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Hope you had a great week! My mom was in town last week, and we had so much fun cooking together, as always. I can’t wait to share everything we made with you over the next few weeks. Doug was in New York for most of the week, but when he got back on Friday, the three of us went to dinner at Funke in LA. It was our first time trying it, and we really enjoyed it. We already love Mother Wolf, so we had high expectations since it’s also Chef Evan Funke’s restaurant. The pasta was cooked to al dente perfection, and we left very full and happy.

Today, I’m sharing a step-by-step guide to creating your own vision board. It’s one of the first things I did after I was laid off from my corporate job in 2022 and decided to pursue Maxi’s Kitchen full time. At the time, I’d built a following of about 100k while working in tech, but there was so much more I hoped to accomplish. I was so determined to turn my dream into a reality, and creating a vision board felt like the perfect place to start.

Looking back at my vision board is pretty wild. I’m surprised by how many of the things I put on it have come true. So a couple weekends ago, I decided to make a new one, this time focused on what I’m hoping to achieve over the next three to five years.

I think of it a bit like making a birthday wish. I can’t tell you exactly what’s on my board or it might not come true ;)! But hopefully, in five or so years, I’ll be able to show it to you. In the meantime, I can give you a few glimpses and walk you through exactly how I put it together so you can create your own.

First, here’s a recipe for my grandpa’s Korean fried rice with bacon, onion, and napa cabbage. He was such a talented cook, and this was one of the dishes he made all the time. Gochujang (a spicy fermented Korean condiment) and soy sauce give the rice a delicious sweet-and-savory depth of flavor. I hope you give it a try!

As always, my cookbook Maxi’s Kitchen is now available for purchase at your local bookstore or online:

Order Your Copy

Thank you so much for your support 🤍

What I Cooked Last Week! ↓

Grandpa’s Korean Fried Rice

This is a quick and simple recipe my grandpa made all the time. It’s packed with cabbage and is so flavorful and delicious.

Grandpa’s Korean Fried Rice

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How I Create a Vision Board ✨

Start with the vision

Plant the seed in your mind and let it marinate for a few days. When you think about your life three, five, or even ten years from now, what are your wildest dreams? Maybe you want to become a talk show host, buy a house, travel the world, or become a parent. Or maybe it’s something smaller, like finally getting that purse you’ve been eyeing.

Even if a goal feels unrealistic or out of reach, if it’s something you genuinely want in your heart and soul, write it down.

I had six items on my list, which felt like the right amount and was similar to my first vision board. But there’s no perfect number. It can be more or less.

I kept my list in the Notes app on my phone, though you could just as easily write yours in a journal or wherever you like to keep ideas.

Choose your medium

I used a foam board, which I highly recommend because it stands up on its own. A poster board or any other sturdy paper works just as well.

Once you have your list of goals, find an image to represent each one. It can be a photo, an illustration, something you find online, or even a picture cut out of a magazine. The important thing is having a visual representation of each goal so you can imagine it becoming reality.

This time, I had a little more creative energy and time, so I drew my own illustrations with a ballpoint pen and colored pencils. I also used some beautiful paper and decorative tape that I’d saved from our trip to Japan.

That said, it definitely doesn’t have to become a big art project. The first time around, I simply printed photos and glued them to the board with some stickers.

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Full recipe + printable recipe card below. Enjoy!

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Hope you’re having a great week! Doug and I are soaking up summer at home in LA, which for us mostly means sticking to our routine. Even though I work for myself and could technically make any schedule I want, almost a decade in the corporate world conditioned me to a traditional work week. So I still front-load the heavy stuff Monday through Friday and try to protect Saturday and Sunday so they feel like a real weekend.

Saturdays are the day I look forward to most. When we’re home, we have a routine we follow almost every week, and even though it shifts a little depending on what’s going on, there are a few things we never skip. I find it so relaxing to know how the day will unfold and, more importantly, what we’ll be eating. So today I thought I’d give you a little window into a typical Saturday, along with a few of our favorite spots around LA, including a newer discovery in Koreatown that we’ve been loving.

First, here’s a recipe for a Korean zucchini pancake, which has the crispiest edges thanks to some rice flour in the batter and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil. It’s so good that my mom and I have been making it on repeat. I hope you give it a try!

