A Little Letter

A few of my favorite things

These are the questions I get asked the most. The pots, the books, the small comforts. I made this page so when someone writes and asks, I can finally point them somewhere. Click any image that pulls at you — it'll take you to the thing itself.

Question One

"What do you actually cook with?"

The few things that live on my stove and get used every single week. Nothing fancy. Just good.

Cast iron skillet

The cast iron skillet

This is the pan I reach for first, every morning. Eggs, greens, the small piece of fish at the end of a long day. It only gets better with time.

Wooden cutting board

The wooden board

Big enough to be generous. Heavy enough to feel like something. I oil it on Sundays and it has become a small ritual I look forward to.

Chef knife

The one knife

You really only need one good one. This is mine. Sharp, balanced, and it makes the slow work of chopping vegetables feel like care instead of a chore.

Question Two

"What are you reading right now?"

The books I keep buying extra copies of, just so I can hand them to someone.

Poetry book

The book of poems on my nightstand

I read one page before sleep most nights. It does what nothing else does — slows the noise down enough that I can hear what kind of day it actually was.

Memoir book

The memoir I keep recommending

For anyone who has spent years caring for other people. It names something I'd been carrying without words. I have given this away three times this year.

Cookbook

The cookbook I cook from most

Stained pages, broken spine. The recipes are forgiving and seasonal and never ask you to be anyone other than tired and hungry.

Question Three

"What do you use to take care of yourself?"

The small, honest things that have stayed with me. Not a routine. Just what I reach for.

Body oil

The body oil

After the shower, before anything else. It smells like trees after rain. Two minutes of paying attention to my own skin — that's the whole practice.

Tea

The tea I drink in the afternoon

Around four o'clock, when the day is asking too much of me. The kettle, the small pot, the few minutes of just standing there. It works on more than one level.

Journal

The notebook I write in

Plain pages. Good paper. I write the morning down before I read anything else. Not journaling exactly. More like getting clear about what's actually here.

Question Four

"What do you use for sourdough baking?"

The handful of tools I return to every time I make bread. Simple, sturdy things that help the whole process feel grounded.

Dutch oven for bread baking

The Dutch oven

This is what gives me that deep crust and tender middle. Heavy, dependable, and worth every inch of shelf space it takes up.

Proofing basket

The proofing basket

I use it for the final rise when I want the dough held gently and shaped well. It's one of those tools that makes the process calmer.

Bread lame and bench scraper

The scraper and lame

The bench scraper keeps the sticky work manageable, and the lame gives the loaf room to open. Small tools, but they matter every single bake.

If your question isn't here

Send me a note. I'd rather answer one real question than guess at ten. If there's something specific you're looking for — a pot, a book, a small thing that might make the week easier — just ask.

Send me a note