It's finally February
Cooking class is in session!
Hi friends,
Rabbit, rabbit! We’ve made it to February. It’s snowing like crazy here in Brooklyn and I’m grateful to be inside with a gin juniper candle (love this brand). I have something exciting launching this month: cooking classes! The first one will be February 11th and we are making the coziest winter meal. You can sign up here. Please tell a friend and let me know if you have any menu requests. I’m so excited to cook with you all and make evenings at home a little more fun.
My other big news from last week is that I got the first dose of the Covid vaccine. I’m a part time teacher (it’s been my non media side job for almost three years) and I’m so grateful I was able to get it (I documented my side effects and process on Instagram if you’re curious). I’m going to write more about this on Thursday so let me know if you have any questions and I’ll try to answer them. Overall, I’m dismayed at how poor our national vaccine rollout has been. Locally, Cuomo and DeBlasio have failed on numerous levels (reopening indoor dining without making restaurant workers eligible is atrocious).
Due to vaccine side effects, I was a blob for much of Thursday and Friday. I got a burst of energy on Friday evening and got out of bed to hang on the couch. I turned to For the Culture, Klancy Miller’s new magazine celebrating Black women and femmes in food and wine, and devoured the first issue. It’s divided into sections Before, During, and After, in reference to the pandemic, and has beautiful photographs, interviews, essays, and stories about food, home, history, spirituality, farming, and cooking through Covid. I was familiar with some of the people featured like Kia Damon, Angela Davis, Krista Scruggs, Jenna Wortham, and Dr. Jessica B. Harris and many were new to me. I highly recommend purchasing a copy and will be rereading and saving my copy while I wait for the next issue.
Now, let’s dive in.
Something to cook:
Julia and I made my second packet of mushroom larb from Omsom and it was so delicious. It was quicker to put together the second time because of familiarity and we absolutely loved it. I wrote more about Omsom here and I know a bunch of you have tried it, which makes me very happy.
I’ve been trying to be better about cooking with fridge odds and ends. On Wednesday, I made a baked pasta in my cast iron with some lingering items: 1/2 a shallot, some frozen kale, an already open jar of marinara sauce, a 2/3 full box of dried pasta, and mozzarella leftover from making pan pizza. You could use another baking dish, of course. I cooked the pasta to al dente and sauteed the shallot with garlic and spices (red pepper flakes, thyme, salt, and pepper), then I added the kale (you could use any vegetables you like). Once that was cooked and defrosted, I added my marinara sauce and let it simmer (season all the elements of a baked pasta as you go). Then I added the cooked pasta and half of my mozzarella, shredded. I transferred it to my cast iron (I should have made the sauce in the cast iron but I didn’t think of that) and evenly spread it. I topped it with torn pieces of mozzarella and some grated parmesan cheese. I covered it with foil, baked at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and then removed the foil and turned on the broiler. It will take a few minutes to get nice and golden, depending on your oven. This was a real triumph, it didn’t take that long and was SO good. The ratios are really up to you. I wanted to make sure the pasta was pretty submerged so it didn’t dry out so I added a little more sauce at the last minute. Try this dish to use up some odds and ends, you’ll be very satisfied.
I love making smoothies and was inspired to try a new one from The Chutney Life. This tahini date smoothie is so tasty (the recipe is for one smoothie so scale up accordingly). Use frozen bananas if you have them.
Tu BiShvat, the Jewish new year of trees, was last week and my students and I made these cookies to celebrate. They’re so delicious, especially if you like coconut and you can definitely add chocolate chips.
Like many people with limited counter space, I don’t have a toaster. Making toast in the oven takes a while but now, I have a new way: the cast iron. It makes great toast and if you add some butter, the diner vibes are strong.
Last night, I made a mini tray of nachos (I use this tray pretty much daily). It was mini because I was low on cheese, but so tasty. I layered chips with shredded cheddar, put it in the oven for 10 minutes and topped it with pickled jalapeños, salsa, avocado, and a squeeze of lime.