As always, my cookbook Maxi’s Kitchen is now available for purchase at your local bookstore or online:

Order Your Copy

Thank you so much for your support 🤍

What I Cooked Last Week! ↓

Korean zucchini pancake

The secret to the crispiest edges on this zucchini pancake is a little rice flour in the batter. Adding a drizzle of sesame oil while it cooks creates a shattering crunch.

Korean Zucchini Pancake

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You can download the PDF recipe above and watch the video here :)

A Typical Saturday in Los Angeles ☀️

Morning matcha and journaling 🍵📝

We usually wake up around 7:30 am, feed Kimchi, and take her for a walk around the neighborhood. She absolutely loves riding in the car, so afterward we load her in and head out for matcha. We almost always go out for matcha, even during the week (unless I’m doing Pilates). It’s one of my favorite morning rituals.

We live in Los Feliz, right next to Silver Lake, and our two favorite neighborhood spots are Kettl and Yala. Doug and I both love journaling in the mornings, so we’ll bring our notebooks and sit with Kimchi while we drink our matcha.

I started journaling about a year ago and have found it incredibly helpful. I begin with two or three pages of stream-of-consciousness writing, putting down whatever comes to mind. It helps me organize my thoughts, plan my day, and harness any creative ideas floating around in my head. I feel like I have a much better sense of how I’m feeling and what I want to accomplish once I’ve put pen to paper. This practice also helps me tap into a more positive, nurturing, and calming self-voice.

I always end by writing three self-love affirmations. It helps me stay in a positive headspace, especially because I can sometimes be a little hard on myself.

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Full recipe + printable recipe card below. Enjoy!

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Full recipe + printable recipe card below. Enjoy!

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Hope you had a great week! A few weekends ago, Doug and I went to our niece Sophie’s birthday party where they served incredibly delicious chicken tenders and fries. I hadn’t had chicken tenders in so long, and I was reminded of just how good they are. How have I been sleeping on them all this time?!

Those tenders inspired me to create my own recipe. I wanted them to be kid friendly because I know many of the people who follow my cooking have kids, but I also wanted to give them a twist so they’d feel elegant and interesting enough for grown-ups.

I made a creamy lemon-Parmesan dipping sauce similar to the one I serve with artichokes. To keep it a little lighter, I used a combination of sour cream and mayonnaise, then added plenty of fresh lemon juice, grated Parmesan, and black pepper. It paired so well with the chicken, though of course you can always serve ketchup on the side for the kids. You can find the recipe here.

For the chicken tenders, I baked them in the oven, and they came out so crispy. Doug and I loved them so much that I felt inspired to dedicate this entire newsletter to baked crispy chicken. It’s one of my favorite things to make, and chicken cutlets are the dish my dad requests most often for dinner. Honestly, what’s not to love?

So today, I’m sharing all my tips for making the crispiest, most flavorful baked chicken tenders and cutlets. I’ll walk you through the oven method I learned from my mom and guide you through every step.

First, here’s a recipe for a Parmesan caprese dip I made last week. It’s an easy, elegant appetizer made with fresh cherry tomatoes, Parmigiano-Reggiano, garlic, and olive oil. It reminds me a bit of red pesto and is so delicious spooned onto crostini with fresh basil on top.

As always, my cookbook Maxi’s Kitchen is now available for purchase at your local bookstore or online:

Get Your Copy

Thank you so much for your support 🤍

What I Cooked Last Week! ↓

Parmesan caprese dip

Whenever I make this dip for friends, they always ask for the recipe. It’s an easy, elegant appetizer, made with fresh tomatoes, Parmigiano-Reggiano, garlic, and olive oil.

Parmesan Caprese Dip

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The Ultimate Crispy Chicken Guide 🍗

You can absolutely make crispy breaded chicken by shallow-frying it in a pan, but I love baking it because it’s a little healthier and so much easier. You don’t have to worry about oil splattering everywhere or the breading burning before the chicken is cooked through. It’s not that I don’t appreciate fried chicken, this is simply my preferred method at home. That said, never say never. Now that I’m writing about it, I’m craving a fried chicken cutlet, lol.

Convection is your friend

I always recommend using the convection setting if your oven has one. Convection circulates hot air throughout the oven, encouraging more even cooking while also speeding things up by about 25%. It works similarly to an air fryer. (An air fryer is really just a powerful mini convection oven!)

If you don’t have a convection setting, simply increase the oven temperature by 25°F and broil the chicken for the last minute or so to get some extra browning, if you like.

