New Year, Same Questions

10Q, Challah, and Halloumi Skewers

Sep 22, 2025

On Friday, I got my answers from last year’s 10Q in my inbox. As I suspected, they were hard to read. 10Q is a series of questions answered between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Afterwards, you send your answers to the secure online vault. One year later, your answers are unlocked and returned and the process begins anew. I’ve filled it out since 2014 so there’s a lot in my vault. Questions like, “Is there something that you wish you had done differently this past year? Alternatively, is there something you're especially proud of from this past year?” and “Describe one thing you'd like to achieve by this time next year. Why is this important to you?” reveal so much about where your head was at at a particular moment in time.

Last year at this time, I was clinging to something that was in many ways already over. My answers showed a sense of deep denial—I wanted to continue because of things we’d said or things I wanted. Now, I can see how much action matters, no matter what someone has said and that there are many paths to achieving your desires. And there’s so much joy on the other side. That part is important. If you’re into reflecting, I can’t recommend the 10Q enough—the questions aren’t particularly Jewish outside of the timing and I have friends of all backgrounds who find it valuable. In a very annoying twist, the website is down right now but I’ll share on Instagram and notes when it’s back up! This is their busiest time of year so I suspect it’s temporary.

This time of year is a time of sweetness and reflection and it’s also a time of pain, as Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, a UN commission of inquiry says. My Jewish values compel to speak out against this, especially as I live a life of comfort and abundance on the other side of the world. I donated to the Gaza Soup Kitchen in advance of my own celebrations.

Now, let’s dive in.

Something to cook:

Tilden and I made

deb perelman

halloumi and cabbage skewers (mostly she made them) in the oven. They got a lovely color and char thanks to the broiler. To round out the meal, I made us yogurt flatbreads from the ebook Erica and I wrote in 2022. They’re so simple and easy, even without a rolling pin (we used a wine bottle). We also made a little tzatziki sauce and we didn’t blend the herb/caper/lemon mixture because why make more dishes. It was a delicious meal, especially for this time of year.

James and Julia hosted a fantastic oyster night featuring freshly shucked oysters and green curry mussels. Julia made key lime pie for dessert, which felt on theme. I made a pumpkin banana bread for them to eat the next day for breakfast (recipe from Serena Wolf’s cookbook) and it was fun to bake with pumpkin for the first time this season.

On Friday, I made tofu rice bowls with Jared featuring a no recipe peanut sauce, cucumbers, and a ripe avocado (always a miracle). Tofuture sent me a tofu press, which I’ve long been curious about, and it worked really well, even with just 20 minutes of pressing. I want to try putting the tofu to press in the morning and cooking it after I get home but as the flyer that came with it says, “Remember, if you have only have 10 minutes pressing time, that is better than no time at all!”

I will be pressing so much tofu from now on.

Beth and Geoff were in town and Granny come over for family dinner. We had vegetarian shepherd’s pie and one of the best desserts: boxed brownies with a little flakey salt and ice cream from Eddie’s Sweet Shop.

I’m in the midst of making this challah, that I look forward to all year long. I made the filling yesterday and my dough is rising now.

Something to order:

We saw Mamma Mia, always a joy filled experience, and had dinner at Iris beforehand. It’s a Greek-Turkish restaurant and the food was really good (and it was quiet, at least pre theater on a Tuesday). Some highlights were the mussels, the fries, and the dolmas.

Book club convened at Raku in the East Village for udon and a discussion of Seduction Theory, a campus novel with an unreliable narrator. I love Raku—they have great vegetarian options—and the restaurant was perfect for a chat.

Jacobsen Salt (I love their mini salt tins, perfect for travel) hosted a party at Big Night to celebrate their new collaboration, a cocktail salt that’s delicious with a margarita. Lighthouse made the food, which was fantastic, especially a giant challah with fresh figs, and the weather was perfect.

A centerpiece of a bread if I ever saw one

Frida and I met up at Bittersweet and caught up in Fort Greene Park. I got an Arnold Palmer and a brie and apple sandwich, which came with grainy mustard and butter. Hanging in the park with a friend is the best.

I took Jared to Keg and Lantern where I of course got a caesar wrap and fries. A perfect meal to accompany football.

Julia and I got to see Julianne’s gorgeous new apartment in Long Island City. We ordered from Cyclo, a great Vietnamese spot nearby. Their vegetarian pho is excellent, as were the summer rolls, vermicelli salad, and clay pot dish with mushrooms. I’ve been to the restaurant in person too and it’s lovely.