Jackie Danicki

I’ve been trying to make time for activities outside of work that I enjoy. (One of the hazards of being a workaholic: You can shrink your world to a very small one that encompasses only one mission. It’s exhilarating, but eventually hurts in ways large and small.)

One of these is cooking. I had one of the first food blogs back in 2003, the now-defunct Gastroblog, and was once a frequent contributor to Dr. Madsen Pirie’s Another Food Blog. I founded the Cincinnati Supper Club the month I moved to that city. In London, I cooked almost every evening, and would have friends over for supper on a regular basis. I once made all the food for a party of 100+ people (never again, let me tell you). Few things bring me greater pleasure than cooking for people I love.

Above: A dinner party I threw in March 2005, at producer Brian Linse’s house in the Hollywood Hills. Author, journo and blogger for The Atlantic Dan Akst is between the late (but probably still finger-wagging in heaven) Cathy Seipp and writer Hillary Johnson. On the other side of the table are Elmore Leonard’s right hand man Gregg Sutter, his girlfriend (and syndicated columnist) Amy Alkon, and journalist Nancy Rommelmann. Not pictured: Muckraker Lewis Fein and gentleman Perry de Havilland, who were also there. This was such a fun night - good friends, great conversation, and food that I hope was up to the same standards.

My kitchen in California wasn’t the easiest for culinary exploits - the large rooms in the rest of the house come at the expense of the cooking space, and I am almost unable to use electric burners at this point. So I was thrilled to get to New York and a large kitchen with a gorgeous gas stove and oven. While I eat at restaurants way too much here - it’s easy to do - I’ve been making a concerted effort to cook more for others and myself. Making time for making things: I recommend it.

This week’s creations include yellow split pea and frankfurter soup (I usually make this with Puy lentils, but admit that the yellow split pea version is better), Dijon potato soup, marinara, and agave cranberry sauce. Guess what the temperature is like in New York City right now.

Next on my list is an old favorite I made so often in England, my friend Clotilde’s velvety lentil chestnut soup. I’m always looking for inspiration for new concoctions (as my father called my childhood cooking experiments), so if you have a recipe you really think I should make, let me know.

Filed under: Life