with chocolate. And now that I live in France, I included a chapter on my favorite addresses in Paris for where to get chocolate. So the book is larger than the original edition, and there’s lots more to bake in it, too!
2. What recipe are you the most proud of in the book, or felt the most triumphant when you got it right?
That recipe would definitely be the Chocolate Salted Butter Caramel Lava Cakes (page 105), which are warm, individual bittersweet chocolate cakes that have a gooey center of salted butter caramel when you dig your spoon into the center. I tried to figure out a way so the cakes would be perfectly baked (i.e., not too much), with a caramel center that would remain soft and runny in the middle of the dark chocolate batter.
3. What recipe is so low-effort, high-reward that it’s worth cooking for dinner tonight, even if we’re tired and don’t want to cook?
The Chocolate Yogurt Snack Cakes (page 115) are a textbook example of a simple-to-make dessert that produces a dozen perfectly delicious dark chocolate mini-cakes. The recipe is based on a yogurt cake that children in France learn in elementary school, so you know it's easy…and pleases both French kids and their parents, so you know that it's good. I couldn't resist adding chocolate to it, and the individual cakes can be baked in a muffin tin, which shortens the baking time, so you can have a delicious warm chocolate cake quickly after you stir up the simple batter. For those who can't wait, there's a Chocolate Mug Cake that you stir together in a mug and bakes in just a couple of minutes…and is soooo good, too.
4. What’s something you wish more people knew about your book?
I hope it comes across to readers how much I love chocolate. I’ve been baking with it all my life. The first dessert I ever baked was a chocolate soufflé that I made at home from my mom’s Settlement Cookbook when I was in my early teens, which I baked in a Pyrex measuring cup since we didn’t have a soufflé mold in our kitchen (no surprise, in 1960s America!). To my surprise and delight, it came out perfectly.
Ever since then, I’ve been an ardent fan of chocolate, working with it as a professional baker and pastry chef, and going to chocolate school in Belgium and in France. I’m pretty obsessed with chocolate, and The Great Book of Chocolate is my love letter to my favorite ingredient, with over fifty of my favorite recipes for using it. I hope people who like chocolate as much as I do will bake from the book and enjoy the recipes. Of all my books, I may have had the most fun writing this one. How could I not?
Thank you, David! You can preorder The Great Book of Chocolate, Revised right here.
castle breakfast
The Staub x Smitten Kitchen Braiser is a lower-walled enameled cast-iron Dutch oven that works as well as a deep sauté pan as it does a soup pot, roasting pan, or even casserole dish that perfectly fits a pasta bake. It’s the ideal size and usability (dishwasher safe!) for everyday cooking. Not a week has gone by in the 14 years I’ve had mine when I don’t cook in it at least three times, so when it was no longer sold in U.S. stores, I asked Staub — a French cast-iron manufacturer originally from Alsace; you can watch me tour the forge/factory here! — if they would partner with me to bring it back, because I knew you’ll fall in love with the pan too. We launched the Staub x Smitten Kitchen Braiser in spring 2024. The Braiser is now sold exclusively at Williams-Sonoma and available in eight gorgeous new colors! The newest two — a classy off-white (pardon, French Crème) and a soft pink (Pink Peony, which you know I sing to the tune of Pink Peony Club) — launched just last month.
Cranberry (bright red)
Grenadine (deep red)
Sage (light green)
Basil (dark green)
La Mer (dark blue-green)
Sapphire (dark blue)
(New!) French Crème (off-white) ✨
(New!) Pink Peony (soft pink) ✨
The Staub x Smitten Kitchen Braiser Recipe Starter Pack: Oh, you did get a new braiser? I’m so happy for you. Here are a few recipes you can kick off your cooking with!
Braiser: An entire category of recipes on smittenkitchen.com
My “I Dream Of Paris” Menu for the French Crème launch: Dijon Roast Chicken, French Onion Soup for a Crowd, and a Perfect Apple Tarte Tatin
Baked Ziti with Meatballs and Ricotta (Williams-Sonoma, Video)
Apple Butterscotch Crisp (Zwilling, Video)
Braised Chickpeas with Kale and Burrata (Zwilling)
shop my favorites
Ever wonder where I get my cutting boards, paring knives, offset spatulas and more that you see when I cook? I've created a page on Smitten Kitchen with links to some of my favorite kitchen items, the ones I'm asked about the most. This isn’t just an Amazon storefront. For each item, I attempt to provide a range of shopping links so we're not just focusing on one giant retailer.
See you next week!
