Guttenplan | Zoe

How could I create recipes for a living if my own stove was lying to me? I remember the exact moment I let go. I was making a simple summer squash galette. The recipe (one I had written myself) called for a "flaky, laminated-esque dough." But my kitchen was 85 degrees. The butter melted into the flour before I could even roll it out. The dough tore. The zucchini wept.

Then, last summer, I moved apartments. My new kitchen was half the size of my old one. The oven ran 25 degrees hot, and the lighting made raw chicken look like a Rothko painting. I panicked. zoe guttenplan

Instead, I cursed, folded the torn dough over itself like a calzone, shoved it in the hot oven, and set a timer for "whatever." How could I create recipes for a living

For a long time, I thought that was the only way to cook. As a food writer and recipe developer, I have spent countless hours testing the elasticity of pizza dough, measuring the exact grams of sugar needed to achieve a "crunch without the shatter," and debating the merits of a 350°F vs. 375°F oven. The recipe (one I had written myself) called

I am writing recipes now with a new goal: To give you a framework, not a cage.