Where are you a regular?
Mark your calendar for a cider filled happy hour
Hi friends,
Welcome to This Needs Hot Sauce, a weekly newsletter about cooking, dining out, and making the most of it. We’re having a happy hour very soon at Brooklyn Cider House and I would love to see you there! Come hang on August 22nd at 6:30 p.m. We’ll have patio space, happy hour deals, and live music. I hosted a happy hour there last year and it was one of my favorite events (see a recap here). You can RSVP by replying to this email or commenting here! Friends are welcome, just let me know so we have enough space reserved!
Now, let’s dive in.
Something to cook:
Summer is an incredible time to cook and I was so ready to get back in the kitchen after being away.
I came home one evening with an urge to bake and fortunately had all the ingredients for tahini blondies in the house. The recipe from Tasting Table Cooking with Friends is so good (I suggest using Soom tahini and adding some extra sesame seeds to the topping) and very quick to assemble, no special equipment required. Everyone who saw me for the next few days got to try some.
Leah and Lizzi moved in together and their new place is right near me! They came over for dinner and we made zucchini quesadillas. The filling is really good! I added a layer of refried beans, which I jazzed up with sauteed onion, cumin and chili powder. Without the beans, you’d definitely need a side dish. If you’re making quesadillas for a crowd, assemble them on a sheet pan before you start cooking them. It makes things less stressful when you’re flipping them. And a toppings bar with avocado, jalapeño, salsa, and hot sauce is essential.
The theme of the weekend was tomato. Julia picked up some from the greenmarket on friday that we ate with balsamic drizzle while the quesadillas cooked. Then we had some with breakfast Saturday, a riff on breakfast tacos with scallions and Valentina.
Needing reinforcements, we headed to the McCarren Park Greenmarket and got some smaller tomatoes. Good tomatoes demand good bread and cheese so we stopped at Nick and Sons for bread and Campbell Grocery for housemade mozzarella (both of which were made that day). The resulting toast was pretty perfect, bits of tomato and mozzarella topped with flakey salt on seedy bread.
Another great combo is tomato and strawberry. I had a dish at Loring Place that combined the two and used that as inspiration for a salad last night. If you cut the pieces the same size, the two fruits play well together.
Something to order:
On my first day back, I had the chance to attend a Mets Game to celebrate all the women vendors in Citi Field. I attended the stadium food preview a few months back so it was great to see the stadium in action, especially since the Mets are playing so well. I know a lot of you are Mets fans and I’m a Queens girl myself, so I love sharing ballpark tips. Some things to look for: Emmy Squared Pizza, which is sold by the whole and half pie, Ramona spritzes, which are sold at the regular beer stands, and Destination Dumplings (owned by men). Their vegan edamame dumplings are so good and it’s a healthyish ballpark meal that will leave you room for dessert (Dulcinea churros, La Newyorkina popsicles or ice cream). If you try any of these this season, please let me know on Instagram!
I had the distinct honor of bringing three friends to Win Son for the first time (Isa, Sarah, and Delia, it was a pleasure). Going with a big group is great because you can try more of the menu. Favorite dishes included the cucumbers, the pea shoots, the sloppy bao, and the lou rou fan. Julia and I even got to try their dessert for the first time (we’re usually too full). It’s an ice cream sandwich on a bun with condensed milk, cilantro, and peanuts and it’s brilliant. The sweet and savory elements play off each other so well.
Sarah and I hung out so much last week which I loved. We worked out of Hunky Dory one day, which continues to be a great place to work. It’s got sparkling water on tap, outlets at the bar and an all day menu with options from hangover curing egg sandwiches to yogurt with berries, thyme, and puffed quinoa. Big fan.
Dale got brunch twice this weekend at Mesa Coyoacan and I was lucky enough to accompany him on Sunday. We sat outside and ate delicious enfrijoladas with their housemade salsas (there are four kinds, the habanero one is really good). I wrote about one of their signature dishes last year and have gone back many times since.
