Also, if you are taking it down, could you please post on the website with some notice to warn people? I’m afraid quite a few of your readers may not see this. I would be happy to contribute to keep it up, if that was an option…!
Yep, Orangette is a favorite friend that I visit often. For recipes, and for your thoughts on being human. In addition, I use many of your BA recipes. I would be happy to part of helping her stay alive and well. Orangette is a public service.
I’d love to know about your binder of favorite recipes! Do you type them up? Write them up? Just print the original recipes? Ive been meaning to do this for years but I’m not sure how to organize it...
Jo Walton’s Lifelode isn’t quite a book where nothing happens, but a great deal of it is just about the main character cooking, which I love! Robin McKinley is also great for books with great swathes of domesticity between plot points--I’m thinking especially of Beauty and Chalice
I'm with all the other commenters that would be willing to be creative in funding a way to keep Orangette alive (or alive-ish if there was a hard copy to reference?). You, through Orangette, ushered me into adulthood cooking. For funsies, I'm going to see what I remember (by the name I remember them by) that I reference all the time (some I've memorized): Granola No. 5, Ed Fretwell Soup (gifted to so many when meals are the gift), Rhubard Compote, Bean Doctor w/canned beans, Marcella's Cabbage not-quite-soup, Garbanzo bean salad, the divorced aunt soup, plum cake, braised kale, roasted cauliflower w/parm, thyme and garlic...and I just discovered a new-to-me banana bread on the site last month. It's the first banana bread in 11 years of parenthood that all three of my children love, and I have now sworn allegiance to this recipe as the only banana bread I will make forever more. The feelings I have around these recipes are so visceral! Maybe those of us so attached to its existence should start a tribute blog, joking/not joking??
I also really appreciate the realness of your kitchen. We just last year did a remodel that I wish only cost as much as a roof. It was tied into other changes, but we had the opportunity to start the kitchen from scratch. After spending so much money and time on the darn thing, I sort of expected to feel like I lived in a magazine layout in like maybe not AD, but their less regal counterpart, Clever? All this to say, while there are elements I like very much, I most definitely don't live in magazine pages because we use our kitchen and live here. Capitalism and the money making powers that be, have distorted expectations for home design to some degree. While the remodel was necessary, I did fall victim to outsized expectations for how I would feel once complete. It is incredibly validating that one of the most influential people in my home cooking journey lives in a beautifully functional kitchen, imbued with personal touches and delightful quirks.
Also, after having stone countertops for almost a year, after 20+ years in a adulthood w/formica...I miss the ease of formica, and wonder the same as you. I have broken more glasses and jars in the past six months than in the past six years combined because dropping things on stone breaks everything! Formica was kinder on my clumsiness.
Molly I cut out magazine articles from Bon Appetit before I even knew who you were. I don’t even think I noticed that Iwas cutting out articles from the same author, you. I have saved these articles and occasionally I reread them. Gives me a lot of joy! I am so sorry that I won’t be able to do the same thing with your blog. It’s the only blog that I have followed consistently. I don’t go there just for the recipes, I reread your essays on life and I marvel on how beautiful your photos are. I would gladly purchase a book of your blog and/or contribute to keeping it going. It’s a daunting task for me to think of downloading all the blog. Please consider some thing to preserve your work for the public. Thank you! Diane
Thank you all for your likes. I guarantee that you will love this and it will become a regular guest in your repertoire of easy recipes. 1 pound ground beef.
Your kitchen looks lived in and comfortable. My house is over 115 years and it shows. I was part of an Oklahoma Humanities reading group at my local library this Spring and we did a talk about series on Food. The books are The Last Chinese Chef; In Defense of Food; The tummy Trilogy; A Homemade Life; and Secrets of the Tsil Cafe. Your book was most interesting so also read The Fixed Stars. Thanks for sharing.
Buried at the bottom in your list of books on the shelf: Stegner's "Crossing to Safety," an all-time favorite. Thanks for the reminder to reread someday soon.
