How I Got the Book Cover of My Dreams

You wrote a book. So many great words, put together in elegant ways! Words matter!

Well, yes, they do. But no one will read them without a compelling, unique cover (sorry).

I took this to heart very early on and developed a plan: Operation Badass Cover Art -- from brainstorming, to articulating to William Morrow’s (amazing) art team, to a final product that delights me every time I look at it.

Here’s how I did it. 

1. Create a Pinterest board. 

Don’t worry about why you like them or if your examples are even book covers to begin with. Just trust your gut and pin things that speak to you. What would you pick up at the bookstore? What does your current bookshelf look like?

2. Look around your life.

my old apartment, painted in the colors of this Georgia O'Keeffe painting

What’s the color scheme of your life? I live in a jewel-toned apartment and wear colorful, textured clothes. Your personality -- and your palette --  are infused into your words. Make your cover match, too. 

3. PICK OUT VISUAL THEMES.

After enough thought, certain patterns will emerge. For me, I found that my personal style and the designs I liked fell into these two looks.

Lush & Pretty 

Graphic

4. Pick out conceptual ideas.

You’ll also find you like covers created with a certain technique. These were mine.

Food that tells a story

Make you look twice

A hand-touch (something to make it look alive)

5. Pick out covers you don’t like.

I won’t name them here because that’s rude. But you’ll know them when you see them. Perhaps the reasons are universal: they look cheap or cliché. Or, maybe your reasons are more specific to you -- you don’t like script, or images of people. It’s important your art team knows your dislikes as much as your likes.

6. Mock up your cover (optional).

Sometimes you don’t want to beat around the bush and have to put pen to paper (or fingers to mouse). You can say you want X, Y, Z, but you won’t really know until you make it and see. I highly recommend Canva if you're not an actual graphic designer. 

7. Send everything to your editor! (or to your designer if that’s your process )

I made a picture-heavy PDF presentation that included all of the above, along with “key elements” (themes and characters that could make good cover content). If you have explicit ideas for your cover, send them too.

So how did it turn out?

I think the William Morrow/ HarperCollins art team did an amazing job. What do you think?

The key is to 1) know what you want, 2) articulate it in a clear and actionable way for your art team, and 3) trust the process. Your cover art designer is like any designer -- he or she wants clear guidelines, and then: freedom to do his or her thing.

Singapore Slaw

Susur Lee makes this insane slaw that's often said to have 19 ingredients. It actually has over 30, if you count all the components that make the components. 

In my book, that makes this salad true restaurant food. Even though there's barely any cooking (as defined by applying heat to comestibles), there's a whole lot of prep. An impressive amount, if you eat it while dining out. A masochistic amount of prep, if you're dining in.

And yet. I had this dish more than five years ago at the now-shuttered Shang*, and I'm still thinking about it. It's a chaotic mix of flavors and textures, more cacophonous Asian night market than Brooklyn farmer's market. It's Asian without relying on easy shorthands of soy and sesame. 

I make a salad almost everyday, and was cursing the fact that I spent so much time on this. But the truth is: you can taste the difference.

Here's the full recipe, if you're jonesin' for a challenge. My version is way abbreviated, definitely inferior, but a delicious addition to your dinner table. 

RECIPE: 

Quick Pickled Onions: Using a mandoline, slice two red onions. Add to bowl and add one heaping tablespoon of salt and one teaspoon of sugar. Cover with vinegar and let rest for at least one hour in the refrigerator. 

Salad: Get slicing. The upside is that you'll get to practice all your knife skills. The key here is to choose veggies of varying bite and juiciness. Cut for visual and mouthfeel contrast. I used: bean sprouts, snow peas, jicima, tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, scallions, mint and basil. Other ideas: raw beets, napa cabbage, radish, chayote. 

Crispies: Slice and deep-fry shallots, garlic, and lemongrass. Drain on paper towels. Toast peanuts and sesame seeds. 

