We Found Love
The joys of hosting, galentine's day, and really good salsa
I hope you all enjoyed last night’s Rihanna concert and are feeling all the love this week. As I told Fresh Starts Registry, Valentine’s Day is all about love and friendship and I hope you are being gentle with yourself this week and always. I’ve heard from a few of you that you are keeping the Gentle January spirit going and it’s a big reminder for myself to be gentle and keep doing things with intention and grace.
I’m taking the afternoon off after teaching a cooking class and hosting friends yesterday, which was such a blast. I sometimes look at my disorganized cabinets and wonder why I have so many plates and random containers when, most of the time, Dale and I eat on the couch out of the same few things. Having my apartment full of friends and food helped me see the clutter in a new way—it’s there so I can open my home to people and make them feel comfortable. When they say, “do you have a…?” I can say, “absolutely.”
Navigating my schedule as a self employed person is always a journey and I’m trying to be more in control of my time and protect when I’m not working. Thursday’s subscriber newsletter will be an update on what I do for work these days. It’s been over six months since I went full time freelance and I want to share what’s going on, especially since you all are a huge part of what made it possible to make that leap. I’m also close to finalizing our first event of the year so look out for an announcement soon!
Now, let’s dive in.
Something to cook:
Our first day back from California, I needed to find lunch and the fridge was bare. Divya’s kitchari packet came to the rescue. I made the bold one and added frozen spinach for a well balanced and easy lunch (the box is about two servings).
Another staple of mine is a quesadilla with black beans. I mash the beans slightly with seasonings and serve it with avocado and whatever vegetables I have. Flour tortillas freeze well so I can always have them on hand.
Continuing my obsession with frozen broccoli, I roasted some with everything but the bagel seasoning and served with tofu, rice, Bowlcut BBQ sauce (coat the tofu in the sauce after you bake or pan fry it) and yuzu mayo. Very easy and mostly hands off dinner.
Hannah hosted a fabulous Galentine’s Day gathering and the snacks were very on theme. She had sweet candy trays, cheese, and a heart shaped cake that was absolutely delicious. The extra cranberries were perfect for serving with prosecco and it was a blast to spend time with so many smart and funny women.
For the Super Bowl, I did a potluck since I was also teaching a meal prep class that day. The contributions were excellent (buffalo cauliflower dip, blondies, stromboli, spindrift, and more) and made hosting so much easier. I made a big pan of nachos using the tips from last week and some chips that Vista Hermosa sent over (I mixed the yellow and blue chips). I hand grated cheddar and jack cheese and baked the chips with cheese, black beans, and pickled jalapeños. For toppings, I added avocado chunks, radishes, cilantro, scallions, sour cream with lime juice and I served hot sauce (Cholula) and the roasted tomato onion salsa from Our Pantry on the side. Side note: this salsa is so good, it’s more expensive than a grocery store one but also tastes way more complex and I got multiple compliments on it.
I also made some ranch dip with Burlap & Barrel’s ranch seasoning. I used this recipe as a guide and used a mix of sour cream and Greek yogurt.
Something to order:
Our flight landed at JFK around 9 and we went straight to Dani’s House of Pizza in a cab. We had the driver wait (and offered him pizza) while we ran in and got slices, plain and pesto. Dani’s sweet sauce is what I was raised on (my family used to live in Kew Gardens) and it’s still so good.
Erica, Juliana, and I had a cozy catchup at Café Paulette. The space smelled like fresh bread and was so charming and I loved my Arnold Palmer with hibiscus tea.
The Dead Rabbit is turning 10 and they hosted a panel as part of the celebration all about the future of the bar industry. I got to try their signature Irish coffee, which I had never tried, and it was so good but not too sweet, like a dessert and drink in one.
Alicia and I grabbed dinner before an event at Mo’s General, a newish pizza place. It used to be more of a shoppy shop but they’ve shifted the space into a full restaurant that’s very cute. They have square pies and slices and thinner bar pies. We tried both and the greek salad and it was really good (I especially liked the square pie).
Pizza was a prelude to a celebration for Curious Elixirs, a NA drinks brand celebrating its eighth birthday (they release a new flavor every year). It was a great event with tarot readings, burlesque performers, and a chance to sample the drinks (Number 1 was my favorite of the ones I tried).
Something to read:
I share more reads every Thursday for paid subscribers!
A love letter to restaurant cooks
As grocery prices climb, millions of New Yorkers brace for the end of pandemic-era food stamps
Kareem’s thoughts on LeBron passing his all time scoring records and what it was like at the game
Resy hasn’t won the reservation wars yet from
(I personally would like reservations to be less mandatory—spontaneity has still not returned in full force).Being a restaurant regular is the best
This one-woman brewery brings Middle Eastern flavor back to craft beer
It’s just not that deep (most of the time)
I love this! Meet The Modern Farmers Creating Public Oyster Gardens.
Gen Z insights from the Super Bowl
Talking Black Liberation with Monique Melton
So many restaurants are making their way to the supermarket aisles. Oset covered the trend, the risks, and the payoff.
Therapy Is Great, but Have You Also Tried Making Yogurt?
Making Sense of My Identity Through a Puerto Rican Cookbook
Today’s Prep Style Wouldn’t Exist Black Culture
What Happens When You Become Viral Content Without Your Consent
This week, I’d love to hear about your go to potluck dish. If someone asks you to bring something, what’s your first instinct? I always like to bring dessert or salad and my parents always used to bring crudites and a dip. Reply to this email or leave a comment with your contributions.
I’ll see you on Thursday and send you lots of love in the meantime!
xo, Abigail
A homemade spinach dip or guacamole with chips. I think I’m very much an appetizer person.