It's Outdoor Snack Season

Head outside, armed with snacks and all the pumpkin

Hi friends,

Welcome to This Needs Hot Sauce, a newsletter from Abigail Koffler all about cooking, eating out, and making the most of it.

I want to thank everyone who attended yesterday’s darty, it was a blast (check out the Darty highlight). I’m attending this tonight and will be at Eeeeeatscon this Saturday, so come say hi if you’re going!

Let’s dive in.

Something to cook:

The world needs more bars that let you bring your own snacks. Here’s what Julia and I made for an afternoon of hanging out. There’s something for everybody:

-Blondies are easier than cookies since you don’t have to scoop them and they’re full of chocolate. This recipe from Ina Garten is really simple, but make sure you read it carefully at the grocery store (you need 2 bags of chocolate chunks/chips and lots of vanilla). Making doughs like this is easier with a hand or electric mixer but it’s definitely possible with lots of elbow grease. We left out the walnuts and sprinkled Maldon salt on the top before baking and you should too.

-Party nuts! I make these anytime we have a social gathering (they were the subject of my first newsletter) and yesterday I added something new: pretzels and sesame sticks. The recipe is written out here and really flexible. I use half mixed unsalted mixed nuts from the bulk bin and half peanuts on two sheet trays, toast that, stir in the coating and added the pretzels and sesame sticks and put it back in the oven for 8-10 minutes. My oven runs hot and nuts burn easily (and cost $$$) so keep an eye on this recipe. This also happens to be vegan.

-Chips, carrots, and dip. This is the easiest dip ever, from Julia’s college friend. Combine salsa, softened cream cheese, and hot sauce to taste. I used 8 ounces of cream cheese with about 10 ounces of medium salsa and many dashes of Valentina. The effect is somewhere between queso, buffalo dip, and salsa and it could not be easier. Use a fork to break up the cream cheese clumps and you’re set. This also happens to be gluten free.

Final logistical notes: I packed everything in tupperware and kept refilling the party nuts. No one wanted to take the last bites but eating out of a full bowl feels very different. Precut the blondies in the pan and take one out (to sample) so it’s easier for people to serve themselves. Also, bars have napkins, phew.

Emma and Jesse celebrated their beautiful apartment at their housewarming this weekend and we made some drinks to pregame the party. Alison Roman suggested turning bad wine into spritzers, so we gave it a try with some Trader Joe’s Pinot Grigio that had sitting on the shelf for over a year.

Get the play by play on Instagram Stories (the Wine Spritzer highlight) but the tldr: Bad wine + seltzer (spiked if you’ve got it) + lemon + ice = surprisingly good. Dale and LT were big fans.

I brought over a cake to warm the house, also from Now & Again. It was a greek yogurt cake with fruit preserves and it was a hit. I used fig and apricot preserves and it looked so pretty. This recipe isn’t online anywhere but reply to this if you want it and I’ll type it up for you :)

Lunch last week was a farro salad with roasted cauliflower, scallions, cilantro, mint, thinly sliced jalapeño, almonds and a sesame maple dressing (1 tablespoon sesame oil, 2 teaspoons of maple syrup, 1 lemon’s worth of juice, 1 lime’s worth of juice). Make the dressing in the bottom of the serving bowl and add the cooled farro first, then everything else. This kept really well in the fridge for four days because farro is super hearty and doesn’t get soggy. Use lots of herbs (like 1/2 cup or more) and add salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste.

A random note: I made Israeli salad with some Israelis last week and they gave me their recipe: use 2:1 cucumbers to tomatoes, white onion, flat parsley and a dressing of tahini thinned with water, garlic, lemon and olive oil. Will test out soon.

Not an authentic Israeli salad but a salad made by Israelis.

This week, I’m still looking for squash and definitely want to bake these pumpkin muffins. Grapes have been really good at the the market so I may roast some for my favorite kale salad.

Something to order:

Cheap food is hard to find in the West Village so I was thrilled to stumble upon the no frills Original Sandwich Shoppe on Greenwich Ave. I got a cup of lentil soup as a snack but the sandwiches looked really good and the atmosphere was perfect New York.

I babysit a lot on the Upper West Side and usually the food is nothing special. But Thursday was a day for ice cream and one of the kids suggested Emack and Bolio’s. The vegan chocolate pudding flavor was so good and there are lots of crazy cone options (I usually get vanilla bases but chocolate felt more emotional and just right).

Last week was a rough one for many and I found myself needing lots of time with friends. On Monday, Julianne and I had wine on her balcony. We had a natural Slovakian wine from Dandy which just opened near Domino Park. They offer free tastings (which include cheese, I hear) on Wednesdays and Fridays which I can’t wait to check out.