Dressing: Mix pickled ginger, fish sauce, rice vinegar, a little bit of the oil from the crispies, and a little bit of the pickling juice from the onions. 

Now, mix everything together, making sure to add that crispies at the last moment so they stay...crunchy. 

* Shang is actually featured in BAD TASTE. The fictitious restaurant Panh Ho is a cross between Shang and SHO Shaun Hergatt (both shuttered, I'm afraid).

The Day My Book Sold (and I became an "author")

YES!!!!!!!!!!

I mean, what else can be said about this? From Publisher's Marketplace:

FICTION: Debut Jessica Tom's BAD TASTE, pitched as THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA for foodies, about an aspiring cookbook author who discovers the glamour -- and toxic realities -- of the New York restaurant scene when she's recruited to serve as a ghost writer and surrogate eater for a famed Times' restaurant critic desperate to hide that he's lost his sense of taste, to Chelsey Emmelhainz at William Morrow, in a pre-empt, by Stefanie Lieberman at Janklow & Nesbit (World).

I started working on BAD TASTE in 2009. You might know it by a different name, but chances are, if you've ever heard me talking about writing any novel, I was talking about this one.

Since then, it's been a long road of obsessive plotting, writing, revising. Intense spurts of hustling. And, always, always determination in the face of fatigue, complacency, and doubt.

The Publisher's Marketplace announcement came out on a Thursday. I said "yes" to William Morrow and my editor Chelsey Emmelhainz just two days earlier. I'm a writer, and therefore a dreamer, but I never quite imagined the subtle ways a Publisher's Marketplace announcement could make a difference.

Here's what has surprised me, one week after I got The Call and this became a Thing.

1) It will feel unreal. When you work so hard on something, after awhile all you know is the work. It's like you're on a long road trip, with a destination that you and your GPS can only guess. Once you're there, you can't quite believe it.

2) You will walk into a bookstore and feel a sense of camaraderie. When you sign with HarperCollins, they give you this amazing Welcome Kit with heart-stopping sentences like this: "Congratulations, and welcome to HarperCollins....the house of Mark Twain, the Brontë sisters, Thackeray, Dickens, John F. Kennedy, Maurice Sendak, Shel Silverstein, and Margaret Wise Brown." And even just walking into a bookstore, I can't help but feel a sense of family, that I'm pursuing an art that's much deeper and wider than myself.

3) Your friends and family will be so proud of you. Writing is a lonely pursuit and, if you're anything like me, you will keep the process relatively private. But open the doors a little bit, and the rush of support and pride and excitement is a reward unto itself. Your friends will say you are an inspiration, but you will be inspired and strengthened by them just as much.

There's still tons more to say and I plan on writing more about the writing and publishing process. If you have a request, please let me know in the comments below and I'll do my best! Author websites have been such a great resource for me, and I'd love to pay it forward.

Slow-Cooked Button Mushrooms

Mushrooms used to be a hard sell. It's hard to recall exactly why. Maybe it was their styrofoam pop. Their non-taste. The earthiness. The fact that they're fungi? And then mushrooms got exoticized. In my world, that started with the silky umbrella-like straw mushroom. The meaty portabello. The savory shiitake. As I got older and the food landscaped changed, then came morels, sponges for butter and cream, and maitake, coral reefs of crunch and soft, give and take.

Mushrooms got sexier, and I got more fanatical. One of my favorite dishes is a mushroom melange -- some mix of all of the mushrooms above and perhaps some enoki, trumpet, oyster, lobster, chanterelle.

But I'm a bit disgusted to read that. Snobby, right? The equivalent of a bland designer dress, all label and no style.

This dish goes out to the white button mushroom. I cooked them in the slowcooker to concentrate the mushroom flavor (no sear to distract) and to create mushroom consomme-type thing. Just don't call it normcore.