Something to order:
I restocked my Burlap and Barrel spices (the royal cinnamon is finally back in stock, it’s ruined me for all others). I got sumac, cobanero chili flakes from Guatemala, and a blueberry jam with sumac. If you have any ideas for what to do with sumac, I’m all ears.
Dale had a doctor’s appointment in Westchester and picked up food from Candlelight Inn on the way home. He loves their wings and I love their veggie burger. The fries are great too but fries do not travel well.
While I was dealing with vaccine side effects, I didn’t have much of an appetite, but I did enjoy the kimchi fried rice from 19 Cafe and some pizza from Scarr’s, which never disappoints.
If you get vaccinated at the city’s Bushwick Hub, which is inside a high school, stop at L’Imprimerie after. The French bakery has great pastries, including vegan options. I got an almond croissant and ate it when I got home.
Something to read:
The secretive sweet and sometimes saccharine history of artificial birthday cake flavor
Eric Adjepong is working on 2 exciting books!
Hawa Hassan shares her best tips for grocery shopping
Bon Appetit shared a very dangerous video on YouTube, where Brad Leone made canned seafood that was not safely done or shelf stable. Botulism is a really serious illness and the video (which has since been removed) needs a full explanation and apology.
Andrea shared her recipe for mushroom tacos with serrano peanut salsa and I need to make them.
Chinese American food is its own great cuisine. Time to love it that way.
Subway’s tuna contains no tuna. Yikes.
A Jewish winemaker in Nazi Germany
Sophia wrote a great story about five spice company founders dedicated to transparency and equity.
I make gluten-free snacks. It took a Black man dying for people to try my crackers.
Loved this conversation with Zoe Adjonyoh
Not food related, but I’ve thought about this article on the mirage of the Black middle class all week
These ethically made chocolates look like a perfect Valentine’s Day (or any day) treat
Cooks turned Instagram into the world’s greatest takeout menu
147 minutes with Grace Young, the accidental voice of New York’s Chinatown
Food Heaven is back with such exciting updates! Wendy bought a house in Santiago in the Dominican Republic and Jess is building a house in Joshua Tree. I loved their episode talking about these updates and the importance of taking time off.
I wrote about my weekly mutual aid shifts for Hitha’s newsletter.
Have you tried Too Good To Go yet? It’s an app that helps restaurants avoid food waste (and gets you discounts). It’s currently available in Boston and New York.
Now, let’s talk about your favorite store bought shortcuts.
Sarah has excellent taste: Favorite store-bought shortcut: It's a tie between frozen phyllo, or the Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix.
Steph has a strong pancake mix endorsement: I am such a pancake fanatic and used to make them from scratch because I never found a mix I liked until... King Arthur! Never making pancakes from scratch again.
Julianne knows a little tweaking can make store bought sauce shine: I think you can either make your own sauce OR put a spin on it by sweating onions and garlics first, then deglazing with wine, and THEN adding your canned sauce. It adds just a few more minutes of work but gives you something unique and just plain better. I never used to make my own salad dressings and would keep a bunch of store brought dressings in the fridge, but you have transformed me into a dressing maker. I haven’t bought dressing in years and can’t imagine going back. Realizing now I’ve not actually answered your question, I guess I do canned beans instead of dry beans because, despite owning an instant pot, I genuinely have no idea what kind of patience a person needs to have to make their own beans like that. Question for the audience: do you make your own beans, and is it worth the wait?
I’ll take Julianne’s question and pose it to you: do you make beans from scratch? Is it worth it? Do you soak them? And what’s your favorite way to use beans, canned or homemade? I love chickpea pasta, roasted white beans with broccoli, and of course, quesadillas with black beans. Reply with your best beans and I’ll share the answers next week.
I’ll share a vaccine recap and update on Thursday (send me questions) and hope you can make it to cooking class (more will be added in the coming weeks). Paid subscribers get a big discount on all classes!
Stay warm and stay safe out there! Thank you for reading.
xo, Abigail