Love seeing and reading about your kitchen! Zoomed in on all the photos. Omg I am so sad about the blog disappearing!! Understand about hosting being expensive but I’m guessing many of us would be happy to chip in to keep it alive?! Or just wondering if there are other options there! Agree with others on many posts i go back to often: granola #5, and the poached quince recipe! I was DELIGHTED to find quince at my grocery store the other day- a few are happily ripening on my counter right now! I moved to Pittsburgh, PA from San Francisco last year and the produce here does not compare so I never expected to find them and was so excited! Looking forward to the next episode about cooking!
I love this essay. I grew up in the kind of house you describe (one university professor + one children’s librarian) and strove to keep such a house myself, despite my spouse’s protestations. Your description of your kitchen shelves had such a Laurie Colwin air about it.
How about publishing a book of nothing but Orangette recipes so we can buy it to save Orangette and make extra income for you? I’d buy extra copies for gifts.
We finally remodeled our kitchen when our second burner (yes, there were ever only two) refused to turn off! We had to flip the breaker switch to turn it off. No sub zeroes or farm sinks but we love the new kitchen - very functional and much more beautiful than 2” tiles with brown grout.
We are nearly equal in division of labor - I cook and he does the dishes.
I love your writing and giggled and nodded my head throughout this piece (especially about the Formica (I remember the 1970’s Kelly green Formica in my childhood home that then were refinished to white in the early ‘90s). My own kitchen is recently remodeled (no sub-zero or farmhouse sink but my vibe was “modern farmhouse with an emphasis on modern” so you know 🤣🤦♀️). You somehow managed to describe the essence of what’s important (and likewise NOT important) to you without any bitterness for someone else and I just want to say I wish we could all model this ❤️❤️❤️
Also even though my kitchen is “pretty” by most people’s standards I’m kicking myself 3 years in about several decisions my architect / designer made that I didn’t fight her on- namely function over form. Size of appliances, sink placement. Everything looks great but if I could do it again I would have emphasized FUNCTION!!
Also, if you are taking it down, could you please post on the website with some notice to warn people? I’m afraid quite a few of your readers may not see this. I would be happy to contribute to keep it up, if that was an option…!
Oh wow, I would be very sad when Orangette goes down. Is there a way to download a whole blog? I hope so…
Yep, Orangette is a favorite friend that I visit often. For recipes, and for your thoughts on being human. In addition, I use many of your BA recipes. I would be happy to part of helping her stay alive and well. Orangette is a public service.
I’d love to know about your binder of favorite recipes! Do you type them up? Write them up? Just print the original recipes? Ive been meaning to do this for years but I’m not sure how to organize it...
Jo Walton’s Lifelode isn’t quite a book where nothing happens, but a great deal of it is just about the main character cooking, which I love! Robin McKinley is also great for books with great swathes of domesticity between plot points--I’m thinking especially of Beauty and Chalice
I'm with all the other commenters that would be willing to be creative in funding a way to keep Orangette alive (or alive-ish if there was a hard copy to reference?). You, through Orangette, ushered me into adulthood cooking. For funsies, I'm going to see what I remember (by the name I remember them by) that I reference all the time (some I've memorized): Granola No. 5, Ed Fretwell Soup (gifted to so many when meals are the gift), Rhubard Compote, Bean Doctor w/canned beans, Marcella's Cabbage not-quite-soup, Garbanzo bean salad, the divorced aunt soup, plum cake, braised kale, roasted cauliflower w/parm, thyme and garlic...and I just discovered a new-to-me banana bread on the site last month. It's the first banana bread in 11 years of parenthood that all three of my children love, and I have now sworn allegiance to this recipe as the only banana bread I will make forever more. The feelings I have around these recipes are so visceral! Maybe those of us so attached to its existence should start a tribute blog, joking/not joking??
I also really appreciate the realness of your kitchen. We just last year did a remodel that I wish only cost as much as a roof. It was tied into other changes, but we had the opportunity to start the kitchen from scratch. After spending so much money and time on the darn thing, I sort of expected to feel like I lived in a magazine layout in like maybe not AD, but their less regal counterpart, Clever? All this to say, while there are elements I like very much, I most definitely don't live in magazine pages because we use our kitchen and live here. Capitalism and the money making powers that be, have distorted expectations for home design to some degree. While the remodel was necessary, I did fall victim to outsized expectations for how I would feel once complete. It is incredibly validating that one of the most influential people in my home cooking journey lives in a beautifully functional kitchen, imbued with personal touches and delightful quirks.
