Is it noon yet?
Trader Joe's favorites and the work lunch personalities
Hi friends,
Welcome to This Needs Hot Sauce, a weekly newsletter about cooking, dining out and making the most of it. Daylight savings is over and spring is within reach, I hope.
Let’s dive in.
Something to cook:
I made this coconut quinoa with tofu and broccoli and am so torn on how to recommend it. The final product is very good. The coconut and lime add a lot of flavor to the quinoa, the leftovers kept well, the peanut sauce is easy and delicious. But the recipe is horribly written in a way that makes cooking the dish take way longer than it should. The quinoa, all told, takes about 20 minutes to cook and next time I make it, I’ll use that time to toast the coconut, cook the broccoli, and fry the tofu. Basically does very visual recipes which are aimed at teaching people how to cook. The downside of this is that it’s harder to get a roadmap of the recipe. So give this a try, but don’t follow the order. There’s no reason to wait until the quinoa is done to start the broccoli and tofu. Your dinner will be on the table faster (and it’s a good one at that).
A side note, if you buy coconut for this recipe, leftover toasted coconut is delicious on top of oatmeal with strawberries and a little drizzle of tahini.
I also made a bunch of roasted broccoli and sweet potato this week and should have made this miso tahini dressing. It’s really the best and will perk up any random lunch you’re putting together.
This week, I’m going to try this kale salad because I think I’m at my winter limit of roasted vegetables.
And a plug from the very lazy dinner that Dale and I made last night, Rao’s pasta sauce (regular or vodka flavor) really is the best you can buy.
Something to order:
Remember last Monday’s snow day without snow? I stopped working early to attempt to sell clothes at Williamsburg’s finest second hand stores with Julia and Julianne. It felt a little like a Broad City episode and we all made barely any money (in fact, I made none). While waiting in line to be judged at Crossroads, we were quoted a 40 minute wait and decided to get beers. We visited the polar opposite of a snobby thrift store—a dive bar. I definitely want to come back here because they had free popcorn, a room to play darts in, and cheap beers in nice heavy mugs. And in the end, I’m donating my clothes.
La Lupe in Bushwick is right near my coworking space. I went for the first time last week for a meeting and love the look (similar to Tacombi in the city but way cheaper), the hot sauces, and the guacamole. Will return for a full meal, but I have a good feeling.
Leah and I grabbed dinner at 12 Chairs in Soho and ordered ambitiously. I’m such a fun of their labneh, shakshuka, and hummus and the menu is the same all day. The Soho location gets packed because there are no affordable dining options around, but the Williamsburg one is usually a little more mellow.
Something to read:
Eater launched a gorgeous travel hub including a big section on taiwanese food that of course, made me crave Win Son.
What food people eat when they’re home alone
Philadelphia is the first US city to ban cashless restaurants. I think this is a good move. A restaurant owner told me a few weeks ago that their spot was cashless because “no one who can buy a $16 lunch wouldn’t have a credit card,” which is a really gross way of thinking.
Will decaf coffee ever be cool?
Two stories about work lunches: there are the people who eat the same thing every day and the people who really stretch the office snacks. The third category: the lunch packers, read my story about how to do that.
Last week, I mentioned Hunky Dory and I’m not alone. Eater NY does a round up of staff favorite meals each week and three of them chose Hunky Dory!
Mario Batali is OUT at all of his restaurants but many questions remain (and he still made a lot of money).
Sad to hear that Moishe’s Bake Shop, purveyor of excellent babka (thanks Hillary for bring it to latkes and vodkas), has closed. There’s still one location left.
I grew up eating Pepperidge Farm cookies every day after school because my mom decided they were healthier than oreos. Little did I know that the company was founded by a woman way ahead of her time. Probably need to buy some milanos in her honor.
The LA Times is killing it. This piece tells a story of gentrification, change, and family through one of the city’s best avocado toasts, the one at Sqirl.
This Needs Hot Sauce reader Lily wrote a roundup of Chicago’s best Jewish delis for all my midwestern readers.
Ashtin Berry is a great Instagram follow and a huge advocate for change in the hospitality industry.
Another great Instagram follow is Priya Krishna. I often link to her stories here and she has a cookbook coming out soon with her mom. Her Instagram, however, mostly features her boyfriend’s extremely elaborate baking adventures in real time. He’s made baked alaska, croissants, doughnuts, and it’s always a journey.
I really admire Jose Andres and enjoyed hearing two sides of him this week: the energetic restaurant operator about to open in New York and the dad concerned about setting his kids up for a good life (a podcast interview that’s worth a listen).
Some Updates:
I wrote about Linda Thach, a Cambodian refugee who started a little Bushwick empire called Little Skips.
In response to the amazing responses from last week, I’m starting a new series on Instagram to share your cooking triumphs (ty, Julianne for the inspo!). I’ll ask you for your best dishes every Sunday and share the responses on Mondays. Feel free to send pictures via DM. It will be a fun way to get ideas for the week.
I’m spending next weekend in Philly so next week’s newsletter will come on Tuesday. I can’t wait to get a tahini milkshake!
Now, let’s talk about your Trader Joe’s favorites. Julia did a good shop this week and discovered their chocolate covered ginger, which I’m a huge fan of so far.
Emily: I absolutely LOVE the Swiss milk chocolate bar with hazelnuts. It tastes exactly like Nutella in solid chocolate/nut form. I'm also a big fan of the Herbs and Spices popcorn. The dill seasonings remind me of the taste of matzoh ball soup. The cauliflower tabbouleh, canned stuffed grape leaves, and hummus are great components to make a delicious, gluten-free mezze platter.
Hilary: TJ's dairy case never fails me, but the goat gouda, unexpected cheddar, and italian truffle cheese are faves. Likewise, the hot sauces are relentlessly good, including the yuzu, habanero, and jalapeno pepper sauce (though it's red). My favorite chips are the blue tortilla chips- perfect salt, perfect crunch, giant bag.
Hillary: My TJ's faves, which have expanded significantly now that I shop there regularly:
brie + fig and olive crackers (I discovered this when Emma hosted book club and it changed my life a little bit)
beet crackers + garlic spread
butternut squash ravioli
unexpected cheddar
shredded gruyere + swiss blend
cauliflower gnocchi
cold brew coffee
dark chocolate peanut butter cups (keep 'em in the fridge)
and this isn't food-related but their candles are legit. Their seasonal gingerbread one was amazing.
My dad is living a post Trader Joe’s life but still had thoughts: As for favorite TJ’s product, I’m not sure I’m worthy since I haven’t set foot in the store for years (and am happier for it). Still, the list has to start with the peanut butter filled pretzels, followed closely by the English Toffee and dark chocolate covered caramels. None of those are part of the regular rotation anymore but the long board chips and their hummus are solid.
Kaitlin: OMG I could talk trader joe's (or as mom mom says Trader Joe) all day. My favorite more recent finds are the picked jalapeños (perfect on top of nearly everything), sriracha ranch and for a crunchy snack, I cannot get over the corn pea bean & quinoa crisps!
Good luck shopping, everyone! And great news about Trader Joe’s, they’re working to reduce the plastic in their stores. Let me know if you discover anything new. This week, I’m thinking about iced beverages and when it will be time to drink them. So please reply to this email and tell me your favorite iced drink. Coffee or cocktails…
Happy eating and thanks for reading.
xo, Abigail
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