Hi, happy Wednesday! has joined and I here in Carmel for the week, and we’re having the best, most productive time brainstorming and laying the foundation for the future of What To Cook. We can’t wait to share more in the coming months!!

We’re meeting — and Molly is staying — at Carmel Valley Ranch, a hotel right up the road from my house and where my family spends a lot of time. The clubhouse has gorgeous views of the golf course and surrounding mountains, and is just a lovely place to work all day. The spa, adults-only pool (there’s another huge one just for families with kids), and hot tub overlooking a grapevine-lined valley and verdant mountain have let us add a *team retreat* element to the week, too. We hardly ever get to be together in person, and we’ve been soaking in every minute. Brains really do work better when they’re together!

As you likely know by now, it’s Big Deal Days, meaning there are good deals to be had on Amazon. Last Prime Day, we donated money earned through affiliate link purchases to Texas Hill Country disaster relief efforts. For this sale, we thought it’d be fun to have some friendly competition in order to pick a nonprofit to donate affiliate earnings to.

So we bring you… WTC Shark Tank (lol).

We are each going to try to sell you, The Sharks, on our top five practical, currently-on-sale items that we personally use and love and recommend. We will send all the affiliate earnings from the top-selling product to the nonprofit of the winning pitcher’s choice.

From Jillian:

Feeding my kids is the most important thing I do — and every child deserves that same security. No Kid Hungry makes that possible by connecting kids to healthy meals at school, in the summer, and after class, helping ensure they have the fuel to learn, grow, and thrive. Sharks! Let’s turn Amazon boxes into lunchboxes and get some donations to No Kid Hungry!!

1. The best multi-tasking hair tool ($27.50, was $40): I’m ordering this to replace my other one that just died after years and years of use! I have frizzy/curly hair, and I let it air dry 90% of the way, then use this to straighten and style it! It leaves me with really smooth, voluminous hair!

2. The vegetarian protein powder I use daily ($29.92, was $48.99): I’ve tried a lot of plant-based proteins, and this is definitely my favorite! I first found their prenatal/postnatal protein powder during pregnancy, and now I’m hooked on this one! It has 20g of protein, is stevia-free, and is so good in smoothies. My favorite is to mix it with cashew yogurt, raspberries, and mini chocolate chips! It’s pricey, so I stock up when it’s on sale.

3. Our go-to everything soap (2-pack for $20.97, was $25.98): This has been my family’s go-to everything soap for years now! It’s a shampoo/body wash/bubble bath multitasker and the lavender scent is heavenly and great to prime my 2 and 6 year old for bedtime! It’s not just for kids, now my husband and I use it for body wash, too!

4. Mineral drops that make me feel great ($28.69, was $37.99): If you drink heavily filtered water, you need this!! It’s a great source of the many minerals we miss in our modern diet. I try to take this regularly, taking it like a quick shot in water, or adding to smoothies or other flavored beverages (it has a pretty strong flavor!). They help me to feel more balanced, hydrated, and just better overall! This little bottle lasts awhile, too.

5. My favorite face cleanser ($20.80, was $28): It’s gentle, smells amazing (blue tansy!), and never leaves my skin feeling tight or dry. A little goes a long way, so the bottle lasts forever.

From Molly:

Anytime a natural disaster strikes, the first place I donate money to is World Central Kitchen. I know they’re on the ground providing nourishing meals and fresh water to those who need it most, and I can’t imagine a better comfort for someone going through tragedy. Sharks, let’s give people around the world a food hug when they need it most!

1. Screen-free entertainment that all three of my kids are obsessed with ($69.99, was $99.99): I’ve talked about my love for Toniesboxes before, but now that I have a 1 year old, it’s fresh on my mind again. We gifted our two oldest boys each a Toniesbox — AKA a portable audiobook/story teller/music player — when they were 2 and 4, and they’re now 5 and 7 and still listen to it every night as they fall asleep, after we’ve read together as a group. They’ve aged out of the Paw Patrol and Disney character Tonies but love all the Nat Geo and joke Tonies. Now that Cole is 1, he has commandeered one of the big boys’ boxes and loooves putting the Tonies on and off, dancing to the music, and carrying it around with him acting like a little DJ. It’s a gift that has kept on giving and makes such a good holiday present for little kids!

2. Luxurious body soap ($28.80, was $36): I bought this a few months ago and my bottle is still 3/4 of the way full. It smells earthy and delightful and makes my nightly showers feel spa-like. It’s the little things, right?!

3. The storage bins that have brought order to my life ($33.99, was $49.99): I’ve slowly but surely been adding these acrylic organization bins throughout my whole house. They’ve improved the organization and functionality of my pantry and spice cabinet by leaps and bounds. I also have them in my boys’ play nook, my bathroom, the laundry room… everywhere! The space, size, and sturdiness of them is ideal.

4. The machine that keeps my rugs and carpets as clean as they can be with three little kids and a Lab ($74.99, was $94.99): Using this machine to spot clean any and all messes (spilled smoothie! dog vomit!) is SO satisfying. It really, really works.

5. The perfect little boy (or girl!) birthday present ($6.39, was $9.99): This is a VERY good price for a very good Lego set. If you, too, are inundated with little kid birthday parties, I highly recommend stocking up on this Lego so you don’t have to scramble to find something last minute. This has been our go-to gift all year and I just stocked up on three more for parties on the calendar in the months ahead. $6.39 for a solid gift?! Can’t beat it. Also, FYI, it says age 6+ but my 5 year old can do it almost all himself, so I’ve been gifting it to 5 year olds, too.

From Caro:

With Veteran’s Day around the corner, I’m supporting one of my favorite charities — the SEAL Family Foundation. Their mission is to support the Naval Special Warfare community throughout deployments and hardship — they are truly providing resources for spouses and kids back home whose dads are off keeping all of us safe, and as a former-SEAL wife, I know just how lonely and hard those deployments can be. And we didn’t even have kids yet! Sharks, I implore you to shop my links to support America’s bravest families!!!

1. The perfect lightbulb ($24, was $29): You know how every lightbulb is either too bright, or too dim, or too yellow, or too white? This is the perfect lightbulb. I just ordered three eight-packs for the new house after using them to replace every single way-too-bright, way-too-white light in the cottages.

2. Portable power ($349, was $699): I live in an area that loses power at least 10 days a year for a few hours, if not a full 24 hours. It is extremely annoying. I’m finally buying us a solar-powered generator. Whether you need power for overnight camping trips or for far-too-often power outages, this is a great price!

3. This product has made me a more fun, chiller mom ($399, was $629): The Dyson stick vacuum is the greatest thing that has happened to me as a mom. Dramatic, yes. But I am 1000% serious. Mealtime crumbs do not stress me out! Dirty shoes do not cause alarm! Not even glitter can raise my blood pressure! All are quickly and easily vacuumed up with no annoying cords or vacuum tubes involved. I want to throw it out there that I also own this less pricy stick vacuum and it is good, but not as truly excellent as the Dyson V11.

4. The greatest alarm clock meets white noise machine meets nightlight ($140, was $170): This little guy is my bedtime companion during the newborn feeding-all-night days. You can program it to have three settings of your choosing and you tap to switch between them — mine are a bright light with no noise, a soft glowy light with very quiet white noise (which I use for middle of the night feedings), and a VERY dim light with loud white noise (which I use for sleeping when there’s a newborn in the room so that I can still panic-rocket-out-of-bed to check on him in the middle of the night without having to turn a light on). The alarm clock itself is also incredible. The light and sound turn on slowly — no more jarring wake ups!

5. The greatest car seat ($175, was $250): We own four of these easy-to-use, easy-to-install car seats. Now that we have four kids ages 10 weeks old to 6 years old, we’re using it to its full power on the daily — seamlessly switching it between sizing for a 10 week old and a 5 year old with the simple press of a button and by moving the headrest up and down. Other car seats have really complicated mechanisms for changing the shoulder straps — not this one! Moving the headrest does it all. I just love this car seat a LOT.

Each week we flip through the What To Cook archives to see what we were cooking this time in years past. Add one (or all!) to your menu this week.

1. twice baked delicata squash, 2024

Move over potatoes — this is a twice-baked squash filled with sausage, apple, cheddar, and roasted garlic. It’s a full, cozy meal (not just a side dish!) and the baked kale salad on the same sheet pan makes it feel complete. You can prep the stuffed squash ahead, swap in different meats or veggies, or even bake the filling casserole-style if you’re not a fan of squash skins.

2. one-pot cheesy pumpkin pasta, 2023

Basically mac and cheese with a ton of hidden veggies! The pasta cooks right in milk and spices, then gets stirred with pumpkin purée and cheddar + gouda for a creamy, baked finish. It’s a great one to make ahead, and reheat in the oven when you’re ready to eat!

3. tortilla scramble, 2022 (by Mark Bittman!)

This fast-cooking vegetarian meal is part migas, part scramble — fried tortilla strips tossed with eggs, peppers, tomatoes, cheese, and avocado. It’s quick, filling, and flexible! Double it for a family meal, top it with bacon or hot sauce, or stash leftovers for breakfast tacos the next day.

4. turkey cheddar meatloaf, 2021

Meatloaf, but lighter and actually delicious with ground turkey and cubes of sharp cheddar — and with a side of puréed sweet potatoes! Leftovers make the best sandwiches, and you can even freeze the whole loaf (before or after baking) for a future comfort food night.

As we brainstorm the future of this newsletter, we want your input! What topics would you love to see more of (or covered in general) here on What To Cook? A specific food topic, more content around style, motherhood, entertaining, home?! Tell us your wants and wishes! We’ll randomly select one commenter to send a Hatch Restore alarm clock, AKA the greatest alarm clock meets white noise machine meets nightlight. Comment by Tuesday, 10/14, to enter to win1!

Leave a comment

A note about links! We use affiliate links when sharing product recs, which means we may earn a small commission off of purchases you make through those links. This does not cost you anything extra and is a way to support the production of and team behind What To Cook

Hi! It’s Caro, back from maternity leave. I’m currently writing from bed, with a baby on my boob, and the melodious sounds of hammering and sawing happening in the background. I’ve mentioned it on Instagram, but we officially moved into the new house last weekend! Except that the new house is nowhere near ready for us to move in.

A huge reason we fell in love with this home is that it has two cottages in the back — we live thousands of miles from our families and many of our friends, so having space to host them for extended stays was really important to us. And now those cottages are really coming in handy! George is living in one with Cashy in a crib and one of the big boys in bed with him. I’m living in the other with Tav in a crib and one of the big boys in bed with me. The big boys switch places every night because they both want to be with Tav — they often all fall asleep piled in the bed beside the baby before being carried to their proper place.

Only one refrigerator fully works, and it’s the one in the cottage that doesn’t have a stove, so to cook dinner I load up a box with ingredients and lug it across the property every night, and then lug the leftovers back to “my house” after dinner. Cashel escapes whenever George turns his back during bedtime and sprints to my cottage to sleep with me. Last night the power went out and I was in bed nursing Tav in the dark. George came in to check on us and shined a flashlight on the bed and goes, “do you know Archie (our barn cat) is in bed beside you... ?” I did not.

It’s complete and utter chaos! But it’s chaos that I feel extremely fortunate to have. The house is going to be so special. I am going to have a big enough kitchen to not have to store my KitchenAid and food processor in the garage for the first time in my life. Sure, four boys will be sharing one bathroom, but they will also have a real life *playroom.* Feeling lucky and grateful for all of it, even in the crazy moments, like when my 3 year old shows up butt naked on my cottage doorstep in the dark of night and tells me, “I brave I come all alone here!” Ha!

Coming back from maternity leave is bittersweet. I’ve been self-employed for all of my babies, and it can be really difficult to take a true maternity leave when one is self-employed. But my team (three cheers for Molly, Jillian, and Adam!) made my fourth maternity a true *leave.* I laid on the couch and binged romance books and shows for a solid six weeks. It was heaven. All of your continued support and excitement over our guest chefs was so incredible and made me feel secure in my decision to step away for a few weeks. And financially, sponsors like Bobbie helped allow me to still earn an income during that time. Before we move on from maternity leave entirely, we’re going to share a little wrap up of all our guest chefs’ recipes. I’m so grateful to every single one of them for filling in while I was out.

The best part about taking this leave is that I am coming back so energized and full of new ideas for recipes and content and how to make this newsletter a place where you guys learn new things, find community, and feel less alone in the throes of dinnertime.

I’m excited to be back.

xoxo
Caro

Thank you, thank you to the incredible chefs who shared recipes with us over the past 10 weeks. It was so fun to taste what some of the most creative talents in the food world cook when they don’t feel like cooking, from ’s insanely flavorful orecchiette puttanesca and ’s real-deal salmorejo to ’s easy, elegant mustard-roasted fish with haricots verts and everything in between. We hope you discovered some new-to-you voices and learned more about people you already adore — and that you enjoyed their delicious meals! Here’s a recap of everything we cooked:

• one-pan orecchiette puttanesca — a -style Italian feast!

• chopped italian deli wraps — a no-cook stunner from that’s as perfect for school or work lunches as it is for busy nights

• salmorejo from — the most authentic version you’ll ever make

• greek-style sheet-pan gnocchi — ’s delicious spin on everyone’s favorite type of sheet-pan dinner

• saucy ground beef teriyaki bowls — ’s weeknight fave that takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish

• spicy cherry tomato and garlic pasta — the beauty is in the technique here, and meticulously walks us through it

• marinated steak tips over herby rice from Dan Pelosi — AKA, what to cook when you don’t feel like cooking but do feel like hosting

• ricotta custard pancakes — “heavenly clouds of fluff” from that are delicious any time of day

• 30-minute crunchy-cheesy bean bake — a please-everyone vegetarian family dinner from

• mustard-roasted fish with haricots verts — a Parisian delight that’s shockingly simple, brought to us by !

I went into Tavish’s life with the loose plan of combo feeding him (AKA both breastfeeding and bottle feeding with formula) because it worked really well for me with Cashel… but you never know if the baby will be on board with your plan! I’m happy to report that Tav and I have gotten into a good groove with his feeding over the last month. I — or whoever he’s with — typically feed him a bottle of Bobbie around 11 a.m. and another before bed, then I nurse him throughout the rest of the day/night. I like bottle feeding him those times in particular because it allows me to focus on work in the late morning when all the other boys are at school and Tav is sometimes with a sitter, and it lets me do bedtime with the big boys while George (or one of our moms if they’re visiting, or a sitter...) puts Tav down. I wanted to share what’s been working for us because hearing how other families do things has been so helpful to me over the years (I’ve said this before, but I didn’t even know combo feeding was a thing until I had my third baby and a friend told me about it — I thought you had to pick one or the other).

Bobbie is a mom-founded and led, made in the U.S. formula brand with a European-style, USDA Organic recipe that has undergone extremely rigorous testing. I love it, and, more importantly, Tav loves it! I’m beyond grateful for Bobbie sponsoring my maternity leave so I could take some true time off to recover. Appreciate you and the work you do, Bobbie team!

Click here for 50% off your first Bobbie order — no code needed, the discount automatically applies at checkout!

I’ve been very into making good-all-week salads the past few weeks and am in the process of developing a new one to share with you this Saturday!

While all the good-all-week salads we share here are filling enough to be considered dinner salads, not all dinner salads are good-all-week salads. The distinction is how well the leftovers hold up in the fridge. If we say a salad is “good all week,” we mean the dressed leftovers will stay delicious stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days (though you will want to hold off on adding any crunchy topping like nuts until right before you eat). Only certain greens, like kale and cabbage, and certain toppings are hearty enough for that — a spring mix salad would turn sad and soggy by day 2!

To make our good-all-week salads easy to find, here’s an index of them. Eat them for dinner, prep them for lunches, or do both!

• charred cabbage and chicken peanut chop

• crispy artichoke and chicken salad

• curry roasted chicken and cauliflower salad

• farro fattoush (above, middle)

• good-all-week chop salad

• good-all-week good-for-mother-earth spring salad (keep the greens separate in the fridge, but prep everything else!)

• good-all-week Italian sub salad

• grilled chicken and pita chop

• lemon-parm chicken, quinoa, & kale salad (above, left)

• rainbow chicken chop (above, right)

• the perfect fall chicken and kale salad

• vietnamese chicken noodle chop

While we’re talking big salads, let’s talk big salad bowls. Whenever we share an entrée salad recipe, at least one person comments something to the effect of, “what do I make this in?! none of my bowls are big enough!”

When we say you need a big bowl to make these salads in, we mean very big! If you don’t have one, you can always use a large wide pot like a brasier, Dutch oven, or even a big wok instead.

If you are on the hunt for a big salad bowl (it’s a worthy investment, we promise!), look for one that’s wider than it is deep — somewhere in the 11- to 15-inch diameter range — so that the toppings are easy to access. In a bowl that’s tall and narrow, it can be hard to wade through the greens to get to the good stuff on the bottom.

The same goes for what you eat your salad from — wide, shallow “coupe” bowls are best. We shared these roundups earlier this year but get asked for bowl recs often, so figured it was time to resurface them!

Each week we dip into the What To Cook archives to see what was on our table this time in years past. Put these seasonal meals on your menu for the days ahead!

