How long does it take to build a foundation?
Construction noise, crispy fall salads, books & pet-nat
They are building a foundation down the street and it is painful. From 7:00 am to 5:30 pm, from Monday to Friday, our building shakes with regular booms that are from a pile driver (don’t quote me on that). I’m beyond grateful to have an office to an escape to and look forward to being woken by my alarm clock instead of construction noise. The deafening noise makes the weekend quiet feel so much sweeter. I slept in, walked around the park, ran little errands, chatted with people and heard what they were saying—a gift. I have googled the subject line many times and the answer is really it depends (true in life as well). I hope this phase of construction wraps up soon (Reddit estimates 1-3 more weeks of it) and I hope you can find moments of peace in the week ahead, no matter how chaotic and loud things get. Foundations can take a while but they’re important to get riIt’s also a good time to check your voter registration here.
On Thursday, I’m writing about the new way I’m treating my cookbooks—it’s part of my ongoing journaling practice.
Now, let’s dive in!
Something to cook:
I made a lovely tofu rice bowl for dinner and lunch with baked mala tofu (I use this seasoning + cornstarch), crispy soy glazed mushrooms, spinach, rice, and avocado. Top it with chili crisp and you’re good to go.
For Rosh Hashana, it was all hands on deck. I made two fig challah and my mom and my sister braided a gorgeous round challah. Frida made this delicious herby white bean dip and my other favorite item was a
fall salad with crispy cheddar and almonds. The crunchy bits really made it special and it was special to gather with loved ones to mark the new year.
On Saturday, Julia and Tilden came over to cook before going to Isa’s party (loved seeing her and she had empanadas as a party snack, brilliant) and we made
pasta with broccoli and kale pesto and burrata. It’s from Tenderheart and I always add salted cherry tomatoes to brighten it up. There are still some local tomatoes around and I’m savoring them while I can. We enjoyed the pasta with prosecco and the Golden Bachelorette.
A random but good combination: Topo Chico with fresh squeezed orange juice. I’m normally a lemon or lime girl but the orange was really tasty.
Something to order:
I took myself to Mo’s General for a solo dinner and read Big Fan with a glass of pet-nat (the blurb at the beginning said the book paired well with a glass of prosecco and pet-nat felt right). I also had a caesar salad and a slice of their Detroit Style pizza. It’s a great vibe for solo diners either at the bar or at one of the small tables.
I had to run an errand in Fidi and Elissa (check out her newsletter
) recommended I check out Tin Building—it has wifi and lots of seating. I got a lovely tomato basil mozzarella sandwich (it was elevated with heirloom tomatoes, pistachio pesto and perfectly crusty bread) and did some work in the clean and calm space.
I can confirm that La Cabra in Soho is just as nice as the East Village one, and a little bigger. Love their attention to detail and decor.
On Rosh Hashanah, I worked from Forest Hills and we were not cooking lunch so we got Tacombi. Their black bean avocado tostada is one of my favorite local chain restaurant items—it’s consistently so good.
On Friday, Julia and I went to Mr. Sushi before The Bleachers show. It’s nice to have a casual sit down sushi spot in the neighborhood and they have a lot of veggie rolls.
Leslie and I had a sunny hang in McGorlrick Park and I got to redeem my Screen Door punch card for a free cone. They close for the season in early November so go while you can!
Something to read:
7 lessons from Ina Garten’s Memoir
I am obsessed with Nobody Wants This and Adam Brody playing a grown up Seth Cohen.
Delia Ephron’s Left on Tenth is now a Broadway show (though I wish it was a different lead actress)
I love that Hannah Berner was first in the New York Times for playing on an all boys tennis team and now for her comedy
’s personal pot of beans and greens looks so comfortingAn open letter from American medical professionals who served in Gaza
made a wonderful zine about getting older, creativity, climbing and more. I read it yesterday while eating breakfast tacos and loved it.72 Harrowing Hours in the Wake of Hurricane Helene
The Many Lives of Jack Antonoff
If you like long novels about families in multiple chapters of life, Claire Lombardo is for you. Her latest, ‘Same as It Ever Was,’ is a witty, sympathetic take on motherhood
everybody wants to be Beyoncé, nobody wants to be Beyoncé by
Take care this week—I’m heading to Philly for one night, Dale comes home from a trip, and my aunt is coming to town. I want to be present for all of those things even with so much outside noise.
xo, Abigail
Thank you for sharing my zine! I'm so delighted to know you enjoyed it!