Icing our Nerves & the Return of Froyo
Plus, reads on Ukraine, baked camembert & rainy day bagels
Hi there,
Last week, we talked about the Sunday scaries (scroll down for your tips and rituals) and last night, I tried something I saw on TikTok: icing the vagus nerve aka putting an ice pack on your chest—you can also take a cold shower or put the ice on your forehead. There’s science behind this and it’s surprisingly effective and very accessible. Give it a try if you’re stressed this week! I paired it with reruns of the Nanny, optional but recommended.
Like many of you, I’ve been following the news in Ukraine, along with crises around the country (this thread has so many ways to help support trans youth and their families) and around the world. War is bad, imperialism is bad, and misinformation (you can support Kyiv’s Independent Newspaper via their patreon), racism, and propaganda make both worse. I’m sharing some resources to learn more in the Something to Read section and I hope you are taking good care.
Now, let’s dive in.
Something to cook:
Julia and I started the week with these tofu cabbage wraps with mango salsa and peanut sauce. I made rice to go alongside it and we chopped the cabbage to make a bowl situation. It’s a great recipe and so fresh in the middle of winter.
I finished my frozen dumplings stash and need to restock. They’re so good pan fried with broccoli and a side of cucumbers. Smashing cucumbers is a cathartic kitchen task. I always cut or smash them first so I can salt them while I get everything ready.
Jen sent me a great idea for using the wheel of camembert I had in the fridge (I meant to use it for the Super Bowl but was too tired). It turned out absolutely delicious and I ate it with some crostini (I baked it at 350 for about 10 minutes). Here’s Jen’s method (thank you Jen): for the camembert I recommend cutting little slots in the cheese and putting in slices of garlic before baking, then covering the top with a mix of olive oil, black pepper, fresh thyme and another fresh herb (I usually do rosemary but oregano or tarragon are good too). It's so delicious with some sweet potato crackers or crostini.
On Saturday, Julia and I had plans to cook and no ideas. I flipped through Simply Julia by Julia Turshen, one of my favorite cookbooks and settled on garlic + sesame noodles with mushrooms + broccoli. The recipe is not online, but it’s so good and makes a large amount so you’ll have leftovers for the week. We added some tofu and you could also add another protein.
I did some recipe testing, which included two batches of cookies, for our March meal prep class, which is coming up soon. The menu is reaching towards spring and I can’t wait.
Something to Order:
We celebrated Zoe’s engagement and birthday with drinks at The Happiest Hour and dinner next door at Rosemary’s. It was my first time at The Happiest Hour and it was way bigger than I expected with fun decor (the bar food also looked really good). Rosemary’s was perfect for a group dinner, we split a bunch of stuff and the bill was very reasonable. Get the mussels, the chopped salad and a few pastas.
Wednesday in New York felt good. I wound up chatting with a girl on the subway (it was her first time riding the subway and she and her mom were so excited) and then I spontaneously got froyo from Culture and ate it outside. With all things 2000s trending, I couldn’t help but wonder, would froyo be next?
Erica and I had a big planning meeting (more cooking classes are coming and we can’t wait) at the Ace Hotel in Downtown Brooklyn which is a great space for working (Dale and I did a staycation there for his birthday and we loved it). Afterwards, we went to Petit Paulette for wine, oysters, and cheese. They always have a great selection and we had a light red from Croatia.
I had to leave the house for recipe testing supplies and I incentivized myself with a bagel (it was raining and slushy) from Simply Nova. It was excellent and very well seasoned (I got an everything with scallion cream cheese and onion, not toasted).
Dale picked up Scarr’s for dinner last night and it was so good as always. I’m very excited to eat my last slice for lunch today.
Something to read:
Last week marked the year anniversary of a certain New York Times column about Hamantaschen (ICYMI, I complained about a poorly framed and poorly developed Hamantaschen recipe in Bon Appetit and it wound up, without my knowledge, inspiring a Bret Stephens column about how wokeness has gone too far). I’m sharing my reflections on the situation one year later in Thursday’s newsletter and I have a longer essay about the experience in Serving Up: Essays on food, identity and culture. You can preorder the book now and use TNHS15 for a discount (the code expires after today).
The antisemitism animating Putin’s claim to ‘denazify’ Ukraine
Emily Fedner, daughter of Jewish Soviet refugees, on the duality of being a First Generation America. (Includes resources to donate)
Pastry Chef Natasha Picowickz hosted a Zoom talk with her father, a historian with Ukranain roots. He talked about his visit there in 1978 and lots more. It was a really informative hour and he’s a great storyteller. You can watch it here.
Olia Hercules is a UK based Ukranian chef and her family is in the country. Her Instagram has frequent updates and places to donate.
Jane Lytvynenko is a Ukranian disinformation reporter based in Canada. Her perspective is invaluable right now.
A return to vegetarian Jewish cuisine
Sam Sanders did an excellent episode on Trayvon Martin ten years later
Send this to the next person who starts talking about unhoused people on the subway (more policing is not the solution and housing is a human right).
New York Will End Vaccine Mandate For Restaurants (I love the vaccine mandate and see no reason to end it now)
Whetstone, the largest Black owned food magazine in the US, aims to change things in food reporting. They also just made a huge funding announcement!
A look at the landscape of food podcasts
How two breweries are making beer spaces more accessible
Would you choose a restaurant based on Deux Moi?
The Gilded Age shows a little known part of Black history in Brooklyn
Is everyone a content creator these days?
Reflections on millennial pink, from the women who coined the term
This DC wine shop believes wine should be accessible to everyone
If you haven’t seen Love and Basketball, it’s such a great romcom!
For Bustle, I explored the food metaverse. If you’re confused, skeptical, curious, or interested, give it a read!
Want more reads? I share five additional reads in the Thursday newsletter for paid subscribers.
Now, let’s talk about fighting the Sunday Scaries! Cooking is a common theme here.
Gabriella gets ready with a mini meal prep sesh: Quick-ish and fun food prep is one way I set my week up for success that also reduces my Sunday anxiety. Hard boiled eggs, frozen veggies roasted and then tossed with pasta, maybe some homemade pesto, and overnight oats are a few go-tos these days.
Jen, of the excellent cheese suggestion, also gets cooking: On Sundays I love to either bake something in the afternoon or make an elaborate meal for dinner that I wouldn't have time for during the week. That way, I feel better about the following day knowing I'll have a nice bunch of leftovers for lunch or a treat to look forward to!
This week, I’d love to hear about your favorite food podcast, tv show or movie! I get asked this question sometimes and am always curious what other people are into. Podcasts are my biggest category: I love Climate Cuisine, Food Heaven, and Home Cooking (no more new episodes but it’s great). And on Netlfix, I love Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat and High on the Hog. Reply to this email with your recs and I’ll share them next week!
Sending love and solidarity to the people of Ukraine and those fighting oppression around the world.
xo, Abigail