Coups and Chilaquiles
This week contained multitudes
Hi friends,
It’s been less than a week since a coup attempt at the US capitol. This weekend, I took a previously planned trip upstate and spent lots of time cooking, listening to music, talking about what happened (we found out twitter banned Trump on the drive up), and taking peeks at twitter during any down time. I need to spend less time on twitter.
There’s much to discuss but I have three things on my mind: we cannot afford to forget or make light of this (reckoning with our history is crucial). I took a class in college on the rise of the Third Reich—it ended before World War II and was chilling. The book I remember most chronicled the experience of a single German town from 1922 to 1946. There were big events, like elections, and then no more elections, but the daily changes were just as important: the Nazis gradually took over all forms of social interaction, from town socials to youth programs, making themselves the center of German life. The sleepy town became a Nazi stronghold. We need to pay attention to what’s happening and how and we need to avoid appeasement.
Second, the US has orchestrated/funded/supported more than its fair share of coups around the world, installing brutal regimes for financial and political gain. Instead of clinging to American exceptionalism, we should be comparing this week’s events to other examples of white nationalist violence, like the Civil War, the Tulsa Massacre, US Nazi rallies prior to World War II, the list goes on. Nikole Hannah-Jones has been sharing excellent commentary and analysis on twitter (she started the 1619 project and is a genius). Talia Lavin also wrote a book about the enduring power of white supremacy, with a focus on online communities.
Lastly, the work of activists like Stacey Abrams, in Georgia is monumental and deserving of celebration. I took a civil rights trip to Alabama and Georgia and learned about the Black Jewish alliances during the Civil Rights Movement. It’s so wonderful that Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff will represent Georgia (and flip the senate, which might mean we can fix the subway, among other very important things).
Tonal shift time: we’re going to talk about food because we are multifaceted and in need of rest and nourishment. Let’s dive in.
Something to cook:
I’ve had my eye on Omsom for a long time (some of you recommended it after I sent out my gift guide) and got the Southeast Asian sampler set as a Secret Santa gift from Dani. Each set includes sauces and spices for 6 meals, each with 2 servings. You choose your protein and suggested add ons (most are simple, like rice, lettuce cups, cucumbers, etc). I tried the lemongrass BBQ tofu last week and it was so good. Their site has recipes for many proteins—the tofu one included a great brining tip that I’ll absolutely use again. I can’t wait to try the rest of the dishes.
Crispy chickpeas are a great lunch option. I didn’t have any veggies but made them with the yogurt sauce and a toasted pita (Wegman’s has very good pita, I keep it in the freezer).
On Wednesday night, I turned to a classic: Annie’s Mac and Cheese, topped with chili crisp, an excellent suggestion from Oset.
Julia and Julianne did a grocery run before we went upstate. We planned our meals in advance and brought stuff from home as well (don’t forget tupperwares for keeping leftovers). It made everything easier once we arrived and helped us reuse ingredients and reduce waste. For example, we made the same salad twice (arugula and spinach with toasted pecans and lemon dijon dressing), with feta one night and parmesan the next night. On Friday night, we did a big cheese board, quick to assemble after the drive, with olives, marcona almonds, baguette, and apple slices.
On Saturday, we made breakfast tacos with avocado (I miss having a gas stove to char tortillas). After breakfast, we made cookie dough, with premeasured dry ingredients brought from home. The dough rested all day and we baked it later that night.
Saturday’s dinner was the hero meal: a big baked pasta from Julia Turshen, part of my goal to cook more from my cookbooks. The recipe is also online and so delicious (we skipped the meat). Definitely season each layer and turn on the broiler at the end to get that golden crust. Julianne made garlic bread to accompany it (get her recipe here). I’m so glad I have leftovers.