Also, after having stone countertops for almost a year, after 20+ years in a adulthood w/formica...I miss the ease of formica, and wonder the same as you. I have broken more glasses and jars in the past six months than in the past six years combined because dropping things on stone breaks everything! Formica was kinder on my clumsiness.
Molly I cut out magazine articles from Bon Appetit before I even knew who you were. I don’t even think I noticed that Iwas cutting out articles from the same author, you. I have saved these articles and occasionally I reread them. Gives me a lot of joy! I am so sorry that I won’t be able to do the same thing with your blog. It’s the only blog that I have followed consistently. I don’t go there just for the recipes, I reread your essays on life and I marvel on how beautiful your photos are. I would gladly purchase a book of your blog and/or contribute to keeping it going. It’s a daunting task for me to think of downloading all the blog. Please consider some thing to preserve your work for the public. Thank you! Diane
Oops! The recipe I am referring to is in Cooking number two
Thank you all for your likes. I guarantee that you will love this and it will become a regular guest in your repertoire of easy recipes. 1 pound ground beef.
Love that crazy stove and that it’s still hanging on. What a wacky weekend of a project that was. And also such a warm memory. xo
Yes, a book of Orangette recipes with photos! Yes, please!
Your kitchen looks lived in and comfortable. My house is over 115 years and it shows. I was part of an Oklahoma Humanities reading group at my local library this Spring and we did a talk about series on Food. The books are The Last Chinese Chef; In Defense of Food; The tummy Trilogy; A Homemade Life; and Secrets of the Tsil Cafe. Your book was most interesting so also read The Fixed Stars. Thanks for sharing.
Buried at the bottom in your list of books on the shelf: Stegner's "Crossing to Safety," an all-time favorite. Thanks for the reminder to reread someday soon.
Love seeing and reading about your kitchen! Zoomed in on all the photos. Omg I am so sad about the blog disappearing!! Understand about hosting being expensive but I’m guessing many of us would be happy to chip in to keep it alive?! Or just wondering if there are other options there! Agree with others on many posts i go back to often: granola #5, and the poached quince recipe! I was DELIGHTED to find quince at my grocery store the other day- a few are happily ripening on my counter right now! I moved to Pittsburgh, PA from San Francisco last year and the produce here does not compare so I never expected to find them and was so excited! Looking forward to the next episode about cooking!
Yes, or is there a way to transfer the archives to sub stack for subscribers the way Jenny from Dinner a Love Story did?
Would chip in for sure! Orangette forever!
My mind is buzzing with this post but at the top: Formica! ALWAYS Yes
I love this essay. I grew up in the kind of house you describe (one university professor + one children’s librarian) and strove to keep such a house myself, despite my spouse’s protestations. Your description of your kitchen shelves had such a Laurie Colwin air about it.
How about publishing a book of nothing but Orangette recipes so we can buy it to save Orangette and make extra income for you? I’d buy extra copies for gifts.
We finally remodeled our kitchen when our second burner (yes, there were ever only two) refused to turn off! We had to flip the breaker switch to turn it off. No sub zeroes or farm sinks but we love the new kitchen - very functional and much more beautiful than 2” tiles with brown grout.
We are nearly equal in division of labor - I cook and he does the dishes.
I love your writing and giggled and nodded my head throughout this piece (especially about the Formica (I remember the 1970’s Kelly green Formica in my childhood home that then were refinished to white in the early ‘90s). My own kitchen is recently remodeled (no sub-zero or farmhouse sink but my vibe was “modern farmhouse with an emphasis on modern” so you know 🤣🤦♀️). You somehow managed to describe the essence of what’s important (and likewise NOT important) to you without any bitterness for someone else and I just want to say I wish we could all model this ❤️❤️❤️
Also even though my kitchen is “pretty” by most people’s standards I’m kicking myself 3 years in about several decisions my architect / designer made that I didn’t fight her on- namely function over form. Size of appliances, sink placement. Everything looks great but if I could do it again I would have emphasized FUNCTION!!