Missy Robbins

Born: Washington, DC; 1971. Raised: North Haven, CT. Education: Peter Kump's New York Cooking School, New York City. Experience: 1789, Washington, DC; Wheatleigh, Lenox, Massachusetts; March, Arcadia and Lobster Club, New York City; Spiaggia, Chicago. How she got into cooking: "When I was an undergrad at Georgetown in Washington, DC, I found out that a friend of mine was cooking at Charlie Trotter's after she'd gone to Northwestern in Chicago. I thought, If she can cook there, I can, too. I sent Charlie Trotter a letter. And he called me back! My roommate said, 'Charlie Trotter is on the phone for you." It was unbelievable. He told me I could come out and intern, but I should really get a job in DC." Memorable cooking experience: Cooking at March with guest chef André Soltner, the legendary former chef of NYC's Lutèce. "He was behind the line all day; he was so sweet and so cool." Pet peeve in the kitchen: "My chefs have them listed, they're hanging on the wall. Giant chunks of cooked carrots in staff meal is one of them. I'm also not a big fan of 'Oui chef' as a response to a question." Favorite kitchen tools: Her pasta gadgets, including her manual pasta machine and the chitarra, a frame strung with wire for making thick and thin pasta strands. "If I could just roll out pasta all the time, I'd be a happy camper." Advice to future cooks: Take your time. "I've taken the really long path. A lot of people open their own places before they're 30. That's hard. You can't go back to being a line cook after you've become a chef-owner; you get further and further away from focusing on basic skills. Enjoy the time when you can really cook." Favorite cookbook/chef bio/etc: The Encyclopedia of Pasta (Oretta Zanini de Vita), translated by Maureen Fant, and the River Café cookbooks.
Deviled Egg Toast
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This twist on deviled eggs is Chef Missy Robbins’ favorite way to get the salty, spicy, tangy filling all in one crunchy bite. Robbins usually tops her crostini with bottarga or tuna roe, but recommends truffles or even hot sauce, too.Reprinted with permission from Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner...Life! Recipes and Adventures from My Home Kitchen by Missy Robbins with Carrie King/Rizzoli Publishing Slideshow: More Toast Recipes 
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Salted Anchovies, Salsa Verde, Bread, Butter
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Chef Missy Robbins found inspiration for this dish in Italy: “Perhaps my biggest aha moment in Italy was the discovery of anchovies doused in an eggy salsa verde. This is not a combination that had ever crossed my mind before and when put atop a chunk of hearty bread swathed with creamy butter, the flavor experience was transformative in its simplicity. It has everything you want in a little snack; or, if you’re like me, you would happily let this serve as your meal.”Reprinted with permission from Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner...Life! Recipes and Adventures from My Home Kitchen by Missy Robbins with Carrie King/Rizzoli Publishing Slideshow: More Anchovy Recipes 
Cured Anchovies, Pink Peppercorns, Oranges
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Chef Missy Robbins recommends white anchovies for those still learning to love the fish. They have a milder flavor than salt-cured anchovies due to their olive oil and vinegar brine. Robbins likes pairing them with fresh vegetable crudite or mozzarella. Reprinted with permission from Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner...Life! Recipes and Adventures from My Home Kitchen by Missy Robbins with Carrie King/Rizzoli Publishing Slideshow: More Anchovy Recipes 
Bee's Knees
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The Bee’s Knees combines the bright and lightly sweet flavors of lemon, honey and gin. This classic cocktail is traditionally served up, but Chef Missy Robbins prefers hers on the rocks. Slideshow: More Gin Cocktail Recipes Reprinted with permission from Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner...Life! Recipes and Adventures from My Home Kitchen by Missy Robbins with Carrie King/Rizzoli Publishing
Chickpeas and Kale in Spicy Pomodoro Sauce
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Chef Missy Robbins of Brooklyn's Lilia restaurant swaps chickpeas for pasta in her riff on spicy pomodoro. She finishes the dish with a shower of fresh herbs and salty pecorino cheese. In 2018, Food & Wine named this recipe one of our 40 best: It comes as little surprise that our pick for 2017 is a quick, simple, and eminently usable vegetable-based dish. The recipe is from Missy Robbins of Brooklyn's award-winning Lilia restaurant, who turns classic pasta al pomodoro on its head. In her version, Robbins (who was named a Best New Chef in 2010 for her cooking at A Voce) swaps out pasta in favor of nourishing chickpeas and tangles of kale. She says, "It's an amazing one-pan dish that's packed with richness but doesn't take a long time to make." For additional flavor, she tops the bowl with fresh herbs and salty pecorino Romano.