1. sheet-pan miso maple mustard chicken, sweet potato, and brussels, 2024

Autumn isn’t official until you’ve cooked a cozy sheet-pan chicken dinner filled with fall veg! Your leftovers will transform easily into harvest bowls for lunches — read the “do your thing” note above the recipe for a how-to!

2. ham and fig grilled cheese, 2023

If you see any perfectly plump figs lingering on your tree (or at your farmer’s market, or at the grocery store), grab ‘em and make this low-lift family-friendly dinner while you can.

3. honey chipotle salmon tacos, 2022

The lovely shared this tasty weeknight dinner with us during Caro’s maternity leave with Cashel years ago. You’ll love the fresh mango pico de gallo with these tacos — it also makes a delicious app served with tortilla chips.

4. sheet-pan sausage, sweet potatoes, and apples, 2021

A one-pan dinner that will ease you into fall foods by way of sweet potatoes, carrots, apples, and sausage roasted in a sweet-and-savory glaze. Even if it’s 90°F where you live, it will hit the spot!

Somehow it’s almost October?! We’d love to hear all about your September favorites — books you read, shows you watched, clothes you wore or acquired for fall, memories you want to remember. We’ll pick one commenter at random to send this big Quince salad serving bowl to! We’ll also round up community faves in next week’s So Into That. Comment by end of day Sunday, September 28, to enter to win1.

Leave a comment

PS, congrats to Patton (@patton366871), who won last week’s Ina book giveaway!

A note about links! We use affiliate links when sharing product recs, which means we may earn a small commission off of purchases you make through those links. This does not cost you anything extra and is a way to support the production of and team behind What To Cook. Sponsorships are another way we partner with brands that we authentically love and can personally vouch for.

Good morning from Coronado, the happiest little (peninsula) island in America!

We lived in Coronado for two years when George was stationed here as a SEAL and man, life was so simple back then!! We had one car, and we hardly used it, favoring our beach cruisers for coffee and grocery runs — we even had surf racks on our bikes for our boards (yes, we used to surf!).

We’re once again staying at the Shore House at Hotel del Coronado, a truly idyllic spot whose iconic red roof towers above the entire island. It is absolute heaven for families with young kids. When we lived here as young newlyweds we honestly never talked about having kids — but we’d always be like, “it’ll be so fun to bring the kids for Spring Break at the Del one day and show them where we lived!” And we’re doing it!

We’ll spend the week roasting s’mores on the beach, going to the zoo, swimming in (heated — it’s a lil chilly here!) pools, searching for the ghost who haunts the old Victorian part of the hotel, strolling and scooting around town, and catching up with friends from when we were stationed here. George even lined up a tour of the SEAL base for the boys, they are so excited.

This week I’m going to answer some AMA questions that you all sent in weeks ago. Keep reading for those! But first…

Who’s planning to cook the 2025 easy-but-fancy spring menu for Easter?! Reminder that, while I developed the menu to be served altogether — and gave you a detailed plan of attack for cooking it all without stress! — you can, of course, pick and choose a few elements to cook this weekend and save the other dishes for another time.

From Molly: That’s what I’m doing! My fam and I are headed to a rental on Seabrook Island for the holiday weekend. It’ll just be the five of us and I know my kids will only eat the rolls, pasta, and ham (and be sugared-up enough from their Easter-basket Reese’s eggs), so I’m planning to just cook those and save the roasted veg, snack plate, and strawberry skillet torte for another time this spring!

If you cook the menu, tag me in any pics you post to IG, or share them in the WTC chat! It’s such a joy to see these special-occasion menus come to life in your homes. And thank you again to Maille for making this menu free for all readers.

1. I've been taking Needed's Prenatal Multi throughout this entire pregnancy and, while every pregnancy is different, I truly feel stronger and more energized during my fourth pregnancy than all of the others. Your nutrient needs are at an all-time high during pregnancy, and it can be difficult to get what you need through food alone. That's why many doctors recommend taking a prenatal. I recently found out that 95% of American women are nutritionally depleted even if taking a prenatal. I'm grateful to have found Needed, whose standards go far above what's required for dietary supplements, including third-party testing every single product batch (it's insane to me that this isn't required, but it isn't, and most women's supplement companies are not doing it!). If you're pregnant or just a woman looking for better nutritional support, use code CARO20 for an extra 20% off your first purchase here. Thank you to Needed for sponsoring this edition of So Into That!

2. My friend — aka kalejunkie on Instagram — launched her newsletter this week! On IG she’s known for her easy, healthy, insanely delicious recipes (like her viral crispy rice salmon salad). Through her newsletter, she’ll get into behind-the-scenes topics like entrepreneurship, motherhood, travel, her grocery lists, etc. To celebrate her launch on Substack, I popped by her kitchen in SF and together we developed this spring veggie and herb pasta salad with lemon-tahini dressing and it’s honestly SO GOOD. Add it to your rotation of good-all-week lunch salads — the pasta absorbs the dressing while it sits, in the very best way. I’ll be making it on repeat all spring.

3. From Molly: I stocked up on some spring/summer basics from Quince before our weekend at Seabrook and am in love with my new swim coverup (I like how thick the knit is!), dress, and linen pants! From Caro: I got the boys these Quince dino trunks and they’re SO CUTE (and inexpensive!).

What to Cook launched in December 2020, which means there are more than 200 recipes in the archives. To help you cook through them, let’s revisit what we cooked this week over the last few years.

1. 30-minute cheesy broccoli pesto pasta, 2024

Steamed broccoli, cottage cheese, basil, Parm, lemon, and a few other pantry staples whirl together in your blender to create a creamy, dreamy, nutrient-rich pesto for pasta. You’ll also learn a basic and delicious method for cooking chicken thighs in a skillet — together they make a 10/10 spring meal!

2. one-pot lemony garlic butter shrimp orzo, 2023

If this meal looks familiar it’s because it was the first iteration of the recipe that landed on the cover of WTC the book! So needless to say, it’s a fan fave.

3. my mom’s egg salad, 2022

Apparently a grated-egg egg salad is going viral right now on Tiktok, but Crash (aka my mom) has been grating eggs for her egg salad for decades, so IMO she invented it. It truly is a superior way to make egg salad. If you haven’t tried it, you need to make this recipe asap… then pack up the leftovers in your kid’s (or your own) lunchbox.

4. chipotle black bean flautas, 2021

From Molly: This is one of my most-cooked WTC recipes! I love it SO much — as do my kids and husband. When I really don’t feel like cooking, I’ll skip the toppings and just serve the flautas with sour cream and salsa but wow, the fresh mango and lettuce, chipotle crema, and pickled red onions really do put it over the top.

Q: I remember you talking about really wanting a fourth kid, but sharing that George absolutely, non-negotiably did not want a fourth. What changed?

Read more

Hi, happy Wednesday! We have a Valentine’s treat in store for you today.

We are kicking off a new So Into That series called Kitchen Chats! My favorite part about cooking a meal for friends is that moment when you pull a friend or two into the kitchen to chitchat while you finish prepping the food. That’s the vibe we’re going for with this series. It also harkens So Into That the podcast (if you listened, you’ll recognize some of my questions).

I’m so excited to introduce our first Kitchen Chat guest, my friend ! I know a lot of you already follow Joanna through her women’s lifestyle site Cup of Jo. If you’ve never checked it out, I hope you will — reading it feels like you’re sinking into a soft couch with a friend, cup of tea (or glass of wine/skinny marg) in hand. Joanna is also the founder of , the #1 fashion/beauty newsletter on Substack, which features life advice, dating gossip, travel guides, and fun finds (from people like Catherine Newman, Ashley Ford, and me!).

It is one of the Substacks to which I am a paid subscriber — I devour every single post fervently, the moment it hits my inbox. 10/10 recommend subscribing to — read my chat with Joanna to see why!

CARO: Joanna! Thank you SO MUCH for being our first Kitchen Chat guest.
JOANNA: I love this new series because I’m always the friend sitting at the counter, telling stories and sharing gossip. I’m a famously bad cook, but I’ll bring good wine and cheese.

CARO: Good wine + cheese = the perfect ingredients for a kitchen catch up. So tell me, what are you so into right now!?

JOANNA: My kids and I are into a game called You Think You Know Me, where each card asks a question about the person you’re sitting with — say, about their favorite podcast or pizza toppings. We leave it on our coffee table and play with friends who stop by. Also, we’re working on some fun Big Salad posts about how to make friends as an adult and 10 things I’d tell someone who’s getting divorced, as well as beautiful house tours.

CARO: Just added that game to my cart, I love a good questions game. I always look forward to Big Salad landing in my inbox Friday afternoons and can’t wait to read the post about making new friends as an adult. I’m a kindergarten mom this year and, wow, it’s been such a big year for new friends in my life. My six year old is like a friendship matchmaker. OK, now what’s something you’re OUT on right now?
JOANNA: Natural wine. I know it’s cool but it’s always so sour!

CARO: Proud of you for that bold, bold admission in this natural wine obsessed world. Now I want your recs! What’s a book, podcast episode, or show you read/watched lately and loved?
JOANNA: Long Island by Colm Toíbín absolutely gripped me. The novel — which is a sequel to Brooklyn — follows an Irish mother in New York who is having trouble in her marriage. She then goes back to Ireland for her mom’s 70th birthday and runs into an old flame. It was one of those books where you stay up late reading, even though your eyes are closing, because you need to know what happens next.

CARO: I cannot wait to read this! Just reserved it on Libby. What would you be wearing to dinner at my house tonight?
JOANNA: What’s the weather in Carmel today? I’d probably pull on a trench from Sézane or a cute sweater from Kule. Comfort first, always.

CARO: Always. I’m wearing this Kule shirt right now! Tell me about an IRL LOL (something that made you laugh out loud in real life recently):
JOANNA: My two boys make me laugh all the time. My son Anton called out from the bathroom last night, “I’m doing the best hand wash ever.” When I asked what made it great, he answered, “It’s just tough.”

CARO: Oh my gosh, yes. My boys make me laugh so, so much. The other day I was getting dressed and my four-year-old walked into my closet while I was naked. He said “mom don’t worry I will NOT laugh at you even though I can see your pa-china and pa-chinas are *pretty* funny.” I could not stop laughing.

I love peeking in my friends’ pantries for recipe inspiration. Once a jumbo can of pinto beans I spotted at my friend Jillian’s house led to this recipe! What’s a pantry staple you are never without?

JOANNA: Ruffles and onion dip, the best snack ever and a staple of my Midwestern upbringing.

CARO: Wow, it’s been way too long since I ripped open a packet of Lipton’s Onion Soup mix. Thank you for bringing this back into my life. Do you listen to something while you cook? If so, what?
JOANNA: Right now, I’m into Chappell Roan, and sometimes my kids turn on the Spotify playlist for “cool jazz,” which makes me laugh. It feels like we’re in a cheesy bar or hotel elevator, but the vibes are good.

CARO: George always turns on the Spotify playlist “Italian cooking music” when he’s in the kitchen, and, same. Cheesy but good vibes. What do you cook when you don’t feel like cooking?

JOANNA: Our go-tos are coconut chicken soup or chicken parm meatballs. Anything my kids eat, I’m thrilled with.

CARO: Oh, these both sound so cozy and delicious. I can’t wait until my big boys will eat soup someday! Right now it’s a hard pass from them. Valentine’s Day is in two days! What’s your favorite way to turn a home-cooked meal into a special occasion?
JOANNA: We light candles and use cloth napkins, which feels special. Or I let the kids sit on the sofa, and we watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine together, which is what they love the most!

CARO: I feel like anytime we sit somewhere that isn’t the dining table it feels special! My kids love a “floor picnic”. Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day with your sons? If so, how?
JOANNA: We historically haven’t done much for Valentine's Day, but a Big Salad reader just shared the idea of sticking Post-It notes with sweet nothings all around the house. I want to try it with my kids this year.

CARO: Oh that’s really sweet. I know you have a new boyfriend and am so happy you are so happy! What’s been your best date so far with Freddie?
JOANNA: Aww, Freddie, I’m so crazy about him. I wasn’t sure if I’d find love after my divorce — for a long time, I felt allergic to even the idea of dating — so I feel so lucky to have connected with him. Freddie’s also a great intuitive cook; he loves poking around in the cupboard and fridge and figuring out what to make.

Freddie and I have gone on a bunch of fun dates, like meeting at bookstores or taking winter walks or going to Dave & Busters lol, but one I especially enjoyed was my birthday party last month. It wasn’t a huge milestone — I was just turning 46 — but we decided to invite people over for homemade chocolate mousse, and it ended up being such a magical night. When I was little, I sort of thought life fell off a cliff at age 40, but this might be my favorite decade yet, and I’m excited for all these next chapters.

CARO: Thank you so much for your time, Joanna! I hope we can have an IRL kitchen chat soon!! xx
JOANNA: Thank you so much for having me!!! xoxo

A few Big Salad posts I loved:

Big Salad

13 Fun Date Ideas (That Aren't Dinner)

Hi, how’s your week going? Hope you’re staying cozy…

Read more

a year ago · 208 likes · 69 comments · Joanna Goddard and Kaitlyn Teer

Big Salad

Catherine Newman Shares 12 Cool Things for a Messy, Funny, Joyous Life

Hello! How’s your week going? WE ARE SO EXCITED because…

Read more

2 years ago · 422 likes · 69 comments · Joanna Goddard and Kaitlyn Teer

Big Salad

LaTonya Yvette Reveals How to Make Home a Haven

Hello! What are your plans this weekend? We’re focusing on simple pleasures, like goofy children and evening walks. Hope you’re hanging in there…

Read more

a year ago · 203 likes · 22 comments · Joanna Goddard and Kaitlyn Teer

I’ve talked about my love of playing question games during group dinners and dates with George before. Here are some fun questions to ask your significant other (or sister, best friend, or mom!) over dinner — perhaps your easy-but-fancy steakhouse dinner? — to help you get away from the logistical chat that can often happen (I’m picking the kids up Thursday, I need you to drop off snack at tee ball on Monday, have you gotten your sister a birthday present yet…).

Here are some questions from our team — and you all! Thanks to everyone who shared an idea in the chat, and check out the thread for more fun ideas.

You all have shared so many good ideas in response to the clean kitchen reset we sent out on Monday! One of my go-to brands, Aunt Fannie’s, reached out wanting to share some clean-kitchen love with What to Cookers, so we are giving away Aunt Fannie’s Kitchen Cleaning Bundle (pictured above) to 3 lucky WTCers! To enter to win, comment on this post by next Tuesday, 2/181. You can share a conversation-starting question you love, a clean-kitchen tip, or even your favorite Cup of Jo or Big Salad article, thing you’ve learned, or quote, if you too are a Joanna fan girl.

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What to Cook launched in December 2020, which means there are more than 200 recipes in the archives. To help you cook through them, let’s revisit what we cooked this week over the last few years.

1. 30-minute honey gochujang glazed salmon and broccoli bowls, 2024

I made this meal on repeat for MONTHS after I developed it. As George put it: “I’d like to eat that at least twice a week for the rest of my life.”

2. crunchy refried bean tacos, 2023

This is the recipe inspired by ’s jumbo can of pinto beans! It’s an absolutely delicious vegetarian taco, plus you could make the magic green sauce from it to go with any other quesadillas, tacos, flautas, nachos…

3. smashburgers and fries, 2022

If you’re in more of a diner dinner mood than a steak house dinner mood this Friday, make smashburgers for a Valentine’s Day date at home instead!

4. 15-minute peanut veggie noods, 2021

A cult-classic WTC recipe. I still make this meal all the time when I absolutely do not feel like cooking.

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Hi! It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

November was a flurry of work travel and fun travel for both me and George, but aside from a quick trip to Denver for my LAST BOOK TOUR EVENT(!!) on Monday, we are home for the holidays! My family is coming for Christmas and we are all so excited to be hosting the North Carolinians for a California Christmas.

Yesterday I decked my halls (with fresh wreaths and garlands from Trader Joe’s!) and shot this year’s easy-but-fancy holiday menu, which will be hitting your inbox this Saturday. You all went crazy for last year’s and many of you asked to have this year’s earlier in the month for all of your entertaining needs. So ask and you shall receive!

If you follow me on IG, you know that I’m DEEP in good-bad Christmas movie binging this week. If you don’t follow me on IG — or if you do but don’t know what the heck I’m talking about — allow me to explain.

I love the classic good Christmas movies so, so much. But I live for *good-bad* Christmas movies — AKA those Netflix, Hallmark, and Lifetime movies that are so bad they’re actually good. And discovering them is half the fun: you’ve gotta kiss a lot of Hallmark frogs to find the good-bad princes.

There are only 21 days until Christmas, AKA 21 days of Christmas movie watching ahead of us, so we must choose wisely!

Personally, I stick to good-bad movies from about mid-November until December 10th, with the occasional good-good movie thrown in there (I watched The Holiday weeks ago!), and then I make a hard pivot to purely good-good Christmas movies at night, with the occasional good-bad Christmas movie thrown in during the day if I somehow find myself able to watch a daytime movie, which, let’s face it, I haven’t since Mattis was born in 2019. Make sense? Great.

