The Good Stuff

What you're into, kale caesars, sourdough naan, and good iced tea

Jul 15, 2024

Hi friends,

One of the core values of this newsletter has always been to focus on enthusiasm (a value I absorbed from Claire and Erica), which means spending a lot of my energy on things in the food world that I recommend wholeheartedly (this doesn’t mean avoiding the realities of the industry and the world, as you see in the weekly links). Not everything is for me, but I’d much rather spend my time and yours on the stuff that I love. Lately, I’ve been excited about Brooklyn Best’s iced teas, which I’ve found at a few bodegas in the neighborhood. They’re sweetened with real sugar and the half and half (peach tea and lemonade) is my favorite. Based on my DMs, a lot of you guys are fans too. I’m also excited about local news and supporting local businesses, like Crest Hardware before they close (there’s a big sale right now if you’re in the market for plants).

I love to hear about the things you love too—like the vendors at specific farmers markets, the recipes you make on repeat, the cookbooks that have stains, the snack you eat while you watch TV. It’s the good stuff—and the comments are open.

I went to three stores to get this and it was worth it

Now, let’s dive in. I’ll be back later this week with a special edition for paid subscribers about summer birthdays.

Something to cook:

The Bachelorette is back (hurray, I think it’s going to be a great season) which means Julia and I are back to our house meals—tofu rice bowls. Our first one had peanut sauce, broccoli and so many toppings: Julia got tempura nori that’s so delicious crumbled up.

having a monday ritual is really good for my mental health

I got to meet Tilden’s new dog! And we made a summery dinner of panzanella with peaches, basil, and cucumber. On top, we split a cool ball of burrata. Delicious with some seltzer with lemon juice and maple syrup.

We went to my parents house for dinner on Friday to celebrate belated Father’s Day, Leah and my mom’s birthdays. My mom planned a Grossy Pelosi meal: meatballs (chicken pesto and zucchini from his cookbook) with spaghetti and Rao’s sauce, salad with his signature dressing, and for dessert, Death By Chocolate, which was so decadent. I love the idea of pulling together a menu from one person, it gives the evening a point of view and everything already goes well together.

We visited Pramod and Jill on Saturday to get outfits for Anjali’s wedding and had a delicious lunch, perfect for a hot day. We had sourdough naan, sundal, dal, carrot salad, and raita.

Had to rip into the naan before taking a picture

Something to order:

Tilden and I took an after dinner walk to Brown Butter Creamery, which has a great range of flavors, from cookies and cream to passion fruit.

Dale and I went to dinner at Cozy Royale and while I wish they had a veggie burger on their menu (would truly settle for a frozen one as long as it’s not Beyond meat), I still love going for a drink, their kale caesar and some fries—it’s a great space and vibe. I also tried their vodka sauce pasta which was pretty good but a veggie burger would be my preference.

The correct amount of cheese for a salad

We went to Ray’s on Saturday for some snacks and people watching (the outdoor seating is the move on weekends, inside is a bit loud). I enjoy their nachos and fries and drink menu with cocktails for famous Rays (Carly Rae Jepsen is represented).