May is a Good Month

Pizza oil, bakery unions, and celebrations

Rabbit, rabbit! It’s May! It feels like this year is zooming by and I’m excited for a West Coast trip in a few weeks and of course, the Eras tour at the end of the month.

How’s your spring been so far? Sending hugs whether it’s been great, not so great, or in between.

Thursday’s newsletter will be an update on last year’s registry series and some suggestions for if you’re building or shopping from a registry right now. I also answer a fun wine question in Recommendation Station, the advice column for paid subscribers.

Now, let’s dive in.

Something to cook:

I have a great recipe for veggie burgers but sometimes I don’t have the energy or ingredients to make them! Enter the storebought versions. I grabbed a frozen pack (does anyone have a favorite brand?) and had a few easy dinners. Burger nights are all about the toppings—I used asiago cheese, yuzu mayo, ketchup, and avocado.

This has been my year of pesto—the brightness is so nice and it’s an easy alternative to tomato sauce. I made pesto pasta with broccoli and chickpeas on Friday and had the leftovers for dinner last night. A dollop of ricotta makes everything more special.

Other things I cooked: breakfast sandwiches, popcorn with ghee, salt, and nutritional yeast, and oatmeal with dates and peanut butter (a classic combo).

Something to order:

The group chat that inspired last week’s newsletter got dinner at Birds of a Feather. It’s a great spot for a group of four because you can split all the things. We had the cold Sichuan noodles, the cucumbers, scallion pancakes, eggplant accordions, and this Austrian orange wine (I’ve also had their rosé and it’s very nice).

Nina and I grabbed coffee and breakfast at Buvette (we were going to go somewhere else but they removed all their seating). It was lovely to sit at the bar and people watch and the avocado toast was delicious.

Not a bad Tuesday!

Bakeri has two locations and both of them have great pastries. I love their croissants and the date banana bread. The Williamsburg one is small but you can usually grab a seat since most people get things to go.

Julianne and I had a very special evening at The Dead Rabbit (our meal was comped and we left a gratuity). We sat upstairs in the parlor and had oysters, crudite (served on ice, so fancy) and mussels in a Guinness broth with fries. The cocktails are excellent of course and they also have a nice NA list (we each had one boozy drink and one booze free one). I love sitting at a bar and watching the drinks get made. Bridgette was wonderful and I will definitely be back.

I’m reading a book where a character is allergic to mussels and I am grateful I am not allergic to them.

You know I love Brightland’s olive oils and vinegar (they’re on the gift guide) so I was excited to try their new pizza oil, which is infused with jalapeños, garlic, oregano, and basil. It’s great on pizza (they had a launch party at Leo) and would also be good on veggies or bread. I can’t wait to use it in my kitchen.

We’ve covered all major food groups.

Leah hosted a brunch for her clients at Gertie and I was very into their babka, which is dairy free. Working with Leah has been life changing and it was so cool to meet other people who feel the same way. She had all of us share celebrations and goals for our dream lives.

Tilden and I had dinner at the bar at Saraghina in Bed-Stuy (loved the pizza and fava bean dip, which was great for the pizza crusts) and then grabbed a drink at The Franklin, a new wine bar. It’s attached to a wine shop and is a really beautiful space with an interesting menu (there’s food too). Will definitely be back!

Cherry on Top in Bushwick was a great venue for Julianne’s swap, even in the rain. Part of the rooftop is covered and I’d love to visit in the sunshine for natural wine and snacks.

Something to read:

Want to read more? I share additional reads every Thursday in the paid subscriber newsletter.

Olivia and Jenny of Fresh Starts Registry have a new book out about supporting your people. It’s full of scripts for difficult situations that you can tweak accordingly and it’s a great reminder of the value of connection.

I cannot believe The Lizzie McGuide Movie came out 20 years ago.

How Diaspora Co. founder Sana Javeri Kadri travels for work. I’m a Diapsora co affiliate if you need any spice (the black pepper is incredible).

Ayana Lage bravely shared her experience with postpartum psychosis

Erica is a genius and made boxed brownies with brown butter!

An olive oil spat about squeeze bottles

Five annoying things about food packaging

How Judy Blume made me a better mom

A longread about something I think about a lot: What do we mean when we say the internet is reading our minds?

Remembering Emily Meggett, a Matriach of Gullah Geechee Cuisine and Culture.

We know sizing is wildly inconsistent and this from

The Audacity.

shows just how much it’s changed (and how women’s sizing was based on men’s sizing).

Love to see a restaurant close on the weekends and still be really successful!

Two Chefs on Keeping Alive, and Redefining, Soul Food

A Madison bakery is unionizing!

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Now, let’s talk about bread! Eden is going to try it this month (and I have a challah recipe ready). Also, check out Eden’s new newsletter about fun things to do in NYC.

Eden’s bread plans: I have only made bread a handful of times in the early 00s when home bread machines became popular and my mom got one. The bread was always meh and it became just another kitchen appliance collecting dust. However! My goal is to bake my first loaf of challah next month since May is Jewish American Heritage Month and I'm trying to harness the power of my ancestors to guide me 🙌

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This week, I’d love to hear about something you’re looking forward to, big or small! I can’t wait for our trip, which will include visiting Canada for the first time! Reply to this email or leave a comment!

Thanks for being here and have a good one!

xo, Abigail