I had to whittle down my list from YEARS of research to compile this approval matrix à la NY mag, but here we go — without further ado…

GOOD-GOOD CHRISTMAS MOVIES

My absolute faves, in no particular order

• The Family Man: George’s and my #1 fave. We save it for a really special Christmassy night. This one was recommended years ago by our Jewish friends who celebrate Christmas, tree and all, because, “why would we not?” — love you Ari and Corey.

• The Family Stone: Hysterical, but also a sob fest — do not recommend if you have recently lost a parent.

• The Santa Clause: A classic — we know every line! The Santa Clause II is pretty great, too.

• Love Actually: But honestly, it kind of pisses me off. So many bizarre plot lines? Professor Snape’s unresolved affair? The ridiculous insults thrown at the Prime Minister’s gorgeous assistant…? The fact that we are to believe that two 8-year-olds enter a long-distance relationship based on one airport chase? I digress.

• Home Alone I & II: A must! But we are not a Home Alone III house.

• A Christmas Story: It plays all day long on some cable channel on Christmas Day and growing up we kept it on, on mute, all afternoon in the background of our festivities, and my dad would run over and unmute it at all of his favorite parts.

• The Holiday: Jude Law at his absolute foxiest!!!!!!!! Kate Winslet finding her gumption!!!!

• Miracle on 34th Street: The 1994 edition for me! The sweetest.

• Happiest Season: We don’t watch it every year, but since it came out in 2020 I think we’ve watched it two more times?! It is funny and vulnerable and great.

• Let It Snow: High school Christmas nostalgia!!!! With a moment for The Waterboys! I adore this sweet “anything can happen at Christmas” movie.

• 8-Bit Christmas: This is a newer one that can’t be missed.

• National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation: A classic, you can’t not watch this one every December.

• White Christmas + It’s A Wonderful Life: I’ll be honest, I’m not a classic/black and white movies gal, but I turn one of these on every year as background music while I’m decorating, and Molly pitched hard for both.

• Elf: It’s not Christmas without a visit from Buddy!

• How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000): This one is contentious among our team but I *love* it.

• Serendipity: A classic, fantastic romcom that is often forgotten as a Christmas movie!

• Noelle: Anna Kendrick in a Christmas movie! What’s not to love?

• Little Women: Both versions, but I love the remake — all the cozy sisterhood charitable Christmas feelings!!!

• While You Were Sleeping: An A+ romcom starring Sandra Bullock that happens to be set during Christmas.

GOOD-BAD CHRISTMAS MOVIES

Christmas movies that are so bad they’re good! These are my kryptonite, I watch them every year (or will from now on)

• The Christmas Chronicles: We enjoyed both I and II! Feel good family movies.

• Christmas in the Spotlight: The Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce Christmas fanfic that none of us asked for!!! It was extremely silly, with bad but not awful acting, making it absolutely perfect.

• The Princess Switch I & II: Classic good-bad! The third installment of this series is skippable.

• A Christmas Prince I, II, & III: Every single romcom trope possible packed into a tidy Christmas package — LOVE.

• The Knight Before Christmas: It’s like a low-budget Christmas edition of Outlander — thank you, yes.

• Holiday In The Wild: Charlotte from SATC gets divorced and goes on a safari where she meets Rob Lowe — YEP, YEP, YEP!

• Meet Me Next Christmas: A new one this year! A classic “oh my gosh, it was you the whole time!” Christmas romance.

• Christmas In Notting Hill: This is basically a Notting Hill made-for-TV Christmas knockoff and I LOVED IT.

• LoveHard: It ticked me off how mean she was to him!!!! But OK, it was silly and cute and it turned out cute enough to earn a spot here.

• Christmas Survival: This is a funny, grumpy British humor Christmas good-bad.

• Our Little Secret: Lindsay Lohan’s latest Christmas conquest. It had all of the silly little “oh no this might ruin Christmas!” side quests and the plot line was totally silly but it was an utter good-bad delight!!

• The Noel Diary: This plot line was absolutely ridiculous but the acting was actually pretty good, earning it a firm spot on the good-bad list.

• Office Christmas Party: This movie is absolutely moronic, but in a funny way, not an “I need to stop watching this” way.

• The Christmas Contract: A holiday-themed “let’s pretend to be dating then fall in love!” situation.

• Just Friends: A Christmas-set romcom with Ryan Reynolds and Anna Faris. It’s not good — it’s good-bad!

BAD-GOOD CHRISTMAS MOVIES

These are good-bad Christmas movies that veered just a biiiiit too far into bad territory to deserve a rewatch, but still hold merit in the good-bad universe. Like, I think you should watch all of these, honestly. But I need you to know that they are very bad. Bad-good.

BAD-BAD

I really don’t wanna bash any movies — one man’s trash is another man’s treasure! — so I won’t get into all the specifics, but for one reason or another, these movies are a no for me. Please come forth and defend them in the comments section!! PS, I need to admit that I originally (on Instagram) slotted Hot Frosty and The Merry Gentlemen into the bad-good category but upon further reflection, they were absolutely horrible and I regret wasting valuable Christmas movie time on them. There, I said it.

OK, OK, where do we disagree?! Molly and I fought over so many of these, and then I sent it to my cousin chat and we got into many heated arguments over where movies belonged on the matrix. I can’t wait to see what you guys get mad at me over!! And what movies did I miss?!

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I love ornaments. Giving them, getting them, buying them for myself. I feel so special when someone buys an ornament that’s very me, and I’m obsessed with finding the perfect ornament for my friends and cousins, using them to mark milestones for my kids and godsons (not a single goddaughter but I’m staying hopeful), and also just stockpiling pretty shiny ones. I think an inexpensive ornament makes such a nice garnish to a present — like a cookbook (might I suggest this one?) with a butter ornament threaded onto the bow. Or if it’s a fancy ornament, it makes a thoughtful gift all on its own!

In case you too love ornaments and could use some new baubles for your tree or for gifting…

• Caro’s fave: Does anyone else also hide a pickle ornament in their tree?! Jillian and Molly had no idea what I was talking about when I was telling them about the pickle, but I thought it was something everyone (or at least a lot of people!?) did. Growing up, my parents would hide the pickle ornament somewhere on the tree on Christmas Eve, and as soon as we got home from the Christmas Eve church service, my brother, sister, and I would race to the tree to hunt for the pickle. Whoever finds the pickle gets to open the first gift on Christmas Eve! My kids haven't been old enough to grasp the pickle concept yet, and I'm so excited to introduce them to it this year.

• Molly’s faves: I love Old World Christmas ornaments — they’re a splurge but are hand blown and hand painted and come in almost any shape you can think of, from Doritos to backpacks to parrotfish. I buy one every year to commemorate something special, like when we got our dog and when the kids held their first lemonade stand. I write the year on the bottom so we’ll remember decades from now! They’re definitely not shatterproof/kid-friendly though, so are a gift from me to me (until one day when the boys can use them to decorate their own trees). I also collect ornaments when I travel and absolutely love that a memento from my friend Cynthia’s Vegas bachelorette party sits next to my late grandma’s dainty mercury glass ornaments and my son’s popsicle stick snowflake.

• Jillian’s faves: I'm all about the keepsake homemade ornaments! One of my favorites is a sweet quilted fabric ornament handmade by my 6th grade teacher Mrs. Williams. I truly can't believe she took the time to make so many of these for all of her students. Teachers are true angels! For anyone crafty, I found this guide on how to make them! I also treasure the handprint baby ornaments we made of both our boys’ hands. It made the perfect gift for the grandparents too. And of course any ornament that comes home from school is a keeper for me.

• We all need the $5 butter ornament on our trees!

• And this $5 marg too.

• A bauble for the golfer in your life.

• I love wrapping up picture frame ornaments with candids of the kids from the past year for them to unwrap on Christmas morning, and am eyeing these $10 frames from Pottery Barn. Framebridge also makes photo ornaments (and they print the photo and put it in there for ya…).

• This porcelain ball with a Santa sleigh scene is very classic, very cute.

• How sweet is needlepoint Santa?

• These mercury glass ornaments look like they’re decades old (in a good way).

• Here’s an epic set of nutcracker-themed Old World Christmas ornaments. Would be a great gift for a young adult just starting their collection!

• A little baby bronze frying pan for the chef in your life.

• A paddle for a pickle-baller! Wait, I need to get this one for Jillian.

• A shiny lobster that reminds me of Calum (if you’ve followed me on IG for a while you’ll get it lol).

• This Diana Keaton ornament because, duh.

• How easy is that?!

My friend/manager Adam shared some of his favorite Judaica objects. He got his *coolest* menorah (see below!) from here, but also loves his traditional family heirlooms. These latke guys and this sufganiyot (a cross between a beignet and a jelly donut, sufganiyot are pillowy donuts that are eaten in Israel and around the world during Hanukkah) live on his mantle during the month of December. And these Hanukkah cards are so great!

His menorahs stay displayed on shelves around the house year-round, but move to a more prominent location and get candles during Hanukkah. This cool dreidel sculpture comes out just around Hanukkah.

His grandmother made him that needlepoint menorah on the right when he moved to LA ten years ago!

PSA, don’t forget to stock up on good-quality wrapping paper. Trying to wrap presents with tissue-thin paper you grabbed at whatever store’s open at 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve sparks zero joy. Been there, done that, won’t let it happen again. I like to make a night out of it by locking myself alone in a room with a TV, watching a good GOOD Christmas movie (prob The Family Stone), and sipping a lil Pennsylvania Dutch while I wrap. Here are fun options!

1. This paper wrapping kit is so smart — you get coordinating paper rolls, ribbon, and gift tags all in one order. I ordered it and it’s gorgeous and I used the red ribbon to tie bows on all of the sconces around my house! It’s in my Flagship shop — if you buy $75 of stuff from my Flagship (which basically allows me to aggregate products from small businesses that I love), shipping is free even if you’re ordering from tons of different shops. It’s a really cool new platform that I’m using in an attempt to support small over Amazon! I even have a whole “great wrapping paper” section.

2. If you don’t need a whole kit, Rifle Paper Co. has some lovely paper options.

3. Alternatively… grab some pretty bags to chuck the gifts in and call it a day.

4. Here’s some gorgeous paper for Hanukkah gifting!

5. I also love wrapping gifts in brown kraft paper ($14 for 100 feet!) paired with a beautiful ribbon. If your kids want to get involved, you can ask them to color on kraft paper-wrapped gifts for the grandparents! Or if you’re crafty, I think this holiday block-printing set from Blockshop is so, so special.

It’s the first Wednesday of the month, so it’s time to send one of you something good! This month, rather than a product haul, I’m sending the winner a kitchen gadget I use all the time, especially during the holidays when it feels like I'm constantly chopping/making pie dough/grating cheese: a Cuisinart 9-cup food processor! To enter to win1, tell us about your favorite ornament or Judaica object — or gimme a hot take on a Christmas movie that did or did not make the list.

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PS: Rozlyn Poray was the winner of last week’s giveaway — congrats, Rozlyn!

What to Cook launched in mid December 2020, which means there are nearly 200 recipes in the archives (it also means we’re coming up on WTC’s 4 YEAR BDAY!). To help you cook through the archives, let’s revisit what we cooked this week last year, and the year before that, and the year before that.

parmesan pot pie, 2023

Did you make this with your turkey leftovers?! If not, get yourself a rotisserie chicken and make this cozy meal asap.

pork marbella, 2022

My modern take on the it meal of the 80s! We use pork instead of chicken, add a veggie to the mix, and made it saucier. IT IS SO GOOD. And such a fancy feeling holiday meal! But still so easy!

3-ingredient chorizo street tacos, 2021

If you’ve never cooked these tacos before, make them tomorrow night! It’s a 10-minute meal that requires just three main ingredients.

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Hi! I’m writing to you from NYC, where I’ll be hanging with a bunch of you tomorrow night at The Invisible Dog in Brooklyn for a Butter Pants party thrown by !! , , , and will be there too. I cannot wait!

The city already feels festive, and we’re currently working hard on gift guides — headed your way next week! — to help you holiday shop efficiently for all the people in your life. The holiday season has BEGUN and I’m very into it.

Last Monday, the salad club ladies and I hosted a Thanksgarten lunch for a group of our friends. If you’re new here, my friends Leslie, Jillian, Megan, and I started getting together two years ago every single week for a quick lunch and catchup. We trade off who hosts, and the rest of us just show up, are fed, and then head back to work. It’s the absolute best.

We all love Ina (duh) and have been talking about throwing an Ina tribute Friendsgiving for years, but Covid and travels and kid sicknesses have cancelled it until now! We donned our best denim blouses, wore brunette bobs (that we bought years ago when we first had this idea), and ate a feast of Ina fare. It was SO FUN. I also started listening to her new memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens, on my flight Tuesday and am extremely into it. Have you read/listened yet? If so, what’d you think? Listening to it right after watching Martha Stewart’s new documentary is giving me a whole lot to look up to!

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If you’ve found your way to What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking and don’t know who Ina Garten is… how?! Kidding! (Kinda.)

Ina Garten has been a culinary icon for decades, hosting the cooking show Barefoot Contessa and writing more than a dozen cookbooks between 1999 (when she released her debut book The Barefoot Contessa) and 2022 (when she published her most recent cookbook, Go-To Dinners: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook). She makes entertaining feel casual and comfortable — and her recipes are excellent.

Here’s what we cooked, for anyone who’s curious!

• Starter: Savory palmiers

• Salads: Curried couscous, tricolore salad with oranges, and roasted butternut salad with warm cider vinaigrette

• Protein: Engagement roast chicken

• Carby side: Mushroom and gruyère bread pudding

• Dessert: Outrageous brownies

The other week we posed the question “what are YOU so into?” and, as always, you all delivered very smart, fun, and inspiring ideas. Here are some of the many highlights!

• From Shannon: “I am so into taking candid photo of my friends with their babies, and surprising them with the images after bedtime. It’s my love language!”

• From Mattie: “I am so into accepting that I am inherently worthy of rest, and don't have to ‘Earn’ it!”

• From Katy: “Red Clay Chili Crisp! Thanks for sharing the promo code last week. It. Is. Amazing!” THE PROMO CODE = Caro15

• From Kayla: “I am so into taking beginner ballet classes as an adult! There are fun outfits, new friends, and a great sense of accomplishment at trying something new as a 30-something mom.”

• From Emily: “So into Gap's ‘midrise easy Horseshoe jeans’ - they're similar to the ones you've been hyping but with a drawstring (!) waist. 3rd trimester and I can flip the waistband and tie them under the bump for a cute maternity denim option (who knew that existed?!) when I want to switch it up from sweats.”

• From Priya: “I was just thinking about this last night and laughed because what I’m so into is my What to Cook cookbook! Every recipe has been a hit, I love that it’s organized by time and that my kid will eat most of what I’m making. It’s brought joy back to the kitchen for me, which is such a victory.” (heh heh, I couldn’t *not* include this)

• From Sarah: “So into roadtrips with my husband! I’m probably a little older than the target demographic for this newsletter (still a favorite) and I’m here to say: those demanding early years payoff. I’m on the other side doing whatever the heck I want!”

• From Lolly: “I’m so into installing some no frills shelves in my garage after years of seeing the Christmas tree decoration boxes EVERY DAY in my little apartment. Now they are in the garage waiting for the holidays. My house is a reflection of my brain state and I’m feeling so much clearer and calmer with less stuff around. Yippee!”

• From Natalie: “I am SO into breakfast salads - basically a deconstructed breakfast (roast potatoes, crispy bacon, avocado, tomato, soft boiled eggie) with easy olive oil/dijon/white wine vinegary dressing lightly tossed in arugula. Game changer and energizer. Another thing I am into is walks after every meal - helps digest!”

Click here to read all of the comments!

I recently chatted with chef and cookbook author for her podcast, Worst Day of Your Life (So Far) and the episode aired this morning! In her pod — which she shares with paid subs of her newsletter Food Processing — Carla interviews people about a kitchen disaster of their own making, proving that there’s no success without some failure along the way, both in the kitchen and in life in general. We chatted about a hilarious mashed potato debacle (very seasonal, lol) from my catering days when I was absolutely winging it. Click here and subscribe to hear all about Mug Mashed Potatoes!

It’s a new month, which means it’s time to mail ONE PAID SUBSCRIBER a big box full of cool things brands have sent me recently! This month’s haul is such a good one, with an Erin McDermott clutch. Merit day glow and flush balm, an apron from Anthropologie, embroidered napkins from a What To Cooker(!! Please tell me your business name I couldn’t find!), Hilma supplements, a Beautiful to-go blender, and a few great books (Bodega Bakes by Paola Velez, Rebel Girls Cook cookbook, and my used copy of Four Weekends and a Funeral by Ellie Palmer).

We just now used a random number generator (it picked number 7,186)… now we’re exporting the paid subscriber list… scrolling down to row 7,186… and…

Mindy Armstrong, you are the winner! Mindy, we’ll email you to coordinate delivery.

