Hi friends,
I have to start by sending enormous love to the people and city of LA. It’s a city I’ve spent a lot of time in and it’s full of loved ones and so much beauty. It’s been devastating to watch everything unfold from afar and I know it’s a very long road ahead (we’re still at the very, very beginning). Based on the advice I saw somewhere to focus on “doing for one what you wish you could do for all,” I donated to help Nana Joyce, a longtime Altadena resident, rebuild. I hope you’ll join me— you can find many more families to help here and more resources in “Something to read.” If you’re reading this in LA, I’m sending a massive amount of care and support through the screen.
Now, let’s dive in.
Something to cook:
I saw my parents on Saturday and my dad made a loaf of pumpkin bread for us. Truly so delicious, it did not last long.
Tilden and I made a veggie filled soup (loosely based on this) with kale, potatoes, zucchini and scallions. We stirred in Boursin cheese for some creaminess and made some cheese toasts with more Boursin to dip. Immersion blenders continue to earn their keep, all year round.
I got some little baby potatoes, boiled them and served it with a feta yogurt (feta, garlic, yogurt, lemon zest, salt and pepper). Sour cream would have been great but I didn’t have any.
I woke up on Friday morning and made broccoli cheddar grilled cheese at like 8 am. It reheated pretty well in the office toaster oven.
Something to order:
Leslie and I got a lil snack (cashew queso, very satisfying) at Kellogg’s Diner and I picked up dessert for later—their pies lived up to the hype, especially the coconut one.
Angela, Devin (check out her newsletter
) and I met up at Cozy Royale for a cozy happy hour. I love their kale caesar and the very underrated blue cheese and olive appetizer. It’s always a great atmosphere too.
Elissa (of the fabulous
) and I caught up over dinner at Miss Ada, which I had never been to her. Per her recommendation, we stuck mostly to the dips and the labneh was our favorite. Don’t skip dessert, we had a sweet and savory labneh mousse with za’atar and silan that was carbonated, giving it a pop rocks like effect.
Julia, Julianne, Hillary and I got dinner at The Tyger, which was 25 minutes or less from all of our respective offices. It was a lovely spot for a group dinner because the tables were somewhat far apart and we could hear each other. The food was really good—we had the special spring rolls, which came with herbs for wrapping and the Banh Xeo, a crepe topped with chilis and mushrooms and a green herb sauce, was my favorite. We split a few noodle dishes as well—the mi goreng was spicy and very good.
Amy and I got lunch on Saturday at Lyly Vietnamese Cookhouse and vegan pho with lemon ginger tea was perfect for the weather.
Something to read:
Samantha Brown on 25 years in travel TV
Dale and I went to Luna Luna, the 1987 theme park created by André Heller. He commissioned artists like Haring, Basquiat, Dali, and Lichtenstein to make amusement park rides and they delivered. The park was open for 3 months in Hamburg and has mostly been in storage since. You can walk inside some of the pieces but can’t ride the rides (fair, but it would have been so cool). It’s at the Shed until 2/23, I’d recommend. It’s kid friendly too.
Why Smitten Kitchen endures after so many years (I’m a Smitten Kitchen stan)
There are SO many recipes and for what?
is thought provoking as always, thank you for the shoutout!. I miss magazine quizzes!How Burlap & Barrel became a chef and home cook favorite for spices
How to read more in 2025. I got a kindle for Hanukkah and my phone screentime this week was lower than it has been in a long time. Hoping to keep it up.
: Greetings from Los Angeles on Fire: Love for LALA Mutual Aid’s spreadsheet of resources
: L.A. Fires: How to help: When Bad Things HappenArchestratus in Greenpoint is hosting a bake sale on January 25th to raise funds
The next generation of firefighters learned how to fight fires while in prison
Sending lots of love! I’m leaving comments open if anyone has additional fundraisers they want to share!
xo, Abigail