Nerds with Knives

Nerds with Knives We are Emily and Matt Clifton, home cooks in Beacon NY who love to make a big mess in the kitchen and then make nice photographs of the food. Also dogs. Cats.

We've been blogging our culinary creations since 2013. Come and check us out! Cooking seasonally, gardening inexpertly, and photographing life in the Hudson Valley. And chickens.

Rice Bowls With Baked Vietnamese-Style Meatballs!For my 10th birthday, I begged my mom to take me and a couple of friend...
08/27/2026

Rice Bowls With Baked Vietnamese-Style Meatballs!

For my 10th birthday, I begged my mom to take me and a couple of friends to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the 8th Street Playhouse. We got pizza from a place that had up-and-down “double decker” wooden booths. Then we went to the theater where the shadowcast performed live in front of the screen, spraying the audience with water, pelting us with rice and encouraging the whole theater to sing along.

It was one of those magical, only-in-NYC nights. Everyone was welcome. Drag queens, punks, theater geeks… and a bunch of 9 year old girls in Rocky Horror T-shirts. We’ll miss you, Tim Curry.

And now let’s talk about balls. I mean meatballs.

Can we all just admit that balls are delightful? Like food on a stick and sandwiches cut into triangles, balls just taste better than non-balls. There, we said it.

Equally delicious made with pork or turkey, these baked Vietnamese-style meatballs are packed with our favorite flavors: salty, funky fish sauce, tart lime juice, verdant cilantro and touch of sugar for sweetness. Nestled on top of rice and alongside Banh Mi-style pickles and fresh herbs, this is a quick, healthy dinner that’s sure to please everyone at your table.

And don’t skip the Carrot and Daikon Radish Pickles (Dồ Chua), you’ll want to add them to everything you eat all week long.

And I almost forgot to add — In 2020 she donated a million dollars to vaccine research, which was instrumental in develo...
08/26/2026

And I almost forgot to add —

In 2020 she donated a million dollars to vaccine research, which was instrumental in developing the Moderna covid vaccine.

We called it “The Dolly vaccine” and were thrilled it was the one we got.

She was a true vaccine advocate, and even sung “Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, I’m begging of you, please don’t hesitate” to the tune of “Jolene”.

She was famously careful about not alienating anyone, so she never took a political position, at least in public… but what she advocated for was the complete and utter opposite of everything Trump and MAGA stand for.

She was one of us.

08/25/2026

We (Emily and Matt) are available to hire for your food photo, video or writing project! Get in touch with us from our page's Contact link!

08/25/2026

If Autumn comes, can soup be far behind? Shelley said that, the laudanum-addicted scamp. And he had a point — when summer warmth starts to fade into the cool evenings of autumn, we start wanting hot soup in our bellies.

There are many reasons to love tortellini soup. It uses store-bought tortellini for convenience, but has enough veggies and other ingredients that you know you’ve put plenty of home-made love into it. It’s rich and colorful and has something for everyone to love. We make a whole batch of it and enjoy it for a week.
Go make some!

https://nerdswithknives.com/tortellini-soup-spinach-sausage

Magic Lemon Custard Cake!The midterms are quickly approaching and Trump is sh*tting himself… even more than usual. Why?...
08/25/2026

Magic Lemon Custard Cake!

The midterms are quickly approaching and Trump is sh*tting himself… even more than usual. Why? Because everything he touches fails disastrously.

The economy is worse. Our food supply is sickening us. Measles is killing people. And Trump is wandering around making “vroom vroom” noises at cars and painting random sh*t gold. We have got to begin the process our climbing our way out of this mess before it’s too late.

So double check your voter registration, make a plan, and celebrate with a delicious lemon cake.

When life gives us lemons, we do a happy dance.

We usually try to avoid histrionics in our titles, but in this case, “Magic” isn’t meant to suggest jazz hands and glitter vests and pennies from heaven.

It refers to the fact that, once baked, this single batter transforms into a cake with distinct layers — A light and fluffy top, a soft and custardy center, and a more solid custard on the bottom. See? Magic! And you didn’t even have to learn to juggle.

