My good friend Adam Roberts — a cookbook writer with a humorous meals publication — at all times jogs my memory of a Disney prince. He’s charming with an enormous smile, and he’ll play your favourite track on the piano. Adam lives along with his equally pretty filmmaker husband, Craig Johnson, in a cabin-like home in Brooklyn. Right here’s a glance inside…
KITCHEN
Adam, left; Craig, proper
On shifting from L.A. to New York: We had been out there for a home in L.A. once I abruptly received bitten by the bug of shifting again to New York. I’d grown up in New York and missed it, so as a substitute we began on the lookout for locations right here. My husband had all this standards for an L.A. home — nature, a lot of pure gentle, and so forth. — so once we discovered this rental, we felt like we’d discovered our dream L.A. home in Brooklyn.
On embracing the seasons: I virtually really feel responsible describing all of the issues I like about this home, as a result of it’s so uncommon to have them in New York: a bed room surrounded by bushes, a porch the place I can develop tomatoes, a kitchen that appears onto a backyard. Within the winter, I made pasta whereas watching the snowstorm, and this spring, I used to be baking strawberry-rhubarb pie and looking on the pink tree. It’s an absolute dream to reside right here.
On classic finds: I’m a bit obsessive about classic plates and platters, and I search for them on Etsy and eBay. My midcentury flour and sugar canisters are virtually 70 years outdated; they’ve a lot historical past and character.
Cake stand: Food52, related.
On a cookbook assortment: I like cookbooks a lot that the most important fights now we have in our marriage comes all the way down to me shopping for extra when our cabinets are already overflowing. However I like how cookbooks can shock you — for instance, I’m studying one known as Summer time Kitchens by Olia Hercules, a Ukrainian meals author who lives in London. It’s all about meals from Ukraine which may be very shifting, clearly, due to the warfare. I’d already made pickled plums, however as I used to be flipping by, there was a recipe for sourdough bread, and I used to be like, What is that this, the pandemic? However she makes use of darkish rye flour, so I used to be impressed to make some.
On cooking at dwelling: My husband Craig loves my cavatappi with sun-dried tomatoes and cannellini beans, roast rooster with root greens, and seared scallops with citrus risotto. However I’m extra of a dessert man. My favourite is Amanda Hesser’s almond cake, which I’ve made for years, and I like making apple pie within the fall.
DINING AREA
Eating desk: CB2, related.
On low-stress entertaining: My dream is to have every little thing finished earlier than folks arrive, since that makes for essentially the most enjoyable banquet. I make the dessert the day earlier than. The morning of, I’ll begin seasoning or brining. If it’s wintertime, you can also make a stew forward, and it’ll solely get higher the longer it sits within the fridge. If I really feel social anxiousness at a cocktail party, I’ll creep off to the kitchen to take a break. That mentioned — as I’ve gotten extra relaxed and brought extra Lexapro — I’ve grow to be extra snug with folks becoming a member of me and serving to me prepare dinner.
On displaying treasures: Craig collects miniature creatures. He’s like Kathy Bates in Distress — keep in mind when she realized the man received off the bed as a result of her ceramic penguin was rotated 40 levels? Craig will likely be like, Somebody moved my toy frog!
LIVING AREA
Couch: Bloomingdale’s, related.
On a sofa work-around: When our shifting truck arrived, we realized we couldn’t pivot our sofa by the entrance door. So, I emergency-called the Sofa Physician. They ripped the material off and took the wooden aside — it regarded like they had been destroying our sofa! However after they introduced it inside and it again collectively, it regarded unimaginable.
On watching films: As a filmmaker, Craig is obsessive about the Criterion Channel. In the meantime, I may spend all afternoon watching America’s Check Kitchen. I’m additionally into Downton Abbey; it’s so cozy and fashionable.
Arc lamp: CB2. Arm chair: Macy’s, related.
