It's Still January, Eat Some Pizza
Hi friends,
Welcome to This Needs Hot Sauce (And Other Food Thoughts), a newsletter sharing something to cook, somewhere to eat out, and something to read. I'm a native New Yorker who spends far too much time thinking and reading about food. I love helping people find better things to eat and solving problems, so let me know how I can help. Let's dive in.
Something to make:
I have some real recipes to share but am really excited about a dinner that I invented tonight, sort of a riff on the skillet bruschetta or white beans and kalerecipes I've seen online.
The After Spin Class White Bean and Vegetable Skillet
1/2 a red onion, thinly sliced
1 head of broccoli, chopped into florets, stems sliced
1/2 a head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
1 can white kidney/cannellini beans or any white beans
Several handfuls of greens (I had spinach and kale)
Za'atar, cumin, salt, and pepper, to taste
Olive oil
1/2 cup jarred marinara sauce or canned tomatoes
Parmesan cheese
Slice of bread, ideally found in the freezer.
In a medium skillet, heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook until softened, about five minutes. During this time, open your beans and drain and rinse them in a colander. Chop the broccoli and cauliflower. When the onion has softened and gotten a little bit of color, add the vegetables and stir. As they saute, add in your spices, a generous pinch of each. Za'atar is a middle eastern spice blend that includes oregano, basil, cumin, and sometimes sesame seeds, so add a pinch of those if you don't have the blend. If it tastes bland, add more spices. Stir until the broccoli and cauliflower are getting a little color, about 5 minutes. Add your tomato sauce and drained beans. Stir to combine and taste for seasoning. Cover the skillet and reduce the heat to low and cook for about 10 minutes. Toast your bread and grate some parmesan cheese while you wait. To serve, place the toast in the bottom of a wide bowl and top with the skillet mix, then some grated parmesan. Dig in and save the leftovers for a not sad desk lunch.
(this is 100% riffable so let me know if you try it with anything you find in your fridge. I'm sure it would be good with lemon, basil, other cheeses, a fried egg on top, etc.)
Now, I know you don't come here for Superbowl content (though I am rooting for Philly) but I have to assume every football gathering could benefit from cauliflower quesadillas and my old favorite bar nuts.
I made this last night and used the leftovers in a frittata.
If you're in the mood to bake a batch of cookies, I haven't tried the instagramfamous ones yet but was craving these oatmeal peanut butter chip ones, from the Magnolia bakery cookbook of all places. We always add chocolate chips.
PSA: If you see Crispin apples at the market, buy some! They're very good and reminded me of apple picking last fall.
Something to order:
Last week I finally tried Rubirosa, often cited as one of New York's best pizzas. It's a tough reservation so we planned well ahead (thanks to Zoe for making this happen) and it was 100% worth it. It's honestly a gift to your future self to schedule a great meal with friends. The restaurant is in Soho and way bigger than it appears. There's reasonably priced Italian red one, a great salad with pickled onions (the Rubirosa Salad), and the pizza, let me tell you. It's not overrated, it's just so good. We had the tie-dye pie, which has vodka sauce, fresh mozzarella, and a pesto swirl. The crust is thin and perfectly crisp, no sag when you grab a slice and the mix of sauces makes every bite a little different. As a perfect little extra, they place a dish of oregano, parmesan cheese, and red pepper flakes on each table, *chef's kiss to seasoning each slice.* I'm already planning to go back so if you want to hang out in March and eat pizza, say hi. Pro tip: They have a pizza hour in the late afternoon where only pies are sold and the waits are generally shorter. Keep in mind next time you play hooky.
Also in the Soho/Nolita area, I tried Uncle Boons Sister, the casual spin-off of the fancy Uncle Boons. It's mostly takeout but there's room to sit with a very small group and the food is really good and affordable. I enjoyed the pad thai and the room has funky decor with neon and family photos, and a solid neighborhood crew. It's not destination dining, but so nice to have a chill option in the area. I really want to try their version of a drumstick ice cream cone next time it's above freezing. 
