Nerds with Knives

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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.

Summer Stuffed Shells with Creamy Fontina Sauce!On the bright side, protesters recently interrupted Pete Hegseth at an e...
10/14/2026

Summer Stuffed Shells with Creamy Fontina Sauce!

On the bright side, protesters recently interrupted Pete Hegseth at an event by shouting “We f*cking hate you! You’re a f*cking war criminal!” Let’s GO, people!

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When we want something comforting, baked pasta is our go-to. All the prep can be done ahead of time, so when it’s time, all that we have to do is pop the pan in the oven, make a quick salad and open the w**e.

This time of year, the farmer’s market is still bursting with hearty greens. And we still have a few ripe garden tomatoes just begging to be drizzled in oil and roasted.

To celebrate surviving another week, make our stuffed shells baked with the most delicious fontina cream sauce. (The recipe is pretty forgiving, and you can substitute in whatever fresh veggies you have.)

Blood Orange and Endive Salad with Pickled Red Onions!“I moved on him like a bitch. I just start voting. I don’t even wa...
10/13/2026

Blood Orange and Endive Salad with Pickled Red Onions!

“I moved on him like a bitch. I just start voting. I don’t even wait. Just vote. And when you’re registered, they let you do it.” — All us angry bi***es.

Don’t get complacent! The polls have been wrong before so don’t think a blue wave is guaranteed. This is our chance to begin the long, painful process of undoing all this right-wing bullsh*t.

So keep your strength up with a delicious, healthy salad. If blood oranges aren’t available, you can use any kind of orange (or grapefruit) you can find.

In the summertime, fresh, tender salad ingredients are a dime a dozen. But when it turns chilly? Not so much.

That’s when heartier greens like kale, chicory, mustard greens and endive really shine. This salad pairs crisp red endive (though white is great too) with another winter treasure, blood oranges. It’s a great combination the sweet oranges, lightly bitter leaves and tart pickled red onions. We like to top it with crunchy pistachios and a little fresh mint leaves.

It’s perfect when you want something colorful and healthy and you need a little sunshine on your plate. It also makes a delicious and beautiful Thanksgiving side.

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 are feeli...
10/11/2026

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 are feeling overwhelmed and exhausted right now, it’s because the enormous political propaganda machine did not work on you. You are who we need to engage, raise your voice, vote, and speak truth to power.

You are important. Do not give up.

Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce and Fried Plantains - Pollo a la Brasa (comment chicken and we’ll send you link to th...
10/09/2026

Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce and Fried Plantains - Pollo a la Brasa (comment chicken and we’ll send you link to the recipe for free!)

If there was ever a clearer example of how we are going backwards as a country, I’ve not seen it. And people still scoff at the idea that we are sliding into authoritarianism.

We are already there.

This is what countries under barbaric dictatorships do. We MUST vote these vile, corrupt, evil people out so we can begin the long, excruciating process of reconstructing what they have so gleefully and selfishly destroyed.

Keep your strength up (with a delicious chicken dinner). It’s going to be a long, hard fight.

Have you ever had Pollo a la Brasa? It’s a classic Peruvian dish in which chicken is marinated in garlic, soy sauce, lime and spices. Usually made as a whole rotisserie bird, we simplified the process by using our favorite part, thighs, which cook up juicy and packed with flavor. And if you’re smart, you’ll make a double batch of the creamy cilantro sauce because you’ll want it on EVERYTHING. It’s seriously addictive.

It’s one of our most popular recipes and it’s east to see why. It’s easy enough to make on a weeknight, but is so good, we’ve made it for dinner parties. Who said easy dinners have to be boring?

Brussels Sprout Pizza with Balsamic Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese!If there’s one thing Trump has done for us: he’s ...
10/07/2026

Brussels Sprout Pizza with Balsamic Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese!

If there’s one thing Trump has done for us: he’s shown just how many Americans harbor hatred, bigotry, and selfishness above all else.

—

Sheet-pan pizzas are one of our favorite weeknight dinners. If we remember the day ahead, we make our own dough, if not, store-bought is almost as good.

The version we make most often is probably garlicky broccoli rabe with a little turkey sausage and red chili flakes. Delicious, but we had none of those things. What we did have was a few Brussels sprouts left over from another recipe – just about a half pound or so – not enough for a full side dish, but enough for a generous scattering of leaves on top of a bed of gooey mozzarella.