RECIPE: Wash and trim 2lbs of white button mushrooms. Leave them whole. Add to slow cooker with 2 diced onions or shallots, 3 sprigs of fresh thyme, and a glug of white wine (3 tablespoons-ish). Slow cook on low for 4 hours. Before serving, add a knob of butter and parsley.

Broccoli Rabe & Bison Meatball Sub

This dish was a result of a couple what-ifs. What if you didn't have to deal with meatballs rolling out of your sub? What if you could make a meatball out of bison -- juicy and flavorful, but also lean? What if you could get a Philly cheesesteak the way you actually want it -- more veggies, cleaner meat, and just a sprinkling of cheese?

And so this broccoli rabe and bison meatball sub was born. This is seriously one of the best things I've ever made. There's the bitterness of the rabe, the sweetness of the onions, the umami of the bison meatballs (and the soy sauce and ketchup inside them), and the oomph of the cheese. But I'd say the real revelation is the baguette end. Go out of your way to get the real deal -- crusty, with that addictive bready je ne sais quoi. Those baguette stubs are game-changers.

RECIPE: Meatballs (adapted from this Whole Foods Recipe): Mix 1 lb ground bison, 1 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp ketchup, 1 tsp oregano, pinch cayenne pepper, 1 cup Panko, 1 egg. Roll into 1-inch balls and bake in an oven preheated at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Broccoli Rabe and Onions: Dice 1 onion and 6 garlic cloves and saute on high for 3 minutes. Add 1 bunch of broccoli rabe, trimmed of stems (stems are great, but can be a bit cumbersome in a sandwich) and continue to saute for another 7 minutes, until everything is wilted and the onions are browned.

Final Steps: Cut the baguette into the sizes you want (go for the stubs first). Toast. Sprinkle mini cubes of provolone of any other sweet/musty cheese on the rabe and onions. I used Tome de Vache Basque. Using tongs, stuff the baguette with meatballs and veggies, alternating until stuffed 'til the brim.

Harnesses & Sculptural Leather

No reason to get prudish about it. I'm not going to get all 50 Shades on you.

When I was younger, I didn't think leather looked right on me. Too armored, too mature.

Now I wear leather for the exact reasons I avoided it as a kid. Leather toughens up any outfit, articulates your lines.

When you're younger, you can get away with loose, cottony things. Later, you want structure and polish -- blazers, crisp button-downs, slicked-back hair.

I'm not talking about shoes and purses, because those aren't de facto statement pieces. I'm walking about statement leather --  detailing in your shirt, panels in your coat, etc.

But  leather is also kind of tricky if you're not in a position to be a dominatrix at work or a biker chick at the grocery store. That's why I love delicate harnesses and sculptural leather. They don't have the heavy-handed connotations of "hard" leather, and bring another sort of sexy tough elegance to any outfit.

Here's what I'm wearing above:

Tank: VPL // Sculptured Vest: Manish Arora ( I got it at Oak forever ago and can't find it online. When you see a totally unique piece like this -- you have to get it or else you will regret it.) // Skirt: Theory // Lipstick: Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics in Black Dahlia

Some other pieces I love (btw, I'm also on Polyvore!)

Harnesses

by

jessica-tom

on

Polyvore

from top to bottom, left to right

Harness by BCBG, worn by PeaceLoveShea -- Whoa. Originally I thought this was Givenchy, but the fact that this is BCBG makes it even better (in the sense that it's more attainable). The dress is okay in a MILFy work dress sort of way, but the harness takes it to the next level.

Bullet Bustier by Zana Bayne -- I feel like you could wear this under a blazer and it'd function like a sweater vest. The uncomplicated seaming and matte leather saves this from 80s Madonna territory.

Pentagram Harness by Zana Bayne -- Devil worship aside, this is kinda like a strappy sandal -- for your body. Delicate, sexy, structured. Done.

Silver Fox Mask by Fleet Ilya -- Remember when lace bunny ears were in a zillion fashion editorials? This is an evolution of that -- cute and elegant, but with a touch of the sinister.

