How to relax
with ice cream, sandwiches and Arnold Palmers
Hi friends,
It’s so lovely to be back in your inboxes after a much needed break. Dale and I spent five days in Jamaica, where I kept my phone on do not disturb, read three books, and got lots of sun. It was really special and I’m glad we made time for it. Of course, we landed and got right back into the swing of things so the relaxation has faded slightly. But we’ll always have the memories and blurry with sunshine photos.
Thursday’s newsletter will go more into the mental gymnastics of vacation and include some book recs for the summer!
Now, let’s dive in.
Something to cook:
I love grocery shopping after being away and grabbed the fixings for cherry tomato pasta, which I first made after coming back from a beach weekend in 2018 (two apartments ago). I always make it a little different and this time used sherry vinegar instead of wine and added a can of chickpeas. Delicious.
We had a belated Mother’s Day dinner and my parents came with half a loaf of pumpkin bread for my sister and me. Our family recipe is delicious—make it even though it’s not the season.
Warmer weather calls for lots of cucumbers and other hydrating foods—I love a sliced cucumber with something spicy, like chili crisp (this recipe from Hannah Che is a summer favorite) or Red Clay’s spicy everything salt, which they were kind enough to send me.
Something to order:
In Jamaica, I ate lots of tropical fruit (pineapple and papaya are like different foods outside of the US), veggie patties, rice and peas, and drank iced coffee, water (so much water), and aperol spritzes.
After we landed, we had customary post trip pizza from Williamsburg Pizza (pizza always makes me feel like I’m home).
Leslie and I caught up at Bar Birba, an Italian wine bar/aperitivo spot from the owners of For All Things Good. It’s right across the street as well. It looked like a place where the portions were going to be tiny but we were pleasantly surprised they were not. We split a pizza al taglio, a fennel citrus salad, and eggplant caponata. Very tasty.
Since I was on a plane for part of Mother’s Day, a makeup celebration was in order. We had a family dinner at Tournesol in Long Island City, which has been open for 22 years and I *think* is the first place I tried mussels. It’s still great and has a lovely and well priced wine list.
On Saturday, Michelle and I caught up in the park. I brought us a sandwich from Anthony & Sons. The eggplant special is really good and perfect for sharing. It is a pain to order from here on the weekends—there’s a long wait for both in person and pickup orders so plan ahead or go on a weekday.
I took a detour on my walk home and wound up at Screen Door for a soft serve cone. Sorry not sorry.
You know what’s good? Arnold Palmers. I’ve been enjoying the canned peach ones from Brooklyn Best (I usually get them at Just Salad but they’re at bodegas too) and I had a good one at Le Pain Quotidien recently. Perfect beverage.
Amy and Zack got married at a gorgeous beach on Long Island and the food was fantastic. The weather was perfect and with a spritz, palm trees, and some eggplant rollatini, it felt like a vacation vib!
Something to read:
Need to watch this new Marcella Hazan Documentary
I love the friendships I get to have with my friends’ kids
In Cleveland, Tennessee, hot slaw is a point of pride
Love the idea of framing an item
How a comedian started a TikTok movement for Gaza from
. #Passthehat is a great campaign.Still not tired of reading
’ thoughts on Challengers. I need to see it again.Man Repeller was not without its problems but I miss it!
wrote a lovely tributeAfter I failed to get invited to an Idea of You screening, I am now attempting to be louder about the things I want. I want to go see the Eras tour with the new section and not be in the back row of the stadium. If anyone has any tips or leads, please let me know! And tell people what you want!
Have a great week! I can’t believe Memorial Day is a week from today, I am really hoping for beach weather.
xo, Abigail
I have a different sort of chickpea anxiety (allergy) but my "just in case" grocery store compulsion is almond butter. I always think I'm out of almond butter and grab a jar, which is expensive!