Baby, You're a Firework
Ballgames, Birthdays, and Carrot Pasta
If you have a summer birthday, there’s a good chance we’re going to be friends. My entire family was born in the summer along with my grandma, my future sister in law, and many of my close friends. Even Jared’s late May birthday usually falls after Memorial Day, making it spiritually summer.
All this to say, this week was full of celebrations of loved ones and this community. We had our annual Brooklyn Cyclones outing, which was so much fun. Thank you so much for coming and making it so special. The air quality improved in time and we had many returning guests and first timers. The Cyclones won and all the game day bits were delightful, from the condiment race to the dad dance contest and of course, the post game fireworks over the water, soundtracked by exactly the songs you’d expect. The Brooklyn accent is alive and well at Maimonades Park and it’s a great place to be. We all got our free hats and coupons for free tickets to a future game so I will hopefully be back before the season ends. If you have a free evening or afternoon, I can’t recommend it enough.
On Thursday, I’m headed to Maine, one of my favorite places to spend time. I can’t wait for lots of cooking, long walks, farm stand visits, and quality time with Tilden, Ann and the dogs. I’ve been in June and August, but never July so I’m curious what the produce selection will be.
I asked paid subscribers what you like most about This Needs Hot Sauce and recipe/cooking stuff and personal updates were at the top of the list. You all want more recipes (heard, I am slow at recipe development because it requires measuring), and are interested in interviews with cool people, which I am also excited about too. More updates to come but feel free to share additional feedback or requests in the comments. I know inboxes are crowded and I always want to send something worth your time.
Now, let’s dive in.
Something to cook:
The vibes have shifted from the euphoria of June with the air quality, parasite and more. Taylor Farms lettuce has tested positive for cyclospora (UPDATE: it was a false positive, which does not mean that it’s necessarily safe because it’s had) which is an important step but it’s not clear how quickly the products will be removed from the food supply, though a lot has been recalled. They’re sold under so many brand names, including at restaurants. I’m still being cautious and leaning on my CSA and cooked vegetables.
Hillary has recommended Hailee Catalano’s spicy carrot rigatoni so many times and now I am joining the chorus. Since my CSA carrots came with the tops, it was the perfect time to make it. It turned out great and the topping is so flavorful. I topped it with cottage cheese instead of ricotta and used curly Brami. Would definitely make again (in fact, I have another bunch of carrots, so I might be repeating it soon) and it is easier than I thought it would be, especially with an immersion blender. When I texted Hillary that I made it, she told me she had as well! Kismet.
On a day where the air was particularly bad, the outdoor show we were supposed to see was canceled. Jared pivoted to making Dan Pelosi’s vodka sawce, which was delicious as always. He made it with cream and I usually make it with coconut milk, which we both preferred. It’s also easy since you can keep it on hand for last minute sawce needs. As a side, we made some broccoli with pecorino and lemon zest. Leah and Erika came over and it wound up being a nice night, apocalyptic vibes aside.
I found two zucchini I had forgotten about in a crisper drawer and needed to use. I made Smitten Kitchen’s crispy chickpeas with zucchini and garlic yogurt and it was delicious. Such a good lunch, especially if you work from home. It’s quick and so flavorful. I topped it with purple basil from the CSA and it looked beautiful in my East Fork bowl, which is in heavy rotation.
We celebrated my mom’s birthday with a family dinner featuring onion dip to start, with potato chips. It’s a secret family recipe of sour cream and Lipton soup mix and I added a little skyr. The crudite in tomato serving ware was so cute.
For the main course, we had tomato panzanella from Let’s Party, which reminded us of a wine bar in Rome, a tahdig riff based on this recipe, kale chips, and baked cod.
We sang happy birthday over a marble cake. My parents are both turning 60 this summer and we have lots more celebration coming up.
Something to order:
Abena Anim-Somuah and I caught up over drinks and olives at Rhodora. I want to recreate the olives, which were served with olive oil seasoned with fennel, oregano, and red pepper flakes.
Afterwards, we moseyed to Candor Candy 🍬🐦⬛ for the coolstuff.nyc pop up with Alec’s Ice Cream, organized by Delaney Vetter. It was a matcha strawberry situation perfect for the hot day and I got to see Eden and Gabriella Stern.
I pushed through some anxiety and went to the Substack Bestsellers party at their office. It’s always intimidating to walk into those events, but it was lots of fun and I got a diner style mug.
Angela and I got Bondi Sushi, which had good veggie options including a miso eggplant and truffle avocado
At the Cyclones game, I had a walking taco, which in this case was nachos in a bag of chips. It was delicious. They also have some vegan options by section 10 but the sign is super small so we didn’t find it till after we had eaten. We also had soft serve and a Coney Island Brewing Mermaid Pilsner. After the game, a bunch of us did some rides. The Wonder Wheel has such good views. I took no pictures of the food because I was deep in conversation but nachos in a bag are not that photogenic.
Julia celebrated her birthday with a magic show at Talea. It was so impressive and I am still thinking about some of the tricks. Here’s his info if you’re planning a party soon.
Forest Hills has a new trendy froyo place, Konstantina, that’s very pricey. The greek frozen yogurt is really good and tart, but the toppings are pricey( $1-2 each, even if it’s a drizzle of honey) and they aren’t super generous with them. If you’re nearby, go and get yogurt and then add toppings at home.
Something to read:
How Ina Garten, Everyone’s Favorite TV Chef, Learned to Trust Her Appetite
12 things I’ve owned for 10 years or longer by Harling Ross Anton
MAHA Picked a Fight With the Wrong 89-Year-Old: Marion Nestle by Jane Black
I love this newsletter pointing out the real similarities between Europe and Philly by Spruha. It’s a great city for a weekend trip or lots more. 3 of my 4 grandparents are from Philly so it’s a always been such a special place to me.
Graham Platner collapse illuminates toxic double standard in US politics
Summer skin is no joke: SPF and skincare tips from the pros by Jolie De Feis. In addition to all my usual SPF, I love this very lightweight skin tint. It gives coverage and is also SPF 50.
On Saturday, Leah and Erika brought over bagels and came over to grab their CSA stuff. It started storming so we had no choice but to hang. We wound up watching Legally Blonde, which is worth a rewatch any day of the week. I remember seeing it for the first time at a sleepover in elementary school and it is one of the cultures that made me say culture is for me. So many iconic lines and character arcs.
I caught up with Amber at Julia’s birthday and she is doing such cool stuff with Bed-Stuy Stoop! Read her reporting on deed fraud and other neighborhood scoops here.
What your favorite childhood book says about you by susie hutcheson. Equal parts nostalgia and full of reading recs.
I’m glad that specialized high schools are being reformed especially after Stuyvestant High School only admitted three Black students last year.
I grew up going to Lillian’s pizza on a weekly basis since it was right next to my gymnastics studio. Alex and Mike Chau bought it and reopened it as Masani Pizza and even got Tony and Lillian’s seal of approval. The lines are apparently crazy right now but I’m excited to try it soon.
The Purse’s Home Economics columns scratch the same itch as Money Diaries, which founder Lindsey Stanberry started. The upside: they’re a lot more educational and diverse.
We got our mom this blanket for her birthday and it is so soft! Their customer service team was also really nice when the original package got lost and rushed a new one to make it in time.
Have a great week! Thank you for being here!
xo, Abigail
Thank you for the shoutout & happy birthday to you and everyone else in your family!!!
so great to meet you!!