Do olives belong on pizza?
Plus, chickpea pasta season and a cheese party invitation
Hi friends,
Welcome to This Needs Hot Sauce, a newsletter by Abigail Koffler about cooking, dining out, and making the most of it.
Are you around on October 24th? I’m hosting a wine and cheese party with Wisconsin Cheese. It’s at my apartment so space is limited, but sign up here if you’re free! I’m excited to host a smaller event and welcome you guys into my tiny kitchen.
Now, let’s dive in.
Something to cook:
I definitely mark the seasons with recipes. Julia and I made our first batch of chickpea pasta for the season and it was as good as ever. This recipe comes together so quickly and requires barely any chopping. We always throw in some spinach at the very end. It makes 2-3 servings, so double it if you have more people.
This dressing has jalapeño, miso, and tahini which means it’s probably worth breaking out the blender. It sounds like it would be good on almost anything.
One more time (just kidding, I’ll talk about this forever), I’m here to remind you how good quesadillas are. I wilted up some spinach and doctored up some refried beans and the rest was so easy. I already finished my jar of pepita salsa from Trader Joe’s, which was a perfect topping.
Something to order:
Julia and I went to Win Son on Tuesday. Longtime readers know how much we love that restaurant and the people who make it so special. If you haven’t been, go on a weeknight on the early side, sit at the bar, and order: the eggplant, the pea shoots, the sesame noodles, the cucumbers, clams with basil, and the sloppy bao (if you eat meat). They have a great wine list as well and a happy hour till 7. Okay, gushing complete.
I got to catch up with Noor last week over lunch. Noor and I worked together in a past life and she’s an expert on Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan food (check out her Instagram and blog). We got lunch in Jackson Heights at Dosa Delight, which was indeed delightful. We started with idli, which had been on my mind since seeing Priya Krishna make them in her NYT kitchen tour and then each had a dosa. I got mine spicy with spinach and potatoes and it was perfectly crispy and savory. Dosa Delight is right by the Roosevelt Avenue subway and you should visit next time you’re craving one.
In my life, Lighthouse is an important restaurant (it’s a bad day restaurant, Dale and I went on our first date there). Julia and I went there on Friday night and had such a lovely time sitting at the bar. We had dollar oysters, happy hour wine and she got the burger so I could have some of her fries. That’s friendship.
On Saturday, my family and I went to Eeeeeatscon at Forest Hills Stadium. It was our second year attending and I think it was better this year. Having two days made the lines more manageable (except for the Hattie B’s hot chicken line). I finally got to try Razza, which was so good I scheduled a visit to Jersey City with Sophia. Other highlights were Salt and Straw ice cream, Bite into Maine lobster rolls, Taco Vision brussels sprouts tacos, and the weather, which was beautiful. If you go, arrive early or late (lines between 1 and 3 were the longest), bring a group, and divide and conquer with lines.
Yesterday, Julianne, Ian, Julia, Dale and I got brunch at Mesa Coyoacan (obviously Dale suggested it, he needs a loyalty card there). Their brunch is a testament to how many wonderful combinations you can make of tortillas, eggs, beans, and salsas. Lots of us got chilaquiles and I got the huevos divorciados because I can’t say no to two salsas. Mesa Coyoacan is never crowded before noon. Also, you should get chips and salsa (it’s four housemade salsas) as a brunch “appetizer.” This brunch was hearty and fortified us for a lengthy visit to Ikea.
Something to read:
The labor of cooking is much more than making dinner
Apparently Bamonte’s is still good! I’ve still never been.
Ina Garten is penning a memoir and I can’t wait. She also released a cooking playlist filled with women who rock.
Have you tried piquette yet? I’m going to be on the lookout.
Seeing Julia Child through the eyes of the man who loved her.
I got a hydroflask in a gift bag and my Hebrew school students are always asking me about it. Water bottles are status symbols
America may be over kale, but I’m forever a fan.
Three cheers for self-care tips from line cooks.
Now, let’s talk about pizza toppings (and olives). This was a HOT topic.
Mya’s bold with her pizza: Controversial, but I love anchovies.
Alex has a very classy addition: Fresh herbs! Not like an arugula salad, but actual parsley/dill/cilantro! Make any pizza better; I don’t know why restaurants don’t do it!
Lily has no shame in her pizza game: My favorite pizza topping always gets me made fun of but I don't care!!! I love pineapple and jalapeños on pizza. When I lived in Chicago my go-to was a medium Sarpino's pizza (ordered at 2am in a cab on the way home from wherever) with pineapple, jalapeños, mushrooms and a side of honey mustard. PLEASSEEE NOTE– this is not what I order on respectable Chicago pizza like Pequod's or Lou's or anything like that. In those instances, I typically go for sausage. I'm not a complete monster.
Olive defender Julianne has other favorites too: If we are looking at a traditional cheese pizza, my go-to topping is pepperoni - specifically the little ones crisped around the edges, found at dueling pizzerias Made in New York & Prince Street (speaking of lawsuits!). But ya know, I would never say no to olives!!
Sarah’s here to represent New Haven pizza: Broccoli! Fresh, never frozen. And it’s gotta have a little char. A Pepe’s pie with broccoli is one of my favorite things. #newhavenpizza
Kendra’s bringing in the underdog: Red onions - simple, lovely, thinly sliced red onions - are such an underrated pizza topping. Under the heat, they turn from zingy to perfectly savory. I keep my freezer stocked with Roberta's frozen pizzas for those nights where all of a sudden it's 9pm and I haven't started cooking dinner yet. They cook in 5 minutes (which is sometimes less time than it takes the oven to pre-heat!) and a handful of red onion shaved quickly on a mandoline and scattered on top is the perfect topping - the cooking time is just enough to wilt them slightly :) Also olives are a hard no, always
Tina treats herself with hot peppers: Hot cherry peppers on a late night Archie’s pie! (So good I'll spring for the $3 topping.)
Alicia believes in simplicity: I'll admit I like a plain cheese the best. That being said, weirdly my other fave is one of those really overloaded veggie slices with mushrooms and green peppers, etc (I could do without the olives).
This week, I want to discuss brunch appetizers. I don’t brunch often, but when I do, I’m usually quite hungry. It’s later than a typical breakfast and service can be slow if a spot is crowded. I love a nibble while I sip coffee or a cocktail. This week, we got chips and salsa, but an order of pancakes for the table or cinnamon toast can be great too. What’s the perfect brunch appetizer? Or do you have a pre brunch snack instead? Reply to this email and let me know.
It’s official. The This Needs Hot Sauce paid edition will launch on October 16th (a Wednesday). Subscriptions will be $5 a month and $50 a year. I’m going to send some short updates this week as a preview of what subscribers will receive.
This is new for all of us, so I welcome suggestions/requests/feedback at every step of the way. I’m so grateful for the support you’ve shown this newsletter and can’t wait for the next step.
Some more details below…
What will always be free: the Monday newsletter and This Needs Hot Sauce events
What subscribers will get: extra content throughout the week (think midweek lists, favorite recipes, behind the scenes details), personalized restaurant recs, the joy of supporting an independent writer and eater.
Happy eating and thanks for reading.
xo, Abigail
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P.S. This subject line is absolutely a reference to “Women Don’t Belong in Balloons” for all my Wholigans!