Designer, game maker, and writer in Portland, OR.
“Call me Ishmael.” Hiiii Ishmael, I’m Sasha, nice to meet you haha. Ok so, I’m not going to ask about where you work or where you’re from, that’s so cheesy, so tell me about an interesting trip or adventure you’ve done? “Some years ago—never mind how long precisely—having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see…
Recently I received an AI-written email from a friend. It wasn't sent to test AI, or to show it off, as in "ha ha check this out"; my friend had a question to ask me, and the email asked it over the course of a few paragraphs. It then disclosed that, oh by the way, I used AI to write this. My reaction to this surprised me: I was repelled, as if digital anthrax had poured out of the app. I'm trying…
I like dozens of different pizza styles—sometimes it's nice to mix things up, other times a particular style fits your circumstances best. I most commonly make sourdough pizza , mixed with a stand mixer, fermented in the fridge for a few days, and baked in an Ooni Koda . But what if I don't have access to a mixer; I want to eat pizza the next day; and it's too wet and windy outside to fire up the…
Sometimes you feel like a pillowy, bready pan pie , something you could slice into flavorful bread sticks. Other times, you want a large, soft pizza where the toppings shine more. This is one of those: an easy, no-knead, no-sweat base for endless pizza variations. Try topping it before baking, but also after—it’s an edible board, and much more. Neven’s thin pan pizza Servings: two 10 ×…
My love for pizza overlaps my love for focaccia. They’re both tremendously satisfying breads, elevated to godly heights by their toppings. Focaccia is the perfect bread because it’s trivial to make; it keeps well; it can become pizza; and everyone’s a fan of its oily, cloud-like qualities. This is going to be so simple and tasty. Neven’s Focaccia Servings: 4 Time: 10 min mix +…
When you proof your dough low and slow (a few days in the fridge, say) you develop both its flavor—from various bacteria having time to develop—and its structure, as the yeast process builds the gluten network further. And that’s rad. But sometimes, you just want pizza this afternoon . Here’s how to get an impressive pie on the table in 3 hours or so. Ready, set… dough ! Neven’s…
Everyone loves biscuits! And if you look up how to make them, basically every recipe is about the same. Mine isn’t anything earth-shattering, but it does have one unusual step . Scroll on down to find out what it is! (The secret is folding more than you think you should—ed.) Neven’s Buttermilk Biscuits Servings: 6-9 biscuits Time: 15 minute mix + 15 minute fold + 30 minute bake…
If you’re going to have a sandwich for breakfast , your best bread option is an English Muffin. If you’re going to buy those, your best choice is Bays brand . But if you’re a Sourdough Person, you can make the best Anglo Muffs of your life at home. This recipe should be super chill for anyone who has baked sourdough before. It’s largely based on the method employed by The Model Bakery .…
Have you had a “hamburger” before? It’s like a meat “patty” on a pillowy, soft bun. They’re pretty interesting sandwiches!! But seriously, folks—this bun recipe is so nice and simple, you’re going to forget that the store ones are like $2 for an 8-pack. Let’s get started. Neven’s Burger Buns Servings: 8 Time: 15 min mix + 3.5 hr proof + 20 min bake + 20 min cool INGREDIENTS 200 g all-purpose flour…
Here’s the good news: the best bagel recipe I’ve made has also been the least demanding one. How often does that happen? The bad news is… well, there’s no bad news. These are delicious and fairly no-nonsense. The recipe follows; after that, scroll down if you’d like to learn more. Neven’s Sourdough Bagels Servings: 8 Time: 15 min mix + 6 hr proof + overnight proof + 1 hr boil & bake INGREDIENTS:…
Pan pizza is the best pizza you can make in a typical home oven. It’s also a style that’s tricky to find in restaurants (though it’s becoming more popular.) That means you should make it, and I’m here to help. This is my simple, flexible, delicious recipe. (Before we begin, have you seen my thin-style pizza recipe ? It’s a good idea to read it even if you’re here primarily for the pan pie.)…
Sour cream, mozzarella, Sulguni cheese, pepperoni. Home oven, baking steel. I like pizza, and I make it often. You also like pizza. Perhaps you’d like to make it as well? Here’s the recipe for my sourdough pizza, ideal for Neapolitan or NYC-style pies, baked in a home oven with a baking steel or stone, or in an outdoor oven. Scroll past the recipe if you’d like to learn more! Neven’s Sourdough…
Hi, good day to you. I have been eating broccoli breakfast sandwiches for breakfast since 2017, and I’m here to spread the good word to you: broccoli breakfast sandwiches are great. New York sandwich-shop chef Tyler Kord wrote about a broccoli breakfast sandwich in his extremely good A Super Upsetting Cookbook About Sandwiches and I was intrigued, partly because it was one of the simpler recipes…
I was reading a book in my living room on a stormy night when a knock at the door interrupted me. It wasn’t entirely unexpected, however, and when I opened the door, I wasn’t all that surprised to see the rain-drenched figure of Detective Hyller standing at my doorstep with an apologetic smile on her face. “Mr. M—, I’m sorry to show up unannounced like this…” I motioned her out of the pouring rain…
I made a short, experimental interactive-fiction game. You can play it in your browser in a matter of minutes. I’ve toyed around with games/stories written in Twine for a while, but it’s been easy to bite off way more than I can chew. To actually finish a Twine project, I fished out this old idea. It’s based on a notion that has occurred to me regarding zen koans: often, they end in a way that…
It’s called Stagehand . It’s the new game from Big Bucket—my main man Matt Comi and yours truly, the intercontinental couple who brought you The Incident . It’s something we call a reverse platformer: a run’n’jump game where you control everything BUT the protagonist. It’s out today. The idea for Stagehand was formed back at XOXO 2012, a conference where we were demoing our then-unreleased game…
Ah, Texas—the Big Sky state! Home of barbecue, the Texas Cowboys, and Austin, TX. The only thing hotter than its always-sunny weather are the homespun idioms and phrases deployed in everyday conversation by its lovable, rascally residents. Here are some of the Golden State’s most colorful sayings that wouldn’t make a local Texasian “ chicken-dance in dungarees ” (be impressed or affected) but may…
I wrote a book!! It’s a heart-rending memoir of my challenging childhood and poignant blossoming into a young man… NOT. Actually, it’s a book of sketch comedy; twenty-five sketches, hot and ready to make you guffaw all through your Lyft ride. It’s like watching SNL or Broad City or Key & Peele , except you get to do all the voices. Can’t beat it. Here’s the cover: There’s also a neat little…
1. Never open a review with weather. Or the occasion of your dinner. Or anything about your date. We don’t care. 2. Avoid prologues. Don’t explain why you’ve decided to write a review, or what kind of day you were having, or whether you normally like kimchi or not. 3. Never use a verb other than “ate” to describe food entering your mouth and being predigested in it. 4. Never use an adverb to…
Did you notice me? To the right of Mr. Blonde? You can juuuust see my left foot between his legs. That’s the story of my life: always cropped out of the picture. But hey, I’m not complaining. See, for a while there I was the Seventh Dog. The fellas needed a backup getaway driver, Joe knew me from back in the day, and I couldn’t say no to that big, lovable lug. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t in it…