Cross-country Cooking

A casserole from her Midwest roots and a glass of wine from a new life in California are the perfect pairing for this former TOH intern. RECIPE & STORY BY DEVIN MULERTT, NAPA, CA

- Devin Mulertt

MY MOM AND I ARE SUPER CLOSE, so living half a country away hasn’t been easy. Whenever we’re together, we end up at the table—either here in Napa, where I work for a winemaker, or back home in Wisconsin. Eating together gives us the perfect chance to catch up.

We try to see each other every three months. When Mom’s here, we go out a lot. There are so many fantastic local restaurants, so we’ll make a list and try new ones. Sometimes we stay in and binge-watch our favorite shows. On those days, I’ll make Chinese “take-in”—a girls’ night favorite.