Instead of red sauce, I decided to make some balsamic-glazed caramelized red onions and use them as a bed on top of the dough. Wow, are they good. They add sweetness, moisture and a subtle tanginess that balances the rich cheese and crispy sprouts. The onions take a few minutes to caramelize, but they’re so worth it. We used low-moisture mozzarella and a sprinkling of goat cheese, but any melty cheese would work well.

Mini Dutch Babies with Lemon Curd and Blueberries!How many laws exist governing men’s bodies? REMEMBER THAT WHEN YOU VOT...
10/04/2026

Mini Dutch Babies with Lemon Curd and Blueberries!

How many laws exist governing men’s bodies? REMEMBER THAT WHEN YOU VOTE!

We all need a little sunshine in our lives these days, and while we have no control over the actual sun (until some tech billionaire inevitably turns against humanity and builds a series of space mirrors to divert the sun’s rays for evil purposes), we can seek out brightness and color and love.

And we start in the kitchen. Dutch Babies (or little popovers, or Bismarcks, or Hootenannies, or sweet Yorkshire Puddings) are sugared batter beauties that puff up in a hot oven, and get slathered with your choice of filling. You could add a little ricotta, fruit, jam, or, our favorite, homemade lemon curd.

You’ll find the recipes for both Dutch Babies AND homemade lemon curd on our blog!

The Pollinator (Sage Bee’s Knees Cocktail)!Perfect for sipping before heading out to the streets to tear this sh*t apart...
10/03/2026

The Pollinator (Sage Bee’s Knees Cocktail)!

Perfect for sipping before heading out to the streets to tear this sh*t apart (by voting, and getting everyone we know to vote). Let’s do this f*cking thing!

This is our version of the classic Bees Knees Cocktail, aka The Pollinator. Sage has those beautiful herbal notes that are perfect in a honey-sweetened syrup which will last for weeks in the fridge. Shake it with lots of ice, good gin (or vodka, if you’re so inclined) and fresh lemon juice and enjoy!

10/03/2026

Tortellini Soup with Spinach and Sausage!

For those nights when the air is crisp but no one’s faced justice for the Epstein files and our Pedo-in-chief is openly siding with gang r*pists but it’s fine because that’s how things are now and I could cook this soup with my force of my rage alone.

It’s just A LOT. But you gotta eat, and your kids need to eat so good thing there is 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 satisfying and colorful and has something for everyone to love. We make a whole batch of it and enjoy it for a week. And you can make it with or without sausage so it’s veg friendly.


Beacon Coddle (Irish-inspired Sausage, Potato and Guinness Stew) AKA Our most controversial recipe ever! What’s that old...
09/30/2026

Beacon Coddle (Irish-inspired Sausage, Potato and Guinness Stew) AKA Our most controversial recipe ever!

What’s that old saying? Something like “elect a p*rverted, demented clown, expect to get squirted in the face with piss”. I’m pretty sure that’s it.

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If you look at the reviews for this dish, you’ll see just how contentious and divisive this idea is, but we stand firmly in the camp that believes almost all cuisine is derivative. Traditions have evolved over time through cultural exchange, trade, migration, and the adoption of new ingredients. Preserving traditions is honorable and important, but so is respectfully adjusting them to include the ingredients and flavors we find around us locally.

If you’re familiar with our cooking style, you know we like big, bold flavors. When we were bouncing around some fun recipes to make for Saint Patrick’s Day, we kind of skidded right past Corned Beef and Cabbage (no offense, it is lovely though) and landed on the Dublin Coddle, a hearty stew made with potatoes and sausages. It’s a deeply comforting, rustic dish made with caramelized onions, smoky bacon and stout ale (Guinness, or your dark b**r of choice).

Our addition of some (non-traditional) ingredients caused quite a bit of controversy, but the result is a humble, hearty (and hopefully delicious) stew. Cooked low and slow, you can get everything into the Dutch oven, b**g it in the oven and leave it alone - perfect for a chilly day here in the Northeast.

It is likely more than 50 students saw the text chain saying that there was “free p–sy” upstairs in the frat house. Not ...
09/29/2026

It is likely more than 50 students saw the text chain saying that there was “free p–sy” upstairs in the frat house. Not a single one tried to stop it, call the police, or inform campus security.

At 1:42 a.m. another message was sent. “Shop still open?” The response was “Yea.” 

US prosecutors have now reopened the case, but it took a huge public outcry to make it happen. Cornell University maintains that “any suggestion that the university did not impose consequential punishments for those involved is false”.

The consequential punishments: ESSAYS

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-656-HOPE

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