Coffee by the fire

A weekend upstate

Hi there,

Dale and I spent the weekend upstate for a wedding and it was a brief escape from the tragedies of the past week (that are ongoing as I type). Even scheduling this email the day before feels risky—tomorrow brings more horrors I’m sure and hope is hard to find. I’m hoping nonetheless (because what else can we do) for a ceasefire, for children to live safely and with possibilities, for an end to the bombings in Gaza, and for an end to hate. I’m linking some of the best things I’ve read about the situation down below. Take care, my friends.

Now, let’s dive in.

Something to cook:

Hillary, Julia, Julianne and I made dinner on Monday at Hillary’s place. It’s finally baked pasta season so we made this TNHS favorite spinach ricotta baked pasta with some sauteed mushrooms and a side salad (the salad was very fall with apples, feta, pumpkin seeds, and a whole grain mustard dressing). Pasta & friends is an unbeatable combo.

Chuck and Joanne were in New York so we had a family dinner at my parents’ house. They made this root vegetable lentil mash that was so hearty and filling—perfect for chilly days. And of course, we had brownies with Eddie’s ice cream.

I made a really good easy dinner with crispy tofu with Fly by Jing’s mala seasoning and steamed broccoli. I was going to make a tahini ginger dressing but I already had some hummus so I mixed that with some sriracha and it did the job with way less work. Innovation.

We stayed at 9 River Road, a very sweet inn near the Pennsylvania border, this weekend and the breakfast spread was simple but satisfying. I had english muffins with butter (another english muffin phase may be starting), hard boiled eggs (why do I forget about these as a food, they’re so good), blueberries, and lemon poppy muffins (underrated). Even eating simple foods in a new context can be so inspiring for your next grocery run or meal prep session.

Drinking coffee by a fireplace, peak cozy

Something to order:

Julia and I had a last supper at Mesa Coyoacan (she and Hillary are in Japan for two weeks and their schedule is on my calendar). I always miss Mexican food when I travel (unless I’m going somewhere that has it ofc) so it was a fitting farewell. We also grabbed a drink at Good Thanks, which recently opened a Williamsburg location. The negroni and fries, which came with a dill dipping sauce, were good and I want to go back and try the rest of the menu.

Friday was a glorious sunny day in New York and Oset, Melanie and I had a lunch meeting at Buvette (love their outdoor seating). I got a honey ginger soda that was so delicious (love pebble ice).

Love a fancy drink

Upstate, we spent lots of time at The Arnold House, which is where the wedding was. They had fun snacks at the welcome drinks like grilled cheese and tomato soup shooters and offered warm cider before the ceremony. The whole property is beautiful and it was very special to celebrate Joe and Mariel.

We stayed in Callicoon and took a walk through town to visit Catskill Provisions Distillery and Rafter’s Tavern, which had a housemade veggie burger and very good fries. They also have live music on Fridays and Saturdays. The owners of Rafter’s Tavern moved upstate and bought the tavern on a whim and a Hallmark movie could definitely be made about them.

Honestly, I don’t see enough pretzel buns

On our way back to Brooklyn, we stopped at Westchester legend Candlelight Inn, home of Dale’s favorite wings (I like their veggie burger and waffle fries). It gets busy when there’s football but they turn tables quickly.

Something to read:

It might rain again next weekend, for the seventh weekend in a row.

‘Happy rebirth!’: Chinese women shake off taboos around divorce to celebrate freedom

Taffy went to the Eras tour

Are you into people stopping at your house unannounced? I appreciate a text first but love last minute plans.

A wonderful conversation on creativity from

Chrissy Hennessey

and

Kara Cutruzzula

The Grandma rule for eating while traveling from

Alicia Kennedy

Why is it so hard to find a good sweater these days?

We cannot cross until we carry each other

Why I'm not expecting my friends to make social media posts about Israel

How Israelis whose loved ones were killed by Hamas feel about the conflict, “The most important thing for me and also for my brother, is that his death will not be used as a justification for killing innocent people”"

A lot of things are true from

Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg

It’s better to be broken hearted than numb

There’s no Jewish American consensus about the conflict in Israel and Gaza

What more must the children of Gaza suffer?

Misinformation about the Israel-Hamas war is easy to find online. Here’s how to avoid spreading it.

What Happens When Groups Of People Are Described As Animals

A glimpse at mealtime and humanity in Gaza from Anthony Bourdain’s episode in 2013

Have we learned nothing?

---

xo, Abigail