I’m back on my bullshit (writing this newsletter on the Amtrak from Philly). Dale and I came down to see Sandra and Jake and it was the perfect break after a busy week. I am a huge Philly fan and visiting is always a delight, complete with great food. I’m a born and raised New Yorker but Philly is a place that feels important to come back to again and again. I’m grateful it’s so close by (and that I have friends with guest rooms).
Now, let’s dive in.
Something to cook:
I had a craving for a good kale salad and made an excellent one (my officemate told me it looked storebought, which is a huge compliment). In the salad: massaged kale, black beans seasoned with sazon, pepitas, shredded cheddar (hand grated), avocado, cherry tomatoes, and roasted potatoes. I dressed it with lime juice and olive oil and it was so good (and kept well).
I roasted the aforementioned potatoes with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper and paprika. Mini potatoes are so good and I always let them get nice and crispy.
Spinach wilts in exactly one second and Erica taught me the hack of adding it a colander and letting your pasta water wilt it. It’s an easy way to add greens to Annie’s Mac and cheese, for example.
I bought popcorn kernels when I visited Maine last summer and finally popped them. They were noticeably better than the organic kernels I usually buy. I topped them with my go to toppings: ghee and nutritional yeast.
Something to order:
Lillie and I caught up on Monday at my beloved Lighthouse where we had oysters, smoked labneh, and their irresistible fries with some happy hour chilled red. Oysters in the winter are so good and their dollar oyster happy hour is a steal.
In Philly, Sandra made sure we ate well. We arrived at lunchtime and headed to Taco Heart which has breakfast tacos all day, with vegan and non vegan flour tortillas. I got the migas taco and a veggie one with roasted sweet potato and chipotle crema (so good). It’s mostly takeout and we would have gone back if we had more time.
For dinner, we went to Bistro Romano which has a cool Italian cellar vibe and very good pasta (in generous portions). I got the mafaldine with pesto and it was so good. En route to our next stop we took an Uber with a full karaoke set up: speakers, four mics, and lights. It was very unexpected and very fun.
For dessert, Jake suggested ice cream at Milk Jawn, which was so delicious. They have fun flavors (the current lineup included some girl scout cookie options) but the core flavors are really good too and they have a lot of vegan flavors as well. I got the white coffee which is vanilla ice cream stepped in espresso beans so it tastes like a vanilla latte. Great idea and execution.
Yesterday, we started the day at Mighty Bread Co. which was very good as usual. We shared the mushroom bisque which was random for the time of day but worth it. I got the mushroom quiche and the pastries are all stellar (we got an extra cookie that I ate on the train, pro move). Afterwards, we wandered around the Italian Market and Dale got a cheesesteak for later at Angelo’s (there’s always a line but they give you a fairly accurate estimate so you can walk around and come back).
We went straight to Lincoln Center when we got back home to see LT in a show at Juilliard. He graduates this spring and it’s been such a treat to see so many great shows over the past few years. I had a pre theater meal of top tier kale salad (recipe here), fries, and a glass of wine at The Smith, which feels like an airport (I mean that in a good way). I love a solo bar dinner and Dale had to run an errand so I jumped at the chance to finish writing this with a girl dinner.
Something to read:
Teen niche aesthetics are disappearing and it’s really sad
How a climate journalist cooks via
Modern Black Migration: Why the South Is Drawing Communities Back and Other Patterns to Watch
A romantic essay about midnight spaghetti
I am a carry on only gal and loved these packing tips from experts including
A visual story about birds and pasta (and more)
The Kitchen Aid stands the test of time (I still use one my parents got for their wedding in 1990). “You will never pass down an Apple Watch or Sonos speaker through the generations—they’ve been cut off from that possibility by firmware updates and new operating systems. You are almost certainly not using your grandmother’s phone to call your friends, her toaster oven to cook, or her typewriter to function at your desk job. Yet the stand mixer endures.”
From the same writer
: on veggie chili and cooking with instinctsThe best food books to read this spring
on traveling with friends (a joy even when things go wrong)This was fun: Core 1998 fashion memories from
My Family’s Daily Struggle to Find Food in Gaza
11 more Democrats called for a ceasefire, keep calling
Have a great week! My goal is to take it one day at a time. To-do lists don’t get finished in a day.
xo, Abigail