Mia Leimkuhler

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Mia Leimkuhler

Image I have a group chat going with some friends that's usually focused on knitting, but the topic often turns to recipes. (Which makes sense: What is cooking but arts and crafts with food?)This broccoli-walnut pesto pasta by Genevieve Ko entered the chat to much fanfare, and rightfully so. It's fast, a cinch to make and surprisingly complex in flavor: The mix of softly bitter walnuts, refreshing mint and punchy lemon and garlic really sings.

2 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Mia Leimkuhler

Image In the spirit of giving oneself a little grace, I'll say yes, I did make good on my goal of eating more breakfasts this year. I've been making this baked oatmeal and this rice-cooker oatmeal on a loop, changing up my add-ins each time, and these two make-ahead breakfasts have kept me fed and full in the mornings. But I think I need something new. Also, I'm out of oats.

3 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Mia Leimkuhler

Image So: I don't have a microwave. This is simply a counter space issue; I've given priority to my cutting board, electric kettle and coffee grinder. I also, whether out of habit or laziness, don't mind eating leftovers cold. The only thing I don't want to eat cold is rice, and that's not an issue since it gets turned into fried rice or crispy rice. But occasionally, a recipe comes along that makes me regret my microwave-less ways, and right now, it's Ali Slagle's microwave sticky toffee pudding.

3 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Mia Leimkuhler

For a while now, my husband and I have been making the same dinner every Sunday night. He makes the fish - a seared, salt-and-peppered fillet of whatever looked good (or was on sale) at the fish counter - while I make the vegetable side and the Zojirushi makes the rice. The vegetable side could be yamitsuki, gomaae, roasted broccoli sprinkled with furikake, easy savoy cabbage with a touch of miso, or whatever we have and whatever we feel like.

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Mia Leimkuhler

Image Lara Lee's chicken curry laksa. Credit... Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Does anyone else find themselves happily tumbling into more project cooking lately? Maybe it's because I'm clinging to the coziness winter provides. Maybe I've watched too many charming, ASMR-adjacent YouTube videos of people calmly assembling wonderful dinners in beautiful locations.