I read a lot of food blogs, letting them lead me to farro, to meyer lemon olive oil, to Rancho Gordo beans. They have taken me through a season of tapioca (topped with mango lime, topped with amaretto cherries, topped with pumpkin butter from Trader Joe’s) and permutations of bone broth. If I have an Instant Pot and a spatula topped with red silicone, it’s the blogs that brought them here. A favorite is Smitten Kitchen, where Deb plays with language as fluently as she plays with food. Because I trust her, we spent New Year’s Eve at Tia Pol, a tiny tapas bar in Chelsea, when we had all of New York to choose from. No regrets. And because I trust her, I purchased a chuck roast, topped it with tomatoes and unpeeled garlic, and popped it in the oven. Three hours later, we ate braised beef beside a salad topped with cubes of blue cheese. We toasted Friday night with a glass of red. No regrets.

February 13, 2015