Did you make soup this week?

Tomato soup, leftover pizza, and crispy potato tacos

Jan 22, 2024

Brrrr…it’s cold in here. New York has been icy and windy and snowy for the past week and going outside requires some serious psyching yourself up. I’ve been going out for work and a few worthwhile activities but I’ve also done lots of cooking, solo and with friends. It feels like the perfect time of year for dinner and a movie, on the couch.

On Thursday, the last Thursday of January, I’m sharing an essay about a really bad January in 2014. Looking back, it’s big reason I embrace gentle January.

Now, let’s dive in.

Something to cook:

I adapted this recipe for spaghetti al limone for a simple sunny dish on a cold day. I added some pesto because I didn’t have basil and it worked out well.

Tilden came over on Friday and we made crispy potato tacos from Hetty McKinnon’s Tenderheart, which we both got as holiday gifts. It came together pretty quickly and was so good—the filling is potatoes, cheddar, cilantro, garlic and a bunch of spices and you make a quick salsa too (you could use storebought salsa to cut down on time/dishes). We ate and watched Saltburn, which made me feel more prepared to participate in the zeitgeist.

Julia, Julianne, and I braved the cold to walk to Trader Joe’s in search of sumo citrus and snacks. We defrosted at Julia’s and made a snack tray with unexpected cheddar, marcona almonds, grapes, and those fig and olive crackers that are so good. We watched the filmed version of Waitress with Sara Bareilles who has the most stunning voice.

Leah and I made dinner on Saturday and I fulfilled my craving from last week and made tomato soup and grilled cheese. We used this recipe as a base and added basil, extra spices, and some coconut milk for creaminess. For the grilled cheeses, Leah got three types of cheese (goat, mozzarella, and cheddar) so I made three mini sandwiches and we split them. It was the coziest meal and afterwards we watched Erin Brockovich, a fabulous movie that the TikTok girlies would love (the outfits alone).

Did you make soup this week? Based on my Instagram, a lot of people did! Let me know what kind in the comments.

My parents came over yesterday and brought half a loaf of pumpkin bread, I’m very lucky (Dale came back late yesterday from a work trip and was so excited).

Something to order:

Alicia and I met for pizza at Decades in Ridgewood. It’s owned by former Ops chefs and the pizza is great (and the pies are big, love leftover pizza). I was also very impressed with the chopped salad, which included seasonal pink lettuces, cheese, and smashed casteveltrano olives.

Isetta had such a fun event on Thursday talking about working with levity in 2024. We of course had sips and snacks from Ghia and Campbell & Co. and it was so nice to see a bunch of friends from different chapters of life. I came home so tired and ate my leftover pizza (thank you to past me).