Wendy Dubin, founder of A Good Dish, is a Manhattan-based ceramic artist who built her career around art. Dubin worked in galleries, bought art for companies and individuals as an art advisor, wrote about art, was a professional potter and taught ceramics at the university level for a long time.
Two years ago, she took a break from teaching and making pots to see if she could get some relief from arthritis pain. Assessing her skills, passion and experience, she turned back to writing, “something I had always done in order to understand things--art, pots, life--better,” Dubin says.
At the same time, she noticed that many of her friends and people she met struggled with cooking. So many people find it a chore. Since she enjoys cooking--she is an experienced and talented cook--and knows quite a lot about contemporary pottery, she combined what she has learned about making simple dishes and serving them in beautiful handmade pots, to launch A Good Dish.
Wendy, what inspired you, and how would you describe the mission behind the site?
I love to plan meals, shop for groceries and cook, but not everyone does. Many people are intimidated, thinking it will be too hard or take too long. I started A Good Dish to help relieve those fears by providing easy, tasty recipes with lots of possible adaptations and encouragement to illustrate how quick and simple cooking can be. Creating--whether making pots, writing or cooking--has always come easily for me. The hard part is the business end; marketing and promoting were never my strong suit. I write, photograph and put up the posts and hope that people will find it helpful and use it regularly. And the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive!
How do you characterize your approach to food?
Cooking doesn't have to be complicated. We have to eat to live so we might as well make it as healthy and delicious as we can without too much fuss. I have only a few requirements: food has to be appealing, nutritious, easy to make and tasty.
SAUTEED WATERCRESS RECIPE
Plate by Mary Barr inger
• 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 Tablespoon olive, avocado or grape seed oil
• 1 big pinch of kosher or sea salt
• 2 bunches of watercress, washed and cut in half (or smaller if you prefer more delicate bites)
• 1/4 cup stock or water
Heat a large sauté pan and then add oil.
Add garlic and salt, turn heat to medium and cook about one minute - do not brown.
Add watercress and stir until beginning to change color and wilt.
Add the broth or water and stir occasionally until most of the water has evaporated and the watercress has softened, about 3-4 minutes. Some like it still crisp while others prefer it limp. Try it at various points in cooking the first time you make it until you figure out how you like it prepared. Taste for salt and add more if you feel it needs it.
Feeds 2 in our home or 3 or 4 people as a side dish.
You are a ceramic artist and taught ceramics for many years. How does that inform your approach to food and its visual presentation?
I taught ceramics at Barnard College for more than 20 years and have worked with clay since high school, getting serious with it in college. My pottery was always functional, related to food or flowers, and intended to make a meal more of a celebration.
Pots can stand on their own as beautiful objects but they really succeed when they enhance your perception of the food being served on or in them. Composing and designing the blog posts and posting on Instagram (@agooddisher) is very satisfying as an artist and a way to share what I see and think about with a wider audience. I love pots and use them in my home all the time so it just seems normal to me to plate my recipes on handmade pots.
I love the way you plate things, incorporating beautiful pieces that are the work of ceramic artists. Tell us about what the relationship between art and food means to you.
There are so many wonderful artists out there making extraordinary pots. My goal is to share as much of that work as I can with my readers. We have fewer shops and galleries selling pottery, especially here in New York. So I try to incorporate handmade pots in my posts and write about specific potters, whose work I love, so readers can connect with them. A beautiful plate or bowl or tumbler makes whatever you put on it or in it look even better.
What I find satisfying and pleasurable about cooking for and eating with others is related to what I love about making useful pottery. Being able to serve food or drinks in handmade pots underscores the feeling that a meal is special. It is a way to say that no matter what else is going on in the world, or especially because of what is going on, being together and sharing a meal is important and worthwhile, even essential. Even when we are eating alone, using pottery someone made by hand helps us pay more attention to celebrating our time and that meal.
What are some of your favorite types of dishes to prepare and eat?
I love to make and eat all kinds of soups and salads, of which there are endless variations and which can adapt easily to incorporate seasonal ingredients. Just recently, I posted a recipe for a super easy, cooling cucumber and pineapple salad whereas in the winter, a salad I posted included arugula and persimmons. Lentil soup has seemingly endless incarnations and makes a frequent appearance in our home. In summer, there are terrific cold soups, while in winter, salads can be quite hearty, even warming, especially when they include beans or grains.