Ponystep by Fleet Ilya -- I have no practical applications for this, but I like it anyway.

Feather Shoulder Piece by Two Weeks -- The inspiration behind this post, my most pinned image, and so damn enchanting. These aren't some poufy Victoria's Secret maribou confections. Again, it comes down to the leather and the feathers, the hard and the soft.

Zana Bayne Bullet Bustier

openingceremony.us

FOX MASK SILVER

$445 - fleetilya.com

Baked Panko Falafel with Cucumber Fennel Raita

I won't make this a healthy eating thing. They're baked! They've been lightened with panko, not bread crumbs or flour! That doesn't really tell you how delicious they are. There are few foods I love more than deep-fried falafel on a plate of cold mezze, but when you're in the mood for something different, there's this.

With baking, you'll get a cookie-like texture similar to a French sablé, not the crackling outside and supple inside of a fried falafel. Plus, panko takes out the guesswork of lightness. A falafel lives and dies by its lightness. Too much flour or breadcrumbs, and the thing turns into a matzoh ball (which is fine, but not what you're doing here).

Bonus brightness comes from lemon and sumac. Who knew that falafel tasted good a little a sour?

RECIPE (adapted from how sweet it is): Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In a food processor, grind 2 cans of rinsed chickpeas, 6 garlic cloves, 4 scallions, 1 egg, the juice of lemon, 2/3 cup of soft herbs (parsley, cilantro, dill, mint), 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of aleppo pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of sumac. Process until you have a 50/50 mix of chickpea chunks and a hummus-like mixture. Add 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of panko crumbs, enough to get the dough to cling to itself. Form into patties and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, until golden.

For the raita, slice and salt cucumbers and fennel. Drain. Add yogurt, salt, pepper, and olive oil. You can add cumin and red pepper flakes, but I prefer to keep the raita pure when paired against something so aromatic.

Asian Chicken Slaw

I always want things like this, but they're frustratingly hard to find. What is "this"?

"This" is a great post-workout meal -- Fresh and crunchy and satisfying. "Hearty" salads tend to have cream or cheese, which slam the gut. The key is enough protein (here, chicken breast), the body of an aromatic oil (sesame oil in this case), and some support from some nuts (almonds and black sesame seeds, above). See, no sluggishness!

"This" is not a flimsy salad --I'll take slaw over salad any day. A great salad is a revelation -- gossamer lettuce as silken as rose petals, dressing of elegance and subtlety, toppings that play nice while still adding textural, visual, and flavor contrast.  But salads are hard to balance because the leaves are so delicate. Slaws are easy. Make it with cabbage, kohlrabi, broccoli, carrots -- anything with bite. They'll withstand anything you throw its way.

"This" is nostalgic -- Remember the "Oriental Chicken Salad"? Oh, it was a confusing piece of work -- canned mandarin oranges, fried chow mein noodles, and a honey mustard mayo-based dressing made "Asian" with rice vinegar and sesame oil. I loved this salad, but it could bear to be less gross.

RECIPE: Slice Napa cabbage and salt generously. Saute chicken in olive oil and let rest once done. Dice carrots, red bell pepper, and scallions and add to cabbage. Add chicken, then soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Before serving, toss with sliced almonds and sesame seeds.

"Detox" Kale Chimichurri

Here in New York, the word "detox" is both status symbol and shaming device. In January, you'll see a lot of detox humble brags in your social feeds. Day 5 of cleanse -- kill me now! (she actually loves it)

I love this coconut carrot juice! (he doesn't really love it)

Doing penance for the weekend. Wish us luck! (they don't need it -- they do this every month)

Well this is not that kind of detox. Food should never be masochistic. It's either clean or indulgent, but you're in control of how far you slide either way. Stay towards the middle if you can. Eat what you want, move where you want, but no so much that you'll regret it.

This is a moderate detox -- the slightly left of center, but still sane kinda detox. It's clean but not ascetic, bright without being punishing, healthy without being obnoxiously so (if I do say so myself).