On a conversation-starter: Craig and I went to Barcelona 15 years in the past and ate at a restaurant with work by the artist Sergio Mora. All of the work had been of anthropomorphized physique components — say, a coronary heart with a face — and we thought they had been humorous and cute. So, for Christmas, I reached out to the artist, who despatched me a spreadsheet of all his work. I instructed Craig that he may select one, and there have been hearts and legs and brains, however he mentioned, I would like the penis portray! I used to be like, do you actually need a large portray of a penis with a face and an umbrella in our lounge? And he mentioned, sure, sure, I do.
Document cupboard: HD Buttercup.
On musical rituals: On Sunday mornings, our ritual is to get the New York Occasions and play data and drink espresso. Craig performs his report participant with as a lot ardour as I play the piano. If I purchase a whole lot of cookbooks, he buys a whole lot of data, so we’re type of tit for tat. Going to a report retailer and thumbing by albums feels so good — like, oh, I didn’t anticipate finding this random Kinks data from 1971.
On performing for pals: I’ve performed the piano by ear my entire life. I’m not knowledgeable musician, however I used to play at bar mitzvahs. It brings me a whole lot of pleasure to have a piano in our dwelling. I attempt to not drive folks to sing, however on Christmas, I play carols, and when Broadway pals come over, I’ll play showtunes. My retirement plan is to grow to be the piano participant at Marie’s Disaster.
PRIMARY BEDROOM
On a comfortable spot: Our bed room is the dreamiest room in the home. The sunshine that pours by the home windows within the morning is spectacular.
Mattress with bookcase footboard: Crate and Barrel, related. Bedside lamps: Crate and Barrel.
On beloved books: We’ve at all times had a mattress with a bookshelf on the base. I’m an enormous fan of John Lahr, the previous theater critic for The New Yorker. He wrote a biography known as Prick Up Your Ears and a guide about his father known as Notes on a Cowardly Lion. I like George Saunders — his guide A Swim in a Pond within the Rain is one in all my favorites. I additionally love Nora Ephron.
On writing: I simply bought my very own novel known as Meals Individual, which is popping out summer time 2025! It’s about an aspiring meals author in her 20s who reluctantly takes a job ghost-writing a star’s cookbook. My essential character is a little bit of a misplaced soul, and the celeb is a sizzling mess, and it’s about their relationship and the way they in the end assist one another. Our pitch is that it’s The Satan Wears Prada meets The Bear. We’re pitching it to Hollywood proper now.
Linens: Cultiver.
On fashionable artwork: I purchased this print from the MoMA present store with my dad twenty years in the past. It’s a photograph of a greenback retailer, however you would possibly assume you’re a watercolor panorama from farther away; then as you get nearer, you’re like, wait that is only a bunch of crap, like gum and sweet bars.
BACK PATIO
On a candy rescue: Winston is the best canine on the planet. We discovered him at a rescue place in L.A. He regarded up at me so sweetly, so I known as Craig, who held him; and regardless that he wasn’t as a lot within the lets-get-a-dog camp as I used to be, Craig began crying as a result of he thought Winston was so cute. We introduced him dwelling, and he’s essentially the most lovable canine. The one annoying factor is that if he will get too sizzling on a stroll, he places all his weight on his again legs and won’t budge. I’ve to hold him like a bride over the edge.
On a meet-cute: Craig and I met in grad faculty at NYU. He checked out my profile on Friendster, and I wrote to him with the topic ‘Mysterious Stranger.’ We had dinner at a French restaurant on April 8, 2006, and our connection was speedy. We had been on the lookout for precisely the identical factor at precisely the identical time — I used to be on the lookout for somebody to prepare dinner for, and he was on the lookout for somebody to prepare dinner for him.
Thanks, Adam and Craig! We like you each.
P.S. Many extra home excursions, together with a household’s downsized dream dwelling and a colourful condominium for guide lovers.
(Pictures by Julia Robbs for Cup of Jo.)
