It’s impossible to name all of the people who have influenced my career as a cook. I can’t begin to express my gratitude to the countless chefs, writers, and home cooks who have inspired so many of my recipes, or to the family and friends who have served me meals I can only dream of replicating. I’ve learned so much from so many, and I’m forever grateful.
To my agent, Stacey Glick: Can you believe it? It seems like forever ago that we first started pulling this project together. Thank you for the incredible support and guidance throughout this entire process. I literally could not have done this without you. You’re an amazing agent and friend!
To Justin Schwartz: Thank you for believing in me as an author long before so many others. You’re a brilliant editor, and it’s been an absolute pleasure working with you on this book. And thank you to the entire Houghton Mifflin Harcourt team—you’re all masters in this field!
One of the best times of my life was the week we spent shooting this book. Who knew you could have so much fun at work? I owe it to the entire shoot team. Thank you, David Malosh. You are an unassumingly brilliant photographer! Thank you for everything from your beautiful photos to your stellar breakfasts. Thank you to Ayesha Patel—your ability to tell stories with props is nothing short of impressive. You knew exactly what I loved without me saying a word. Thank you to my friend and favorite food stylist in the world, Barrett Washburne. I love and appreciate each and every time I get to work with you. And to Mark Anthony Vasquez, thank you for all your hard work and outstanding playlists. Barrett is lucky to have you.
I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for my Food & Wine family. First, thank you to Christina Grdovic and Diella Koberstein Allen for taking a chance on a quirky little line cook with big dreams. (Love this job, love this team!) Thank you to Dana Cowin for recognizing my talents even when I couldn’t. As if your constant support and expert guidance weren’t enough, you even brought out the “mad genius” in me.
To Tina Ujlaki: Thank you for being one of the best mentors anyone could ask for. You’ll never know all the ways you’ve impacted my life or how much I’ve learned from you.
To Kate Heddings: Eight years ago you interviewed me in a tiny conference room . . . and look at us now! Thank you for being one of my dearest friends. Your guidance has made me a better worker, but it’s your friendship that has changed my life immeasurably. I cannot express in just these few short sentences what you mean to me. I’ll try harder over a rum and Diet Coke.
Many thanks to all the other Food & Wine folks who’ve taught me so much and made work insanely fun: Kristin Donnelly, Mary Ellen Ward, Pam Kaufman, Ray Isle, Christine Quinlan, Daniel Gritzer, Marcia Kiesel, Grace Parisi, Kay Chun, Emily Tylman, David McCann, Julia Heffelfinger, Kate Krader, Maggie Mariolis, Anna Painter, Susan Choung, Lisa Leventer, Kelsey Youngman, and Laura Rege.
I’m one of the luckiest guys when it comes to friends. You all know who you are, and I hope you know how thankful I am to have you in my life. I’m especially grateful to Brandon Davis—you’ve been my sidekick for nearly twenty years, and I love you for it.
A huge part of who I am today is because of my humongous family. Thank you all! I’m especially thankful for Grandma Barbara, who sacrificed so much to make my childhood a better one. Thank you to my mom and dad, Toni and Mark, for loving me regardless of my choices. Thank you, Aunt Susie and Uncle Don. You’ve always treated me like one of your own, and I can only try to pay that forward.
Thank you to all of my amazing siblings and cousin-brothers, who taught me everything from how not to trim my bangs to how to make the perfect red rice: Heather, Amanda, Megan, Kevin, Travis, and Kenny. I love you all more than I could ever express.
Thank you to the entire Sarnoff family for welcoming me into your life with open arms—especially Joel, Rena, and Melissa. Joel, your spunk is incredible and you are wittier than anyone I’ve ever met.
Plus, a special thank-you to all my little nieces and nephews—from California to Maryland—who continuously make me feel famous.
Finally, thank you to Jason: You are my biggest fan and strongest champion. You make me laugh louder and cry harder than anyone in the world. You often care more about my work than I do, which only makes me work harder. There’s no way I’d be where I am—with you, Roxy, and Millie—or have the career that I do if you weren’t the person you are. You are supportive and caring and kind. Thank you for being my husband and my best friend.