It starts with chimichurri -- a spicy and sour mix of herbs, a cross between pesto and Chinese ginger-scallion sauce. In the same way a squeeze of lemon and sprinkle of herbs cuts through the heaviness of a stew, chimichurri adds a welcome lightness and sharpness to your stomach. Kale and Bragg apple cider vinegar make a good thing even better.

RECIPE: Toast pumpkin seeds and set aside. Trim and clean a mix of parsley, cilantro, mint, chives, and kale. (I used equal parts parsley, cilantro, kale, and slightly less of the mint and chives... but it really doesn't matter). Add everything to a food processor with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt. Pulse until all the leaves are chopped (not pureed!). Add red pepper flakes and pumpkin seeds. Keep on hand to eat with a crudité platter, or with stir-fried veggie, or with a tuna-yogurt salad... you get it.

Zucchini Meatballs with Sumac Yogurt

When I worked in Bushwick, everyday I passed a mysterious wholesale furniture business that sold things like wooden eagles with ten foot wingspans and golden camels with marble hooves. I never saw a customer go in or out, only workers sitting outside smoking and grilling, no matter the season.

I usually stayed on the other side of the street or sheepishly rushed past them. I think they were Turkish, and their rumbling chatter echoed through the warehouse-lined streets.

I left that job two years ago this month. I must have been carrying a lot of stuff back, or maybe I had a sentimental look in my eye. But on the last day, the guys outside the shop gave me an oblong-shaped meatball right off the grill. It was so flavorful, still hot enough that the juices played close to the edge, prone to drip at just the slightest pinch.

I know you're not supposed to take food from strangers. But sometimes, those bites are the best.

RECIPE: adapted (and lightened) from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottololenghi & Sami Tamimi

Finely julienne or mandoline/slice 2 zucchinis. Chop your pick of herbs -- mint, parsley, cilantro. Combine 1 lb ground turkey, 1 minced onion, zucchini, 1 whisked egg, 2 cloves of crushed garlic, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne. Shape into patties or balls or footballs. Fry for 4 minutes each side, or bake for 40 minutes.

Mix one cup Greek yogurt with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon sumac, 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Serve with meatballs.

Turkey Chili (with coffee & cocoa)

Great chili has soul. You might come across chili recipes that boast extreme prep times, like some miracle 30-minute workout. These recipes are roll calls of cans and ready-made mixes: Goya, Ro-Tel, McCormick. The flavors are shallow, merely the sum of their parts and nothing more.

You can't get soul in 30 minutes. You can, however, get soul in an hour and a half and with two guest stars -- coffee and chocolate.

I've made the mistake of thinking that meat and beans were enough. They aren't. I've tried to compensate with corn and chorizo and sweet potatoes. Not quite. It's rather hard to make the leap from slurry to stew.

Coffee and cocoa powder are miracle workers. Call them the Instagram filter for your lackluster chili. They smooth out the edges, they boost the main players, they blur out the imperfections.

In a perfect world, you'd cook this low and slow. But this recipe is no floozy. She's got enough soul to last you bowl after bowl.

RECIPE: Boil 1 1/2 cups of dried beans and soak for 40 minutes. In a Dutch oven, sauté 1 onion, 2 large carrots, 4 celery stalks, 1 cup of bell peppers (I like a combo of red, yellow and green) and 5 cloves of garlic, all diced. Add 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, and 1 tablespoon of salt. When the onion is translucent, add 1 pound of ground turkey meat. Break up the chunks with a wooden spatula and cook for 5 minutes, until some of the turkey is browned. (If you're using a fattier meat, I would cook the meat first so you can cook the veggies in the fat. Ground turkey breast will just dry out if you sauté it too long and is better served by steam and stewing.)

Add one 20 oz can of pureed tomatoes, one 6 oz can of tomato paste, and one 32 oz carton of chicken broth. Add the par-cooked beans and 1 cup of the bean water.

