It's Sumo Citrus Season!
And more little joys from Gentle January
How is Gentle January treating you? We’re almost a third of the way through (it’s such a long month). Some highlights so far include lots of citrus, an impromptu facial at Glowbar, cozy dinners with friends, and Abbott Elementary being back from break. I’m also trying a new to me yoga studio tonight, I’ll report back and thank you for the recs! I also had a not so good day where I started off filming a vlog and realized in the middle of the afternoon that I looked sad and grumpy in all of the clips. I stopped filming, cooked dinner, and hung out with Dale. There’s always tomorrow.
There was some discourse on TikTok last week about meal prep being a sad way to cook food and by meal prep, the creator was referring to presumably unseasoned containers of chicken, rice, and broccoli. I would never tell you to eat flavorless food and I rarely eat the same thing for days in a row. The way Erica and I like to meal prep is full of remixes, ways to transform dishes to make many meals (for example, leftover slaw is a great base for fried rice and compote for a yogurt bowl also works on a cheeseboard). Erica shared some more examples here! Flatbreads go with soup, yes, but they can also be a base for a pizza, an avocado toast, or a vehicle for a dip. If this sounds interesting to you, our meal prep ebook Meal Prep Made Simple is on sale with code GENTLE until tomorrow! Grab a copy and get inspired to do some not boring cooking.
Now, let’s dive in.
Something to cook:
I love tofu with peanut sauce and I pretty much always have the ingredients. Add a big scoop of peanut butter to a bowl (use a bigger bowl than you think you need) and then add smaller amounts of soy sauce, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, sriracha or chili garlic sauce, garlic and ginger if you’d like, and a little honey or maple syrup. Taste it and then add a little water to thin it out with a whisk. I serve this with baked tofu (use cornstarch to get a good crust), rice, and whatever vegetable I can find.
The best thing I cooked last week was pasta with pesto, roasted broccoli, white beans, and ricotta. I’m sharing the full recipe with subscribers on Thursday!
I cooked a lot of pasta and ran out of pesto so I had the leftovers with arugula, ricotta, good olive oil, salt, and pepper. I loved the peppery arugula with the ricotta.
Julia and I had a very lowkey night watching Abbott Elementary and I made us quesadillas with smashed black beans and sazón. Avocados were on sale at the supermarket which was cause for celebration.
I made the peanut butter and jam bars from Smitten Kitchen Keepers and they’re good! It’s more of a granola bar/breakfast vibe than a dessert as they’re very lightly sweetened but for peanut butter lovers like myself, they’re a great snack.
Something to order:
Sumo citrus is back! Erica spotted a great price on them at Trader Joe’s (Whole Foods usually has them too) and I picked some up while running errands. These citrus are a bright spot every January, give them a try!
I had a lovely last minute brunch with Pramod, Jill, Kira, and my parents at the East Village Westville. I had a nice avocado toast and the salad had good pickled onions in it. The menu is full of variety and everyone was happy with what they got. Pro tip: make sure you clarify which Westville you’re going to if you’re meeting someone there. My sister and I had a mishap once since they have so many locations.
Julianne, Ian and I had a nice dinner at Inday’s new all day location. They’re still figuring some things out with the ordering system but the food is really good. I loved the biryani, the saag paneer, and the turmeric tonic.
Isa and Frida are back after the holidays and we caught up over mezcal cocktails and dinner at For All Things Good in Bed-Stuy. The order at the counter format is good for lingering. I love their chips and salsa and the carrot tinga sope with black beans was so good. Their Williamsburg location has more of a wine focus as opposed to cocktails so choose accordingly.
Something to read:
Paid subscribers get additional reads in the Thursday newsletter.
I did a wrap up of my favorite writing from last year on Twitter.
Gjelina is now open in New York (for breakfast and lunch)
Love these gentle intentions for the year
Gas stoves are causing lots of childhood asthma. As a renter, I’ve never been able to choose my stove but the research against gas stoves is compelling.
New specialty coffee companies are branding themselves as fun and approachable
Noma, which until very recently had unpaid internships, is closing
Dressing like Bella Hadid as a plus sized person
Pepper changed the world, but how many people know that?
A Roman restaurant is coming to the Niche Niche space
Choosing where to eat is definitely a love language
X Gonzalez shares what happened after Parkland
El Cholo in Los Angeles keeps things in the family
There is a serious problem with live music audiences right now
I Remember My Mother With Love, Carrot Sticks, and a Crappy Bowl of Spaghetti
His Mom Labored on a Winery Under Apartheid. Now, He Owns One.
Now, I’d love to hear about your Gentle January! Have you done anything gentle for yourself? How’s the month going so far? I’ll share responses next week!
Take care and thank you for being here!
xo, Abigail