When It's Too Hot To Cook, Plus Philly's Best Eats

Hi friends,

Welcome to This Needs Hot Sauce (And Other Food Thoughts), a newsletter sharing something to cook, somewhere to eat out, and something to read. I'm a native New Yorker who spends far too much time thinking and reading about food. I love helping people find better things to eat and solving problems, so let me know how I can help.

This week, I'm looking forward to hosting a This Needs Hot Sauce Supper club and am reading so much about the Royal Wedding. Anyone else?


Something to cook:
This week's recipe comes from my friend Molly. She's made this peanut-chicken stew a few times and swears by it. The leftovers are great and the ingredients are affordable. To make a vegetarian version, she recommends adding sweet potatoes with the tomatoes and letting them simmer. Can't wait to try!

African Chicken Peanut Stew from the book Stews: 200 earthy, delicious recipes, by Jenna Holst.
Ingredients:

Chicken--

1-2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1 1/2 inch strips (use as much chicken as you would like in the final dish. 2lbs is sometimes a bit too much if you like more sauce)

juice of 1/2 lemon 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon peanut oil (or any vegetable oil you have on hand)

Sauce--

1 tablespoon peanut oil 

3 bunches of scallions, white part only, sliced (I often leave this out to save $$$)

1 medium onion, diced

2 medium green bell peppers, diced (can use any color bell pepper, though)

3 plump cloves garlic, minced

1 1/-inch piece fresh ginger, minced

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 cups peeled chopped tomatoes (you can use a 28oz can of either whole or diced. If I'm lazy I do diced and just throw the whole can in. Minus the can itself of course.)

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1/4- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (I usually do a whole teaspoon)

1/3 cup natural peanut butter (try the fresh ground peanut butter from Whole Foods!)

1 1/4 cups chicken broth or water (you can add a bit more than this if you want more sauce)

 

1. Rub the chicken pieces with the lemon juice and season them with salt. Set aside for 10-15 minutes.

2. In a stewpot over medium heat, heat the peanut oil. Working in batches, if necessary, add the chicken pieces and cook until they turn white, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. 

3. In the same pot over medium heat, heat the rest of the peanut oil. Add the scallions, onion, and bell peppers. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and chili powder and cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, thyme, and crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the peanut butter; stir until blended evenly. Add the broth and cook for 5 minutes. 

4. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Return the chicken to the pot. Simmer uncovered until the sauce is reduced and quite thick, and the chicken is tender, about 30-40 minutes. 

I usually eat this with rice!

Thanks, Molly!

What's for dinner? Stuffed Shells! I hadn't had them in years but a group of us made them for dinner and it was so nostalgic and delicious. We used this recipe and I highly recommend it. Instead of trying to spoon the filling in without breaking the shells, you squeeze it through a plastic bag, which is really fun. It's a two person assembly job but you can definitely drink wine as you go. We served this with roasted broccoli and garlic bread, duh. Buy Rao's marinara if you can. 


Finally, chickpea pasta rules. We always add spinach and sundried tomatoes, and this weekend, we added peas (and an episode of the OC). *Chef's kiss*

Something to order:
The Hot Honey cocktail at Bushwick Public house is an excellent blend of tequila, sriracha, honey, pineapple. Yes, please.


Lalito is still one of my favorite spots for a group dinner in Manhattan (shoutout to the PiLA crew). The bathroom is fun (trust me on this one), the food is well-priced, their wine list is great (we got the cheapest white and it turned out to be a liter, what a win). I always order the vegan caesar and the cheese appetizer with pickled onions.

After dinner at Lalito, Sarah and I went to Whiskey Tavern around the corner and it was a delight. The bartenders introduced themselves, printed us a welcome sign from the printer downstairs (not in a creepy way, I promise) and we made friends with a woman on a solo date next to us. Definitely will be back.

There's a Cava in Soho now and it's lovely. Get a huge, healthy dinner for $10 and eat in the backyard with your friends. They offer unlimited toppings and I really like their dips and falafel. Extra pickled banana peppers, please.

Emma and I ate a wonderful Greek dinner at Bahari Estiatorio on Friday and it was so good (and affordable). Get the dips platter and the large carafe of wine (which must have been at least a bottle). The small would be good for up to 3 people and the eggplant was our favorite. The back room is really pretty with lots of plants and it's fun to see groups celebrating birthdays or celebrating that it's (finally) Friday night. Friday nights are busy so try to arrive on the earlier side. Also: I took three subways to get here and it only took 40 minutes, so anything is possible. Do you have any Astoria favorites? Want to go back soon.


I spent three hours at the Brooklyn Cider House and learned so much about cider making, the history of the beverage, and what goes into building a business. Read more about this on Bushwick Daily and let's go drink cider soon.

Duck Duck after midnight on a Saturday is always a good time. 

Similarly, the morning after Duck Duck, Eastwick brunch is always a good idea. It's a prix fixe for $16 with coffee, an entree, and a bloody mary or mimosa. Not too shabby. 

 

Coffee hot spots:
I visited the City of Saints Roastery which smells way more like coffee than a typical shop. It's a converted garage and right now the door is open, so there's tons of light and fresh air. I went for the first time Tuesday and came back on Friday so I'm a fan. There's wifi for working (but no bathroom, which is annoying) and you can also try their coffee at the East Village location. A Bryant Park shop is coming soon. 