Hayley’s in town and we got to check out the Camp exhibit at the Met, which left me confused about what camp is (at one point they said there were 18 statements that defined it, but those weren’t clearly displayed). The final room is cool, but it’s not a must visit. What is a must visit is the Met roof, which has a different sculpture installation each summer. This year’s is really cool and space themed and the views are great. The food is airport quality and priced accordingly. Drinks are crazy expensive as well. The move: If you’re a New York resident, pay $1 to enter the Met (the Met should be free) and then get a $10 beer. Bam, a cultural outing for $11.
Something to read:
Need to try this pasta next time I’m in LA
Loved this profile of baker Zoe Kanan, who takes each job as an opportunity to learn as much as she can.
Why babies are taking over bars (this is an epidemic in Brooklyn)
Adam Platt explores the world of salad chains
Why women in the wine industry stay silent about abuse and a thoughtful interview with winemaker Martha Stoumen
Loling at Justin Theroux’s “dive bar” with $12 beer and shot combos.
From my friend Melissa: Plastic bags feel integral to modern life. But they're a relatively new addition we could live without.
A fun piece on getting cooking inspiration from restaurant dishes
I’m rereading Heartburn right now and ready for any and all Nora Ephron content. This, on the tenth anniversary of her last film, Julie and Julia, hit the spot
How Claire Saffitz has learned to embrace failure
Behind the rise of party bikes in cities like Nashville
A week in the life of Deb from Smitten Kitchen (thanks Hillary for sharing)
This Ask Polly about food allergies is bonkers
A rice paddy flourishes in Lower Manhattan (I went to the opening of this and it’s very cool to see how much it’s grown)
Jenny Zhang wrote a great piece on what the food scenes in The Farewell meant to her. It’s a great movie if you haven’t seen it.
Francesca Chaney is a local legend. The Chef on a Mission to Bring Soulful, Healthy Food to All of Brooklyn
Very good tips on taking care of yourself while traveling.
How Bouza is made
Now, let’s hear your tomato thoughts.
Carolyn knows how to take advantage of the season: Tomato sandwiches are the best: Italian bread, tomatoes, coarse salt, and mayo. Potato chips on the side. Another favorite is tomato basil pie. I make several every summer and never get tired of it. I also make a lot of bruschetta and salsa with my garden tomatoes. Another recent favorite is grilled cheese with Alta Badia and Fontina cheeses, tomato, and pesto. So good.
Paige has me adding feta cheese to my grocery list: My go-to tomato dish when they're at peak is sliced with chunks of really good feta (only in brine), basil, olive oil, salt, and pepper. If I have corn or watermelon I add that too, the sweetness makes it even better. OR sliced on really good fresh sourdough with a light swipe of mayo and lots more salt and pep.
Julianne has some west coast tomato tips: The tomatoes in Washington are amazing but my favorite are actually the ones Jessica grew in her garden!!! I used them to make a MEAN guacamole (because avocados are dirt cheap on the west coast - great for millenial homeowners-to-be) and also... a Very Abigail salad! I sliced lemon cucumber (omg! so good!), Jessica's tomatoes (which I first salted before adding into the bowl), and some of her basil, and squeezed some very good lemon over it + olive oil drizzle + cracked black pepper + more salt bc duh. I only wish I could have shared it with you, my favorite foodie!
This week, I want to talk about being a regular. I did a poll on Instagram and 76% of you are regulars somewhere! I love that and want to know more! There was a great story a few months ago about people who have been regulars for decades. I consider myself a regular at Win Son, a local bar, and a few coffee shops. It’s important to remember that being a regular is a two way street. There are perks, but you’ve got to be a good person/customer. Tip well, go on weekdays, and express genuine interest in the business and the people who work there. Reply to this email with your tales of being a regular. How did you become one? What do you love about it? I remember being a regular at a food cart in college (Magic Carpet for Penn ppl) and saying goodbye after graduation was so hard.
I’ll see you at happy hour in just ten days!
Happy eating and thanks for reading.
xo, Abigail