What to Cook launched in December 2020, which means there are almost 200 recipes in the archives. To help you cook through them, let’s revisit what we cooked this week last year, and the year before that, and the year before that.

sheet-pan chicken with cauliflower, butternut squash & brown butter sage vinaigrette, 2023

If you don’t go the Thanksgarten route, this is the meal to make for Friendsgiving! I actually had Friendsgiving gatherings in mind when I developed this recipe last year. It’s beautiful and delicious (did you see that title? BROWN BUTTER SAGE VINAIGRETTE), and yet, of course, is very doable. She’s a stunner.

beef and three bean chili, 2022

Hello again, beef and three bean chili. Yes, you saw this recently in the November meal plan — and that’s because it’s a truly perfect mid-fall meal. We use big chunks of beef and cook them low and slow for a few hours, until the beef is tender and falls apart in your mouth.

peanut vegetable curry, 2021

Next time you are craving a super cozy, insanely delicious bowl of veggies on a chilly fall day, cook this curry! It’s a great meal-prep recipe — it makes a huge pot, and you can microwave bowls of it throughout your week for an easy, nourishing, and satisfying lunch.

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Hi! First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MOLLY! Molly, you are the wind beneath the What To Cook sails and I, and everyone here, appreciate your diligent editing, whip-smart ideas, and everything you do to make this newsletter so much more than just a newsletter! We love you, Molly!

Over the weekend, I went on a trip with a group of girlfriends. We turned our phones off for almost the entire time and spent 72 hours chatting about absolutely everything. On the way home, one of my friends wrote up a list of all the recs/ideas we had shared since none of us had our phones with us to take notes! So this week’s So Into That includes that list. It’s a hodgepodge — from really delicious hummus, to shows we’re loving, to skincare (lots of skincare actually, because *mid-thirties*) — but everything’s been tried and tested by ladies I adore, so I thought it’d be fun to share!

FOOD + KITCHEN:

1. Little Sesame hummus (available online or at Whole Foods) is organic, small-batch-made, and comes in fun flavors like preserved lemon and caramelized onion. It also has no preservatives or bad ingredients. Their pita bread is apparently fab too, so that + a flavored hummus will be on my holiday appetizer list this year. Actually, I’m seeing now that they sell a holiday hosting kit! Brilliant.

2. We talked a lot about microplastics and what we’re doing in our homes to reduce ingesting them, and one easy change is to stop using plastic cutting boards and switch to wood. I remain obsessed with my Boos Block cutting board (I have it in the largest size). It sits on my counter all the time, so I never have to search for a cutting board. After I use it, I scrub it down with this foaming dish soap, then wipe the soap off with a wet sponge. The board is definitely an investment, but one that’s worth it, IMO. For cutting raw meat, a few friends recommend these dishwasher safe plastic-free boards.

3. I’m so into all of the What To Cook cookbook clubs that are forming across the country! Go to the comments section and scroll to find (or press command + F to search for) one in your area! I just saw someone add an Austin inquiry!

SKINCARE + HAIR:

1. My friend is obsessed with the Obagi Nu-derm Fx system and says to “mix your retinol in with step 5.” I have so many potions and get so confused about what I’m supposed to use when — I’m tempted to start over with this numbered system. Code OBAGI25 should work here!

2. Goop Microderm Instant Glow Exfoliator was recommended for beating dull winter skin.

3. My friends are all much better than I am at hiding from the sun. And yet… a few of them looked so sun-kissed and glowy! They swear by tan drops. They put their face moisturizer in their hands, drop a few tan drops in, rub it all together, and rub it into their faces.

4. La Roche-Posay face moisturizer is another of my recs! It is the best face moisturizer I’ve ever used, hands down. My face feels so moisturized but not greasy, and I wake up still feeling dewy.

5. The K18 hair mask must be having a moment because my friend Rachel recommended it when we were having a GOW last week, a couple friends swore by it over the weekend, and a sample of it just came in the mail!

6. Our friend walked out after her shower absolutely GLOWING and attributed the glow to Goop’s All-in-One Super Nutrient Face Oil.

7. My friend’s brows looked AMAZING and we immediately had to know why and how. She said she now has a brow lady. She goes to Carrie at HABIT waxing studio in San Francisco — if you’re in the SF area, tell her Whitney sent you! Our other friend’s brows looked amazing last time we saw her in September, and, per her rec, a few of us became Obagi eyebrow serum addicts. Our brows are looking *good* y’all. It’s pricy but Dermstore is having a sale — code OBAGI25.

CLOTHES:

1. One of my friends came to breakfast every morning looking like absolute royalty in a beautiful heirloom-quality If Only If nightgown. If you’re loving the concept a fancy nightgown but not the price of those, here’s a cute dupe!

2. Several of us were wearing Gap high-rise barrel jeans over the weekend. I have them in beige and get asked where they’re from every time I wear them.

3. Many of us were raving about the Le Bon Shoppe girlfriend socks.

FOR MEN:

• A few of our husbands use Huron shampoo and conditioner and we were talking about how it makes them smell like a character from a romance book!

• Huron’s cypress + vetiver eau de parfum was another recommended “hot guy” scent.

GOOD SHOWS/MOVIES:

• “Shrinking” on Apple TV is a hilarious show in which a grieving therapist — played by Jason Segel — tells his patients what he actually thinks and gets way too involved in their lives.

• “Lonely Planet” on Netflix is a romantic drama about a novelist (Laura Dern) who finds unexpected romance at a writer’s retreat in Morocco. My friends could not stop talking about Liam Hemsworth in this movie.

• “Tell me Lies” on Hulu follows the tumultuous and often toxic relationship between two college students as they navigate love, betrayal, and the complexities of trust over several years. It’s SEXY. But so, so toxic. So good. But sort of bad? It’s addictive — just watch it.

• "Disclaimer” on Apple TV is a thriller series that explores the blurred lines between truth and fiction as a journalist investigates a controversial author whose past may hold dark secrets.

• “The Diplomat” on Netflix. This one’s apparently a can’t-stop-watching political drama with lots of intriguing plot lines and relationship drama. I’m filing it under “shows to watch with George.”

• “Bad Monkey” on Apple TV is a dark comedy about a disgraced former detective (Vince Vaughn) who finds himself embedded in a murder whodunit.

• “The English Teacher” on Hulu is another comedy... it follows a teacher juggling his own beliefs and principles with modern education and challenging coworkers. It kind of gives me 90s sitcom vibes.

Earlier this month I (finally!) got my hands on food writer and journalist ‘s gorgeous debut cookbook — Amrikan: 125 Recipes from the Indian American Diaspora — and I haven’t been able to get her Mango Pie out of my head since! A Michigan native and daughter of Indian immigrants, Khushbu (who was both the youngest person and first person of color to hold the title of restaurant editor at Food & Wine mag!) was raised on her mother’s Indian-American home cooking, and her cookbook shares many of the delicious recipes that defined her childhood — mango pie included.

What to Cook is a dinner newsletter, but I know that many of you are also into baking (especially around the holidays!), so I was THRILLED when Khushbu agreed to share this very doable and delicious recipe with us today. This pie would be fun and unexpected for a Thanksgiving spread — I’m always drawn to tart desserts like key lime pie at the end of a rich meal — or, of course, to celebrate Diwali, which kicks off today. Khushbu writes in a style I know you’ll love and this homemade pie is really very approachable, so if you’ve been too intimated to bake a pie in the past, I hope you’ll give it a go. (Unless you’re sure that you hate baking — in that case, forward this email to someone you know who loves to bake and go buy yourself a store-bought pie!).

Congrats on your beautiful cookbook, , and thank you for sharing this recipe with us! You can follow Khushbu on IG or through her lovely Substack, Keep reading for the pie recipe, but first…

I also asked if Khushbu would be into giving away a copy of her new cookbook and she said she’d give away TWO! To enter to win1 a copy of Amrikan, tell us in the comments what YOU are so into right now. It can be anything — a book, a product, a way of thinking, a recipe. We’ll pick two random winners on Friday, November 1. Good luck and thanks again, Khushbu!

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PS, congrats to Carly, who won the free copy of ’s What Goes With What earlier this week! We are on a cookbook-giveaway ROLL.

Serves 12-16

By Khushbu Shah, edited to suit WTC style

Tools:

• Medium bowl

• 9 x 13-­inch baking pan (if you’re making 1 large pie) or 2 (9-inch) pie pans (if you’re making 2 pies)

• Parchment paper, if using the large baking pan

• Saucepan

• Blender

• Silicone spatula

Ingredients:

Graham Cracker Crust:

• 3 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs (about 24 sheets)

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black cardamom

• Pinch of salt

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

• 1/2 cup cold water

• 2 (1/4-­ounce) envelopes unflavored gelatin

• 1 (30-­ounce) can mango pulp (like this!)

• 1 (8-­ounce) block full-­fat cream cheese, at room temperature

• 1/2 cup condensed milk

• Whipped cream for topping (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

To make the crust, combine 3 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground black cardamom, and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl and stir to evenly combine. Pour in 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) melted butter and mix again so that the butter is evenly distributed and the mixture starts to clump together. If you’re making 2 pies, divide the mixture between 2 (9-inch) pie pans and use your fingers to press down on the mixture to create an even and compact crust that runs up the sides of the pans. If you’re making 1 large pie, line a 9 x 13-­inch baking pan with parchment paper so that it overhangs the sides of the pan (this will make it easier to serve), then press the crumbs into an even layer across the bottom of the pan. 

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (you might need a few more minutes if using the 9 x 13 pan). The crust should be golden brown but not too dark—­like it spent time in the sun but wore lots of sunscreen. Let cool completely.

To make the filling, pour 1/2 cup cold water into a saucepan and sprinkle 2 (3/4-ounce) envelopes unflavored gelatin over the water. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then place the saucepan over medium heat and stir until the gelatin is fully dissolved. Let the mixture cool. Transfer the gelatin mixture to a blender, along with 1 (30-ounce) can mango pulp, 1 (8-­ounce) block full-­fat cream cheese, and 1/2 cup condensed milk. Blitz until well combined and there are no cream cheese chunks.

Divide the mango mixture between the pie crusts or pour into the 9 x 13 pan and use a silicone spatula to make sure the filling is even and smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours until firm. (I prefer to refrigerate it overnight.) Serve chilled, garnished with whipped cream, if you so desire.

• NOTE: You can freeze leftover pie in an airtight container for up to a month.

mango pie

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cheesy chipotle shrimp tacos, 2023

Spoiler alert: this is the first meal of November’s *really simple meal plan,* which will hit your inbox this Friday!

white chicken chili, 2022

If you don’t already have a game plan for Halloween dinner, make this chili! It was brought to us by the lovely during my maternity leave with Cashel and it is EXCELLENT.

seared tuna with sesame noodles, 2021

This is a truly next-level, restaurant-worthy meal that will only take you about 30 minutes (maaaybe 45) from start to finish. Or! Need a fancy appetizer for a holiday party? Sear the sesame-crusted tuna, allow it to cool completely, then wrap it tightly and refrigerate it until party time. Slice and serve alongside a tahini-soy dipping sauce (just make it up — you can do it!).

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Hi, happy Wednesday!

How are you? I’m feeling pretty frazzled, honestly. Something I’ve learned about parenting is that just when you’re in a good, solid groove with schedules and childcare and the daily flow of things, something will come unglued and send you scattering to pick up the pieces.

We’re in one of those tricky times. George is traveling a lot for work too, so we are like ships passing in the night right now. We are currently in the midst of a 10-day stint where we won’t see each other once, we each have multiple trips, and they all overlap. We have random sitters (because our regular sitter is out with a knee injury for two months) helping bridge the gaps between when one of our flights takes off and the other’s lands. It’s… kind of insane.

I know it’ll all regulate soon — it always does! — but right now, dang, we’re in the thick of it.

In the spirit of having taken over 25 flights in the past 60 days, today’s So Into That is all about travel essentials that make being away from home feel as cozy and easy as possible.

PS: I thought about deleting all of this and just sharing a quick, “I’ve been traveling a lot, here are some things I’ve been loving!” but I always want to share the reality behind being a working parent. Sometimes it’s smooth sailing and I feel like *I can have it all.* Other times, it is really hard. Right now it’s hard!

1. I’m a recent convert to packing cubes and am obsessed with these from Quince.

2. Reason 1,000 why I love these zippy bags: they’re ideal for keeping snacks, toys, and other travel needs organized on cross-country flights whether I’m flying alone or with my kids. When I’m flying solo, I keep my charger, headphones, book, phone, and chapstick in a zippy bag and it’s the only thing I keep with me at my seat — I stow my personal item in the overhead bin so that I have more leg room. That small change has been such a nice unlock to making my travel days more comfortable! And when I’m with the kids, each boy gets a zippy bag with snacks and toys in it.

3. Listening to a podcast or, let’s be serious, smutty book while I’m trudging through TSA, boarding, sitting on the tarmac, etc. makes that “lost time” feel not so lost. These are my favorite inexpensive earbuds.

4. I also always travel with a book. Right now I’m reading The Love of My After Life and am really enjoying it.

5. I maintain that having a Clear membership and TSA pre-check is the only way to fly in today’s hellscape of air travel. My AmEx reimburses me for my membership costs to both Clear and Global Entry, so it’s a no-brainer for me.

6. Always bring a bathing suit. Always. Just when you think you won’t have time to hang by the pool or go in the sauna, your meeting will get cancelled and you’ll wish you had it.

7. It’s a sad day when I forget to pack my Hilma. I love their sleep and digestive support supplements for when my sleep cycles and tummy are funky from travel.

8. From Molly: I’m going to be traveling in a few weeks without my baby and just bought a Ceres breastmilk chiller to store my pumped milk in while there.

9. From Jillian: This mask is SO good at bringing moisture back to your face, especially after a long flight.

10. I’ve gotten really good and packing light and here’s one of my tips: I don’t pack any shirts that are strictly exercise shirts. Instead, I mostly plan my daytime outfits around simple tee shirts, and then I wear the tee shirt that I wore the day before to workout the next day. Sure, it’s a little stinky, but I did 10 days of the book tour and carried on the entire time, so concessions have to be made!

11. I try to book hotels that have a Peloton, when possible, so that I can squeeze in an efficient, quick workout.

12. In my youth (aka before this year) I used to always use the hotel shampoo and conditioner. Now, I realize that means I’m setting myself up to have no idea what kind of hair day I’m going to have! I am now a *travel bottle* person. Nothing makes me feel like I have my shit together quite so much as packing the perfect amount of face wash for a 5-day trip.

I’ve also perfected my travel outfit formula. If it’s a flight under two hours, I’m wearing comfortable jeans with a tee shirt and an oversized sweater. If it’s a flight over two hours, I’m swapping the jeans out for an elastic waistband: either Sézane Jimmy trousers or my newest elastic waistband addition, these chic and so comfy pants from J Crew.

Plus, cute socks and stocks (sandals when flying somewhere warm, clogs when flying somewhere cold), always! Easy to slip on and off, and no cold toes!

I recently realized that my kids were getting home from school starving around 4 p.m., loading up on snacks, and then not eating a good dinner because they were already full of snacks. So we flipped dinner time and snack time and it’s been really, really great. They’re much more likely to try new foods and actually eat their dinner when they’re super hungry right after school, then they have a little snack before bed.

I don’t love to eat so early, which means that I’m typically making a “kid dinner,” sitting and chatting with them while they eat, then eating with George later in the evening. We won’t do this forever, but for now I am releasing the guilt around having a perfect sit down “family dinner” that had me in a stranglehold for the first many years that I was a parent.

Here are a few (almost) never-fail kid dinners in my house.

The tricky part with pulling off dinner right after school is that George and I are also finishing work at the same time, so these are all really simple, quick meals that we can pull off in a few minutes. Often, it’s leftovers that I’m just reheating! If it’s a real recipe, I’ll cook it whenever I have time and they’ll eat it a few times that week:

• pesto pasta

• hella green pasta (also in the book on page 111)

• healthy-ish turkey bolognese (the book has a similar recipe on page 226)

• cheater bolognese (brown 1 pound ground beef and 1 pound cauliflower rice, season with salt, pep, oregano, and garlic powder, add a jar of pasta sauce, and toss with pasta and Parm)

• dumplings + broccoli or mushrooms + peanut sauce

• turkey sandwiches

• frozen meatballs + broccoli or mushrooms

• pasta tossed with butter, parm, and pasta water until super saucy glossy

• goodles mac and cheese

• rotisserie chicken + cucumbers + pretzels + hummus

While we’re talking kid dinners, here’s a list of WTC recipes you all have told me your kids love! What kid dinners never fail in your house?

Leave a comment

creamy white turkey chili, 2023

This chili is a MAJOR fan fave, if you’re new here! Making two pots of chili — a “white” chili like this and a “red” one like this — is a Halloween tradition for my fam. Whether you’re meal planning for next week or just looking for a cozy easy weeknight meal, make this chili ASAP!

crispy butternut squash salad with aged gouda and pecans, 2022

of brought us this gorgeous fall salad during my maternity leave two years ago. Her recipe includes butternut squash “chips” that are fab in this salad and are also just great for fall snacking. In fact… I’m going to make a batch for my kids soon and add it to their dinner plates! Calling anything a “chip” increases the odds that they’ll eat it.

green chicken tortilla soup, 2021

This is even more of a dump-and-go situation than the creamy white turkey chili since we cook the chicken right in the simmering soup (vs. browning the meat first, like we do with the turkey chili). This would actually be an ideal recipe to cook in the slow cooker! See the notes section beneath the recipe for instructions on how to make it a crockpot meal.

