A few of my favorite things
Happy hour in a former wire factory, squash toasts, and your favorite pancakes
Hi friends,
Welcome to This Needs Hot Sauce, a weekly newsletter about cooking, dining out, and making the most of it. We host events each month (last week’s happy hour was lots of fun!)
Now, let’s dive in. I’m coming to you later today because juggling is hard! Regardless of the time, I’m happy to be here sharing some good stuff.
Something to cook:
I feel obligated to mention last week’s chickpeas because they are still going strong. So many of you have made them for lunch or dinner and I grabbed two more cans yesterday. Now that summer’s over, they’re also great with roasted squash or broccoli. Lemon yogurt goes with anything.
Delicata squash is one of my fall go-to’s. It’s quick to roast, the skin is thin and edible and it’s not as sweet as some other squashes. I like to roast it with a bunch of spices, including chili powder and paprika, with a drizzle of maple syrup. At 375, it takes about 20-25 minutes.
Last night, Jolie and my family had a lovely dinner featuring the chickpeas and these butternut squash toasts, which are one of my favorite appetizers of all time. The assembly process takes a while but it’s worth it and the leftovers keep really well.
One more thing, since you can still find basil, I want to share my mom’s pesto recipe. She makes a ton of this every summer and freezes it in jars. Pine nuts are $$$ but almonds work too.
Pesto
2c packed basil
4 cloves garlic
1/3 c pine nuts
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
In a food processor, whirl garlic and pine nuts. Add basil, cheese. Drizzle olive oil.
Something to order:
Last week’s happy hour was so much fun! We visited the Ainslie, a brand new Italian restaurant and beer hall in Williamsburg. The space is enormous (it’s a former wire factory), with a back patio and rooftop. Thank you to everyone who came out for Italian wines, beers, cocktails and mocktails, and all the snacks. Their fried calamari was so good and the pasta is also great. Dale, a wing connoisseur, liked the wings, which are well seasoned but not spicy. I’ll be back soon and was so thrilled to host one of their first events! And Isa managed to attend all the way from San Francisco, which was such a treat.
I finally got Cava for lunch after my tragic Penn station floor incident (see picture here and don’t carry paper bags in the rain). Redemption feels good.
Finding a place to eat dinner in downtown Manhattan on a Friday night can be a challenge. After a delightfull happy hour at Boilermaker with Isa, I found Julia and myself an outdoor table at Au’Zatar. We were both borderline hangry and felt sweet relief when pita bread arrived at the table. Au’Zatar is a classic (I first went there for Emma’s 21st birthday dinner and was reminded of it by the hosts of Girls Gotta Eat) and the food is really good. Don’t miss the lemony cauliflower or the hummus.
Weekend bagels are very special. Julianne introduced Leah, Julia, Annie and I to Have a Bagel (on Havemeyer street, get it…) and it’s so good. The bagels are fresh, the service is good and there are spots to eat outside. I’m always curious about people’s bagel orders so do share!
Dale and I ate a very disappointing dinner near South Street Seaport that we are both still bummed about (are there any good restaurants there? It was a rough situation and he had a work event which thankfully had an open bar). Later that night, Leah and I were out in Greenpoint and I realized we were near Paulie Gee’s Slice Shop. Not to be dramatic, but a slice of delicious pizza turned everything around. Eating bad meals in New York City really makes me sad and I always feel an immediate need to course correct with something delicious. Do you do this too?
Something to read:
The best meal planning hack is selfishness
Excited that Khushbu Shah is taking over restaurant coverage at Food and Wine
Why corporate America keeps losing talent to bakeries.
I’m adapting this recipe for lunches this week. I made sweet potatoes, the kale salad, and the beans and served it with tortillas and avocado. Trader Joe’s pepita salsa is the perfect pairing.
NYC event alert: Pop up Grocer is back. It’s a grocery store featuring natural food brands and they’re hosting lots of free after hours events.
The push to make fake butter cool again (this mentions the event I attended with Antoni last month)
I wrote about a fantastic new X’ian noodle shop in Williamsburg
My friend Erica is a professional meal prep chef. Check out her strategy here
Now, let’s talk about pancakes! You guys had thoughts:
Some Greenpoint intel from Michelle: I JUST had the pancakes from Esme in Greenpoint this Sunday! I'm not even a pancake person, but they were delicious - flat and huge and really buttery, not too thick, how I like them :) They also have a cute outdoor patio that is still warm enough to enjoy for now...
Hilary did her birthday right: This year for a birthday breakfast I experienced the baklava pancakes at an amazing hole in the wall diner called Brookline Lunch, in Cambridge, Mass. The pancake itself had some of the spices found in baklava and on top was actual large crumbles and chunks of the baklava including the sugar and nuts and buttery sugary phyllo and all of that goodness. Plus, instead of syrup there was rosewater mixed with honey. Plus diy butter. Every bite was special.
Jessica was also raised on Bisquick: I also grew up in a Bisquick household. I don’t really like toppings on pancakes, but chocolate chips as a mix-in are absolutely necessary.
Clare has a recipe tip: Buttermilk pancakes from the Joy Of Cooking are unreal. Delicious and highly recommended.
Hillary is a global pancake fan: I have a lot of feelings about pancakes! My favorite pancakes in the entire world are from a diner in Manalapan called Mom's. They are buttery and perfectly golden and I dream of them. I also had incredible, apparently famous pancakes in Pittsburgh at Pamela's Diner that totally blew my mind. They were thin and the ideal level of crispy on the edges. Last but not least, I'm newly obsessed with Dutch pancakes (pannekoek, not Dutch babies). They are these gigantic, thin, crepe-like pancakes that come with savory fillings cooked in -- I had them in Aruba recently with cheese and bacon, and I want to try recreating it at home.
This week, I’d love to know your favorite pumpkin recipes or items! I’m going to be busting out my pumpkin muffins soon and can’t wait. This is a shame-free zone, so reply to this email with your fall faves.
Next Monday is going to a busy one (it’s Rosh Hashana!) so the upcoming newsletter might be a day late (I’ll be sharing my high holiday meals on Instagram). If you’re making one thing, make it this fig challah. Last year’s Rosh Hashana menu is here for inspiration as well. I always look forward to completing the 10Q (you absolutely don’t have to Jewish to find meaning in these).
Happy eating and thanks for reading.
xo, Abigail
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