My husband and I both eat leftovers for lunch most days so I try to make sure something we have for dinner will survive in a lunchbox or thermos. Of course, sometimes it just doesn't work and we resort to almond butter and celery sticks or pick up a salad, a burrito or even a slice of pizza at lunchtime.
People can be so restrictive with their diets these days--gluten-free, vegan, paleo, etc., etc. How do those things factor into your everyday cooking?
My main emphasis is simple, fresh and seasonal, with a focus on vegetables. (I was vegetarian in my 20s and early 30s). Many of my recipes are vegetarian with suggestions for adding or subtracting protein, grain, dairy, etc. For example, you can make pesto with or without cheese and can use it on pasta or on fish, chicken, tofu or vegetables. You can make a simple but delicious salad and then add cooked shrimp or tempeh or nuts to fill it out. Whenever I cook for guests, I try to make something vegetable-centric and offer add-ins or alternatives.
My parents put me on a weight loss diet when I was 8 years old when all I really needed was portion control and more physical activity. As a result, I've struggled with diets and weight most of my life. I've tried every diet you can imagine and in the end, I've come to embrace moderation with an emphasis on vegetables, some whole grains, good quality fats, sustainable fish and seafood and well-raised animal protein. And more movement and less sitting. When I cook, I know what is on my plate--where it came from and how it was prepared. We almost always feel better when we eat home. That is another reason I feel so strongly about encouraging people to cook.
GARLIC SCAPE PESTO RECIPE
Bowl by Birdie Boone
2 cups cut garlic scapes, about 12-15 scapes cut in 1/4-1/2 inch pieces
A big handful of parsley (optional but adds lots of nutrients)
A big handful of fresh basil leaves (if you have them, otherwise optional)
1 tsp salt
4 TBsps olive oil, or more
1/2 cup walnuts, or your choice of nut (optional)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan (optional)
Zest of 1 lemon (optional)
Put cut up scapes and salt in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. If using nuts, parsley or cheese, add and pulse until completely ground. With the motor running, add oil until the pesto is the consistency you like.
Use right away or pack in small glass containers or jars with a very thin layer of olive oil on top (to keep it from oxidizing) and refrigerate or freeze for future use. We use about 1/2 - 3/4 cup for a pound of pasta or tofu - I also add a little more salt and some black pepper - just taste and see if you think it needs more just before serving.
Don't forget that pesto is not just for pasta (although it is delicious that way): It is wonderful on baked fish, chicken, tofu, potatoes and summer squashes and also enlivens rice, quinoa and many vegetables.
So many people say they don't have time to cook, they're not good at it, it's too much work. What do you want to tell them?
Cooking doesn't have to be hard or complicated. I started the blog to emphasize just this fact. My recipes are always pretty easy and not fussy. Sometimes all you have to do is assemble ingredients and toss or stir. I think people get overwhelmed or psyched out before they even start cooking. What helped me most when I started cooking was to read cookbooks, try lots of recipes and take some cooking classes. (I went to Natural Gourmet Cookery School but there are many good courses). There are very basic "how-to" and knife skill classes, which are not essential but very empowering for a nervous or tentative cook. I feel like part of my role is to be a cheerleader--"Good job, you can do it! Try it, it's easy!" Just go step by step.
You are a long-term devotee of farmer's markets and belong to a CSA for 20 years. Based in NYC, it wasn't always easy to find amazing fresh ingredients. How have things changed? How important do you consider seasonal ingredients?
When I started cooking in earnest, in the 80s, fresh vegetables, fruit, spices and imported items use weren't as plentiful, fresh or available as they are today. There were Italian green grocers which mostly became Korean green grocers, and some okay produce in the supermarket, most of which came from California or Florida. Not much was local and we had nothing like the variety of items we can buy today.
I had my first studio on East 18th Street in the mid-80s, so I started shopping at theGreenmarket in Union Square and have been a devotee ever since. The market was still in its early years (it started in 1976) and hadn't expanded to other neighborhoods yet. I recently did a post about our local farmer's market, talking about some of the individual farm stands, the visual beauty and fragrance of all the produce and the lovely feeling of community it promotes.
We joined our first CSA in 1996, the year our son was born, and never looked back. Having a guaranteed load of vegetables arriving each week ensures we will eat well. Both the market and the CSA have helped me become more conscious about eating what is in season. I no longer buy asparagus in October, peaches in February or green beans in December. Eating what is in season not only makes sure what we eat is fresh but also keeps things interesting. It's hard to get stuck in a recipe rut when your ingredients keep changing! I try to do the same thing in A Good Dish--vary the recipes and topics by season to keep them relevant and useful.