The West really is such a solid spot (and has maybe been mentioned in the last 6 newsletters). But hey, if you need work or play, coffee or a cocktail or a kombucha, this place has your back.

Now for a very special Philly dispatch:
Philadelphia is one of my favorite cities and I'm going for Memorial Day weekend. Nicole and I went to Penn together and now she's back to become a badass lawyer and discovering even more great places. Here are her top three spots (I've been to Cheu and Independence and can't wait to try Suraya):

Independence Beer Garden
When I think summer, I think Independence. It’s truly committed to providing everything winter can't offer—larger than life board games and drinking outside under twinkling lights, to name a few. The food is often fried and happily shared amongst a group. Most recently, I tried the sliders, spiced popcorn (packs a punch!), and pretzel bites, which all paired perfectly with completing my first year of law school and a bourbon mule. All you need for a good night at the Independence Beer Garden is a pitcher of your favorite beer and a friend or two to play ping pong with. And speaking of hot sauce: don’t sleep on the fries with chipotle ketchup.
 
Suraya
Everything you see when you walk into Suraya is colorful and vibrant: the orange and white tile, the deep red shelves full of ceramic bowls and artisan chocolates, the row of bright white stools in front of the green and blue bar. And while I could spend a whole day at Suraya because of the atmosphere alone, the real star is the breakfast and/or lunch. The yogurt bowls (Tehina, Citrus, or Éclat Chocolate, each with a healthy portion of goodies for crunch) complement any order or work as a standalone midday snack. Then there are Lebanese specialties, like the za’atar man’oushe flatbread and the kafta kabab sandwich (ground beef, hummus, and French fries; spiced with sumac). Or, try the more familiar brunch items infused with Lebanese flair and damn fresh ingredients, like the zucchini and feta omelette, served under a heaping pile of green herbs and with a freshly baked pita. And if you’re smart, you’ll order one of the tantalizing pastries—they’ll be staring you down as you order at the counter, regardless.

 
Cheu Noodle Bar
Cheu Noodle Bar is never not bustling. There is a new, larger location across town, but this is a blurb about the original in all its tiny charm. For the full immersive experience, hang out along the ramen-and-mural-decorated back wall (I’m talking literal ramen noodles as decoration) and sip on sake or the cocktail of the day while you wait for a table or a seat at the bar. Owners Ben Puchowitz and Shawn Darragh make no promises of authenticity but deliver unique, consistently delicious, and usually spicy bowls of ramen. Bowls like the Brisket Ramen (kimchi, sesame red chili broth, matzo ball) or the Coconut Curry Noodles (spicy carrot pickles, basil, peanut sambal) are so filling you’ll roll out the door—but that shouldn’t deter you one or more of the ever-rotating small plates, which always feature some stellar vegetables and the occasional dumplings. From personal experience, Cheu is highly knowledgeable about and delightfully accommodating with their food, so vegetarians or the gluten-free need not be shy. 


P.S. I visited Nicole in November, check out a few more suggestions here. 

Something to read:
This new spot in Caroll Gardens sounds great 

I really enjoyed the Ugly Delicious episode on Fried Rice, and also racism. 

Another reason to visit Lalito: What it's like to be Queer, Trans, Black, and a Line Cook. 

A truck carrying tons of chocolate overturned in Poland 

I used to watch the Rachael Ray talk show every day when I got home from school so this profile was a real treat. 

These roundups of new Trader Joe's products are always very funny 

An ode to the airport bar.  Julia and I will always have Tootsie's in the Nashville airport.

An antidote to a bad commute or a bad week: 101 things to love about New York City. Many are food related. 

Are straws on the way out? I'm not ready to carry around a metal one but have stopped using them if I get an iced drink to stay. 

A beautiful read about baking a birthday cake 

The potential environmental benefits of oat milk.

Big questions: Where are all the black restaurant critics? 

I will read pretty much anything Alyssa Shelasky writes and loved this essay about loneliness and a vegetable sandwich.

Deb Perelman talks cookbook writing and plans her last supper on part two of the Secret Sauce podcast. 

I wrote two stories for Bushwick Daily: one about drinking wine in Bushwick parks (a summer vibe) and one about Brooklyn Cider House. 

Now let's talk about hot weather cooking:
My dad was quick to recommend a multi bean salad with very minimal stovetop use, a key approach.

In general, these categories of foods work well in the heat; sandwiches, salads, and things you blend (smoothies, soups, frozen drinks). Stocking up on frozen veggies also helps.

I like this list and also try to maximize kitchen time.

If you decide to turn on your stove, get a few burners going (make some farro, blanch some veggies, soft boil some eggs, stirfry some tofu) to make the most of it. If you dare turn on your oven, make sure both racks are full. I never regret having roasted sweet potatoes around and you can set them up and then hide in your cooler room for 40 minutes.

As for foods themselves, summer is about hydration, so consider eating more cucumbers, corn, zucchini, berries, and mango. Spicy foods can also be very cooling. I love this zucchini side dish, these fritters, kimchi fried rice, hummus with a massive salad on top, watermelon vodka coolers (a Koffler classic, my parents used to make for Fourth of July)

Any tips I missed? Send them my way. Next week, we'll be talking about dinner parties so reply to this email with your questions/horror stories/favorite recipes/keys to success. 

Have the best week. I hope it involves drinking outside.

Happy eating and thanks for reading.
xo,
Abigail