Add one tablespoon of instant coffee (!!) and one tablespoon of unsweetened coca powder. Simmer, partially covered, for 90 minutes or more.

Rainbow Fruit Salad

I take potlucks very personally.

Whether it's warranted or not, I put a lot of pressure on myself to "win". Maybe not in the potluck's spirit of sharing, but whatever.

What makes a good potluck dish? This is my internal calculus on the matter, told through the lens of our recent office Thanksgiving potluck.

1. Tastiness - Obvious. But not the be-all-end-all. (rookie mistake)

2. Table Appeal - This rainbow fruit salad was for 70 or so people. Your dish has to stand out on a crowded table. Some ways your dish can pop: color, height, an "action" (like flambé or a table-side activation like tossing or assembling).

3. Personality - Do potlucks normally have labels? I don't think so. Likely not in the spirit of sharing and collaboration? Anyway, to win the potluck the dish should be unequivocally you. If you eat healthy and clean, you should prepare something healthy and clean. If you wear dark colors, you should make something dark. Part of the fun of a potluck is guessing who made what, and this gives your dish something to remember and latch onto.

4. Comparison & Past History - What is everyone else bringing? Survey the field and know what you're getting into. I gambled that people who would be sick of pies, so made a refreshing fruit salad to counterbalance. I also knew last year's most popular Thanksgiving dishes were on the lighter side: kale salad, roasted cauliflower with buttered bread crumbs, green bean casserole.

So, did I win Thanksgiving potluck? Not sure. I got really worked up about before and after the dinner. But during? I just enjoyed myself.

Shown above: Kiwi, pear, orange, papaya, grapefruit, pomegranate in a light ginger lime syrup.

Kale Miso Soup

There's a Buddhist monastery near my parents' house. It is, technically, all-you-can-eat. Now I'm not ashamed to say I like a good buffet. In the NYC area, the best is no doubt East Buffet in Flushing, a lavish banquet hall that has every permutation of Chinese (and some Japanese) food, plus the crown jewels of any Chinese buffet: lobster and Peking Duck.

The United Nations used to  rotate international lunch buffets in the Delegates' Dining Room, but I've heard they've since downscaled. I overdosed on rice krispie treats at Goofy's Kitchen in DisneyWorld and I haven't touched a krispie since.

But a Buddhist buffet. Sure you can gorge yourself on a cruise or in Vegas, but in an ascetic monastery that practices unleashing yourself from earthly desires? It just doesn't seem right.

But if there were a Buddhist buffet where you could eat with abandon, this is the type of thing you'd eat. I made this because I was sick and I wanted something nourishing and alive. Like, fermented alive. That's where the miso came from.

But that wasn't enough to be a meal so I boosted it with more goodness: seaweed, soft tofu, edamame, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, and whole cloves of garlic. The recipe is too simple and I feel like writing it out is condescending. It's just a pot generously filled with good things, boiled until cooked. It's lavish, but in a simple sort of way.

Blueberry Lavender Chia Pudding

Good cookbooks have recipes that are more like suggestions. Mark Bittman is my idol in this regard. His 3-sentence recipes are spare and classic. He unburdens you and insists that anything can be substituted for anything-- pears for apples, habanero for jalapeño, chicken for duck or beef or turkey or pheasant.

Once you have these basics down and are comfortable enough in the kitchen, you'll just intuit how they'll come together. A master chef combines technique with an instinctual knowledge for flavor combinations. An avant-garde eggplant and sweet creamy white chocolate is just one step away from a traditional eggplant and sweet creamy ricotta.

I'm always amazed by the singer who hears a song and can instantly harmonize with it. How does she know to go so low? Why does that high note sound so good?

Maybe she knows the science. Or maybe she's heard enough songs that she can replicate. It's probably just a natural knowledge that takes years to cultivate.

