Netflix and Chili
And the return of the #chickpeacrew
Hi friends,
This week is full of exciting events. Last night, Julianne from How to Be Broke in New York and I cooked vegetarian chili on IG Live (see recipe below). We had lots of fun chatting with you about air fryers, the proper pronunciation of cumin, and easy lunches to pack for work. We also talked about composting and my guide for that is here. You can watch it on Julianne’s profile today.
This Saturday is our yoga + brunch event at Win Son. All spots are full but we will be doing more events like this soon (and look for a reminder email later this week if you’re coming). March’s event is open to everyone, so save March 19th for that!
Now, let’s dive in.
Something to cook:
I finally had a few free nights to cook last week and kept things really simple. I made one of my favorite dishes: Smitten Kitchen chickpeas (you guys love these, I have an Instagram highlight documenting all the versions). This week, I used broccoli instead of zucchini, lime instead of lemon, and I added a little kimchi at the end. It worked very well. Also, I’m terrible at using up a large container of yogurt before it gets moldy, so I buy a single serving fage and use half for one portion and half for the next (one can of chickpeas is two servings).
My parents often made frittatas/egg bakes for company but I don’t do a lot of breakfast entertaining. I did make something frittata-adjacent inspired by this Serena Wolf recipe. Instead of putting it in the oven, I let the eggs set over low heat on the stove and I didn’t have marinara sauce so I cooked out some tomato paste before adding the eggs. Broccoli + eggs + parmesan cheese = a very tasty late breakfast. More personal frittatas in 2020!
Teal and Nicholas are headed back to London so I baked some cookies for their going away party. These chocolate chip tahini cookies have such a subtle extra flavor and I love bringing them to parties because people always do a little double-take. I got fancy Guittard chocolate chips (the supercookie chips are so beautiful and slightly irregular) for the occasion, available at Whole Foods.
Now, last night’s chili. We started with this recipe and made a few key changes. First, we skipped the fritos and instead used homemade tortilla chips because Julianne and Ian have a deep fryer. You could also use storebought tortilla chips and I prefer those to Fritos. Second, we didn’t have chipotle in adobe so I threw in half a large jalapeño and some red bell pepper with the onions and garlic. Third, we added more spices: cumin, oregano, paprika, and a little cayenne. Finally, we skipped the corn and used one can of pinto beans and one can of black beans. Chili is a really flexible dish, the key is to make sure it’s balanced and well seasoned while using whatever you have. For toppings, we used sour cream, avocado, feta cheese (sub for cotija), cilantro, lime, and diced red onion. I can’t wait to eat the leftovers tonight and would absolutely make a batch for the freezer. It came together in about an hour.
Something to order:
Tina came to town and we got a lovely federal holiday brunch at the 12 Chairs in Soho. There was no wait at 11 a.m. and we split their delicious hummus, shakshuka, and eggs siniya, which are eggs cooked in a tahini sauce. It never fails.
I first tried Bite in Noho after a Soulcycle class and I’ve been back many times. It’s the narrowest shop with Mediterranean sandwiches, soups, and other bodega staples. For lunch, I love the Middle Eastern Vegan, which is spicy and filling. In the am, their $5 Middle Eastern egg sandwich, served in a pita, is so good. You get some chopped salad, some hummus, some spice, and egg. I love cheese but it’s sometimes nice to have an egg sandwich without it. I ate this while waiting for the subway so no pictures, but I swear it’s good.
Dale and I barely left the couch yesterday thanks to a little show called Love is Blind. If you’ve watched, I would love to discuss all of these dynamics/predictions for next week. It’s such a crazy show. We eventually got hungry and ordered Williamsburg Pizza (a half plain/half pepperoni and a caesar salad because I’m love pizza place salads). No complaints.
Delia, of Deez Links, which you should def be reading, celebrated four years of her newsletter at Dirty French. If you’re looking for a venue, their upstairs room has fancy mirrors, lovely appetizers (there was goat cheese involved), and lots of Champagne. So proud of you, Delia!
Something to read:
A new book by two white women, Rage Baking, did not give credit or include the work of a black woman, Tangerine Jones, who popularized the term and used it for activism. Read her story and get more context here.
This Cheese Plate will change your life (love Marissa’s Instagram account)
Also on the cheese theme, my friend Christine wrote about pairing bread and cheese. It’s something most of us barely consider and can be really fun. Check out my cheese plate guide here for more tips.
Meet three taqueras around LA.
How a Philly taqueria went viral, and how it’s keeping up with demand.
David Lebovitz’s new book is all about french drinking culture, not just alcohol. His behind the scenes photos are really cool.
Jesse Sparks wrote a beautiful essay about the real reason to entertain: it creates family no matter where you are.
How airplane food works. Julia’s in Vietnam right now and her airplane food in Korea looked so good! There was a tube of gochujang.
Tatte Bakery is a highlight of Boston and I loved Oset’s look inside the owner’s kitchen. It’s coming to New York soon!
Loved this video debunking fake cooking videos
Now, I also wanted to share a fun local event. The Brooklyn Historical Society (where I interned years ago) is hosting a talk on Jewish Food on March 23rd. You can get $5 off ticket prices with the code BHSHOTSAUCE. I’m really excited about it! If you’re going, let me know! Maybe we can all grab a drink after :)
We had a lively discussion this weekend about the best places to find recipes. Take a peek and feel free to weigh in! Thank you for keeping the discussion positive and I can’t wait to do more of them (you can definitely request topics).
This week, we’re back to our old format. I want to know what your favorite breakfast sandwich is (this could involve eggs or a bagel…or both. Tacos are not a sandwich). I think about this sandwich a lot and will have to order it again soon. Reply to this email with your favorites.
Happy eating and thanks for reading.
xo, Abigail