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Hi! Hope everyone is having an amazing week! Here in Carmel, it’s finally feeling like fall. Delicata squash is the produce of the hour (have you cooked Saturday’s recipe yet?!), temps are dipping down into the low 50s at night, and it’s been super foggy for the past few days.

If you follow me on IG you already know this, but if not, I have to tell you: Monday evening while hiking in the foggy Santa Lucia mountains, I observed a dark watcher! It’s a phenomenon that happens when sun rays hit a cloud just right — my shadow looked like a huge far-off figure with a rainbow orb around it. It was very heady, but I had no idea how rare it was until I got home and told George, who absolutely freaked. Apparently hikers hunt for this illusion their whole lives and never find it?! Pretty cool.

I’m so pumped for my Palo Alto book tour event tomorrow (if you’re in the area, come hang!). I’ve said this before but, after having been pregnant, postpartum, or nursing for the better part of the last six years, fashion is feeling FUN to me again. It’s feeling good to put a little more time and effort into creating outfits.

There’s one fashion trend that has swept the globe, but is still kind of confusing to many of us…

WIDE-LEGGED PANTS. Wide-legged pants hit the scene during my second pregnancy and by the time I’d given birth and was fitting back into my old pants, the old pants were no longer *cool.* (Not that this matters, wear what you love!)

It took me some time, but I can now say that I’m a full convert. I embrace all pants baggy and flowy, like the Gap barrel jeans I can’t stop wearing this fall, these wide-leg sweatpants, and my sort of patchwork-y wide-legged jeans from Gap that feel and look so much more expensive than they are. It can feel scary to leave skinny jeans behind, but I promise once you find a good fit for your body, you’ll never look back!

Though I love my new collection of wide-legged pants, I’ve found picking shoes to wear with them to be oddly difficult? And I know I’m not alone in this — Molly, Jillian, and a lot of my friends and cousins report having the same issue. So we threw the question out to some of the stylists, fashion designers, and bloggers whose newsletters here on Substack we love!

The group came back with very chic and illustrative pant + shoe combos. Keep reading for their recs! And be sure to check out their newsletters if you too are into (or even dabbling with!) style. Each of these women shares fashion trends and outfit inspo in such a fun, fresh, and original way. Following their newsletters is how I get ideas for easy outfits to throw together that I wouldn’t have thought of otherwise!

The question we asked: We’re so into wide-legged jeans and pants… but what shoes should we be wearing with them?!

From (lifestyle blogger and author of ): I personally love the way wide-leg denim can elongate your legs (I'm a shorty!) and my favorite way to wear wide-leg denim more casually is with a clog! Truly so comfortable with ample support. There are a ton of styles available this season, whether you're looking for a pair with a heel or something a little more flat.

• Liz’s jeans: Amo Frida Jean

• Liz’s shoe recs: Here are two styles that I'm loving for fall (and the best thing is you can slip your big cozy socks in there, too): Healed clogs and flat clogs

• Note from Caro: I’m now eyeing these flat clogs from Quince (my Quince code is INFP-CARO10) and these heeled clogs from Amazon!

From (designer, writer, and author of ): The shoes I find most pleasing with wide-leg jeans all have pointier toes. Some sharpness to cut through all the soft fabric at the foot. To me, the heel height really doesn't matter (and I'm only 5'4").

• Jane’s jeans: They're my new favorite J.Crew studded wide-legs. I'm just acting like these jeans don't have studs and wearing them with everything this fall. My advice: Let the hems puddle, they don't need to be so perfect! Note from Caro — the jeans are 30% off! I just bought them. Size down, according to reviews.

• Jane’s shoe recs: These Mary Janes from Margaux and these classic kitten heels from Manolo Blahnik are my go-tos. And now that I'm looking, I've just come across this square-toed Emme Parsons Mary Jane, which, though blunted at the tip, would look so smart!

• Note from Caro: Jane’s styling of the chunky cable-knit sweater with this outfit just inspired me to buy this $50 cable knit sweater from Quince (again, my code = INFP-CARO10)! Also, here are some less-pricey round-toed Mary Janes and square-toed Mary Janes that I love. And another good kitten heel!

From (lifestyle blogger, former editor + stylist, and author of ): I love a wide-leg jean!... but as someone who is 5'1'', I'm pretty particular in looking for styles that aren't too baggy or overwhelming on me. I found a pair of Celine jeans last year (the Polly) and they're by far my favorite fit / most worn. I actually sized up in them for a slightly wider cut (I believe they're a true looser straight leg) and then had them hemmed. If you're petite, you'll most likely always need to have the length shortened! If you're on the taller side, the Ayla from Citizens is so good (and in a darker wash). (Note from Caro: My mom and I both have and love the Ayla!)

• Alicia’s pants: Polly jeans by Celine

• Alicia’s shoe recs: My everyday style is very casual so I am wearing them now with sandals as it's still warm in California (I love this simple black pair that elevate any look and feel nicer than your average flip flop) and with sneakers (here’s another clean simple sneaker option).

• Note from Caro: OK I hadn’t considered wearing flip flops with wide-legs, but I dig it! I love these from TKEES too.

(stylist, fashion consultant, and author of ): Getting the proportions right with full-length wide-leg pants is tricky! If the pant leg is especially wide, your feet might literally disappear in them, especially if you have small feet. The proportions of my outfit feel more balanced when I wear a shoe with an elongated toe box, which will give me a few extra centimeters to work with. The classic example is a pointed toe shoe, but any extra length helps!

• Irene’s pants: Riand 28 Carolina trousers (paired with the Riand 28 Grace top and a Vintage Pierre Cardin leather blazer)

• Irene’s shoe recs: Shoes with an elongated toe box like these Hereu Puntera flats (pictured), Jil Sander flats, and these from Toteme, Aeyde, and Aldo.

From (lifestyle content creator and author of ): One of my favorite things about wide-leg jeans is their versatility — a day-to-night staple! Loafers and Mary Janes have been a go-to for me this season.

• Gabby’s jeans: Madewell Plus Superwide-Leg Jeans

• Gabby’s shoe recs: Mary Janes from Sèzane (pictured above) and Madewell’s Vernon Loafers

• Note from Caro: Loafers are another shoe I’ve been eyeing from Quince!

From (lifestyle blogger and author of ): I was honestly bewildered by this as well until I accidentally discovered the perfect shoe. I was planning to wear my red La Ligne pants out to meet friends and tried on all of my heels only to feel like everything just looked... wrong. I slipped on a pair of ballet flats and was shocked at how well they paired. And so ever since then, I've been wearing an almond toe ballet flat with my wide-leg jeans.

• Grace’s pants: La Ligne Colby Pant and AGOLDE Daryl pleated wide-leg pant

• Grace’s shoe recs: These Dolce Vita Mary Janes. If you told me I'd get this much wear out of a pair of cream colored flats, I would have laughed at you but I promise — I wear these constantly (they also look great with dresses — both midis and minis!). My Le Monde Beryl Luna flats were more of a splurge but they are pretty perfect. Really comfortable and again, the toe looks perfect peaking out of wide-leg jeans. And here’s a more affordable dupe for the Luna flats.

From (stylist, creative director, and author of ): Historically I've had a very hard time with wide-leg pants and closed-toe shoes. I really only wore wide-leg pants with sandals — something about the foot being closed off made me feel... unlike myself. I previously dedicated a portion of a newsletter to this topic! The more I keep trying, however, the easier it gets for me to get on board with closed-toe shoes. 

• Laurel’s pants: My favorite pair of wide-leg trousers are from Kallmeyer — they're the Le Smoking style. They have a beautiful pleated front, drape so nicely, and are wide enough to be wide without being cartoonish. They feel sharp and precise — the waistline is crisp, and they're not overly slouchy. They're basically the perfect black pant, in my opinion. I love wearing them with something boxy on top, like this tee from Still Here, in a terrific marigold yellow.

• Laurel’s shoe recs: These Rebecca flats from Loro Piana (pictured). The flats remind me of what a secretary might have worn in the late 80s, and I like that retro office/preppy vibe from them. The pointed toe, and the more open vamp of the shoe (the part that shows the top of your foot) keeps this from feeling too closed-in on me. These pants also look great with a pair of Converse or loafers, but the Loro Piana flats really make me swoon!

• Note from Caro: They’re definitely not a perfect dupe but I love the Matilda flats from Sèzane and they’re a perfect heel height and similar toe shape to the gorgeous flats Laurel shared, at a lower price point!

Thank you so much to Liz, Jane, Alicia, Irene, Gabby, Grace, and Laurel for this fashion primer! Also… if you have a pair of shoes you love wearing with wide-legged pants, let’s hear it!

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1. The Women by Kristin Hannah. I can’t stop thinking about this breathtaking book about the women who served in Vietnam.

2. Lake sent the boys and me some of their holiday pajamas and the boys have insisted to wear them now through Christmas. My code CAROLINExLAKE will get you 10% off!

3. My mail-in ballot arrived last week! I won’t use it since I really get a kick out of voting at the polls (I love the buzzy, patriotic energy), but have you checked your voter registration? It’s go-time!

4. My publishing team created a one-page checklist of all of the recipes in the book that you can print out, keep in your book (or on your fridge!), and check off as you go! FUN!! I asked them to create one where the recipes are categorized by protein, and another where they’re categorized by how long they take, as in the book chapters. Download them here!

WTC checklist by protein

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WTC checklist by time

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sheet-pan gnocchi with sausage, brussels, mushrooms, and burrata, 2023

This was one of, if not THE, most popular recipe from all of 2023! In it I give tips for how to deconstruct the meal for kids, and a few knockout riff ideas. Even if you’ve cooked the OG recipe a ton, I hope you’ll go back and try some of the riffs (like gnocchi + butternut squash + sausage + goat cheese — YUM).

pasta e ceci, 2022

If you missed ‘s guest post back in 2022, click this link and get to cooking! Pasta e ceci (aka pasta with chickpeas) is a hearty, comforting stew, and Colu’s iteration is beyond delicious. The recipe includes pancetta, but it would be easy to omit anytime you’re looking for a high-protein meatless meal this fall.

sheet-pan honey-roasted chicken, carrots, and brussels sprouts with tahini yogurt, 2021

Wowww, I almost forgot about this sheet-pan chicken dinner from 2021. It marries my longtime love of honey-roasted carrots with skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, crispy Brussels sprouts, and a creamy, dreamy tahini sauce. PS, honey-roasted carrots are one of my go-to Thanksgiving side dishes! You can use the marinade from this recipe to roast a huge sheet pan of them (or any other root veg) this holiday season.

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We’ve finally dipped below 90 degrees here in Carmel Valley, so though I’m currently poolside on a mid-80s day with my kids during their fall break, fall has arrived, in the way that it does in California. Halloween is on the horizon — decorations are going up, costumes are being made (JK, bought from Amazon), and pumpkins are being picked.

We’re entering the bam-bam-bam holiday season — Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years. My first few years as a mom during the holidays I felt such pressure (self-inflicted!) to do all of the Holiday Things. Can someone explain why I felt the need to take a one year old apple picking when I — a then-30-year-old woman — had never once felt the desire to go apple picking? I decided to do it for the first time with a baby who was hot, hungry, and tired? One who didn’t even have the ability to form memories of said apple orchard?! What the actual f^*k?!

Wait, actually, this will be good — can you all please share the craziest/least necessary thing you’ve done with your children because you felt like you had to in the name of holiday fun?! Here’s a picture of Mattis dressed up like… I don’t even know what? on Easter Sunday when he was four months old. We didn’t even leave the house!!!! I bought those shoes and socks especially for this outfit?! What…??!!

And here’s a pumpkin-patch framer from Molly: I remember forcing this day so hard. It was 75 degrees out and yet I dressed us all in sweaters? Eli was a colicky infant and rode around in a wheelbarrow the entire time minus a brief stint for THIS photo op.

OK, your turn — tell us the craziest/funniest/least necessary thing you’ve done with your kids to try to make holiday *MAGIC*! We’ll send one of you a Halloween decor bundle (the floating witch hats, big spiders, and oversized yard web — see below for visuals!).

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I’ve learned over time and after many ill-fitting holiday-themed outfits that the key to enjoying the holidays (or any major event) with kids is to let go of the image you have in your head of what it should look like — and also to temper your expectations. You might not get that cute pumpkin picture because your toddler’s having a meltdown over not getting to bring home the biggest pumpkin in the patch. Just because *you* wanted it to be a really special day doesn’t mean *they* are any less of a three year old.

You’ll probably end up making boxed mac and cheese on Thanksgiving, despite there being literally 20 home-cooked dishes to choose from, because picky eaters don’t take holidays off. Your entire family might get Covid for Christmas (been there, done that). And you will definitely fall asleep before midnight on New Year’s Eve and wonder if you’re the only losers falling asleep before midnight on New Year’s Eve (you’re not!).

I find that when I go into the festive season with low expectations (vs. visions of everything being THE MOST FUN and picture perfect), things end up being much more fun, funny, and joyful for everyone involved. You can’t force fun!

Low expectations + not doing things YOU don’t want to do = the highest likelihood for fun to be had and joy to be felt by all.

PS, pumpkin carving is a skippable event, IMO, until you trust your children with sharp knives! Let them draw all over them with sharpies instead! Does that make me October Scrooge? So be it!

One holiday tradition that I DO love and that hasn’t failed me yet is making chili for Halloween. We live in a dud trick or treating neighborhood since we're on a mountain, so we go down to the flat neighborhood by the river where our friends Jess and James live in a log cabin. Jess is an amazing hostess and cook — being in the kitchen with her is my favorite — and this will be our third year going there. The past two years we've done chili and cornbread and then gone trick or treating, but we've decided to flip it this year and go trick or treating first, then head back to their house for the kids to play and for us to be able to enjoy the chili a bit more.

Last year I was in the middle of home renovation + book editing + crawling baby insanity, so I showed up with only cornbread from Whole Foods. But this year I plan to make the white chicken chili from the book, and Jess always makes a beefy chili (I love this one if you need a recipe). One white chili, one beef chili, all the toppings, and cornbread are the perfect Halloween meal. 

I also plan to feed the kids something I know they’ll inhale before we trick or treat so they actually eat something besides sugar over the course of the night.

Turns out that Jillian (my righthand lady), Molly (editor of WTC), and I all share a love of Halloween decor. And not the porch full of heirloom pumpkin and mums kind (though that’s beautiful! we love that look!); but no — the oversized arachnid and inflatable ghost kind. If you’re one of us, here’s what we’ve got:

1. Jillian ties these “floating” witch hats around a beam in her living room, but you could tack them into the ceiling or on a front porch. I’ve already ordered a set for my house too.

2. These giant spiders are on my roof! The boys are obsessed.

3. This giant mesh spider web is currently jutting off the side of Molly’s house.

4. Also from Molly: These are a splurge but my friend Virginia gave me a set of Mollie Jenkins clay ghosts for my birthday a few years ago (I’m a Halloween baby!) and I absolutely adore them.

5. We’re all eying these inflatables that are on sale right now. Also THESE (though they’re not on sale). My mother-in-law sent a tacky Halloween inflatable when Mattis was one and I’ll be honest, I was a little annoyed. See, I was still trying to be a “fairy tale pumpkins and mums” kind of fall girly — I hadn’t yet entered my tacky decoration era. But OH my, the joy that tacky blow-up decor brings my children is unmatched! And they bring the whole neighborhood so much joy! I’ve realized that I love tacky for Halloween, and I love tasteful for Christmas — draping the house in wreaths and garland makes me feel HAPPY.

• Sending donations to those impacted by Hurricane Helene, prepping to support Floridians bracing for Milton, and sending SO MUCH LOVE to everyone currently uprooted and/or evacuated from their home. As a reminder, I’ve started a fundraiser for World Central Kitchen, an organization that helps provide food and water to communities impacted by natural disasters, on Instagram. We’re getting close to $20,000 worth of donations! Go to my IG profile or their site if you’d like to contribute — even a dollar makes a difference.

• “Soup soirées,” a concept that What to Cooker Caroline introduced us to in the WTC group chat. (Come join the chat if you haven’t already!)

  

  Speaking of soups: in case you missed it, we sent out the official what to cook soup handbook on Monday with an index of soup recipes from both the newsletter and book, my top soup making tips, and more!

• Investing in “hero items” and “PdRs.” From Molly: I absolutely love the advice of shares here on the power of incorporating PdRs (pièce de résistance) and Hero items into otherwise minimalist outfits. I've been pregnant or postpartum for so long that I’m enjoying reading more about fashion and actually putting thought into getting dressed again versus just slapping together an outfit. This gives me a good framework for adding to my closet in a thoughtful way!

Amazon has a Prime sale going on right now and so many of my tried-and-trues are on major sale1! Here are a few items that I highly recommend — click here for my full list.

• I live in this sweatshirt. It feels like it's from Lululemon and is currently half off (bringing it to under $25!).

• I'm getting this Nat Geo dinosaur advent calendar for my boys this year.

• This is a very good kitchen knife for a very good price. I've said it before but crappy or dull knives make cooking so much harder than it needs to be.

• A good salad spinner is a kitchen necessity in my opinion, and OXO's is the best I’ve tried.

• The 3 for the price of 2 sale continues on my book! Stock up for teachers' gifts, holiday gifting, etc. etc.!

• This Tramontina is one of my favorite nonsticks.

