Tue

Oct 14

recipes

R-Rated Onions

The secret to truly caramelized onions isn't a secret at all—it's time and the right setup. You need a heavy-bottomed skillet, a good amount of onions to create steam and prevent burning, and about an hour of gentle cooking. Slice them with the grain from root to stem, then let them move through their stages: raw, wilted, sweaty, soft, light brown, and finally that deep mahogany color. You don't have to babysit them the entire time—just stir occasionally, scrape up those caramelized bits, and resist cranking up the heat. When you're left with a soft, creamy, fragrant pile of deeply browned onions, you'll understand why they're worth the wait.

Tue

Aug 19

recipes

Smoked Corn Mayo Recipe

This smoked corn mayo started as the secret weapon on my Elbow-Lick Tomato Sandwich, but it's become something I keep on hand all summer long. Blanched corn gets smoked until it's honey-colored in spots, then half of it goes into the blender with egg yolks, lemon juice, garlic, and a touch of cayenne to make a smooth, emulsified mayo. The rest gets stirred in for texture and bursts of sweet, smoky corn flavor. It's perfect slathered on a tomato sandwich, served with sweet potato fries, or thinned out with buttermilk and mixed with fresh corn to make a dip. Once you make it, you'll find excuses to put it on everything.

Mon

Aug 29

recipes

Grape-Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sausage

Roasted grapes were one of the first things that made me realize the oven could transform something sweet into something savory. I'd been roasting regular grapes for years before I finally tried it with muscadines, thinking the skins would be too tough and tannic. I was wrong. The skin holds its shape but loses its chew, and the flesh becomes pure jammy muscadine essence. Paired with caramelized Brussels sprouts, link sausage, and a bright Dijon-lemon dressing, this sheet pan dinner hits every taste we have—sweet, salty, bitter, sour, umami. It's perfect in early fall with roast meats, on its own, or next to a bowl of greens. Just don't skip scraping up all that caramelized goodness from the pan.

Mon

Dec 06

recipes

It's Cliché for a Reason | Party Magnet Cheeseball

The cheese ball is such a cliché that it's actually become cool again—right up there with pigs in a blanket and baked potatoes. And whether it's socially acceptable or not, when you put one out at a party, people hover over it like it's a crystal ball. This version combines blue cheese, goat cheese, cream cheese, and butter with chopped dates, scallions, and hot sauce, then gets rolled in salt-and-butter-roasted pecans and fresh parsley. The key is bringing it out at least thirty minutes before serving so it's spreadable and all those flavors can really come through. Keep your crackers simple—sea salt or plain is the way to go. And consider doubling the recipe because a fully formed cheese ball freezes and travels beautifully.

Thu

Oct 08

ThisWillMakeItTasteGood

Food & Wine recognizes This Will Make It Taste Good

“Howard brings that same storyteller sensibility—paired with serious restaurant-honed kitchen chops—to teach home cooks easily achievable building block recipes and techniques that lend an extra level of pleasure to the simplest dishes, while letting the ingredients shine through.”

Thu

Oct 08

ThisWillMakeItTasteGood

Publisher's Weekly's Review of This Will Make It Taste Good

“Howard’s enthusiastic exploration of her life in and out of the kitchen shows her at her best and most delightful.”

Wed

Sep 09

ThisWillMakeItTasteGood

Eater recognizes This Will Make It Taste Good

“I’ve been mentioned in the same sentence as Ina Garten and finally feel like I’ve made it,” said Vivian.

Wed

Jul 01

ThisWillMakeItTasteGood

This Will Make It Taste Good comes out on October 20th!

Pre-order your copy today.

Wed

Jun 17

ThisWillMakeItTasteGood

Outfit your pantry with Red Weapons

It’s the one ingredient always in Vivian’s fridge. Red Weapons and their flavor hero friends are the subject of Vivian’s next book — This Will Make It Taste Good — out October 2020.

Mon

Apr 20