I love chilaquiles, one of my all time favorite breakfast dishes, but rarely make them. When looking to repurpose our breakfast taco ingredients, I found a jar of salsa in the Airbnb fridge and decided to make improvised chilaquiles. I used this recipe as a loose framework. First, I cut corn tortillas into wedges and brushed them with oil, baking them at 350 for about 15 minutes until crisp. Check them every few minutes. While the chips baked, I simmered the salsa with a few cups of water (I filled half the jar) to loosen it up. Then, I scrambled six eggs in butter and and added the chips to the simmering salsa. Serve it up with all the fixings: avocado, hot sauce, feta or cotija cheese.
Something to order:
We’ve really honed our Tikka Indian Grill order over the past few months. I love their samosa chaat and their saag paneer and we always have leftovers. Highly recommend (they have a few locations around the city and offer discounts if you order directly from their website).
Upstate, we found a few places that have adapted to the cold weather and Covid restrictions really well. Arrowhead Farm is a brewery with bonfires, local beers and spirits, and snacks. The animals aren’t out due to the cold but it’s still lovely, with views of the sunset on the mountains. I loved the saison and the pretzel is very good (it’s a little small, so get 2 if you’re more than 2 people). I hope to return in warmer weather.
Julianne and Ian have a tip for weekend trips: stop somewhere on your way home. It makes the trip back feel less like a march back to drudgery. We stopped at Westwind Orchard, which in addition to making cider hosts an incredible Italian restaurant (the owner is from Rome). We sat outside by bonfires, split a bottle of cider, and ate incredible cacio e pepe, fried artichokes, and a margherita pizza. They also offer apple picking in the fall and have a very cute gift shop.
I will always love Dunkin, I grew up on their iced coffee. Julia and I stopped by after getting Covid tests last week and I urge you to treat yourself this week.
Something to read:
Tips for reducing your food waste
Feeling overwhelmed by feeding yourself? Rebecca has good tips for meal planning
NYC Mutual Aid Groups head into 2021 with expanded missions
The benefits of following a recipe
I’ve donated to Kyanite Kitchen, a free community pantry in DC that also helped folks affected by the curfew get shelter and transportation last week.
Essential food workers share their experiences surviving this pandemic
Oset’s story on the cleanwashing of wine is so good
Xilonen, from the Oxomoco team, opens in Greenpoint
How High End Restaurants have failed Black Female Chefs
The owners of Prince Street Pizza are racist (and Covid deniers). Joe Rosenthal broke the story and the Infatuation also covered it (and will remove PSP from its recommendations). The owners have stepped down from daily operations, which means they’re still profiting from the business. I recommend Scarr’s for great pizza downtown!
This chicken and rice is perfect home cooking, with prison roots
Aaron Hutcherson’s first staff recipe for the Washington Post looks so good
I spoke on a panel about creative slumps with Nisha, Clara, and Jarrett. I’ll share a recap once it’s available, it was a really fun conversation.
Kiano’s birthday cake looks so good:
Now, let’s talk about what we’re bringing in 2021.
Alicia’s Sunday rituals sound so lovely: New habits I want to continue: Sunday night charcuterie. I started doing this during the summer, and paired it with Real Housewives of Potomac (which was on every Sunday at 9 p.m.) The season just ended but I found that Sunday charcuterie was a nice way to push back on the Sunday scaries. I've also gotten back into tea. I used to drink it a lot in college when I was struggling with my mental health. Right now, Pukka's Revitalise tea is my favorite (I find it at Hana Food in Bushwick).
Liz’s lessons are so relevant for the current moment: What I’m keeping from 2020 into the new year: The concept that dinner does NOT need to be an all-out multi-course meal every night. Sometimes a plate of cheese and veggies is enough! And there’s no shame in embracing some of the better frozen/prepared options available, like Trader Joe’s gnocchi and fried rice.
This week, I’d love to hear about your easiest dinners—the dishes or takeout you turn to when the day has been tough. No judgement—mine is often a quesadilla or frozen tortellini or Dale and I will order a pizza. Reply to this email with your tried and true favorites.
Take extra care this week! Paid subscribers will get a special dispatch about cooking burnout on Thursday. As always, I appreciate your support.
xo, Abigail