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Good Taste With Alexis deBoschnek
There are few places more heavenly than a seat at Alexis deBoschnek’s dinner table. The Catskills-based chef and two-time cookbook author infuses every meal with a charm that spans far beyond the bounds of the plate — beyond the sum of her decades of experience and the ingredients picked fresh from her kitchen garden — a signature warmth, care, and impeccable taste. This spring, to celebrate the launch of her forthcoming title Nights and Weekends, spend a morning with Alexis at her Delhi home as she shares her thoughts on cooking as an artform, the best of her new book, and her dream dinner party outfit, self-styled in pieces from our collection.
Photography by Georgia Hilmer
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On Origins
"Growing up my mom was an incredible home cook and master gardener. The Catskills were very different in the ‘90s and there was nowhere to eat out, which meant she cooked 7 nights a week. In the spring she’d take me foraging for ramps; in summer we’d seek out chanterelles; and in fall we’d squirrel away chestnuts to roast in the fire months down the road. We had a garden too, which meant for a quarter of the year we were eating primarily what we grew. Throughout college, culinary school, and my foray into food media I was constantly experimenting in the kitchen as I took on new skills, but once I felt really confident I wholly embraced that dedication to seasonality that my mom instilled in me from an early age."
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On Food As Art Form
"I believe that we eat first with our eyes and it’s important to me to consider color and texture, almost as much as it is to think about flavor with whatever dish I’m cooking. Both my parents are artists, and I went to fashion school, so I’ve always been aesthetically minded. While I didn’t inherit their artistic talents with paint and brush, cooking is my form own form of creativity. Cooking seasonally means there’s a constant well of inspiration at every turn in the season –the first pink-hued stalks of rhubarb, bundles of asparagus, and shelling peas feel like a thrill after a winter of root vegetables. As those ingredients begin to dwindle, they’ll be replaced with green beans, melons, and my favorite, tomatoes. I always have something to look forward to, which keeps me inspired.:
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On Dressing For Dinner
"I approach dressing for dinner in the same way I dream up a menu. I want to wear something easy, effortless, and beautiful. Loeffler Randall’s Poppy Lace Trim dress has been my go-to lately—it’s easy to dress up with a pair of Angelina Bow heels or dress down with a denim jacket and Wilson espadrilles."
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On Building Your Kitchen Garden
"It really depends on how much space you have. As much as I’m a proponent for experimentation in the garden, I also encourage people to start with some of the easier plants. You can grow herbs in pots in your windowsill, fire escape, or porch. Tomatoes do well and grow quickly in pots. Zucchini and leafy greens like kale and chard don’t take much to get going. Consider the vegetables you actually eat before going crazy at the plant nursery. If you don’t really like eggplant, don’t plant it. If the prospect of having 73 cucamelons ripen every week feels daunting, opt for cucumbers. And remembesr, there’s always next year to try again!"
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On Inspiration
"Cooking is definitely my love language—perhaps in equal parts to being my creative outlet. There’s nothing more I love than having friends over and serving them their favorite meal. Mention you love chocolate mousse and I’ll be sure to have it at my next dinner party that you’re at. While I was in this challenging period when the idea for Nights and Weekends was born, I still wanted to create beautiful meals but the truth was I was severely limited on time just by nature of all the things I had to juggle—taking care of my mom, running a 100 acre farm with 14 horses and pastured poultry, my career, and, and, and…Gone were the days when I had hours to dream about dinner. I had 20 minutes and needed to get dinner on the table quickly, but I still wanted to feel excited about what I was cooking and eating. I knew that I wasn’t alone in that plight. Whether you’re juggling children, long hours at work, or whatever else life throws at you, we’re all racing against the clock to get dinner on the table. I wanted to create a book that I knew people could really cook from, no matter where they were at in life."
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On The Best Of Her New Book
"For weeknight dinners, the Cod in Green Sauce. I feel the best when I’m eating fish, rice, and a ton of greens, which this recipe essentially is. A punchy green sauce gets made in the blender with coconut milk, spinach, and herbs. Then, cod is simmered in the sauce until just-cooked through. It’s one of those recipes that’s really versatile and tastes like you spent more than 10 minutes in the kitchen putting it together. For weekend dinners, the party wedge salad and ribeyes (with martinis, of course). A steakhouse dinner always feels like a celebration to me and it's the meal I make whenever I’m looking to impress."
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On Her Dream Dinner Party Guests
"I know this might sound boring, but really I just want to be having dinner parties with my friends! It’s impossible to choose just 5. That said, I’d always make room for Ina at the table."
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