For convection, preheat the oven to 425°F. For regular bake, preheat it to 450°F.

A wire rack makes all the difference

If you have a wire rack, place it inside a rimmed baking sheet. This allows the hot air to circulate around the chicken so the bottoms crisp up too, without needing to flip them halfway through cooking. Be sure to spray the rack with oil so the chicken doesn’t stick. (It may still stick a little, but a spatula will release it easily.) For easier cleanup, line the baking sheet underneath the rack with foil.

Season the chicken before breading

If you’re making chicken cutlets, pound them to an even thickness so they cook quickly and evenly. You can use either a meat mallet or a heavy skillet. If you like, you can also cut the cutlets into smaller pieces.

Seasoning is just as important as the breading. For cutlets, I generously season both sides with salt and pepper after pounding them out. For tenders, I toss them in a bowl with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika, making sure every piece is evenly coated.

The three-bowl dredging station

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Full recipe + printable recipe card below. Enjoy!

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Full recipe + printable recipe card below. Enjoy!

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Full recipe + printable recipe card below. Enjoy!

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Hope you had a great week! As you know, Doug and I just got back from Italy and had the best time. We loved the lifestyle so much that we’re already planning another trip. We just couldn’t get enough. One of my favorite parts, of course, was all the incredible pasta.

Inspired by the meals we had in Puglia, I’m sharing four of my favorite summer pasta recipes. I don’t know if everyone thinks of pasta as a summer food, but I’ve always loved it this time of year, especially when tomatoes and fresh herbs are at their peak. (Of course, heartier dishes like baked ziti or lasagna are better saved for the cooler, cozier months.)

The first is my mom’s summer pasta. I used to beg her to make it when I was a kid. I especially love it in the summer because the sauce requires no cooking: you simply toss together chopped tomatoes, basil, toasted pine nuts, little cubes of Parmesan, garlic, and olive oil. Then you add the hot pasta and let all the flavors meld together. It’s so easy and delicious, and I hope you give it a try!

As always, my cookbook Maxi’s Kitchen is now available for purchase at your local bookstore or online:

Order Your Copy

Thank you so much for your support 🤍

What I Cooked Last Week! ↓

Mom’s Summer Pasta

This recipe is one of my childhood favorites—I used to beg my mom to make it! You pour the hot pasta onto a no-cook sauce and all the flavors meld together.

Summer Pasta

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My Favorite Summer Pastas 🍝

Before I dive into the recipes, I wanted to share Alison Roman’s fantastic YouTube video on pantry pasta. I love Alison. She’s someone I’ve looked up to for years because she’s an incredibly talented cook with such a unique point of view. She’s also hilarious. I’ve learned so much from watching her YouTube videos, and I always recommend them if you’re looking for approachable recipes and techniques. Alison also moderated my New York City book event, which happened to be the first stop on my book tour. It was such a pinch-me moment to be in conversation with one of my cooking idols.

I recently rewatched Alison’s pantry pasta video and was reminded of what a great tutorial it is for making pasta on the fly with whatever you have in your kitchen. My biggest takeaway is this: If you’re making pasta with pantry staples like garlic, shallots, onions, herbs, red pepper flakes, and olive oil, you’ll probably need more than you think. For example, you’ll likely need much more olive oil than you expect to create a silky sauce that coats every strand of pasta. Alison calls this philosophy “more is more.”

Another thing: Alison loves anchovies, and I wholeheartedly agree that they add incredible depth and complexity. Plus, they melt completely into the sauce as they cook. If you don’t have a tin of anchovies, you can use fish sauce instead since it’s made with anchovies and gives you a similar umami flavor. (It won’t taste fishy, I promise.) And if you don’t eat fish, capers are a great substitute. They also add a wonderful briny, bright flavor.

Like Alison, I love using garlic and shallots. If tomatoes are in season, I’ll throw those in too, along with lots of chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice and zest at the end.

One of the things I love most about pasta is that you can make something incredibly delicious with whatever you have on hand. Just don’t be afraid to be generous with the mix-ins. Pasta on its own is pretty bland, so it can handle a lot of bold flavors. Worst case, you can always dial it back next time, but I think you’ll be surprised by how much it takes to build a really flavorful sauce.