I've never had blueberry and lavender at a restaurant. It's possible I've seen a recipe for it and its been unconsciously logged in my brain. The idea also must have manifest because both are blue-purple.

Either way, you learn to trust your instincts. This is like summer in Provence ... at a yoga retreat. It's also devilishly, Bittmanly easy.

RECIPE: Simmer 2 cups of the milk of your choice. Turn off and add 2 heaping tablespoons of lavender and one vanilla bean and steep. When cool, strain and add 1/3 cup chia seeds and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. Stir and let rest overnight. Add blueberries to taste. Serves 2 by morning.

Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Souffléd Tofu

The other night, I felt conned into a dish. It was the type of service where everything is "amazing". Every order is a "wonderful choice." Words stop meaning anything.

I prefer the truth and I think that's always the best if you want the customer leaving happy. (The salesperson who tells the woman that a skirt looks fabulous when in fact it hits her in all the wrong spots is doing no one any favors.)

So anyway, the dish. It was squash stems. I'm usually into root-to-bud eating. I eat broccoli stalks and kabocha skin and celery leaves. But these stems were stringy and quite tough. And not tough in a hardy green sort of way (I dare to eat kale even when it's not massaged). It was just more a chew toy than actual sustenance.

So the next day I found these squash blossoms at the farmer's market. Exceptionally edible, always tender, perfect capsules for some other delicious filling. This time, I filled them with seasoned tofu, aerated and firmed by whipped egg whites. I am contemplating filling the blossoms with something heartier, like a meat mixture. Or maybe a tautological thing, a zucchini mousse with the stem very very finely chopped so you can actually eat it.

RECIPE: In a blender, whiz up egg whites from 3 eggs for 2 minutes. Add a package of lite tofu, salt, and whip until mixed and you are content with the saltiness. I like the mild taste of tofu, but you could do it up maybe with liquid aminos to get more of a cheese taste. Stuff into cleaned zucchini blossoms. Add 1/4 cup of water to a large wok and bring to a simmer. Add blossoms and steam, covered, for about 7 minutes, until the tofu mixture puffs up and solidifies. Grind pepper to your liking.

Fennel Thyme Weeknight Chicken

When I cook for myself, I usually make some variation of pot of vegetables. Whatever's in season, plus some miso or hoisin or pesto or fish sauce/lime/sesame oil. Sometimes I just eat it cold. Sometimes I roast the veggies but not when I'm starving or when it's 90 degrees out. And when I'm cooking for others, I go all out. If not in time and effort, then definitely in flavor ambition. I exercise my kitchen appliances, frequent my spice stadium, and tend towards skate and rabbit over chicken and beef.

But even I cannot resist the charms of excellent roast chicken. I felt a little apologetic making this the other night. "Oh, it just a homey recipe." "I thought I'd make us something normal."

But really, roast chicken is one of the most magnificent things you can ever eat as a diner, and perfect as a cook. But I just don't make it. It could be something of a next-best-thing syndrome. You won't make a splash with a roast chicken.

I guess the older I get, the more I can see the virtues of a simple roast chicken, that classic is not boring. I'm not sure if I'll cycle more chicken into my repertoire, but it's a thought.

RECIPE: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Sear a chicken, quartered, in a cast iron pot with some olive oil. I half-skin the chicken because I am like that. When you're on the second side, add 3 diced carrots, 1 red onion, 15 cloves of garlic, fresh thyme, red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Continue to cook until the aromatics blossom and the onion becomes transparent. Add juice of one lemon. Then semi-cover the pot and place in oven. There should be a good amount of liquid from the ingredients. This is the braising liquid.

Braise for about 20 minutes. Then uncover the pot and broil on high to reduce liquid and re-goldenize the chicken. Serves 2-3.

White Nectarine Orange Blossom Smoothie

White peaches, white nectarines, white cherries, white tea. Racial implications aside, there's something about the "white" flavor that's more delicate. An orange nectarine is assertive and heady. Being a stone fruit it doesn't have strong bass notes, but it's medium-bodied. An alto sax, let's say.

