Hello Reader from a very summery Boston, as I make my way through the airport lines to get back home to L.A. After a very tightly packed week, I’m eager to be home with my pets and tend to the garden.
I just finished filming the final half of season 27 of America’s Test Kitchen with Bridget and Julia, and for the very first time, Michael and his family stopped by for a little behind-the-scenes action. They were mesmerized by just how many people it takes to produce each episode—from filming and cooking to photography and everything happening just out of frame. Even though I’ve been here for a year and a half and this is my second season on the show, it still amazes me to see the little village it takes to make it all happen.
Typically, I head straight home after filming, but this time the family and I took a short trip to Cape Cod, with visits to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
I’m of the opinion that it’s better to spend a few days in each place to really get a sense of it, but you can certainly do either island in a day—especially if you have a spreadsheet of activities planned out. (Yes, I am that person.) Don't expect to check every box, but having plenty of options makes group travel much easier. One thing I’ve learned: plan things for everyone to do, don’t expect everyone to want to do the same thing, and keep your expectations flexible when someone inevitably decides to go off on a tangent.
Our short getaway was a lot of fun. Out of curiosity, I tried the much-talked-about lobster ice cream on Martha’s Vineyard. I had no idea what to expect beyond the sweet, creamy coldness of ice cream. It turned out to be a lightly flavored vanilla ice cream with chunks of steamed, frozen lobster. The lobster itself was only mildly salty but brought a surprising amount of umami. If you’ve ever tried the pear and blue cheese ice cream from Salt & Straw, the idea isn’t entirely dissimilar. It’s an interesting combination, I’m glad I tried it.
In Nantucket, two of my favorite discoveries were the crab beignets at the Easy Street Restaurant and a trip to the Whaling Museum, where they had a display of old pie-crimping tools made from whale bone. Naturally, multiple lobster rolls (lobster not in ice cream form) were consumed throughout the trip and bucket-loads of fries.
Now for some book news!
I’m thrilled to be heading to London this October for the Fundamentals of Flavor book tour.
On the evening of October 16, I’ll be at the iconic Fortnum & Mason in Piccadilly, in conversation with the wonderful cookbook author Gurdeep Loyal. We’ll be talking about the new book, the ideas and stories behind it, and, of course, all things flavor.
If you’re in London, I’d absolutely love to see you there.
Come join us at Fortnum & Mason →