Anyway, here are a few more pastas I’ve been making on repeat this summer:

Summer Cherry Tomato Bucatini

This one was inspired by Alison’s pantry pasta method. It’s got a generous amount of garlic and shallots, along with fish sauce for that signature depth of flavor. I’ve also added cherry tomatoes, since they’re in season, plus lots of chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice for a bright finish. It’s one of those dishes you won’t be able to stop eating.

You can find the recipe here.

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

An Italian classic, and the ultimate pantry pasta because it’s made with just a handful of ingredients. As with any pantry pasta, it’s important to be generous with the olive oil and garlic, then finish cooking the pasta in the sauce so it absorbs all those savory flavors. You can easily double the spaghetti to serve more people, just be sure to double everything else too.

You can find the recipe here.

The Best Fresh Pesto Pasta

Of course, I had to include my favorite homemade pesto pasta. I fell in love with pesto in high school. I played competitive water polo through my first year of college before deciding to quit (my parents weren’t thrilled, lol, though they understood). In high school, we traveled to Liguria, the region of Italy famous for pesto, to play against Italian teams. In the evenings, we’d have these incredible dinners where they’d bring out plates of pesto pasta, usually rotini, as the primi (first course). Then we’d have a secondo (second course) with fish or meat. The pesto was so delicious, and I’ve loved it ever since.

It’s such a beautiful thing to make in the summer, when you can find big bunches of fresh basil at the farmers market or grocery store. It’s also delicious served at room temperature, making it perfect for picnics or barbecues. I recently brought it to Cinespia, a really cool outdoor movie series in LA where you watch films in a cemetery.

One pro tip for the pesto: you could toast the pine nuts before blending them. Put them in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until they’re fragrant and golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Keep an eye on them, as they can burn quickly.

You can find the recipe here.

I hope these recipes inspire you to make lots of pasta this summer or to throw together your own pantry pasta with whatever you already have in your kitchen.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Love,

Maxine

Full recipe + printable recipe card below. Enjoy!

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Full recipe + printable recipe card below. Enjoy!

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Hope you had a great week! I’m so excited to share all my recommendations from our trip to Puglia, in southern Italy. As you probably know, Doug and I love to travel, especially to places we’ve never been before. We’re always drawn to destinations that feel a little more off the beaten path rather than the major tourist hubs. This summer, I wanted to return to Italy since it had been a few years, and I’d been craving al dente pasta. Puglia had been on our radar for a couple of years. I’d heard good things from friends and always wanted to visit. Plus, we knew the food would be amazing.

Whenever we plan a trip, we always think about the food first. Doug and I have a saying: “If the food is good, nothing else really matters.” And I honestly believe that. Even if there isn’t much sightseeing, I’ll have the best time if the meals are great. The opposite is also true. If the food is disappointing, it can really affect the whole trip.

Doug did so much research and planning for this vacation, which I really appreciated. He’s especially good at finding wonderful hotels. And the food, of course, was incredible. Italy really is the place for perfectly cooked pasta, and I was happy to eat it for both lunch and dinner every day.

Below, I’m sharing all of our Puglia recommendations, including the small coastal towns we visited, our favorite pasta dishes, and where we found the most beautiful locally made ceramics.

First, here’s a recipe for creamy strawberry chia pudding I made last week. It’s naturally sweetened with maple syrup and fresh strawberries and tastes like dessert, but it’s packed with fiber, protein, and omega-3s. It’s perfect for breakfast, a snack, or whenever you’re craving something sweet. I hope you give it a try!

As always, my cookbook Maxi’s Kitchen is now available for purchase at your local bookstore or online:

Order Your Copy

Thank you so much for your support 🤍

What I Cooked Last Week! ↓

Strawberry Chia Pudding

This creamy strawberry pudding is packed with protein, fiber, and antioxidants. It tastes like dessert, but also makes for a great breakfast or afternoon snack.

Healthy Strawberry Chia Pudding

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Our Trip to Puglia ✈️

Puglia is a region in southern Italy. If you look at a map, it’s the heel of the boot. It’s known for its beautiful little towns along the coast, and we loved that it felt so authentic, with mostly Italian and European tourists rather than lots of Americans. Unlike the Amalfi Coast, which I’ve visited before and found a bit glitzy and catered toward tourists, Puglia had a much more local feel. The beach clubs and restaurants were reasonably priced, and there was so much to explore. We stuck to the eastern coast this time, but on our next trip, we’d love to stay longer and drive along the western side. If you go, definitely rent a car, since you’ll be driving between towns and beaches.