Farro Breakfast Porridge with Raspberries
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Missy Robbins, the chef at Lilia in Brooklyn, mixes up her morning breakfast routine with farro porridge, which she tops with a superspeedy and delicious (not to mention healthy) sauce made with frozen raspberries and honey. Slideshow: More Porridge Recipes
Preserved-Tomato Paccheri
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Rather than make conventional tomato sauce, Missy Robbins, chef at Brooklyn's Lilia, uses her preserving skills to marinate tomatoes in a mix of garlic, spices, citrus and olive oil. The result is a supple, incredibly flavorful coating for the thick, tubular paccheri pasta. It's also versatile enough to match with red or white wine. Robbins loves the high-toned aromatics of La Miraja's Le Masche Barbera d'Asti, but the generous fruit of Manni Nössing's Kerner, a white from Alto Adige, plays equally well with the preserved tomatoes.
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Spinach and Prosciutto Ravioli
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As a stuffing for her supple ravioli, Missy Robbins, chef at Lilia in Brooklyn, mixes spinach and prosciutto with two cheeses. Her ravioli can be made a month ahead of time—freeze them in a single layer; when they are solid, they can be combined in a large resealable plastic bag. The bright acidity and bubbles of a Franciacorta like Ronco Calino Brut amplify the nutty brown butter notes in the pasta.
Sesame Bagels with Soppressata and Burrata
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These supereasy Italian bagel sandwiches are a perfect make-ahead dish for summer picnics or even work lunches. If you can't find burrata, a quality buffalo mozzarella is a great substitute.
Preserved-Tomato Paccheri
New!
Rather than make conventional tomato sauce, Missy Robbins, chef at Brooklyn's Lilia, uses her preserving skills to marinate tomatoes in a mix of garlic, spices, citrus and olive oil. The result is a supple, incredibly flavorful coating for the thick, tubular paccheri pasta. It's also versatile enough to match with red or white wine. Robbins loves the high-toned aromatics of La Miraja's Le Masche Barbera d'Asti, but the generous fruit of Manni Nössing's Kerner, a white from Alto Adige, plays equally well with the preserved tomatoes.
Spinach and Prosciutto Ravioli
New!
As a stuffing for her supple ravioli, Missy Robbins, chef at Lilia in Brooklyn, mixes spinach and prosciutto with two cheeses. Her ravioli can be made a month ahead of time—freeze them in a single layer; when they are solid, they can be combined in a large resealable plastic bag. The bright acidity and bubbles of a Franciacorta like Ronco Calino Brut amplify the nutty brown butter notes in the pasta.
Sesame Bagels with Soppressata and Burrata
3
These supereasy Italian bagel sandwiches are a perfect make-ahead dish for summer picnics or even work lunches. If you can't find burrata, a quality buffalo mozzarella is a great substitute.
Orecchiette with Marinated Eggplant, Burrata and Chiles
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At New York City's A Voce, Missy Robbins makes this elegant, decadent pasta dish with burrata, the creamy cow's-milk cheese from Italy. She says, "I absolutely love burrata, but this recipe also includes my trifecta of favorite ingredients: marjoram, lemon and chiles." Best New Chef 2010: Missy Robbins More Great Pastas
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