Fresh Picks

Patti Jackson

Patti Jackson is the executive chef at I Trulli Ristorante & Enoteca in New York City and is known for turning out some of the city’s finest pasta dishes. Patti’s culinary career has positioned her as one of the most versatile chefs in the city—from posts as executive chef at Le Madri to pastry chef at Alto. She relies on her breadth of experience to influence every aspect of the kitchen, from small details like the breadsticks to big meals like roasting a whole wild boar on the restaurant’s back patio. Patti will help owner Nicola Marzovilla celebrate the restaurant’s 15th anniversary this January.

This steamed ginger pudding recipe reminds me of the holidays and sweet aromas that are reminders of family and food.

I love, love, love the smell of anything baking that contains ginger and molasses, and this recipe reminds me of the holidays and sweet aromas that we associate with family and food. I’d make this dish and serve it as dessert after a Christmas meal with some baked quince and crème fraiche.

Restaurant

Mugaritz, in the Basque country in Spain, specializes in molecular gastronomy and is one of my favorite restaurants.

One of my favorite restaurants is Mugaritz, outside of San Sebastian, Spain, in the Basque country, which is my favorite region in the world to eat. Specializing in molecular gastronomy, the food is cutting-edge delicious and utterly brilliant, and each dish is a new experience from eyes, nose to mouth.

Cookbook

I just bought two cookbooks for myself as Christmas presents: How to Roast a Lamb and Salt to Taste.

I just bought two cookbooks for myself as Christmas presents, and both are by chefs I really admire. The first is, How to Roast a Lamb by Michael Psilakis. I’ve most enjoyed reading his personal stories at the beginning of each section and learning about how food has inspired his kitchen. He’s one of the country’s most revered chefs, so I value his approach to Mediterranean cuisine. The second cookbook is Salt to Taste by Marco Canora, executive chef at Hearth. I'll probably cook a few recipes from each book this weekend.

Food Destination

My favorite destination this time of year is home.

My favorite destination this time of year is home. I look forward to heading to Pennsylvania during the holidays because my family lives there. New York City is the ultimate “staycation” destination, and I try to discover new restaurants in unique pockets of the city’s five boroughs to inspire me when I return to the kitchen at I Trulli.