There's Bread Ahead
A fun baking project, lunch dates, and backyard tostadas
I can’t believe May is next week! As usual, the beginning of this year was kind of a slog (gentle January helped) and as soon as the sun came out, time started to fly. I feel like summer plans are right around the corner and find myself looking for breaks in my day to go walk and peep the flowers.
Gentleness is helpful in this season too for remembering that I still need time to rest when it’s nice out. Overscheduling summer is not the move and I want to leave room for last minute hangs, stopping to sit on a bench because you can, and yes, days inside watching TV in the AC because that’s fun in its own right.
Before we dive in, I have an exciting announcement from the lovely Maura Walters, who is offering a huge discount to TNHS readers!
Freelancers! Listen up: If the phrase, “send us a proposal” fills you with dread, it’s time to rethink your process. That’s exactly what you’ll learn at the Get Booked! Proposals Intensive hosted by my friend Maura Walters. I’ve learned so much from her masterclasses (and honestly, every conversation we’ve had). You should 100% join! Here’s the link!
Maura is a brand strategist and business mentor for female founders. In her interactive workshop on Friday, May 19, you’ll learn her 3-part strategy for creating winning proposals, exactly what to include to stand out from the crowd, and (of course!) mistakes to avoid. When done right, a proposal will help you land your dream clients and get you the money you deserve.
Maura is offering This Needs Hot Sauce readers 50% off their ticket price. Use code FREELANCE23 at checkout! Thanks so much, Maura!
Now, let’s dive in! Thursday’s newsletter will be all about calendars! Are you the friend who sends Google Calendar invites for every hang? Let’s discuss.
Something to cook:
Paid subscribers got a delicious whipped ricotta recipe from Sereneco. When I tested the recipe at home, I needed something for dipping. Yes, I could have purchased bread, but I had some anxiety to burn and Rebecca’s mini loaf pan focaccia recipe bookmarked. I made it in the afternoon and was really happy with the results! There’s little active time and it only uses one cup of flour. Julia and I did lots of small batch baking in 2020 and these loaf pan brownies were a favorite. Next time, I’ll try some toppings.
During busy times of year, meal prep really comes in handy! Erica and I are excited to launch a new meal prep ebook bundle on our site. We’re offering her ebook The Beginner’s Guide to Meal Prep and our joint project, Meal Prep Made Simple at a huge discount—if you buy the books together, you save 20% on both books. Here’s the link to grab them!
I made a really grab bag dinner on Friday with cannelini beans, cherry tomatoes and Somos’ Mexican Street Corn Rice with basil. Rice and beans is a meal formula that never fails and the best way to use up fresh herbs is to put them on everything before they go bad.
Something to order:
When the pandemic first hit, I was working on a story about the dishes at Claro, a Mexican restaurant in Gowanus. I pivoted the story to focus on how the folks who make dishes for restaurants were handling the lockdown. All the interviews were remote and until last week, I had never dined at Claro. I got to go to the beautiful backyard for a dinner with Tres Tribus Mezcal, which was delicious. We got to hear the story of each drink from the founder, shared tasting notes and ate so much delicious food—the seasonal tostadas were excellent. I will absolutely be back.
Leah and I saw Titanique, which was pure camp and delight—it’s a Celine Dion jukebox musical inspired by the movie Titanic. Go see it! We grabbed dinner before at Laut, a Malaysian spot with lots of veg options. Make a reservation because it gets busy and get the roti canal.
Alicia and I had a Friday lunch date at Cafe Gaia in Alphabet City and it was so charming. It’s reopened in a very small space and the menu changes throughout the week. I got a wonderful sandwich with burrata, tomato, and arugula and they also make salad, focaccia, and rotating Italian dishes. There are two tables outside or you can walk to the park and eat.
Julia and I got dinner at Mesa Coyoacan before seeing Aly & AJ on Saturday. They sounds great live, played a lot of old songs, and it was a very chill concert vibe. We drank seltzer and I did legs up the wall when I got home.
Something to read:
I can’t wait for Julianne’s clothing swap on Sunday! Grab your ticket here to sustainably refresh your wardrobe.
Abbott Elementary’s season finale was so good and I’m so glad it’s renewed for a third. I loved this interview with Janelle James.
Where would Succession characters eat in New York?
Ranking Disney Channel Original Movies
Shanika Hillocks shares a splurge worthy piece of art in her gorgeous apartment
On the performance of motherhood. Who is it for?
How vodka sauce became an American celebrity. I love Dan Pelosi’s recipe.
The city is digging up a Brooklyn restaurant row, just in time for summer.
Karolina is stealing scenes on Succession
I love
and her new book is about parenting, diet culture, fatphobia and more. Here's a great interview with her.Copying small food brands is never cool
A really great read on Somali food, migration, and what it means to be part of a diaspora
Are Crumbl cookies good? They’re growing so fast!
The Taylor-Joe breakup is adding a whole new level to the Eras tour
A new set of stock photos reminds us that women drink whisky too
I am so mad about the closing of BuzzFeed News, which not only employed one of my best friends (and her very cool coworkers) for almost 8 years, but also produced incredible journalism, elevated so many ideas and people, and helped me understand the internet. They deserved better and I know the team will do such cool stuff in the future. It feels like betrayal.
Now, let’s talk about pizza crust! I loved reading the answers to this one!
Eden loves crust: I always eat my pizza crust and I honestly hate when people leave the crust on their plates. I mean do you, but if the crust is good then you should eat it! Sometimes I'm just in the mood for crust tbh and I wish they sold it alone like some places sell muffin tops, but I guess that's just called breadsticks 😂
Suzanna is a fan too: We have an excellent local pizza place here (run by a New Yorker, I'll add), and I always eat the crust because it's delicious. I also get a side of marinara with every order for dipping.
Bob is a crust purist: Love the question about pizza crust. It's such a varied and individual practice! I always eat the crust. Every time. I never dip it in anything. I just wait until the crust is the only part of the slice left in my hand and then munch away. I love that the crust is texturally distinct from the rest of the slice.
Sarah is looking for pizza recipes. Share them in the comments: I love a chewy crust! With the right texture, I don't need a dip, but will certainly take it if available. I recently moved from NYC to the midwest and have been struggling to find a pizza place I love, so I've started experimenting with making my own. I've tried the Roberta's recipe, which was fine (but I may need to practice more). If you have a crust recipe recommendation, I'd love to hear it!
Jennifer is a fan as well: I'll eat it no matter what (I don't like leaving food on my plate, or if I do, my husband will definitely clean it up), but I'm more excited about it if there's extra marinara to dip in. Usually I just plan my final bites so that I'm getting some toppings in with the last bits of crust.
This week, I’d love to hear about your experiences making bread! Is your pandemic sourdough starter still alive? Do you make a weekly loaf or support a local bakery? I’d love to hear about it! Reply to this email or leave a comment with your thoughts.
I’ll see you on Thursday! Have a great week!
xo, Abigail
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 🙌