• This is the bounce house that I own and have used at least once a week since lockdown. Jillian bought a bigger, more fun version recently and was kind enough to bring it over for my birthday party, which was really a kid party cuz dang, so many kids.

• There are lots of cute Halloween costumes — and good candy! — on sale right now.

• These are my fave $20 headphones that are truly better and more comfortable than $200 AirPods.

• If you haven't joined the Magnolia Parks Universe yet, what're you waiting for?! The first book in the series is currently half off. (Listen to my chat with its author Jessa Hastings here!)

• Vitamix blenders really are worth the hype. They're also a major investment! If you've been saving up for one, you should know that it’s on sale at the moment!

• Wide-leg sweater pants — need I say more?

• They’re not pictured above, but my fave high-waisted workout shorts + ribbed tank combo that I wear on IG all the time are also on sale.

What to Cook launched in December 2020, meaning there are more than 175 recipes in the archives! Here’s what we cooked this week last year, and the year before that, and the year before that.

Sheet-pan macadamia-crusted halibut, 2023

Oh, hey again, halibut! This delicious meal kicked off our October edition of the really simple meal plan series. It’s easy, seasonal, so impressive feeling, and very tasty.

Tortilla scramble by Mark Bittman, 2022

Esteemed food journalist and prolific author Mark Bittman — whose books helped teach me how to cook! — shared this perfectly doable vegetarian dinner back when I was on maternity leave with Cashel. Make it asap!

Turkey cheddar meatloaf, 2021

Do not underestimate the meatloaf. It’s been ending household contention for years!

Hi! How are we doing? I can’t stop thinking about the devastation that has unfolded in my home state of North Carolina — and throughout Florida and many other states in the Southeast — over the last few days. As with all natural disasters and crises, it feels bizarre to operate business and life as usual when so many people are struggling to find safe drinking water, food, baby supplies, and beds.

If you are looking for ways to help those affected, here are some ideas:

• I’ve started a fundraiser for World Central Kitchen — an organization that provides food and water to areas in need — via Instagram. So far we’ve donated more than $7,000 through it! Visit my IG profile to contribute (you have to be using the Instagram app, not website, to do so fyi), or donate directly through their site.

• Here’s a comprehensive list of other organizations actively providing relief throughout the region.

• If you live on the East Coast, check your local news. Many restaurants and businesses in nearby-ish cities (like Charleston, SC, where Molly lives) are collecting necessities to deliver via U-Haul trucks.

• Buy a book (stock up on What To Cook for holiday gifts?! buy one of the romances I share below??) through Sassafras Bookstore located in Black Mountain, NC, to help them stay afloat while the entire town is shut down for rehabilitation.

1. Phewww, 44-year-old Adam Brody is the tall drink of water we millennial women didn’t know we desperately needed. Proof? This reel that took me 2 seconds to make has gotten 2.6 million views lol. Nobody Wants This is romcom gold — an emotionally available, kind, hot rabbi meets an oversharing podcaster at a party and hilarity and off-the-charts chemistry ensue. That first kiss!!!!! Also, George, if you’re reading this, you deserve to know that multiple people have messaged me to inform me that you have Adam Brody / Rabbi Noah vibes! Way to go, babe!

2. Athleta’s Friends and Family sale is almost over! My favorite Athleta buy this year has been the Elevation high-rise flares. They feel a bit more cool than my usual Salutations (which I wear anytime I go for a hike or work out), and they come in both tall and petite — very helpful when flare shopping. I’ve rounded up my other Athleta favorites here!

3. My friend Sarah of Broma Bakery has an absolutely gorgeous sweets cookbook coming out next Tuesday! Her recipes are insanely good and perfectly tested, and the photography is SO beautiful.

4. Gap is also having a big sale and they have a lot of VERY COOL denim for fall/winter. I tried all of these on, and they all rock. The beige high-rise barrel jeans are especially nice.

1. My big kids (5 and 4) each have their own very unique and specific fashion sense, and, suffice it to say, we do not share the same sense. But I recently got Mattis some “baggy” jeans and striped tees from Gap that he absolutely loves and wears constantly. He looks like a precious little skatepark kid from the 90s, and I’m very into it. They’re also on sale right now!

2. Emily Oster is one of the only people in the “parenting expert” space I listen to. The info she shares is no bullshit, no fluff — I adore her. She recently launched a new podcast called Raising Parents in which she dives into the data — as is the case with all of her content — in order to (try to) answer questions like “have we forgotten how to discipline?” and “are we over-parenting?” (PS, Emily was my first guest on So Into That last November; here’s our chat in case you missed it!)

   

3. From Molly: I recently bought some very cute, very affordable holiday jams for my kids. Tbh, they’re not the best quality pajamas I’ve ever purchased, but my boys could not care less, they’re just pumped to be wearing ghosts and turkeys for the foreseeable future (we’re a holiday-pajamas-year-round kinda fam). Caro tagging on here: SAME. I just got my boys these monster jams, and I think these construction site Halloween jams are absurdly cute.

4. Also from Molly: Shout out to the Gruffalo Tonie, who has shaved about 20 minutes of reading aloud off my nightly to-do list this week!! It’s been awhile since I got my big boys (6 and 4) a new character for their Toniebox, and I forgot how into it they get. On the flip side, from Caro: My kids listen to the Paw Patrol Tonies every single night to fall asleep! I buy them new ones all the time but nope — Chase and Marshall are it for them! If you are new to Tonieboxes, they’re little speaker boxes that kids can put characters on top of and they play stories! They’ve been a nonstop hit in my house since Mattis was about 2 1/2. So to sum things up: Tonieboxes continue to be bedtime gold!

According to this comments section, you guys are jonesing for delicata squash recipes! And so am I — it’s full of vitamin A, its skin is edible, and it’s very easy to slice. It’s my fave fall squash by far. If you’re new to cooking with delicata squash, here’s a visual of how to cut and cook with it:

And here are a few dinners to make with it:

• This week’s sheet-pan miso maple mustard chicken, sweet potato, and brussels — swap the sweet potato out for a delicata squash!

• Sheet-pan chicken and squash — the pomegranate seeds are a true treat.

• Sheet-pan harvest bowl with cranberry vinaigrette — I <3 this vegetarian meal that Grace Elkus shared with us back in January.

• Harissa roast chicken and sweet potato bowls — Swap out the sweet potato for delicata squash. I love the simplicity of this recipe.

• Tandoori-spiced chicken and potatoes with peanut chutney and kale — Swap in delicata squash for the potatoes, these flavors would be delicious with it.

• For a simple side, just roast it per the instructions in my IG video above, and top it with pomegranate seeds, goat cheese, and microgreens (or finely chopped parsley).

If you’re new here, I used to read *literature* and then I started reading pretty much exclusively romance books and my life got so much better. It’s Xanax in a book!

• Play Along by Liz Tomforde — The fourth in a series about professional athletes. Very smutty, mildly idiotic, very fun to read.

• Cash by Jessica Peterson — Yes, I read a romance book in which the main character shares a name with my child. I can’t help it, I read everything by Jessica Peterson, and I have no regrets! *Extremely* smutty cowboy romance, giddyup.

• Big Fan by Alexandra Romanoff — I’ve already talked about how much I love this book here but I’m still not over it. Smart political consultant meets the boyband crush from her youth. Charming, sexy, smart! I even got the t-shirt!

• Avalon Tower and Vale of Dreams by C.N. Crawford — The first two books in a three-book series (the third comes out in March and I’ve already begged the author to send me an Advanced Reader Copy). Forbidden romance, human versus fey, I LOVED THESE. Favorite fantasy romances I’ve read in a long time! If you’ve never given fantasy a shot, here’s how I always convert people. Did you like Harry Potter? Do you like romance? If yes to these questions, you will love fantasy romance books.

What are your favorite fall-feeling books?! I love The Ex Hex (but did not enjoy the sequel) and The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.

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I came across this quote back in the spring when we were planning my book tour and added it as a note in my phone. I was so nervous when all the details were coming together. Would anyone show up?! Would people have fun?! Would I choke on national television?! This quote serves as a great reminder that everything is terrifying the first time we do it: first day of school, first date, first time on Good Morning America… then slowly but surely we become masters of the things that once terrified us. What’s the latest thing you were terrified of, but overcame? Let’s celebrate each other!!!

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We are always scheming up new perks for paid subscribers, and we’re so excited about this one! As an *internet person,* I get sent a lot of fun things — makeup, kitchen tools, books. On the first Wednesday of every month, I’m going to send a big box full of cool things brands have sent me to ONE paid subscriber randomly selected from the subscriber list.

This month: two hot fall cookbooks (only because I got two copies!) including ’s latest NYT bestseller, a lime squeezer from my friends at Siete, a burger press from my pals at Weber to make the perfect smashburgers, four pretty nail polishes from my girls at Olive and June, the best smelling body wash from Primally Pure, and a bottle of my fave Kosterina (code CARO15) olive oil. $175+ value!

First up, October’s winner: !! (Natalie, we’ll email you to arrange for delivery!)

PS, I got this idea from , whose newsletter I love reading for home, fashion, and general adulting inspo.

What to Cook launched in December 2020, meaning there are more than 175 recipes in the archives! Here’s what we cooked this week last year, and the year before that, and the year before that.

one-pot cheesy pumpkin pasta, 2023

Savory pumpkin goodness!! You guys have reported over the past year that this one is a huge hit with your kids.

mushroom-leek galette, 2022

Jenny Rosenstrach’s guest post from my maternity leave with Cashy! A perfectly simple and elegant fall meal.

30-minute al pastor enchiladas, 2021

A big skillet full of cheesy enchiladas — what more could you ask for, really?

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… to access all past recipes plus ten weekly meal plans (and a new one each month)!

Editor + contributor: Molly Ramsey

Hi!

There are a lot of new readers here so I wanted to take a quick sec to give you the lowdown on this newsletter. First of all, hi, I’m Caroline Chambers and I write the Substack newsletter What To Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking. (I also just published a book with the same title, which may be how you found me!)

When I started What to Cook in 2020, it was a once-weekly recipe subscription. As the WTC community has grown over the years, I’ve expanded what I share here and now also send a once-weekly email called So Into That (you’re reading it right now!!), in which I — along with WTC’s longtime editor Molly Ramsey, and occasionally guests! — share what we’re into, up to, thinking about, seeing, reading, and loving lately, outside of just the world of food. Every Saturday you’ll receive an exclusive recipe that takes under an hour, dirties minimal dishes, and requires very little skill, but has big, wonderful, restaurant-worthy flavor. Every Wednesday you’ll receive So Into That. Put another way: Saturday newsletters will help you decide what to cook for dinner, while Wednesday emails are filled with topics we’d be chatting about over that meal!

We are always thinking about how to continue growing and improving What to Cook and have big plans for how to expand what we provide here to help cooking be as easy and enjoyable for you as possible. We love hearing from our readers, so please shoot us a note if you have an idea!!

What should we cook this fall/winter?!

The cool down is happening, people!! I’m so excited to develop recipes for cooler weather (this Saturday’s recipe is an autumnal flavor bomb!). Do you have any ingredient or recipe requests as I brainstorm more fall WTC meals? A specific fall veg you’d like to see? Any amazing seasonal specials at your favorite local restaurant? Gimme all the inspo!! If I pick your idea to develop I’ll send ya something special!

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Let’s talk about kids’ birthday parties.

Monday was my third son Cashel’s second birthday, and I shared on instagram that we did the bare minimum to celebrate. I got a lot of “thank you for sharing this, I have such guilt about not throwing Instagram-worthy birthday parties!” messages. And it got me thinking:

Birthday parties are for the parents

I just want to say this for anyone who needs to hear it: Birthday parties before age 5 are really for the parents. You do not need to throw your 1 year old a party unless it sounds fun to YOU. If you are in the mood to throw a party and wrap up lots of gifts, do it! But if you don’t want to do it, don’t! And release the guilt that will try to hunt you down and force you to panic-order a piñata for overnight delivery. That guilt has no place here.

A birthday party can take many shapes

I now have 11 kid birthdays under my belt (5+4+2!), and I’ve done everything from *absolutely nothing* to throwing a massive cowboy party with a keg for the adults and a pony for the kids. One year I celebrated by taking Mattis (my 5 year old), Calum (my 4 year old), and some cupcakes to the fire station — they blew out their candles to a crowd of friendly first responders. Another year (Calum’s first birthday), I hosted a full-blown lobster boil. I can say with 100% certainty that every single kid felt equally loved, adored, and celebrated on every single occasion.

For Cash’s second birthday last night, he, Calum, and I sat on the kitchen floor and sang the happy birthday song a million times. I let him eat ice cream until he was literally spinning around in circles speaking jibberish. It was perfect. We called each of these celebrations “parties.” We sang, we ate some sort of treat, we smooched our babies and told them how much we loved them. And that’s what makes a birthday great!

Party favors ain’t for me

One final thought on the topic: I have never and will never (famous last words) do “goodie bags” or party favors. I love when other parties give them out and think it’s so thoughtful, but it’s not for me! And it doesn’t need to be for you unless you’re really into it. A lot of kids’ sports teams are also now giving goodie bags instead of regular snacks and I think it’s SO LOVELY — but it’s also not for me! I’ll be showing up with orange slices!

Are you as passionate about this topic as I am!?

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As promised, this week’s So Into That is an AMA (ask me anything). But before we get into it, here are a handful of things that we’re into at the moment, starting with A VERY EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT FROM MY FRIEND AND ROMANCE AUTHOR CRUSH, ANNABEL MONAGHAN!!!!

1. Guys, what you’re looking at here is THE EXCLUSIVE COVER REVEAL of Annabel Monaghan’s next book, It’s a Love Story, which will be out May 27, 2025!!! Annabel’s team sent me an early manuscript of the novel (officially one of my proudest achievements to date, btw — I feel like Miranda Priestly’s daughters reading Harry Potter). I’m a few pages in and IT IS SO GOOD. A lovable female lead, a rival turned potential love interest, that cover (!!!) — this book has all the ingredients of another perfect summer read. I know I don’t have to tell you how important pre-orders are to the success of a book at this point, so just pre-order it here if you love Annabel and her books as much as I do. And if you haven’t read any of her books yet, start with Nora!

2. I finally tried a menstrual cup after being harassed by many friends for many years. Loved it! Then lost it. Accidentally bought menstrual discs, and found I loved them even more. I like these disposable discs that you throw away at the end of each period, but they also make reusable discs. And a lot of my friends swear by this cup. You can take this quiz to find out which product is right for you!

3. Cashy baby got a lotta love on this Oso and Me set on IG the other day (use code CARO15 for a discount!) so I gathered my other faves to share here. I really go gaga for a baby in a sweat set.

4. From Molly, WTC’s editor, who is freshly back from maternity leave: My #1 most-cherished item for baby boy number three has been my BabyBjorn carrier. When Cole isn’t napping on the floor in true third-child fashion, he’s typically snoozing in here while I cook, clean, walk the dog, type, hold my big boys’ melting popsicles (as shown), etc. etc. I have a wrap option too, but always find myself coming back to the carrier because it’s just so easy to plop him into (my postpartum brain can never remember how those long cloth wraps work!). I also love that in a few months I’ll be able to use it with him outward facing.

5. Also from Molly: I’m currently living in these $28 wide-leg jeans. I used to be an anti-jeans, exclusively-leggings girl, but somehow these are more comfortable than athleisure?!

   Note from Caro: My #1 advice to mom friends who are trying to “feel like themselves” again post-baby is to head to Gap or Old Navy and buy a great pair of inexpensive jeans in their current size! It’s hard to feel like yourself when none of your clothes fit right — go buy some jeans that fit your current, wonderful body!

Alright, now onto your questions!!

Any “regrettably worth it” splurges? —Anna

The tile in our kitchen, and the Celine bucket bag (here it is secondhand from The RealReal!) that I bought myself when I signed my cookbook deal and am always too embarrassed to say where it’s from when people ask me because I never spend this kind of money on things. I feel very happy when I see/use both of these things. Oh and having a third child, haha.

Will you be resuming the podcast? I know you've had SO SO SO much going on with the book tour, but I'm just wondering if the plan is to eventually pick it back up? I absolutely adore the podcast but know it takes a lot of time and energy!! —Catherine

I am so, so grateful that you love the podcast. *I* love the podcast. My plan was to get through book tour and pick it back up, but I’ve had to accept that right now in my life I don’t have the bandwidth to give it the time and energy that it deserves to really thrive. But I desperately miss the conversations! I’m definitely not saying goodbye forever, but I don’t have plans to start it back up right now. (PS, if you’re new here, So Into That the weekly email was actually born from So Into That, a weekly podcast!)

I have a cooking question! Why do your recipes call for “sausage with the casings removed” instead of just using ground pork/beef/etc.? —MV

Oh wow, great niche question. I can see how removing the casings and squeezing out the sausage might seem like a waste of time, but sausage is so wonderfully seasoned and spiced, so it’s a great WTC-style shortcut ingredient! Instead of having to add 10+ spices to a recipe, sausage already has all of them in it! I also love using bulk sausage (aka sausage that doesn’t come packed in casings) whenever possible to avoid the weird sausage casing condom removal.