Getting on the local schedule ☕

As I mentioned, Doug did a ton of research before this trip. When we travel, we’re less interested in going to every sight and more interested in living like locals. We love grabbing coffee at a neighborhood café, finding a hole-in-the-wall spot for lunch, spending time at the beach, or hanging by the pool. We’re pretty low-key travelers.

One thing Doug looked into was what a typical day in Italy looks like. Most people start with a cappuccino in the morning. (Coffee with milk is generally for the morning since it’s more filling.) Lunch is usually around 2 p.m., followed by an espresso.

In the afternoon, there’s a riposo, a 30- to 40-minute nap, then another espresso, aperitivo hour (cocktails), and finally dinner around 9 p.m. Knowing the local schedule helped us time our meals so the restaurants had a nice atmosphere when we arrived. Besides, most places didn’t even open for dinner until 7 p.m.

Funnily enough, we fully committed to the schedule every day, including the riposo and multiple espressos. In the States, coffee sometimes makes me anxious, so I usually drink matcha instead. But somehow the Italian espresso made me feel amazing. We were thriving!

Where we stayed 🛎️

The region in Italy is known for its masserie, traditional farmhouse estates that have been converted into hotels, bed and breakfasts, and guesthouses.

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Full recipe + printable recipe card below. Enjoy!

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Hope you’re having a great week! Doug and I had the most wonderful time in Puglia and Mykonos. We ate so many delicious things, and I can’t wait to tell you more about the trip in my next newsletter.

Right before we flew to Europe, we hosted a small dinner party at our house in LA. Our friend Adam was in town, so we got together with our friends Brad and Andrew for the weekend. On Friday, we watched one of the World Cup games at a bar, then headed back to the house to relax. At the last minute, we decided to grill steaks for dinner.

Adam showed us the secret ingredient he uses to season steak, which we all loved, and I whipped up some garlic bread to throw on the grill. The whole meal, including three sides, came together with less than an hour of prep. Usually when I’m hosting, I spend most of the day grocery shopping and cooking, so it was nice to do something a little more spontaneous and low-key.

Below, I’m sharing our full menu, along with our favorite cut of steak and my method for making garlic bread on the grill. Everything turned out so well, and it was a great reminder that some of the best dinner parties come together on the fly.

First, here’s a recipe for a crispy chicken Caesar wrap my mom and I recently made. We reimagined the classic by spreading the chicken directly onto the tortilla, coating it in panko, and cooking it until golden brown and crispy. It pairs so well with the bright, creamy Caesar salad. We hope you give it a try!

As always, my cookbook Maxi’s Kitchen is now available for purchase at your local bookstore or online:

Order Your Copy

Thank you so much for your support 🤍

What I Cooked These Past Two Weeks↓

Crispy chicken Caesar wrap

We reimagined the chicken Caesar wrap by spreading ground chicken onto a tortilla, coating it in panko, and cooking it until crispy. It’s delicious paired with the creamy Caesar salad.

Crispy Chicken Caesar Wrap

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A Last-Minute Summer Steak Grilling Party

Once we’d settled on the menu, Doug and Andrew headed to our local butcher, McCall’s, to pick up steaks and a few missing ingredients. I decided to make my Parmesan roasted potato halves, which I shared on Instagram a few months ago. They’re so easy: just cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and roast them cut side down on a parchment-lined sheet pan for about 45 minutes. Then sprinkle grated Parmesan directly onto the parchment paper where the potatoes were roasting and place them back on, cut side down. The cheese crisps up against the pan and potatoes, creating the most incredible cheesy crust. I serve them with garlic-chive butter and sour cream, which paired perfectly with the steak.

Once the potatoes were in the oven, Adam fired up the grill and took charge of the steaks. He usually buys filet mignon, but McCall’s only had skirt steak and New York strip. First he seasoned them generously with salt and pepper, then brushed on some honey to help caramelize the outside and add just a little sweetness. They turned out fantastic. Once we sat down to eat, we asked everyone to pick their favorite cut, and most of us chose the skirt steak. I feel like it’s such an underrated cut. It has so much flavor and is especially great on the grill. (If you don’t have a grill, it also cooks beautifully on the stovetop. Two of my favorite skirt-steak recipes from the cookbook are the Asian Marinated Skirt Steak on page 30 and the Steak Chimichurri Bowls on page 105.)

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