08/24/2026

Home Depot has their Halloween display out, so, damn it, we're wearing orange before Labor Day. Pumpkins! Love them or hate them, you can't ignore them. Here is one of our favorite ways to get a can of Libby's inside you without resorting to pie. Gnocci! Get the recipe here.

https://nerdswithknives.com/gnocchi-sausage-pumpkin-sauce/

Yes, we’re a food blog but we want to be clear about who we are, where we stand and what we believe in. If you already f...
08/22/2026

Yes, we’re a food blog but we want to be clear about who we are, where we stand and what we believe in.

If you already follow us, thank you for your support. If not, follow us if you want good recipes from two snarky progressives who think Trump and his entire administration should be yeeted directly into the sun.

I know I shouldn’t be surprised we lose so many followers when we post anything progressive and political…but I am. And yes, I know some are bots but (way too) many are not.

I know because they DM me to tell me how stupid I am for not realizing Trump is a patriot who just wants to help America.

Or that I should be murdered because I’m a baby killer for believing in a woman’s right to choose.

Or that I’m an idiot for trusting the medical and scientific communities on the safety and efficacy of vaccines.

Or that I’m a sheep, and should “do my own research” on vaccines link to autism (and a million other things).

Or that I’m a traitor for believing Iran was no where near capable of producing nuclear weapons.

How are there this many people left who can’t see through the obvious lies and manipulation? Is there anything that will convince them?

08/21/2026

We have so many favorite Asian sauces, but we narrowed them down to five. OK, six. Soy sauce, rice vinegar, fish sauce, chili garlic ... and the cheeky bonus Kewpie baby on the squeezy bottles of Japanese mayo. What's your favorite?

Our full Asian pantry explainer: https://nerdswithknives.com/asian-pantry-basics/

�Find all the mentioned dishes on our website!

Hello friends! Some of you may not know that I (Emily) am also a Film & TV Editor! I’ve been a professional editor for d...
08/21/2026

Hello friends!

Some of you may not know that I (Emily) am also a Film & TV Editor!

I’ve been a professional editor for decades but it’s only in the last few years that I’ve had the opportunity to marry my love for cooking and food photography with my post-production career.

Last year I was fortunate enough to edit several episodes of the series “On The Road with Bryan Roof” for America’s Test Kitchen, directed by the immensely talented Irene Wong. The full series is now airing on Netflix US so I hope you check it out!

And a huge thank you to the entire crew, America's Test Kitchen and Bryan Roof and especially Irene Wong for bringing me on to this really fun show.

I hope you enjoy it!

The Notorious F.I.G. – A Fig And Rye CocktailBecause it’s Friday and there have been 10 scandals just since this morning...
08/21/2026

The Notorious F.I.G. – A Fig And Rye Cocktail

Because it’s Friday and there have been 10 scandals just since this morning that would have landed any Democrat in prison. Anyone else tired of this bullsh*t? I’m ready for a goddamn drink.

The defining element in the cocktail is fig, which in this case is supplied by fig jam. While fresh figs are only in season for a very short time, you can pick up good fig jam at just about any grocery store any time of year. Besides the flavor, the jam adds a mellow sweetness that balances out the sharp rye. If fig isn’t your thing, plum would be another nice option.

We decided to use our favorite local Tuthilltown Spirits - Hudson Valley rye because we love its spicy and peppery notes, but any decent bourbon would also work well. As always, a mixed drink isn’t the place to use your fanciest, most expensive whisky, but there are quite a few good, decently-priced ryes these days. Our other go-tos are Rittenhouse Rye Redemption Whiskey and Bulleit Frontier Whiskey US

To balance out the sweetness, we turn to the Italian aperitif, Campari. The key component in Negronis, Campari has an herbal, bitter flavor that, once you get a taste for, you want it in everything. It also adds a beautiful orange color, which makes it perfect for a late summer/fall/Halloween cocktail.

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