Total Eclipse of the Heart
Chili, soft serve, and the importance of a second location
Hi friends,
I’m writing this before today’s eclipse. We’re getting over 90% totality in NYC and I got glasses from the library (libraries are amazing) and can’t wait to watch at the park near me. The last eclipse was in August of 2017, only a few months before I started this newsletter. I was fresh off a breakup and working at a nonprofit job that was not a good fit. I remember leaving my office with coworkers to watch at someone’s friend’s rooftop in Chelsea. We didn’t have glasses so we made some DIY thing that didn’t work great. It was pretty cool and then we all went back to our cubicles under the fluorescent light.
Today, things are a lot better and brighter and I’m so so grateful. Now, let’s dive in! On Thursday, I’m sharing a newsletter about my goals for Q2 (they’re inspired by Ke$ha and walking).
Now, let’s dive in.
Something to cook:
Great news: I used my Le Creuset to make the black bean chili from
‘s Smitten Kitchen Keepers. It is actually a pretty quick chili (you broil onions, garlic, and peppers instead of simmering for ages) and the dutch oven was perfect for simmering without any splashing or a mess. As with any chili, the toppings are essential! I used chips, cheddar cheese, scallions, jalapeño and lime.
I continued to use Trader Joe’s scallion pancakes in lots of meals—I made crispy tofu and served it with arugula, avocado, and the scallion pancake wedges for little wraps.
I have some bagels in my freezer and have gotten into a friday routine of having cheesy scrambled eggs on top of half a bagel with some fruit. It’s all about the little things!
Something to order:
Last Sunday night, Dale and I realized it was going to rain for most of the week ahead (it did) so we decided to get ice cream before the downpour began. Screen Door is open again for the season and a swirl soft serve cone with rainbow sprinkles made me very happy.
I only wrote one newsletter last week because we had an impromptu family dinner on Wednesday, which was Pop Pop’s birthday. It was great to spend time together over Mexican food, a family favorite, at Mesa Coyoacan.
Oset and I got dinner at Le Crocodile and caught up on all the things. Their menu is full of great vegetarian options from the leeks with hazelnuts to a gorgeous spring asparagus dish to of course, fries. We got profiteroles for dessert which was just really fun—love a table side drizzle of fudge.
Ghia (client) hosted a lovely happy hour at Gem Wine and the bites were really special. Camille and I were obsessed with the bread, which is from La Cabra and butter. No better combo!
Julia and I got dinner at Suzume, a Hawaiian Japanese spot that neither of us had been to. It was solid and fun to go somewhere new. We split a bok choy salad and cauliflower bao and I had mazeman noodles (it was huge and the leftovers were great with a fried egg the next day).
After dinner, we wanted one more stop (good nights often include a second location). Luckily, Fortunato Brothers is open late so we stopped for gelato (at $3.50 a scoop, it a great deal).
Something to read:
Trader Joe’s and the messy world of private label—these business practices are common but that doesn’t mean they’re ethical
Facing famine, civilians search desperately for food under the threat of Israeli bombs.
Why the World Central Kitchen Aid Workers’ Deaths Broke Through the Horror of This War
Why are restaurant water glasses so small?
David Chang trying to trademark chili crunch (which he did not invent) is ridiculous. Omsom explained it well.
The great teen babysitter shortage from
. I loved babysitting from age 12 onwards and also have great memories of our teen babysitters who taught us origami and told us about their prom dresses (the ultimate glamour).Thirty years ago, a woman got a $250-a-month, rent-stabilized apartment in Inwood. She says the neighborhood has defined not only her life but her life’s work. Affordable housing changes everything!!
Ordinary encounters really do make even a rough day a lot better
Is Recommendation Culture Making Us Act Nutso? via
I’ve been doing all sorts of recommendation based purchasing lately from booking travel to looking for summer shoes I can wear to the office and it can go from helpful to overwhelming really quickly. I know I’ve spent the last 6.5 years giving recommendations on the internet but I still (most) avoid the concept of absolutes because taste is subjective and priorities differ! Do I want to shop with no context on the internet? No but sometimes you can get lost.Something I do recommend is supporting local businesses for your errands, from pharmacies to tailors to cobblers. If you’re getting your wardrobe ready for summer, stop by Orchard Tailor Service Corp and Vince’s Village Cobbler.
Have a great rest of your day and don’t stare directly at the sun!
xo, Abigail