If you’re looking for a great bar with Wifi, try the Tuffet. It’s a favorite of mine (we hosted our June happy hour there). I did some work at the bar with a glass of Riesling and then Frida joined me for another round right as my laptop died. Perfect timing. We headed to Mesa Coyoacan for tacos (the mushroom huitlacoche are some of my favorite vegetarian tacos) but the Tuffet’s cheese plates are another great dinner option.

The Well was a perfect location for our Darty. Their backyard is enormous and the beer list is huge, with a large range of sour options and cider. I had an Oedipus sour from the Netherlands that was citrusy and refreshing. On the weekends, they have a bunch of 2 for 1 drafts and $7 frozen drinks. Thanks for having us!

Win Son’s kitchen doesn’t close till 11 on weekdays. Julia and I were still a bit hungry and passed it on our way home. Scallion pancakes and pea shoots at the bar, all the way.

Coffeeshop of the Week:

Finding a place to work in the rain adds a sense of urgency to the whole affair. After striking out at multiple hotel lobbies (The Ace and The Made), I remembered the El Rey Annex at Todd Snyder, a fancy menswear shop next to Madison Square Park. The space is small but relatively unknown and it’s beautiful. There’s wifi and good coffee (though it’s cashless, ew) and it’s also perfect for a meeting or catch up. It closes at 5 at which point you should head to a bar.

Something to read:

Opentable dominates reservations and it’s really expensive. Do other competitors stand a chance?

48 Hours with Antoni as he prepares to open his new restaurant, which he’s nervous about. Has anyone tried it? Please tell me everything.

Loved reading all about Bolivian Wine and hoping to try some soon. Bolivia and Georgia are two countries I’ve wanted to visit for years!

Ina Garten is everyone’s fantasy best friend. True. Also Ina’s cauliflower chopping tutorial is very helpful.

Broccoli garlic ricotta toasts combine three of my favorite things.

A fall hot take: Apple Cider Doughnuts are a lie.

Why aren’t millennials nostalgic for raisins? (Cause they suck)

On the practice and history of eating pie for breakfast.

Stuff I wrote:

Bushwick Open Studios happened this weekend. Here are five places to eat near the events/five of my favorite Bushwick spots.

Renter’s Insurance is something you should stop procrastinating and get.

Last week, I asked you about favorite fall food and pumpkin recipes (pumpkin cans are 99 cents at Whole Foods right now so stock up!):

-Alicia loves maple lattes from Peet’s. There's one in union square inside of the capital one which is weird. But worth it. My mom (who also subscribes!!!) always makes these cookies in the fall. I'm looking forward to making them on my own.

-Jolie is super super excited that Chobani’s pumpkin yogurt is back for the season! Also really really excited for college fall break to head home and hit up Trader Joes because all of their seasonal pumpkin products look amazing on instagram.

-Emma shared this pumpkin bread, which she swears is the best.

-Hillary claims this pumpkin bread is the best. Do we need a bake off?

My dad makes my all time favorite pumpkin bread and the recipe came from a neighbor back in Kew Gardens. We always have some in the freezer.

Pumpkin Bread
(via Corrine Abramson) 

Doubling the recipe for two loaves is easy, full bag of choc. chips, full 15 oz. can of pumpkin

Ingredients

·      4 oz. butter, softened

·      1 cup sugar

·      2 eggs

·      ¾ cup pumpkin puree

·      1 ¾ cups flour

·      1 tsp baking soda

·      1 tsp cinnamon

·      ½ tsp salt

·      ½ tsp nutmeg

·      ¼ tsp ground ginger

·      ¼ tsp ground cloves

·      ¾ cup chocolate chips

·      ¾ cup walnuts (or other nuts or pumpkin seeds)

 Directions

·      Cream the butter and sugar

·      Add the eggs and pumpkin, blend to combine

·      Blend in the dry ingredients and beat until the batter is smooth and uniform

·      Fold in the chips and nuts

·      Bake for 65 minutes in a greased loaf pan at 350o Fahrenheit

·      Let sit for five minutes in the pan and then turn out onto a rack to cool.

Note:  This slices more cleanly after some time in the refrigerator.  Individually wrapped slices freeze well.

This week, I want to hear about your favorite after school snacks. What was the food you most wanted after a day of quizzes and gym class? (I went through a major Oreo phase followed by a Pepperidge Farm chocolate chip cookie phase. YUM). Reply to this email and let me know.

One more thing, I’ll be making a donation to Immigrant Families Together tomorrow. If you’d like to contribute, venmo me @abigail-koffler.

Happy eating and thanks for reading.

xo, Abigail

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