14 May 2026 03:33
№ 94: Eggs and In-Season Cooking with Lisa Steele
Highlights & “Must-Listen” Moments
* 0:00 — Amy’s food week: New iPad, spinach artichoke dip, and a Portland, Maine eating trip: Amy’s rocking a new-to-her iPad Pro with a suspiciously flattering built-in filter she has no intention of turning off. David (bravely) compliments her on how great she’s been looking. Amy’s her son Ollie is a high school senior, and Scott made her a video of his first 18 years for Mother’s Day that had her in tears in a quarter of a second.
* On the food front: a spinach artichoke dip brought to a friend’s house for the (heartbreaking) Celtics playoff loss, brownies for a school play rehearsal from a beloved Betty Crocker Cookbook for Kids circa 1980–81 (butter + unsweetened chocolate, double boiler, no shortcuts), and a strawberry ricotta cannoli tart with a press-in shortbread crust that she’s calling her summer go-to.
* 3:37 — Portland, Maine: Amy’s restaurant report: Ladyfish — a six-month residency pop-up from Jordan Rubin (Mr. Tuna) and New York chef Christine Lau — serving strikingly fresh seafood and a vermouth program Amy says will define her summer (”vermouth and soda with a squeeze of lemon”). Leeward: the restaurant where even the salad makes you want to fall out of your chair. Bread & Friends for breakfast. ZuBakery, a James Beard Award winner. The density of great restaurants in Portland remains unmatched.
* 8:27 — David’s food week: A Swiss chard and leek tart, blueberry crumble, Amatriciana, and vinegar-glossed chicken: David attempted to wake at 7:30 and cook a tart, a crumble, prep a podcast, shower, make reservations to Greece (September!), and book doctor’s appointments — all before noon. ADHD-addled but determined. The tart: Swiss chard, leeks, and goat cheese in an herb crust with chopped rosemary and thyme, custard of cream and eggs and nutmeg, pre-baked, gorgeous. Served alongside the blueberry crumble from his website for French friends visiting from Roxbury, Connecticut. He also made Amatriciana again (guanciale, San Marzano tomatoes, red pepper flakes) and, for the first time since its publication, Lucinda Scala Quinn’s vinegar-glossed chicken from Mad Hungry — thighs started in a cold skillet, rendered low and slow, finished with a full cup of red wine vinegar, rosemary, and garlic until it becomes a syrupy glaze. Verdict: extraordinary. Next time, a touch of honey.
* 9:28 — Introducing Fresh by Lisa Steele: Lisa Steele is a Maine-based backyard farmer, seasonal cook, and author of the Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook. She raises chickens, ducks, and geese on a rural farm and brings her Scandinavian heritage and New England roots to everything she makes. Her second cookbook, In Season: 125+ Sweet and Savory Recipes Celebrating Simple, Fresh Ingredients, just came out.
She also hosted two seasons of Welcome to My Farm
