Enter The Sunday Scaries Cheese Plate

Snacks don't solve everything, but they definitely help.

Hi friends,

Welcome to This Needs Hot Sauce, a newsletter about cooking, dining out and making the most of it. Our next event is a potluck on November 29th in partnership with She Spends. RSVP here.

Are you sufficiently bundled up? Good, let’s dive in:

Something to cook:

I tried Hello Fresh this week and it was an interesting change of pace, though not for me in the long run (if you want to try it, use code EASYXT for $40 off your first box). The veggie options are kind of limited and I felt the produce amounts were a bit stingy—one recipe gave only half a cup of cherry tomatoes for two portions. Plus, I had a rock hard avocado in one bag (luckily I had a backup one in the fridge). I love grocery shopping and cooking so I’m far from the target audience. I’ve heard from friends who love HelloFresh that their meat options are better (and you have way more options). The best dish I tried (with Lizzi) was the grilled cheese with roasted sweet potatoes, avocado, and chimichurri. The halloumi style cheese was so good and easy to prepare, and I’ll definitely make something similar again.

This week, I’m making one of my favorite lunches ever: this thai quinoa crunch salad. The dressing is so good and it keeps really well in the fridge. This is a reader favorite, so give it a try if you haven’t already.

Tilden and I made this spicy squash with lentils and goat cheese on Monday and it’s so good (as are the leftovers). Black lentils don’t get mushy and the spicy squash really benefits from a creamy pop of goat cheese. If you’re butternut squash is hard to cut, prick it a bit and pop it in the microwave for a few minutes to soften it.

You know I’m a big fan of making cheese plates (we’ve even done this on the beach) so when Julia and I needed a snack yesterday afternoon, a cheese plate was the perfect solution. I had some leftover cheese and crackers from a dinner Isa and I hosted with OneTable and we sliced up a pear, added some pistachios and sat down for a proper afternoon treat complete with a knife for each cheese (not pictured). Even if your cheese plate is simple as hell, it will still feel more special than standing in front of the fridge eating cheese. I promise. Especially good for Sunday afternoons when anxiety is waving hello.

Isa made beautiful miso glazed eggplant and you should too.

Something to Order:

Bushwick Daily hosted a Happy Hour at Bodeguita, a great new Cuban bar. I’ve been nursing a cold and was thrilled to see a whole menu of hot cocktails. There were hot toddies and options with chocolate and so much more. Also, more bars should serve plantains. I tried a cold cocktail as well and it was very good.

Byo restaurants were a big part of my college years (Philly forever) but they’re pretty rare in New York. A Bushwick Daily reader emailed me about Nicandra’s, a byo pasta spot, and a group of us went Saturday night. It’s pretty small, so I’d call ahead but we got a table the same day. Nicandra’s was really good: fresh homemade pasta (try the cacio e pepe or a ragu if you eat meat) and free flowing vino. They leave the corkscrew on your table so there’s really no judgement.

I’m such a fan of this salad from Roberta’s (and choosing to ignore the anchovies) and Dale and I ended the weekend with takeout from there last night. The actual restaurant always has crazy waits but takeout is the same pizza with rarely more than a 20 minute wait, plus there’s a bar to wait in. Always get the bee sting.

Coffeeshop of the Week:

Gotham Coffee Roasters is right near Union Square and a great spot to take a meeting or catch up with a friend. There’s no wifi which means it’s a spot for conversation, journaling, or simply taking a moment. The coffee is really good and it’s never too hectic. I got an election day latte while trying to stay off twitter and felt pretty refreshed after 20 minutes.

Something to read:

Alexandra Ocasio Cortez on how restaurants and food connect to politics. Love her.

A million photos of turkeys and lots of comments: Critiquing Thanksgiving food magazine covers

We know eating less meat is good for the environment so why are so many vegetarian entrees so lame?

How immigration affects gut health (also the American diet is killing us all)

How returning to an Indigenous diet helped this Alaskan’s health.

Stories I wrote:

My first story for Eater came out! It’s about my family and Philadelphia and the water glasses you’ve probably seen in half of my photos. I’m so excited it’s here and seeing my name on their site is pretty surreal.

Four Restaurants in Bushwick and Ridgewood have Michelin’s Bib Gourmand Status, which celebrates restaurants where you can eat for $20 and under.

Last week, we talked about holiday drinks and other treats. With the cold weather, now’s the perfect time for something cozy.

I’m excited to get a hot chocolate from La Newyorkina, which has a few types of Mexican hot chocolate (and a little stand in Astor Place) and I also love the version at Maman.

From Emma: I love me some mulled wine in the fall/winter months (remember when we went to London and they had it everywhere? the US needs to get on that).

Jolie speaks the truth: Nothing beats a Dunkin hot chocolate in the cold! 

Leslie says: pumpkin lasagna is a thanksgiving weekend shabbat dinner dish for our fam — and one of my favorite things to make throughout the winter when I'm hosting a dinner party, potluck or event and everyone needs a little cozy comfort! 

This week, I want to hear about your favorite thing to put on toast. Julia and I had some really good avocado toast yesterday at the West and it got me thinking about the endless potential of a slice of bread. Reply to this email with your toppings of choice and RSVP here for our potluck on the 29th.

Happy eating and thanks for reading.

xo, Abigail

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