NYC last-minute fall break trip with kids! Where to stay? What to do? —Sara

Stay at the Soho Grand — decent sized rooms and rates, and perfect location. I have an entire map of NYC kid things! The magnatiles experience was honestly so fun for me, Mattis, and his godmama, Lily.

I’m going to add a paywall here because I talk about some family stuff, substance use, sex after kids, and other personal things below!

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Hi!!! How’s your week going? My life is still so flip turned upside down with all of the travel that I’m doing for my book tour right now, but I’m home this entire week through next Wednesday when I leave for the TEXAS leg!! (If you’re a Texan and want to come hang, there are still some tix available!!!)

George and I had a much needed night out last night — pedicures and Mexican food — and it was a lovely reminder of how much we like each other when there aren’t three small beasts squawking at us and telling us how much they hate what we cooked for dinner :) I am deeply obsessed with my children, and I really like George when they’re around, too, but lately *all* I have had time for is kids-work-kids-work on a nonstop loop, so it felt very good to break that cycle last night.

We like to trade off who plans the date to eliminate the “well, what do you want to do?” “whatever you want to do…” drudgery of date night and make it feel exciting and fresh, instead. George had no idea we were getting pedicures until I told him to turn right into the parking lot! He probably would have said no if I’d told him ahead of time, and he loved it!

Sometimes when we need help getting into a meaningful conversation versus just the “what’s up at work?” or kid logistics that can shroud a date night for parents, we’ll revisit the NYT’s “36 Questions That Lead To Love” and pick out a few to ask each other.

This is a fun one to revisit every few years, what we value about ourselves and our life story can change so quickly:

“Take four minutes and tell your partner your life story in as much detail as possible.”

If you’re on a tight budget but similarly need to have an adults-only night to remember how much you like your spouse, might I suggest getting the kids to bed as early as possible, then cooking TOGETHER? Like truly cooking together. Phones away, turn on a really great cooking playlist, pour some wine or make a little NA mocktail, find a rhythm of cooking together. Since you’re cooking once the kids are down, I recommend the butter-basted steaks and swiss chard from the 15 minute chapter of the book so that you can still hopefully eat before 8:30pm. But seriously, you have to cook it together, OK?! That’s the part that gives your brain the positive feedback loop of: hey, you are doing something fun that led to something delicious with that person, we like them, we want to have sex with them! Hey, I am just being very honest that the hustle of parenting can make your brain forget how into your spouse you really are. Remind it with steaks.

Next week we’re going to do an Ask Me Anything issue of So Into That! So, ask me anything! Food, marriage, kids, cookbook writing, Substack authoring… watcha got? I’ll pick a wide variety and answer them next Wednesday!

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1. I launched my first big product collab (use code CARO for a big discount!!) this week!!!! My kids have loved Skout bars for 4+ years now, which is a very long time in kid snack world. They tire of other snacks, but never of Skout bars! Dates make up the base of Skout’s organic snack bars, and we are big date lovers in this fam. Our bar is oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookie in bar form!!! (It doesn’t actually have any oats in it, FYI!) Thank you for supporting this cool, big thing I got to create with a brand I adore. 

2. I’m a big fan of ​​Big Fan!!!! (Sorry, I had to do it.) Happiest, smartest, swooniest, most addictive romance novel I have read in a long time. If you don’t consider yourself a romance reader but you’d like to start reading more, give this one a shot! It’s quick, witty, intelligent, and sexy. Romance readers: it has The Idea of You vibes, but with a happy ending!!! Plus they recorded a real song that you can listen to on Spotify to fully bring you into the Charlie Blake universe! I can’t stop thinking/talking about this book!!!!!

3. I discovered these cheap, chic drinking glasses on set at my cookbook shoot last summer and I’ve been obsessed with them ever since. It’s so nice that when one breaks you can genuinely be like, oh it’s no biggie. Note: as I was about to do the final edit of this newsletter, I read the most recent edition of and saw Joanna linked to a cheap drinking glass she loves! Hers come in a set of 6, should you need less than 12, and are similarly cheap and chic!

4. I’ve worn more makeup in the past 5 weeks of book tour than I have my entire adult life, and I’ve gotten *pretty darn good* at doing it myself. But the two biggest things my girl Julia at the Sephora in Union Square taught me about how to keep makeup looking fresh all day? Setting spray and lip liner!!! Who knew?! (Maybe you did.) For the setting spray, I just spritz it all over my face after doing my makeup and it really makes a difference, especially when I’m running around all day. For the lip liner, just find a color that matches your fave lipstick and then line your lips (here’s a tutorial! You can make your lips look so much bigger in a good way!!). Hot tip: Ilia’s beige pink lip liner goes perfectly with my go-to everyday and occasion lipstick, Merit Signature Lip in Baby. 

5. I found myself nodding my head and smiling while reading this essay “18 things I give zero fucks about since becoming a mom.”  

6. I watched this video and immediately ordered these candles to surprise the boys. They are SO INTO Halloween!!!

   

7. My dad is the king of playlists and I asked him to help me put together a playlist for cozy fall listening AKA the perfect playlist to listen to while you’re making a pot of soup. Here you go.

8. In the US, wayyy too many teachers don’t get the funding they need to set their classrooms up for success and end up buying supplies like crayons and books out of their own pockets. ’s wishlist project is an amazing resource that makes it super easy to donate and help support both teachers and kids!!

5. From my guest editor, : I got sober in my twenties and it’s been so cool to see the non-alcoholic beverage landscape blow up over the last few years. I love a club soda, but sometimes it’s fun to sip on something special. I’ve been into Ghia’s Le Fizz this week; the strawberry and orange blossom flavors are sweet but tart and the bubbles make it feel festive. Cheers!

6. Also from Sarah: I pretty much live in t-shirts, and this one from Everlane has officially become my favorite. It’s the perfect slightly cropped length and easy to throw on with jeans or high waisted pants. I have it in far too many colors.

What to Cook launched in December 2020, meaning there are more than 175 recipes in the archives! Here’s what we cooked this week last year, and the year before that, and the year before that.

Ham and Fig Grilled Cheese, 2023

Wow, I forgot it was fig season!! These would be delicious with the roasted peanut carrot soup in the book, or with the tomato soup from the archives.

Crispy Bean Burritos, 2022

This is a major WTC cult fave. Make rice and beans in one pot, then stuff them into burritos for dinner or to stock your freezer. Since I get asked all the time what a nice thing to drop off for a new mom / friend who needs a meal would be — THESE. If I was postpartum and someone handed me a giant ziploc full of frozen burritos I would kiss them on the mouth.

Sheet-Pan Poblano Steak Fajitas, 2021

These fajitas are genuinely perfect. And there are so many ways to enjoy the leftovers. This is a wonderful cook it now + enjoy it for many days to come meal.

Hi! How is everyone’s week going? I’m back to living the book tour life, which feels a little bit like stepping into an alternate reality in which I have no dishes to wash or butts to wipe and simply get to hang out with the loveliest people in the world (that’s y’all) and celebrate girlhood. Dreamy.

I had the BEST (!!!) time at our Charleston and Atlanta events. In Charleston, I stayed at The Dewberry which is my new favorite hotel. The service and vibes were immaculate, everything was gorgeous, and I am already plotting when and how I can get back there.

First, Molly Fienning, founder of Red Clay Hot Sauce (you haven’t lived if you haven’t tried their southern chili crisp!! use CARO15 for 15% off your first order) hosted the nicest lunch at her home with entrepreneurial ladies of Charleston where we talked about what’s working in our businesses, and how we make it work as moms, among other things. THEN we had our event downtown where I got to meet so many of you!! I laughed, I drank the most gorgeous peach cocktail (thank you, Cathead Vodka!!), I hugged, I cried because man y’all are nice people and say nice things, I had a ball.

The next morning I was off to Atlanta, half caff in hand. My brother picked me up at the airport, I had lunch with my mom, brother and cousins (who I couldn’t stop hugging), and we had our event at Williams Sonoma Ponce City Market. Again: hugs, laughs, excellent vibes, 300+ of you, the best community ever.

This tour continues to be a great reminder that multiple things can be true at the same time: I am over the moon to be visiting such cool cities and meeting so many of you, missing my boys terribly, deeply energized/inspired, and exhausted all at once! Thank you for showing up for these events, bringing the house down with your energy, and giving me hugs wherever I go.

My cousin Marlea and I are currently roadtripping to Birmingham for tonight’s event and we can’t wait to see the Alabama girls!

We are listening to this great playlist by Liz Adams and we want to know: what are your favorite cozy Fall songs? I’ll make us a Fall playlist and share it next week!

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1. Friendship bracelets are a lost art that queen Taylor has revived and I just love them. Friend’s birthday? Make them some BFF bracelets. Bachelorette party? Bracelets for everyone. Getting “butter pants” and “sign slap” and  “Mildred” bracelets from ladies who come see me on tour has truly been one of the highlights of my 30s and I now feel naked without a wrist full of plastic beads.

2. My new pair of Goldbug Drop Earrings. This is a local Charleston brand and they generously dropped these for me at my hotel! Love them.

   

3. Truly every designer has a cropped button down right now, and this Gap cropped shirt is an amazing option for less that looks exactly like the fancy options. So chic tucked into high waisted jeans with a cool belt and flats.

4. I also love these Gap 90s high waist jeans! They’re comfy and are a great copycat of the much pricier Agolde 90’s pinch waist jean. 

   

5. From my guest editor : I recently tried One Trick Pony peanut butter and I am obsessed. They are a female-founded, family-run company and their PB has no added oil or sugar. It’s extremely creamy and is as good on a PB&J as it is eaten straight out of the jar with a spoon (which I am currently doing). (Note from Caro: I also love OTP!!)

6. Also from Sarah: I binged The Perfect Couple on Netflix this weekend which is a murder mystery based off Elin Hilderbrand’s popular book. The official reviews are…mixed, but I thoroughly involved my trip to Nantucket!

What to Cook launched in December 2020, meaning there are more than 175 recipes in the archives! Here’s what we cooked this week last year, and the year before that, and the year before that.

Sheet-Pan Spiced Chicken, 2023

Zucchini Skillet Lasagna, 2022

5-Ingredient Eggplant Parm, 2021

Hi!

How’s your week going? Labor Day marking the end of summer is a funny thing around here since September and October are some of our most beautiful, warm months in Carmel Valley. We are embracing the long days while we still have them, getting to the pool as much as possible, and going on lots of hikes, while also attempting to settle into a routine now that all three boys are in school. George and I are on week three of getting regular weekly date nights back up and running which has been really nice since we are both traveling a lot for work right now and sometimes feel like ships passing in the night. I’m also trying to get dinner cooked before the boys get home from school so that I can actually hang out with them while they’re home.

I’ve been cooking a ton from my book and it just feels so great to hold it in my hands and cook from it! The pimento cheese tomato galette was last night’s dinner (the boys loved it once I scraped the everything bagel seasoning off of their crust), the cast iron steaks with Swiss chard are coming up tomorrow, and the one-skillet chicken burrito bowls are Thursday or Friday’s dinner. Are you working your way through the book? Any faves so far??

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1. ’s new cookbook, Baking in the American South, which came out yesterday and is a treasure trove of recipes (200 of them, to be precise). I asked if I could share one — scroll down for the best lemon bars I've ever tried, and that's saying a lot!!!

2. These high waisted athletic shorts from Amazon. I like the 2.5" waist because I have a long torso! I now own three pairs.

   

3. I've been getting a lot of questions about what the best way to zest a lemon is since I do it a lot in the book, and this microplane is the answer. Also creates the best fluffy piles of parm.

4. Cerebelly pouches. Cash loves these and I love that they all have 16 essential nutrients for brain development. A slam dunk when I really, really don’t feel like cooking and want an easy, healthy option for Cashy. TRI STATE PEEPS: Hallie Meyer, the founder of Caffè Panna (the best ice cream ever, EVER), is a new mom and hosting this event with Cerebelly in Manhattan & Brooklyn on 9/12. There will be free ice cream, which I am very into. This looks so fun, you can RSVP here and tell me how good she manages to make butternut squash ice cream taste.

   

5. A family that we met up at the cabin this summer always rolled up to the pool with a huge wagon stacked with essentials for the day. Meanwhile, we were taking multiple trips to and from the car to unload our piles of stuff. The mom finally taught me that she just keeps the wagon fully loaded for pool days — towels get washed and returned, but otherwise it just stays packed up in the garage with all the pool toys, goggles, sunscreen, etc. So smart. I got this $70 collapsible wagon and it's so helpful for activities when you have to lug a ton of stuff around (including children). I imagine it will be really helpful for bringing chairs, snacks, kids, etc to Mattis' soccer games this fall!

6. When I was in DC a girl brought me this sweatshirt that she had embroidered with "butter pants" and I’m proud to report that I have barely taken it off in three weeks. She gave me an XL and it's fabulously oversized. Highly recommend.

   

7. From my guest editor : this Uniqlo crossbody bag is lightweight and deceptively big. I love that I can comfortably fit a bottle and diaper in it (peak fashion, I know) when I’m out with the baby and don’t want to lug the whole diaper bag around with me. I got it in black!

8. My Lady Jane on Prime. Warning: this show got cancelled after the first season for some insane reason, but it's still worth watching! We’re talking Bridgerton season one levels of chemistry!

by Anne Byrn, from Baking in the American South: 200 Recipes and Their Untold Stories

What do you get when you spread shortbread with lemon curd? Lemon squares, a Junior League institution and a do-ahead sweet for summer bridge games and garden parties, as well as for church suppers and bake sales. They are heaven in a puckery lemon bite! This recipe is a blend of one shared by Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist Mary Meade in the 1950s and a recipe my mother often used. Sometimes I scatter small fresh blueberries over the top about halfway through baking or on top just before serving. The bars are easier to slice if you make them a day ahead.

Makes 24 squares, each about 2 inches
Prep: 30 to 35 minutes
Bake: 40 to 46 minutes

Crust Ingredients:

• 16 tablespoons (2 sticks/227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1/2 cup (54 grams) confectioners’ sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour, divided

Filling Ingredients:

• 3 cups (600 grams) granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup (60 grams) plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

• 2 large or 3 medium lemons

• 6 large eggs

• 1 cup (170 grams) small fresh blueberries (optional)

• 2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar for dusting

1. Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle.

2. Make the crust: Place the butter in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners’ sugar and salt and blend until fluffy, 30 seconds. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add half of the flour to the bowl and blend on low until incorporated. Add the remaining flour and blend until just combined, 15 to 20 seconds. Turn the dough into a 9-by-13- inch ungreased metal pan and, with floured fingertips, press the dough evenly across the bottom of the pan. Prick the dough with a fork so steam can escape and so the dough won’t bubble during baking. Bake until lightly golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the oven.

3. Meanwhile, make the filling: Whisk together the sugar and flour in a medium bowl. Set aside. Grate enough zest from the lemons to yield 1 tablespoon. Cut the lemons in half and juice them to yield 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Add the zest, lemon juice, and eggs to the sugar and flour mixture and beat on low until just combined, about 1 minute. Pour the filling over the baked crust and return to the oven.

4. If you want to add blueberries to the filling, after the lemon squares have baked for 20 minutes, open the oven and carefully scatter the berries evenly on top of the filling. Press down gently onto the berries to anchor them. Close the oven door and continue baking for another 8 to 12 minutes. Or, to make plain lemon squares, bake the lemon squares for 28 to 32 minutes. If you like, you can garnish the top with the berries after the squares have been removed from the oven and placed on a wire rack to cool to room temperature, or chilled for best slicing. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, slice, and serve. Store in the pan, covered with plastic wrap, for up to a week in the refrigerator or freeze in the pan for up to 3 months.

I feel really grateful that a lot of incredible podcasters have taken the time to share my story recently and share my book. If you’re in the mood to pop in an AirPod and listen to me gab while cooking dinner, you’re in luck. Every podcast has its own focus, so I’ve written up a little blurb about each!

1. Food Friends Podcast: Home Cooking Made Easy — A deep dive into my tried and true tips for getting a complete dinner on the table when you’re not in the mood, plus my favorite rotisserie chicken hack.

2. Radio Cherry Bombe — If you're interested in the nitty gritty of how to build a Substack community, listen to this one!

3. This is TASTE — For my thoughts on what makes a great Internet recipe, my time living in New York City, and a little sports talk (go Heels), give this one a whirl.

4. Food Blogger Pro — This one offers a look back on my early days running my own catering business, how I transitioned into freelance recipe development, and then when I eventually took the leap into starting this newsletter.

5. A Thing or Two with Claire and Erica — A very So Into That coded episode, where I share a thing or two that I’m loving right now, and dish out some romance novel recs.

6. CREATIVE. INSPIRED. HAPPY with

   Evelyn Skye

   — If you’re curious about building an author platform, balancing motherhood and a creative career, and infusing a personal voice into non-fiction, this is for you.

Thank you to everyone who has invited me onto their podcast and listened to me talk about my book!

What to Cook launched in December 2020, meaning there are more than 175 recipes in the archives! Here’s what we cooked this week last year, and the year before that, and the year before that.

Cheesy Polenta Bowls with Kielbasa & Peppers, 2023

Chicken Chili Verde Burgers, 2022

30-Minute Scallops with Succotash, 2021

*BONUS RECIPE:

THIS POT ROAST from @GROSSYPELOSI’s cookbook, “LET’S EAT,” came out this week last year and is an all-time favorite! If you haven’t yet, you need to buy Dan’s book and cook all of his recipes!!! He is a gem of a human and an ace recipe developer.

