Ali Stafford
By: Colu Henry
Oona Founding Partner Colu Henry sat down with her friend and New York Times best-selling cookbook author Alexandra (Ali) Stafford for a chat about loving winter, pairing novels with cocktails, upstate living, and Ali’s serving tips for Oona’s Barbera Rosé.
Ali is a celebrated recipe developer, cookbook author, and creator of Alexandra’s Kitchen, a warm destination for simple, seasonal cooking.
Source: Ali Stafford
You just wrote a New York Times best-selling cookbook called Pizza Night, recently finished up your book tour, and have four children (!) - I don’t know how you do it! Can you share your favorite ways to unwind (if you are ever able)?
Awww, thank you. I’ve realized I need two things to maintain my sanity: my early mornings alone, during which I have a cup of coffee, catch up on emails, and organize my day, and a long evening walk, also alone, phone in sleep mode, with a good audiobook streaming. British author Lucy Foley’s mysteries are my favorites — lots of different characters all read by different people, all with soothing British accents.
You’ve lived everywhere from Connecticut to Philly, where you cooked in restaurants, and ultimately landed in upstate New York where you run your incredible and very popular blog Alexandra’s Kitchen out of your home. How did you ultimately land there, and do you enjoy it?
We moved to upstate NY because of my husband’s job with GE Renewables, which is based in Schenectady. We moved from Virginia, and while I loved my time there, I instantly felt at home upon returning to the Northeast. It was early August when we arrived, and the chill in the air hinting at fall — a stark contrast to the hot and humid climate we just left — felt like a hug. While the winters are a touch long, I find I love it here more with every passing year, and I think I’ll be here for the long haul. My husband, a Minnesotan, loves winters, and my kids do, too. I am very drawn to the Adirondacks. We try to hike one High Peak every summer, and when we do, invariably it is the highlight of my summer. And I love nothing more than plunging into a shockingly cool Adirondack lake upon completing a long hike.
Because we’re in the midst of high summer, and we’re “summer people,” I have to ask: the beach, lake, or river for cooling down? And what are you drinking and reading post-swim? Bonus if you have a favorite snack, too.
Lake! I haven’t always been this way and am kind of wimp about the cold, but I have come to love — crave even — jumping into a lake on a hot summer’s day. Lake George is my favorite — it is truly breathtaking, and I tell everyone I know to visit it — but there are so many beautiful lakes up here. I feel similarly spiritual about Putnam Pond, where we camp with the kids every summer.
This has been the summer of drinking Eventides — equal parts gin and Cocchi Americano, or Lillet Blanc, and a dash of bitters — and reading Colm Tóibín. I saw Brooklyn years ago, but never read it, and when Long Island came out and everyone was talking about it, I had to read it. I read Brooklyn second, which is maybe not ideal, but it didn’t matter plotwise.
This is very unoriginal, but snackwise, I love cheese and crackers, and I love an aged gouda in particular. Jake’s aged gouda is a favorite.
“I had people over for a pizza party, and I had a few small plates set out: whipped ricotta with pistachios and honey, figs and prosciutto, and olive oil grilled bread. [Oona’s] Barbera Rosé was a perfect match.”
We’re very excited you’re part of the Oona family, and know we all love Oona for all types of gatherings. What's your favorite pairing with our Barbera Rosé, and where is your favorite place to drink the wine?
I have been loving the Barbera Rosé for entertaining, especially for the first nibbles of the evening — it is so crisp and refreshing, truly a perfect summer wine, and everyone I’ve served it to has loved it. Last weekend I had people over for a pizza party, and I had a few small plates set out to start: whipped ricotta with pistachios and honey (crowd pleaser!), figs and prosciutto (can’t go wrong!), and olive oil grilled bread. The Barbera Rosé was a perfect match.
I feel like you and I have similar palates and allow the seasons to guide us in the kitchen. I know I’ve taken inspiration from you many times! What are some dishes that are exciting you right now that you find yourself returning to?
Same! Everything you post, I want to make immediately. Right now, I love any sort of charred vegetable atop any sort of creamy spread — sprinkled with flaky sea salt, and served with really good olive oil-toasted or grilled bread. Broccolini, roughly chopped, seasoned with olive oil and salt and cooked in my pizza oven for 5 minutes is a favorite. The creamy spread could be plant based — like an eggplant or roasted red pepper purée or a beany hummus-like schmear — or dairy based — like whipped ricotta or lemony yogurt. There’s something about the contrast of the creamy cool with the charred, blistered vegetables that’s just so good.
What is the first thing you’ll make when you feel like turning the oven on again this fall?
Eggplant parm! I have a very simple recipe for an eggplant parm that doesn’t call for breading, which probably puts it more in the eggplant gratin category, but the spirit is similar: roasted eggplant, good homemade sauce made with fresh tomatoes, lots of parmesan, and an olive oil-toasted bread crumb topping, which is irresistible.