But a white nectarine is more ephemeral in a piccolo or harp sort of way. A white peach is more easily damaged.

There are occasions for both, just as there are occasions for a voluptuous Cabernet and a barely-there Pinot Grigio. For me, I like something in between -- something that has the perfumed air of a white fruit, and the oomph of its more pigmented cousin.

So this is just that, a white nectarine smoothie fortified with banana and pear. The orange blossom water ties it together. Orange blossom water is very strong -- you only need 3 drops or else your smoothie will taste like soap. But it also plays hide-and-seek within the flavors, sometimes there, sometimes not, sometimes totally in your face.

RECIPE: In a blender, add one banana, one pear, and one white nectarine. All cut of course. Add three drops of orange blossom water, a handful of ice, and enough water for the blender to catch. Serves 2-3.

Cauliflower Steak au Poivre

If you ever eat out with me, you'll learn I have a way about ordering. I get the pressed duck, the whole roasted eggplant, the Cobb salad tossed tableside. The dish I order is usually veggie-forward, though I've been known to order a steak out of the blue. If there's something that requires an action step -- dipping, flambéing, wrapping, ladling, etc -- I'll usually get that. But I'm also perfectly content with a fork-to-mouth sort of thing.

And sometimes I get the indulgent thing, though I don't always go out of my way for, say sweetbreads or foie. I will almost always get the dish with the unusual ingredient or preparation. You know, like centrifuged albino strawberries and the like.

This cauliflower steak au poivre is really such a Jess Restaurant Dish. It just is. But, luckily, it doesn't take restaurant-level effort.

RECIPE: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut a 1" slice of cauliflower in its widest part and place on a pizza stone or grill pan. Something that will retain heat. Oil up the cauliflower and season with salt and coarse black pepper on both sides. Roast for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and a fork can be inserted easily. Serves 1.

Buffalo Kale Salad

Is it just me, but did the rise of kale come really quickly? Not too long ago, I thought of kale as a difficult vegetable, an ornamental and sturdy plant that had to be stewed for hours. And who wants to eat gray-green sulfurous greens? Now of course, people eat kale not only on its own, but also as crackers, salads, pesto. Kale is the "green" in "green juice", the counterweight to the equally beloved bacon.

And now one of the most intimidating features of kale -- the stiff, structured ruffles -- are now a selling point.

I like to make a creamy sauce that catches inside all the nooks and crannies. Tofu adds body and umami, without the negating effect cream tends to add to salad. Recently at Thistle Hill Tavern, I had buffalo cauliflower and kale salad with slaw dressing. This is my middle ground.

RECIPE: Wash and dice kale into bite-size pieces. Melt 2 1/2 tablespoons of butter and add to blender. Add one block of tofu, 2 teaspoons of Frank's hot sauce, and a pinch of salt. Blend into dressing mix with kale salad.

Frozen White Peach Rosé Sangria

Everywhere you look, summer shows its abundance. Tomatoes bursting with ripeness. Zucchinis the size of baseball bats. Too-small bikinis strained over too-large chests. A farmer's tan after an unintentional nap in the sun.

This week I had an overabundance of white peaches and rosé. The recipe can go a million ways. Skin the peaches and use white wine for a snowy treat. Add champagne and call it a bellini slushie. Fortify it with vodka to get the party started or add some elegance with some Pimm's.

For me, I kept it simple. When blended, white peaches take on a creamy quality as bananas do. The result is rich and tongue-coating and with a splash of something boozy, a nice toast to the summer bounty.

RECIPE: Cut peaches into bite-size pieces and freeze. When frozen, add to blender and add enough rosé to achieve your desired consistency (loose, stiff, etc). Add lemon juice to taste.

P.S. I painted that painting background at a fundraiser for the Young Lotus Circle, an awesome organization that empowers women and girls in Asia. Check them out!