Hi and welcome to another edition of one of the craziest weeks of my life. What To Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking hit the New York Times, USA Today, and Midwest Indie Best Sellers Lists this week. I was at a total loss for words for about 24 hours, but now I’ll say this: this email blast became a community that became a book that became a dream come true. The past two weeks have been a reminder that the things we tell our kids – to be kind, believe in ourselves, do what we love, and surround ourselves with good people – really mean something. I’m overwhelmed in the best way by all of your support, and just trying to soak it all up and live in this moment.

Even though “the lists” are cool, the thing I am proudest of is you. Maybe that’s cheesy, but I mean it. You get me, you believe in me, you slap signs with me, you show up to support me all over the country, and I just feel so grateful that y’all have welcomed me into your lives & kitchens with open arms. So thank you.

1. Your comments on last week’s newsletter!! I could read about your favorite recipes from the book forever and ever. Coolest thing ever to see y’all cooking from the book after working on it for so many years.

2. Cooking with thousands of you this past Sunday (you can rewatch here and here — yep, two links because the first stream broke halfway through, that’s show biz baby) and all of my favorite brands giving away massive prizes!!! TYSM Cuisinart, Earlywood, Williams-Sonoma, Kosterina, Uber Eats, Red Clay, 1-800-FLOWERS, Real Good Fish, Credo, and MadeIn for coming through with the goods!!

3. This Gap roll neck sweater looks exactly like a $300 designer sweater I’ve been coveting. I’m in a medium.

4. This Primally Pure face mask is really helping my poor little acne prone skin while I’m on the road. Code 15CAROLINE should work!

5. This granola that a gal in Costa Mesa brought me on Monday night! OMG it’s so good!!! She printed out the ingredients and the link to the recipe and taped it onto the bag of granola she brought me. The corn flakes make it!!

6. I had lunch with my temp So Into That editor (while Molly is out on maternity leave), , while I was in LA on Monday. We both showed up wearing the Sezane Lenny mules, mine brown, hers black. It is truly a perfect shoe. I have walked miles and miles and miles in them.

7. ’s new cookbook is out!!! Weekday Vegetarians: Get Simple is full of vegetarian cooking strategies and recipes!! Jenny is truly the best and the book is GORGEOUS.

8. I was grilling at a friend’s house recently and the only tongs they had were those massive, clunky, impossible to grip grilling tongs. I can’t stand them. I use these big ones for grilling and the smaller ones for all indoor tong needs!

9. The idea of making merch?! As y’all know I made “I DON’T FEEL LIKE COOKING” hats for my book PR boxes and tote bags for the DC gals, and I’ve gotten nonstop requests to start selling them!! It gives me major imposter syndrome to even think about selling “Caro Chambers” merch, but I think we could have a lot of fun with it. I need your help though!! What should I make? Tote bags? Hats? Crew necks that aren’t too long for big booty girls (🙋🏼‍♀️) but aren’t too cropped for long torso girls?! Sweatpants with a stick of butter printed down the entire leg?? What else? Does anyone wear aprons??

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What to Cook launched in December 2020, meaning there are more than 175 recipes in the archives! Here’s what we cooked this week last year, and the year before that, and the year before that. PS THESE ARE THREE OF MY FAVE WTC RECIPES, MAKE THEM ALL!!

Sunshine Curry with Cilantro-Lime Rice, 2023

Chopped Italian Goddess, 2022

Sausage Stuffed Zucchini, 2021

Editor: Sarah Levy

Where to begin! This past week has been a dream. I have loved meeting so many butter pants in D.C., Charlotte, and Boston, hugging your babies, eating treats in your cities, and seeing MY BOOK IN THE WILD. Seeing y’all cook my recipes and feed them to your families is the coolest feeling in the entire world. Thank you.

I’ve heard this a lot this week — “Caro, there are so many delicious recipes in this book. Where should I start?” SO glad you asked!!

Here are the ten recipes I think you should start with, from protein-heavy to veggie forward options. These are all really easy to make, and part of the reason why I think you should cook them first is that many of them use seasonal ingredients (corn! tomato! grilled steak!) that are fleeting.

What To Cook (First) From WHAT TO COOK WHEN YOU DON’T FEEL LIKE COOKING:

1. Pimento Cheese Everything Bagel Galette, 216
2. Peanutty Pork & Brussels, 39
3. Spicy Ramen & Snap Pea Stir-Fry, 51
4. Summer Soup, 168
5. Grilled Flank Steak With Charred Corn Panzanella, 126
6. Turkey Taco Salad, 119
7. Braised Fish With Tomato & Coconut Chickpeas, 164
8. Pesto Meatballs With Tomato Salad & Labneh, 122
9. Lamb & Hummus Bowls, 99
10. Sheet Pan Artichoke Melts, 167

Keep tagging me so that I can keep sharing what you cook!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you, for loving on this book.

if you’ve already started cooking from the book, what was your first recipe?!

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1. I am having a little bit too much fun on Instagram this week. Yes, some of these trending audio sounds have been over for months, and, sure, I may be ten years older than the target demographic, but I’m here, I’m lip syncing, and I’m not sorry!!! Thanks to everyone who has indulged me so far (like my editor and agent who were born to play Blair Waldorf and Dan Humphrey here). Buckle up for more of this and this and this level of unhinged content during my book. It’s honestly been such a fun and funny creative exercise at the end of every day!

2. Girls supporting girls. I have been joined by such wonderfully supportive women at my book events and I am so inspired by the generosity, talent, and girl power they each bring to the table. Thank you , Carla Hall, Esther Tetreault and Katie aka @beachreadsandbubbly for being the greatest conversation partners a gal could ask for. I am SO into their books (and their beer!) this week and always: Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook, Carla Hall's Soul Food: Everyday and Celebration,

3. Book tour content never sleeps, and you may be wondering how one films themselves signing books, getting ready, and doing fit checks when they are alone in a hotel room. The answer is this suction phone case, which makes it a little too easy to capture hands-free content on the go. You just mount your phone on a window/mirror/hard surface and it’s lights, camera, action, baby! I also use it to stick my phone to surfaces while FaceTiming, watching My Lady Jane, etc! Important: make sure to order the right size for your phone.

4. I’ve said this before but I am genuinely so into the Harper Wilde Bliss Bralette that it I have to mention again. It’s buttery, it’s a great t-shirt bra, I want to wear it every day, in fact, I have worn it everyday of this tour, and it just rocks.

What to Cook launched in December 2020, meaning there are more than 175 recipes in the archives! Here’s what we cooked this week last year, and the year before that, and the year before that.

Sorta Pasta Alla Norma, 2023

One-Skillet Roasted Chicken and Peaches, 2022

The Greatest Kale Salad, 2021

Editor: Sarah Levy

Okay, I know I said last week was big over here – and it was! – but PUB WEEK is officially upon us and these last 72 hours have been bananas. I woke up bright and early on Monday morning in New York City for my appearance on Good Morning America (!!!) where my mom got a giant hug from Michael Strahan and I somehow managed to both cook and talk simultaneously on national television. Yesterday MY BOOK CAME OUT and we kicked off the tour with an event at Barnes & Noble in Union Square with the delightful . Tonight we have our event at Talea before I hop on the train for tomorrow’s event in Washington D.C. (there are still tickets left!!!).

I’m a broken record at this point but I will continue shouting this from the proverbial rooftop every day until forever: to everyone who has supported this book via pre-orders, regular orders, social media shout outs, coming to events, spreading the word to friends at drop-off, or just sending me good vibes…thank you, thank you, thank you!!! We don’t always feel like cooking but we do it anyway and together we have created this collection of recipes that I am so proud of, but perhaps more importantly, this incredible community. I’m so grateful for all of you!

1. Girls supporting girls! Ali Rosen and I became internet friends after I discovered her romance books and became completely obsessed with them and her. Last night she hosted a party for me and my book at her gorgeous apartment and the ladies showed UP to celebrate pub eve. I was riding high all night long on how special it is to be in a room with rockstar women who are all championing each other. HI , , , , , , and !

2. My clothes will be living in a suitcase for the foreseeable future, which means they will always be wrinkled and I will never remember to deal with it until minutes before I’m due somewhere. Enter: this handheld steamer thingy, which has been saving me on tour and takes up very little space in a carry-on.

3. I just discovered BOOB TAPE. I used to think that backless dresses were out of the question for me but the sky is the limit now!!! This one does the trick. It has pictures and diagrams on the box to show you how to do it.

4. Incredible teachers who support not only their kids but also their parents. On the last day before I left for tour I was dropping off Calum at school and his teacher asked when I was leaving so that she could be sure to give him some extra love while I was gone. Naturally, I burst into tears. Later that day, Calum came home from school with this picture and I also got this text from his teacher. Cue more tears. I am feeling deeply grateful for our community and for the fact that my boys are in such wonderful hands while I’m away.

   

What to Cook launched in December 2020, meaning there are more than 175 recipes in the archives! Here’s what we cooked this week last year, and the year before that, and the year before that. All would be excellent summery additions to your meal plan this week or next.

Show Off-Y Greek Salad, 2023

Slow-Roasted Ribs with Herby Crunch Potatoes, 2022

Chicken Panzanella, 2021

Guys, woah, it’s a big week over here. My little boys started preschool last week, Mattis started kindergarten today, my book tour kicks off this Saturday with a pre-launch event at Holman Ranch, and I get on a plane at 7am Sunday morning to fly to New York to begin a ten day romp around the east coast for the first leg of my book tour! And then, of course, THE BOOK PUBLISHES ON TUESDAY! Click here and scroll down to “book happenings” for a reminder of all of the fun giveaways / events that anyone who pre-orders can sign up for! Thank you, thank you for pre-ordering! Means the world.

This morning after dropping off Mattis, I had a nice cry in the car, and then went hiking with some other kindergarten mom friends to clear my mind. I know Monterey schools start earlier than a lot of the country, so if you have a new school thing coming up that makes you feel a little squidgy… I 10/10 recommend sweating with your friends after that first day of drop off. Really helped me shake off the blues, put it all in perspective, and remember how lucky I am to have a child who is growing and thriving and doing big things like going to Kindergarten.

1. I just got off the phone with my team to finalize the deets for the pre-order Sunday Summer Zoom Party, and you guys, it’s going to be so epic. In addition to hanging out and cooking a meal (TBD which recipe!) from the book together, I’m giving out prizes all night long from my fave brands including Red Clay, Williams-Sonoma, Made In Cookware, Uber Eats, Kosterina, Cuisinart, Real Good Fish, 1-800-Flowers, and Credo Beauty. Oh… and there will be lifetime subscriptions to What To Cook up for grabs!!!

2. Friends who just get it, and help with your kids without making you feel like you need help (which, I do, pretty much at all times). JR, an old SEAL and Stanford friend, came to visit us this past weekend at the cabin, and we had so much to catch up on but also… three small children. He jumped in like a third parent and the boys instantly fell in love with him. I keep overhearing them telling their friends about “their friend JR’s” tattoos, haha. I think the key to being a really great friend/aunt/grandparent is to never, ever ask “how can I help?” — just do it. “I’m taking Mattis to get a snack” versus “do you want me to take Mattis to get a snack,” etc. I’m constantly trying to be a better friend, and seeing JR in action was inspiring!

3. llona Maher, the rugby player who helped lead the women’s Olympic team to Bronze! Her content is just so good — hysterical, empowering, inspiring, all of it!!! Her “Olympic Villa” videos from Olympic Village spoofing Love Island absolutely kill me. So much fun inside scoop about being an Olympian.

4. I’m a cookbook author who has never owned a cookbook stand! I recently invested in one and I have to say, it really improves the experience of cooking from a cookbook! Especially, ahem, from my cookbook, since every single recipe is all on ONE PAGE and you never have to flip to get to the next page!! This one is pretty and functional… and $12!

What to Cook launched in December 2020, meaning there are more than 175 recipes in the archives! Here’s what we cooked this week last year, and the year before that, and the year before that. All would be excellent summery additions to your meal plan this week or next.

Turkey Meatballs with Corn Butter Rice, 2023

Tomato Galette, 2022

Healthy Sloppy Joe’s, 2021

Hello and happy July! We’re halfway through our annual pilgrimage to Bald Head Island, NC. It’s been a perfect family trip full of the parents begging the kids to go to the beach, the kids begging the parents to go to the pool, shrimp and grits, sweltering humidity, and afternoon thunderstorms.

Since I have my entire immediate family gathered under one roof, I thought I’d pull them into this week’s So Into That! Here’s what me and my family are into right now, accompanied by a little photo journal of our trip.

Caro: TOMATOES!! My mom and brother both showed up to the beach with tomatoes from their gardens and my cousins’ gardens and honestly, I think I’m giving myself acid reflux, I’ve eaten so many. Spoiler alert: my long-awaited copycat Merritt’s pimento cheese BLT recipe is coming this Saturday. Here are some ways you should be chowing down on tomatoes while you wait for it: tiny tomato pasta, summer tomato galette, and many others.

George (my husband!): “In the summertime, I want to drink beer all day long. Sadly, that’s not a great idea. So I’ve gotten really into non-alcoholic beer. Best Day Brewing’s West Coast IPA is my go-to.”

Francie (aka Crash, my mom!): “I’m so into gardening. At my new house, my backyard gets no direct sunlight, which has been a real bummer for my tomato plants the past few summers. So this summer, I decided, screw it, and I planted a bunch of tomato plants right in my front yard. I look like a hillbilly, there are tomato plants shoved between the hedges! But I don’t care, I’m so happy to have homegrown tomatoes.”

Tommy (my dad!): My dad is the king of curating the perfect playlist, and is a walking, talking musical thesaurus. His Bald Head 2024 mixtape is the perfect combo of Robert Earl Keene, Jimmy Buffett, Nickel Creek, Van Morrison and many more of our favorites. PS: did y’all know that Van has TWO songs that talk about “cleaning windows”? My dad knew it, and they’re both on this playlist!

Will (my brother!): My brother Will answered my “what are you into right now” question the fastest of anyone in the entire family. “ACOTAR!” he instantly blurted out. The A Court of Thorns and Roses series, a fantasy romance about a human girl who is thrust into a dangerous and magical faerie world, is one that I have professed my love for many times here and on Instagram, and I’m thrilled to see my little brother joining the ranks of Sarah J Maas devotees.

Annie (my sister!): “I have ADHD, and using the Pomodoro timer is such a game changer for me. It’s such a simple concept, but the timer really helps me focus solely on one task, and thus it gets completed so much more quickly and efficiently. I don’t allow myself to look at my email or phone or do absolutely anything outside of the one task at hand for the entire 25 minutes. I own two businesses and have two kids, so it’s way too easy to sit down to write an itinerary for a client, and then wind up checking my email, which leads to enrolling my kid for soccer, which leads to texting his best friend’s mom to make sure they’re signed up, which leads to checking Instagram… you all know how the spiral happens. Trust me, if you struggle with time management, just try the app.”

Nick (my brother-in-law!): “Swimming in the backyard with my boys.” Nick and Annie bought our childhood home from my parents in 2021, so I can attest that swimming in that pool all summer long is the absolute greatest.

Mattis (my son, age 5): “Sheriff Labradoodle!” (It’s actually called Sheriff Labrador, haha). Mattis and Calum are both obsessed with Sheriff Labrador, a podcast about a Labrador who is a sheriff, and all of the naughty animals he has to lay the law down on in his town! My kids listened to this podcast for an entire six hour drive one time (even when watching a show on their iPads was an option!).

Calum (my son, age almost 4): “I LOVE my tiger bay-din’ suit.” I got six of these $20 amazon suits at the beginning of the summer, and Calum is deeply attached to the tiger one. I love the stripes, and I ran into a WTC girly at the pool whose son was wearing the gingham!

Cashel (my son, age almost 2): Pinching my mom as hard as I can when I’m overtired.

Coleman (my nephew, age 5): "Sheriff Labrador is NOT my favorite podcast anymore, Magic Woods is the best!!!” Since this proclamation, I have listened to several episodes with the boys, and it's really great! They love “scary stories” and these are the perfect not-too-scary but suspenseful-enough-to-feel-scary stories for kids.

Preston (my nephew, age 2): If he could speak in full sentences, he would have said “stealing my mom’s Owala water bottle and forcing her to accidentally drink my backwash!” After several months of Preston and Coleman refusing to drink out of their own water bottles because they preferred hers, Annie finally bought them their own Owalas, and it’s her favorite kid’s water bottle yet. Note that it has the same signature open top as the adult Owala, so it’s not the best option for babies who will dump it all over the place. I just bought five in the exact same color to replace all of our disgusting ones for the coming school year!

What to Cook launched in December 2020, meaning there are more than 175 recipes in the archives! Here’s what we cooked this week last year, and the year before that, and the year before that. All would be excellent additions to your meal plan this week or next. The crispy bbq chicken tacos are a *very* simple recipe that kids typically love.

crispy bbq chicken tacos, 2023

30-minute summer steak tostadas, 2022

sheet-pan crispy pork chops with fennel and peaches, 2021

How’s your summer going? What are you guys into right now?!