R&D

Today I'm testing a new recipe.

I used to freelance non-stop. Once I worked 17 days straight without a break and I mean full, twelve hour fiascos on my feet. On the last day, my body forced me to sit down… on a toilet in the building where Nashville’s highest society happened to be setting up for their annual ball. Women outside the stall literally clutched their pearls as it happened. After that, I slowed down a little.

Until 2020 when I came to a grinding halt. My health has been a roller coaster since and my gigs have been few and far between. But last week, just as I started to feel better I was offered two of the greatest jobs ever. Like, I can’t believe anyone ever thinks to ask me anymore and I’m so honored they did. One of them is at the iconic Rivendell writers colony in Monteagle, where I’ll be cooking for a 15 person retreat in November.

The menu is absolutely everything you could ever want from a cozy, fireside, crispy cold mountain event. Think sage and cornbread and turkey and pumpkin and cinnamon. The first night I intend to serve 3 bean chili with about a billion toppings, as well as a shaved cabbage salad with creamy poblano ranch and pumpkin seeds. Today I’ve been testing the dessert: warm caramel apple crisp with vanilla ice cream.

It’s granny smith apples tossed in salted caramel and flour, baked under an oat shortbread cookie crumble. I knew it would come out near perfect— really my only tweaks will be a bit more caramel and a splash of rum or bourbon. Tonight we’ll eat it with yogurt because the vegetable soup I have leftover from the weekend is a little light. Comforting though! Onions, carrots and green cabbage simmered with tomato paste, warm spices and chicken stock until butter soft, then bulked out with honeynut squash and chickpeas. I’ll top each bowl with cilantro (or maybe dill, time will tell!) and serve with fat slices of toasted sourdough. On the side, lemon Spindrifts.