the group chat (Newsletter)

Hi friends!!! Coming to you live from the Barn at the end of a very long but incredibly exciting week, where we’ve continued to shoot more episodes for my cooking show and experienced the surreal release of the first episode, Surf & Turf! It’s been so special and rewarding to see all of you tuning in and sharing love, so thank you all so much for the support! In addition to (somewhat) regularly scheduled programming on here, I thought it would be useful to compile a sort of “episode guide”...

It occurred to me recently that I genuinely can’t remember the last time I cooked something for the first time. So at the top of the summer I made a promise to myself to make more of a conscious effort to push myself a little outside my comfort zone and attempt some new proteins/preparations. For example this past Sunday, I had dinner on the beach with some friends and fam and I grilled a whole red snapper on a little Weber grill (see below).

It’s been a very busy summer over here at the barn, so let’s catch up! ICYMI, I’m working on two major projects atm: filming a cooking show for Netflix (pictured below) which premieres later this year, and writing my second cookbook. It’s all incredibly exciting, but balancing both at the same time has definitely been a harrowing experience. I’m still figuring out how to juggle it all, but I can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on! Not to get all existential on you, but humor me.

With a heat wave approaching the Northeast, it’s time to bust out the no-cook recipes... and by recipes, I mean cocktails. It is Fourth of July week, after all. Whether you’re getting after it in a share house with your besties or attending a family-friendly affair, a frozen beverage is always a good idea. The key to a great frozen drink is the consistency. It should be so frozen you could eat it with a spoon.

I can’t believe how fast time has been flying by lately. I think it’s safe to say that we’re all mentally in summer mode, but can I just say, this may have been the first Spring that actually felt like Spring in all my years living in the Northeast. Typically we’d have winter gloom dragging well into April, followed by maybe one or two weeks of 60-degree weather in May, and then suddenly it’s June and somehow already 100 degrees. For that reason, I’ve always despised spring.

and a Big Batch O' Seasoning Hi friends! ICYMI #GirlsWhoGrill summer has officially started, just in time for MDW. So, I wanted to kick things off with some recipe inspo as well as my go to grill seasoning blend to celebrate. Big Batch O’ Seasoning I notoriously hate measuring ingredients, especially with spices. At least with baking, you know that you’re measuring for the sake of science.

It finally feels like we are out of the woods with winter here in the North East and it’s inspiring me to undergo a massive reset of my entire life. For starters, I just went through all of the condiments in my fridge and tossed the expired ones and I feel like a brand new woman!! In the spirit of de-cluttering, I’ve also decided it’s about time to give the recipe section on my website some much needed attention.. I started publishing recipes as early as 2019, long before my private chef days.

Hi friends! I have a random stream of consciousness for you today. With the arrival of Goop kitchen following the grand opening of Meadow Lane last fall, I can’t help but wonder: is the slop bowl phenomenon finally on it’s way out? Having worked in corporate from 2018-2020, I experienced what may have been peak slop bowl culture. Sweetgreen, Chopped, and Dig Inn were the main contenders.

Double header newsletter ahead of the holiday weekend! (left) A cherry blossom branch I brought inside about 8 days ago vs (right) last years blooms in early May I was watching old Martha Stewart living episodes the other day and she had a segment discussing how to “force” spring branches. In early spring, when flowering trees like cherry blossoms are just beginning to form buds, you can cut a few branches and place them in a vase of water indoors.

Happy spring!!! While it’s still quite dreary here in the North East, I’m looking forward to the longer and warmer days ahead. I’ve been spending a lot of time out at the barn recipe testing and writing my second cookbook, and I’m still trying to balance how much of this process I should share vs keep a secret so as not to spoil anything before pub (which is a ways away).