Ms. Perlman is undeniably talented but please, is anybody going to discuss the SUBSTANTIAL amount of weight that she has gained? She's an attractive young woman, with a child to raise, and is now, without a doubt, obese. Everyday I fight the good fight to eat right and exercise. Trying to stay healthy, for me and my family. I love food and love to cook. Whether I'm right or wrong, I connect the kind of food Deb Perlman cooks with the weight she's gained and it's a big turn-off. Diabetic, butter-drenched Paula Deen was everybody's punching bag because she's over-the-top Southern and non-PC. But Deb Perlman bugs me even more because I can relate to her (youngish, college-educated, NYC, Jewish) and find that fact that she's not acknowledging the elephant in the room(!)irresponsible. Everyday the obesity problem makes headlines, and Deb keeps making cookies. Way too many cookies. I'd love to know if anybody else feels as I do.

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I appreciate that Deb and many other non-professional cooks these days are less interested in technique than in ingredients; picking out beautiful vegetables at the farmers market is way more interesting than actually cutting them up. I get it.
Speaking as a professional cook, I have to say that the very best way to get the results you want in the kitchen is to use proper techniques. Having good knife skills means having consistency, predictable outcomes, and less prep time. If you can cut all of your carrots the same size, they will all cook in the same amount of time.
Deb said in her interview that speed was not important when it comes to preparation, and that she'd rather just cook in her own time.
Speed is important for the home cook, not just the professional. The less time it takes you to slice all of your onions, the more time you have to perfectly caramelize them for your French Onion soup.

Deb is right however when she said that you can learn how to cook by practicing. And I agree that the best way to improve your knife skills is to practice.

Cool ingredients and fun takes in simple classic recipes are great, but it's having a good foundation of skills that will make your ingredients come to life, and your recipes turn out delicious.

I love to cook, and from Deb and the comments that follow her recipes I've learned a lot of new things. Many of the baking recipes she posts converts well to gluten free because they have substantial ingredients like fruit or yogurt. Some of my now favorite recipes come from her blog.

"I am cooking you dinner, you should bring me wine, that's fair?"

Hospitality is not a trade. People bring wine as they could bring flowers or a book . Or just their grace and good conversation.
If you invite someone into your home, don't put a price tag on it.

Love your show always.
DO NOT agree that the recipe makes the ingredients or however Deb expressed it. It kind of startled me. I absolutely smell/taste/ and feel the difference in local/home grown ingredients and fresh. I bought some shredded carrots at a Trader Joe's ( not normal for me as I usually shred my own) and I wouldn't care what you suggest to do with them. They were/are straw, have no real color outside the bag, and had no taste! Sure you could mask them. But isn't the point to savor the simply REAL taste of a loved and cared for product - animal, vegetable or mineral?
Thanks. Janie, Mamaroneck.

Hi from Serbia! I love the recipes, Smitten Kitchen was one of the first blogs (of any kind) I have ever looked at. And I keep going back - especially the "Good Reads" section, THANK YOU for that. If there are no new entries on Deb's blog, I always find something on the list of links.

What are great weekday meals for a rushed household with kids (that also incorporates vegetables they will eat)?

I love the SmittenKitchen blog and bought the book even though I cook entirely vegetarian/vegan just because I want to support Deb. The book is beautiful and the great thing about the blog is how warm and funny Deb is---she's a wonderful writer and makes every reader feel like a friend.
She posted a butternut squash/farro recipe that I tried recently that was so delicious! Wishing her the best of luck.

Hi Deb,
I'm wondering if you'll ever expand your baby food recipes?
Congrats on the book!

Thanks Deb: both sound yummy. I'll have to put the book on my wish list for Christmas! Wonderful!

Thank you for all your work and sharing, Deb! I always go to your blog first when I've got a hankering for baking, and spend most of my weekends in my kitchen with two or three Smitten Kitchen recipes up on my laptop. Joy!

I love smitten kitchen. I am so happy for her. Loved her pictures, and appreciated her journey of cooking from pregnancy to birth. :-)

Love the blog, can't wait to get the book!

Kugel has been my favorite food since childhood! A couple of years ago I learned my Great-Grandmother's recipe and have since been making alterations and experimental kugel. I would love to challenge Deb to a kugel cook-off woth me, Brooklyn's King of Kugel!

@Dennis a skillet, a chef's knife and a dutch oven! :)

Love Deb!

Dennis from Weehawken, I didn't catch that (my mind wandered), but you can re-listen when they make the audio for the segment available. I will.

Here, here! to Ms. Perelman for calling "foodies" on their obnoxiousness, as if THEY discovered good food. They make me squirm!

According to Deb three important elements 12 inch cast iron skillet, chef's knife, and ?????. Thanks

Not only do I completely trust Deb's taste, but her directions are the best I've come across. I've learned so much from her. Thank you, Deb, for sharing your recipes!

What a fun segment and I agree! If I'm going to cook, I want it to be great. Of course the other way around is, when I go out, it better be something I wouldn't make at home or better than my cooking: or I'll stay in and enjoy puttering.

Ask your guest what her favorite go to meal is.