How Anna Stockwell Makes Hosting a Whole Weekend Feel Like No Big Deal
Plus: Fun cooking (and baking) tricks from her new book that’s all about butter.
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Anna Stockwell lives in a beautiful spot in the Hudson Valley, so it’s not shocking that houseguests tend to descend, especially as the weather warms. In this week’s podcast conversation, I was eager to ask Anna—whose first book, For the Table, focused on hosting—for advice on feeding friends or family when you’re all together for a long weekend.
A multi-day sleepover, wherever it’s held, is not your regular meal planning routine. There are a lot of meals to get on the table, one after another, but probably also other activities on deck.
Anna is clear about one thing: “Even though it’s casual and I’m inviting people in to help me cook,” she says, “I have a very clear plan that I’ve worked out in advance.” She tries to get the shopping done beforehand, too, “so that when people arrive, you can kind of play the role of just host and producer.”
That doesn’t mean that you’ll do all the cooking yourself!
Having the action plan written out on the fridge, Anna says, gives everyone the framework they need to help out.
“I’m not usually cooking with a plan,” she laughs. “I’m opening the fridge to see what’s in there and throwing things together. But when you have company, especially if it’s like a whole weekend, you have to have a plan. Otherwise, you’re going to drive yourself crazy and you’re not going to be able to enjoy yourself.”
What goes in the plan? A simple grilled dinner, as long as the weather cooperates. But first, something even easier. “If people are arriving on a Friday and I’ve been busy working all day, I will order pizza from our favorite local pizza shop and make a big, beautiful salad to go with it,” Anna says. “That is a really nice way to ease into a weekend with friends.”
If you’ve seen Anna’s name recently, it was probably in connection with her new book, which is adorably designed to look like a stick of butter. And yes, I got her hottest butter tips, too, including recommendations for both fancy and more budget-friendly butters to keep around, plus advice on making brown butter (without burning it!). She also shares her method for flavoring butter in advance that’ll dress up quickly steamed vegetables or roasted chicken on a Tuesday.
Anna has a way of making even the simplest foods taste extra-delicious. Like the luxurious nothing-in-the-fridge pasta recipe she shares below.
Scroll down for the recipe, and tune in to the podcast for our full conversation.
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Anna mentioned:
Anna’s formula for risotto without a recipe (Epicurious)
Elaine Khosrova’s Butter: A Rich History (Bookshop here)
Anna’s compound butter formula (reprinted on EDIBLE LIVING by Sarah Copeland)
Smoked grilled corn (At Home in Hurley)
Grilling as meal prep (Epicurious)
Alaina Sullivan’s Cromlet (Bon Appétit)
Anna’s no-recipe braised chicken thighs (Epicurious) (+ video here)
Yasmin Fahr’s Baked Chicken Feta Meatballs (NYT Cooking; gift link)
Aran Goyoaga’s The Art of Gluten-Free Bread, especially the sourdough discard crepes and sourdough mochi cornbread
Alice Medrich’s Flavor Flours, especially the oat flour sponge cake
Anja Dunk’s Advent, especially the hazelnut and lemon heart cookies
From the ad break:
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Made In Cookware: Head to madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer.
Find Not from Concentrate wherever you listen to podcasts and at Catherine Smart on Substack.
Maggie mentioned:
Alexis Lianekeo’s Lao Roasted Chicken (Tastemade)
Grown-Up Buttered Pasta
From The Butter Book by Anna Stockwell, © 2026. Published by Chronicle Books.
I don’t know a single child who doesn’t love a bowl of warm, buttered pasta—a dish that’s simple, satisfying, recognizable, safe, and comforting. This is my grown-up version, full of lusty garlic and anchovies in a butter sauce built on a white wine reduction. It’s the dinner I make when there’s “nothing to eat” in the house or when I just need my dinner to feel like a hug. For the best buttery sauce, be sure to add your butter and hot pasta cooking water bit by bit to help form the emulsion, like the process used when making beurre blanc.
Serves 4
1 lb [455 g] mafalda corte, reginette, or other short pasta
10 Tbsp [145 g] cold salted butter, cubed
1 Tbsp olive oil
10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
8 anchovy fillets
1 cup [240 ml] white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Finely grated Parmesan, for serving
Basil, for garnishing (optional)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta, reserving 2 cups [475 ml] of the pasta cooking water.
While the pasta is cooking, in a large, deep skillet over medium heat, melt 2 Tbsp of the butter with the olive oil. Add the garlic and anchovies and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the anchovies are mostly melted and the garlic is beginning to lightly brown. Pour in the wine, increase the heat to medium-high, and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet into the wine. Continue to cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add a few cubes of the butter, and stir until a smooth sauce begins to form.
Add the cooked pasta to the garlic butter sauce along with ½ cup [120 ml] of the pasta cooking water and a few more cubes of butter. Stir until the butter is melted, then stir in more butter and more pasta cooking water, adding both in small doses until all the butter has been added and your pasta is coated with a smooth and rich sauce. (I just add splashes of the pasta water, but if you want to measure, use ¼ cup [60 ml] at a time.) You may not use all the pasta cooking water, but you’ll need at least 1½ cups [180 ml] to achieve your glossiest sauce.
Season with salt and pepper. Divide the pasta among bowls and serve with Parmesan sprinkled on top. Garnish with a few basil leaves (if you wish).
omg a grownup sleepover with a dinner party??? That is like my dream.
I can attest (as neighbor/friend and lucky frequent guest), Anna's brand of hospitality is as warm and relaxed as this delicious dinner. Love this interview!