Two Hours of Commercial Free Music
The words you want to hear on the way to the beach
My anxiety is high right now and I know I’m not alone. The onslaught of bad news seems to accelerate each day and it’s so hard to strike the balance between staying informed and staying sane. It’s a privilege to be able to unplug in a safe place and it’s one everyone deserves. Some things that have made me feel better through a very hard week: grocery shopping for a neighbor through North Brooklyn Mutual Aid and committing to making August’s happy hour a fundraiser (save the date: August 25th and let me know if you’re a brand/organization that wants to get involved). One of the best moments of the week was on the drive to the Rockaways, which coincided with two hours of commercial free music. I love a good car radio session and to have a respite from commercials was such a gift. It was us and the music. We got there, found a spot thanks to some kind surfers, and proceeded to swim, eat cheese fries, and soak up the sun. What a gift.
I didn’t grow up especially enamored with America, though I did have an Old Navy flag shirt at some point. Once Bush beat Gore and we invaded Iraq, my parents and I had a lot more frank conversations about this county’s flaws and I’m grateful to them for their honesty (I was in elementary school at the time). I’ve learned a lot more since then and I’ll never stop learning of new horrors this country has perpetuated, both here and around the world. There are also endless stories of people fighting back, through all sorts of means, and those will continue for longer than the horrors will continue, I hope.
I’ve felt so appreciative of the TNHS community lately (and always) and on Thursday, I’m going to send out an intro thread so we can all get to know each other a little better.
Now, let’s dive in.
Something to cook:
Every week on Instagram, we do a cooking recap where you share the best things you’ve cooked this week. These roundups are a huge source of inspiration and this time it was immediate. Jess shared this Dubu Jorim, aka Korean braised tofu recipe she had made and I needed to make something for dinner and had all the ingredients. It was really flavorful and easy. I made broccoli and rice to accompany it and will have this recipe in my back pocket.
Tilden and I cooked a really good dinner for my second viewing of Fire Island. We used twice fried plantains for a riff on nachos, topping them with seasoned oyster mushrooms, black beans, and sliced jalapeños. We drizzled the whole thing with a chimichurri style sauce made with basil, cilantro, oregano, lemon juice, jalapeño, capers and olive oil and added some feta. They were so good and bright thanks to the sauce and the plantains were a perfect base.
Red Clay sent over their new seafood seasoning, Charleston Harbor, and it’s so good on popcorn with some nutritional yeast. ABIGAIL20 gets you 20% off anything on their site (not an affiliate code, just a discount for you).
Erica and I are in the midst of recipe testing for our July meal prep class (join us, it’s a fun and productive alternative to doomscrolling) and I made the peach pecan crisp for a barbecue on Julianne’s roof. It was a hit with vanilla ice cream and would also be great with yogurt.
Something to order:
Julia and I caught up at The Esters after a pretty draining day. It’s such a delightful spot, with pizzas, great wines, and kind people. We had the T-model pizza, burrata with cherry tomatoes, and some rosé.
After dinner, we walked to The Screen Door for ice cream. This was a recommendation from you (there are more in my ice cream highlight) and it was so good. I got soft serve, which satisfied a summer craving and Julia got moose tracks, a very fun flavor.
Erica and I had a working session at the new Talea in Cobble Hill. It’s a beautiful space with lots of outlets (key!) and strong wifi. We had coffee, kombucha and a snack plate as we planned out some exciting projects for the rest of the summer and beyond. Stay tuned…
Leah’s birthday party was at Gabriela’s in the East Village and I needed to grab a quick dinner beforehand. I stopped at Evil Katsu for a portabello sando, which was really good and big, served on soft milk bread. I also had a refreshing Japanese beer to cool down (they didn’t have bottled water or seltzer so it was the next best thing).
We had a lovely birthday dinner for Leah the next day at Ops (it’s cancer season and I have many cancers in my life to celebrate). Ops is great for a group because you can try many different pizzas and they have a wonderful natural wine selection, including magnums, which are extremely festive. The square pizza is their largest pizza and a must for groups and they’re very gracious about doing vegetarian versions of specials.
I had my first Rockaway beach day of the summer with Hillary, Julia, Julianne, and Ian and it was full of the hits! I got a Rippers veggie burger with American cheese and cheese fries with the cheese on the side (that way you can dip at your own pace and things don’t get soggy). The Rippers fries are really well seasoned and I look forward to them every year. Also, The Beachtender makes the best nutcrackers, with real fruit. Look for the guys wearing shirts with the logo.
Something to read:
How Erewhon’s head grocery buyer shops for the future.
The Burmese food scene of Tulsa
Everything you want to know about unions (this is focused on coffee shops, but widely applicable)
The Medieval Times workers are unionizing
How to support abortion access
A wonderful itinerary for Valle de Guadalupe
Recipes worth putting on a tombstone
Romance novels are increasingly getting hot and heavy in the kitchen
Inside Nancy Meyers’ Los Angeles home
Rent Prices Growing Four Times Faster Than Income. Things are not okay.
Lessons From the Terrible Triumph of the Anti-Abortion Movement
Katy put together some very thorough grief resources, in case you need
It’s Nora Ephron tomato sauce season (I need to try it)
National Media Hyped My City’s Bar Scene. Locals Are Losing Out.
This book is high on my TBR. Honey & Spice Is the Ultimate Summer Romance. Author Bolu Babalola also wrote a lovely piece about why being a romantic is hopeful, not hopeless.
People who go to the supermarket several times a week sometimes just to browse, I see you and I am you.
What can we do now that Roe v. Wade is overturned
For VinePair, I wrote about some notable hotel bars! Save it for your future trip planning.
This week, let’s do a round of rose, bud, thorn. That’s where you share something good, something tough, and something you’re looking forward to. My rose is the day I spent at the beach this weekend, my thorn is the never ending wave of gun violence in this country, and my bud is watching Dirty Dancing this week with Oset (I love a summer movie)! Reply to this email with yours!
I’ll see you Thursday for our introductions and hang in there!
xo, Abigail