Erika Houle

Los Angeles

Contributor at Freelance

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Articles

Stay Stalked | The Bittman Project

3 weeks ago | bittmanproject.com | Erika Houle

Leave your bulky juicer tucked away in the cupboard—for now, at least. Celery-based green drinks can be great, but there’s room for much more fun. Even better: Bright and crunchy breakfasts, childhood snacks-turned-grown-up-salads, and braised side dishes or entrées for when you’re tired of roasted vegetables. If you’ve got a bunch of celery in the fridge, you’ve got an incredible meal in your future. When you treat celery well, the favor is always returned.
How to Make Beans Your Breakfast

1 month ago | bittmanproject.com | Erika Houle

I first tried lupini beans at a bar in Montreal. They were served on their own as an antipasto, plain but absolutely delicious (which is always exactly the point). I can’t remember who I was with, or what was happening around us, only those small bursts of delight in a bowl that I wished was bottomless. Dense, snappy, and as savory as one could hope for, they’re only made better, I’ve since realized, in the context of a hot breakfast. Many of us already begin our day with beans.
You Don’t Need Fake Meat to Feel Satisfied

Feb 3, 2025 | bittmanproject.com | Erika Houle

Through our (more than a thousand, and growing) highly vetted recipes from the How to Cook Everything series, original food essays and reporting, thoughtful podcast conversations and introductions to new and responsible food products, we aim to showcase what’s possible, from farm to fork, and power a growing movement that encourages people to think about food not as a commodity, but as central to our health and happiness. We hope you join us on this journey.
“Winter Salads” Do Not Have to Be Sad

Jan 8, 2025 | bittmanproject.com | Erika Houle

“Spring mix” doesn’t always appeal during winter. That pile of romaine might look a little sad, and as much as you love radicchio, wouldn’t a similarly reddish-purple chilled beet salad be even better? Why not take a break from leafy vegetables in favor of in-season, one-ingredient-focused salads that bring a lot of shine to the table?
Petite Party Tricks

Dec 9, 2024 | bittmanproject.com | Erika Houle

It’s the holiday season. From belated Friendsgivings to Christmas Eve through New Years, you and your loved ones have likely mapped out multiple meals featuring all of the annual favorites. Perhaps your youngest cousin will spend hours snapping the ends off green beans (while mostly watching cartoons). Your very sweet aunt is in charge of the world’s greatest apple pie.
Hold Onto Your Seeds!

Nov 4, 2024 | bittmanproject.com | Erika Houle

It was a sunny fall morning at the farmers’ market when a sea of soft beige, burnt orange, and speckled green squash suddenly enveloped me. Piles of tiny Honeynuts, gigantic Baby Blue Hubbards, and thick-skinned Red Kuris were in abundance, too. It seemed mandatory to fill a big box with the sweet, superlative vegeta…fruits. So I did. As I remembered that they were in fact extraordinarily fruitful, it was as if I could smell the aromas of seeds frying in butter and salt.
Dip, Douse, Dunk: Three Excellent Ways to Eat More Mushrooms

Oct 7, 2024 | bittmanproject.com | Erika Houle

I was young but feeling grown-up at a steakhouse in the suburbs, skipping over kids’ menu classics in favor of ordering a side of mushrooms. They came in a considerably large bowl, halved, sautéed, and nestled in a pool of brown garlic butter. I took one bite and my 10-year-old mind registered a new type of magnificence—the real adults at the table found it laughable how much I obsessed over them. Indeed, the mushrooms had an immediate hold over me.
Here's How to Start Dinner with a Show

Aug 5, 2024 | bittmanproject.com | Erika Houle

When the last days of summer allow for eating outdoors, a pinch of drama leading into dinner feels appropriate. After hours filled with sunshine, there’s something special about keeping friends and family exactly where they want to be: outside, around the table, and very much ready to put back a meal.
Why You Should Treat Garnishes Like the Main Event

May 31, 2024 | bittmanproject.com | Erika Houle

My idea of a good garnish isn’t a “finishing touch.” On the contrary: whether it’s crumbled, dolloped, fried, pickled, or sliced paper-thin, it’s always the first thing to disappear from my plate. It might be meant to add balance or create the “perfect bite,” but when it’s treated with care it holds up on its own; from crunch factor and spice level to brightness and brininess, these small but mighty choices are designed to stir up your senses, and I always want more.
“Soft Scrambled” Breakfast Potatoes: How to Make Them Yours

Apr 8, 2024 | bittmanproject.com | Erika Houle

I can’t imagine ever growing tired of soft scrambled eggs. I make them for breakfast most mornings, and I regularly talk about the first time I had really good ones — served couchside by a very sweet friend, so buttery and decadent that the memory makes me melt. Another thing I’ll never lose interest in is eating potatoes before noon.