Pop the Champagne!
Hi friends,
It’s been a week, huh? I’m writing to you excited for a much needed change, and grateful for the organizers and poll workers and voters, especially Black Women, who gave our country a chance for a better future. New York felt really good this weekend—the sun came out and people danced in the streets. We were supposed to grab drinks to celebrate Dale’s birthday and wound up celebrating way more! The speeches on Saturday night made me surprisingly hopeful, especially seeing all of their families up on stage. I know we have a lot of work to do and I’m so relieved that we’ll have better (not perfect) leadership for the next four years.
I’ll be sharing more opportunities to stay involved in the weeks ahead (phone banking in Georgia and supporting Fair Fight, anyone?) and will be watching the Biden Harris administration closely.
Switching gears, my gift guide will be out later this week and I’m so excited to share it with you all!
Now, let’s dive in.
Something to cook:
So much of last week was a blur. I ate my pot of soup for four days and didn’t get sick of it. The recipe is great and adaptable, I added kale and half a can of coconut milk.
I made some random egg dishes, quesadillas, and salads for other meals and don’t remember much of either, to be honest.
My poll worker snacks were crucial: I was so glad to have an apple for something crisp, a peanut butter and jelly for a late breakfast, and some trail mix for a late afternoon boost of energy. The donuts someone dropped off for all us were lifesavers as well.
Last night, I really got cooking. I watched June’s latest video, where she made 10 vegan dinners for just $25 and was so inspired by her creativity. I roasted some chickpeas with all the spices (tandoor masala, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper), roasted slices of delicata squash with urfa chili pepper and braised some kale a la Lukas Volger. At 400 degrees, the chickpeas took about 40 minutes to get really crispy and the squash took about 25. I put everything together in a bowl with a dollop of yogurt, some toasted pecans for crunch, and some chili crisp on top. I’ll eat these components in various combos all week.
Something to order:
Julia and I ordered tacos from Los Tacos for the Bachelorette which was another source of drama. Their quesadilla is so good.
Amy, Julia, and Julianne and I got dinner on Wednesday. We were all exhausted (Amy is a doctor and the rest of us had been doing election related work) but kept the plans and headed to 12 Chairs. Their new outdoor setup in Williamsburg is lovely and the food hit the spot. Order 1/2 babaganoush and 1/2 hummus to start along with the lemon cauliflower. I had the greek salad which was so fresh and we got free Arak shots to end the night (learn more about Arak, one of the oldest spirits, in this Whetstone podcast episode).
On Saturday, we celebrated everything (Dale’s birthday, a Democratic win) at Caracas. The East Village location has sadly closed but the Williamsburg one is thriving. The backyard is lovely and perfect for crowds. We got arepas, guac and chips, and a few cocktail pitchers (get the margs and passionfruit juice with rum). Then we moved to Union Pool when it opened at 4 for more guac and $2 beers. On nice days, their backyard is so nice and it’s really well spaced out. The 70 degree weather and energy on the streets gave the day a surreal quality and I’ll remember it for a long time.
After a quick break, we watched the speeches with Julianne and Ian. I popped a bottle of Champagne from fatcork that I’d had for over a year, waiting for a moment to celebrate. Naturally, we got pizza, from Williamsburg Pizza, before heading to duckduck for another round on that historic day.
Something to read:
What travelers should understand about Puerto Rico’s statehood vote
How walking 20,000 steps a day changed my life.
This attitude, from Danny Meyer, is really disappointing but not shocking. I wish people would realize that these statements are incredibly alienated to employees and potential customers who are targeted by Trump/the RNC’s policies. If you don’t believe in someone’s right to exist in freedom, I don’t know what kind of conversation can be had.
Wine clubs are a great way to support independent winemakers! And the deliveries are lots of fun.
The project of feeding voters at the polls
From France, David Lebovitz shares his tips for a second wave of lockdown
The origins of nachos (and few great recipes) from Pati Jinich
How to process post 2020 election feelings
Hitha shared this article and it’s so important: America’s Problem is That White People Want It to Be a Failed State
I don’t know how Stacey Abrams managed to registered 800,000 voters and write many books, but I’m impressed. I just preordered her upcoming thriller.
Ceyenne Doroshow, the activist behind GLITS, has an incredible Grub Street Diet
This week, I’d love to hear what you did to celebrate and mark this moment. Reply to this email and let me know. Did you head to the park to dance, pop bottles, or just get some well earned rest? The noises in the street reminded me of the 7 pm cheers for healthcare workers earlier this year and even though the wait was rough, I loved having a weekend day to celebrate. I know we’ll remember this for a long time, the stress, the energy, the hope, and the work it took.
I’m so glad we could experience this together. Thank you for being here.
xo, Abigail