For our May “In the Kitchen With,” I had the pleasure of interviewing food writer and editor — and cook extraordinaire — Laura Grahame. On her website, Grahame describes herself as a food writer, a cook, a recipe maven, and a copy editor. She also shares that she enjoys “falling down the rabbit hole of history.”
Throughout her childhood, Grahame’s family moved frequently. “My father was a U.S. diplomat. We lived in India, Luxemburg, Malta, England, and we lived a few years in Washington, D.C., when I was in high school. I spent my senior year in Israel,” Grahame said. Those experiences helped shape her interest in food, hospitality, and different cultures.
After a meandering career working for a sports magazine, a lingerie and body-wear company, and other ventures, she wound up in the food business. Her first job was helping a friend who was a caterer, hired to run a massive party on a boat in New York City. “The Fugees were holding a party there. There were like a thousand people. I got sucked into the food world.”
Catching the hospitality bug, Grahame went to NYU for a master’s in food studies that focused on food writing. “I got a fellowship at the Wall Street Journal for its food section,” she continued. She also worked for the magazine Food and Wine, and for the Emmy-winning independent media and production company Roads and Kingdom, known for its collaborations with Anthony Bourdain.
Grahame and her husband John moved to the Island in 2023. Since then, Grahame has been involved with Island Grown Initiative, and assisted foodie and writer Julia Blanter with her “Martha’s Vineyard Cookbook” — a culinary love letter to the island featuring 100 recipes from local chefs, farmers, and fishermen.
For our “In the Kitchen with,” Grahame chose Grilled Swordfish with herbs and garlic, new potatoes, and Swiss chard. “This is a typical spring/summer meal I’d make. And it’s easy,” she said. The idea of keeping things easy warms my heart. Time, expense, and cooking ability play a role in preparing meals, so not getting too complicated or spending a ton of money on ingredients is a win.
I asked Grahame what she’d like to tell people who aren’t knowledgeable cooks. “I’d tell them not to stress about things being complicated. You can just make simple food. Just make sure the ingredients are good.”
She was right. The ingredients were good — many of them local — and the meal was relatively easy. Most important, it was delicious with a capital D.
Grilled Swordfish with herbs and garlic, new potatoes, and Swiss chard
Serves 4.
1½ lbs. swordfish, 1 inch thick (one piece or several)
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ cup white wine (optional)
1 Tbsp. tarragon or white wine Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh herbs (tarragon, parsley, dill, rosemary, etc.)
Rinse and pat dry the fish. Place in a deep dish. Mix the remaining ingredients, and pour them over the fish. Let marinate 20 to 30 minutes.
Heat a grill pan brushed with olive oil on medium-high heat. When a drop of water sizzles, it’s ready. Remove the fish from the marinade, and place it in the grill pan. Cook on one side for 4 minutes. Carefully turn over. It should release easily. If it sticks, give it another minute. Cook on the other side for 2 to 3 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer reads 130°.
Place on a plate or platter. Let it rest for 5 minutes (it will cook a bit more from the residual heat). Season with salt and pepper, then slice and serve.
Roasted new potatoes
1 lb. new potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Preheat oven to 425° or, if using convection, to 410°. Clean potatoes to get rid of any dirt. Then cut them up and place them on a sheet pan. Add rosemary, garlic, and olive oil, and toss to mix. Try to place the flat sides of potatoes down. Roast for 15 minutes. Then check, turn them a bit to brown evenly, and roast for about 10 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Swiss chard with garlic and chili
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 large bunches of Swiss chard (about 1 pound), well-rinsed, but leave them wet, and sliced into ribbons
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or chopped
½ tsp. chili flakes, or to taste
½ medium lemon
Heat olive oil on medium in a large skillet. Trim stems off chard leaves, chop into small pieces, and sauté for 5 minutes in olive oil on medium heat. Add garlic and chili, and cook for 1 minute. Add sliced chard leaves to the skillet, lower the heat, and cover. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the chard is wilted. Squeeze lemon juice on chard, and season with salt and pepper.
Enjoy!