Before our very low key meal at Uncle Boons Sister, Sarah and I grabbed a drink at Compagnie de Vins SurNaturels, which I also visited in London. The Soho location is lovely with very comfortable chairs and their happy hour ($5 off any wine) is a great chance to try something unusual.
Moving slightly north to Noho, I want to plug the pocket-sized wonder that is Bite,located on Lafayette next to lots of trendy stores. They have three locations around town and the food is damn good. I love their middle eastern vegan sandwich, with eggplant, hummus, hot sauce and so many vegetables and deviated from my normal order to try the Mediterranean egg sandwich. It's so good: eggs in a pita with Israeli salad, hummus, and housemade hot sauce. It's also $4. Mic drop.
Think Coffee on Mercer is a great place to get work done and eavesdrop on NYU faculty and students. Fun fact: the founders of 4sq built most of the app at the table in the back by the bathroom. Another guest joked that they were the mayors and boom, a feature was born.
Returning to my dear Brooklyn for some bar recommendations:
The Well is a great spot to drink some weird beers and ciders. They also have a great slideshow about the history of beermaking in Brooklyn and it's in an old brewery on what was once called Brewhouse Row. The backyard is huge and perfect for summer.
Post No. Bills is a cozy bar right by the Montrose L. They make great cocktails for only $9. Cash only.
If you're out on a Saturday and struck by the inexplicable urge to sing karaoke (I can relate), South 4th Bar has free karaoke at midnight. It's a good time.
Something to read:
In Praise of flour tortillas
The Instant Pot is...not so instant
Shop talk with Pete Wells and this town's newest critic, Hannah Goldfield
#Notinmykitchen: The Chef/Owner of Pondicheri reflects on the culture she's created in her restaurants
Marissa A. Ross is one of my favorite people to follow on instagram. Get to know her
"The first time I used food stamps, I cried." via Ethan on twitter
The joys of Black Brunch (the author is from Queens!)
"The original avocado toast is the avocado tortilla." Did Aztecs invent avocado toast or was it Australians?
This interview with Deb, the owner of my favorite Penn food cart, makes me want to take the first train back to Philly. Those cookies though (also Street forever).
Need to try "suan cai: pickled mustard greens, dark and minerally, fermented and then flopped in a wok with sesame oil, garlic, dried onion and a flick of sugar. The chef, Chih Shen Hsu, calls it "Chinese kimchi." Ligya Misgan tried it at Queens Taiwanese spot Happy Stony Noodle, but hey WinSon, if you're reading this, please make a version.
Francis Lam seems really nice and this profile is great.
I think I'll have another glass of Mexican Wine: (h/t Dad)
This feels personal: Why vegetarians will never be cool.
Last week, I asked you about date spots and got a few great suggestions:
-One of my favorite date spots is Testo!!!! Over the summer they have cute and cozy singlet tables outside. - Julianne
-For special anniversaries and birthdays, I've heard great things about Faro (especially the pasta) and Brooklyn classic Peter Luger's.
-For an east village bar that's convenient for everyone, Zoe likes Good Night Sonny.
A great Valentine's day idea: Cooking from Julianne
I still think my favorite Valentine's day dinner was this past year when Ian and I woo'ed each other cooking up a fancy feast. I made french onion soup stuffed mushrooms and mini lava cakes. Ian made steak au poivre with roasted potatoes and asparagus. We shared a nice ass bottle of red. 11/10 recommend being home on vday!
This week, I want to know where you go to get shit done. Tell me your favorite coffee shops, any city. Rants about wifi passwords, stale pastries, and more are very much welcome.
I'm headed to Nashville this Thursday with Julia to visit Leah so holler with any last minute suggestions and I'll report back next week.
January's almost over!
Happy eating and thanks for reading.
xo,
Abigail