I ate a feather-light, towering slice of strawberry shortcake, then another for good measure. Zach had to pass, poor thing. But our gracious hosts, always prepared, emerged again with a container of homemade chocolate covered dates filled with pistachio butter and sprinkled with salt, made by Brian’s sister. They were divine and immediately became a staple in my own freezer.

I think dates are a hot girl food. I was late to the party, I’ll admit — something about the gooey texture and intense sweetness used to freak me out (I know, wtf was wrong with me). But those chocolate covered dates flipped a switch for me, and now I can’t get enough. I like spiced baked chicken and rice with olives, dates, and shallots. I stock my freezer with halved dates with a teaspoon of nut butter inside, enrobed in dark chocolate. My favorite lately: a fudgy Medjool date stuffed with a teaspoon of cashew butter and half a tablespoon of dark chocolate chips, then covered with fleur de sel. And my make-ahead breakfast of choice: baked banana oatmeal with chopped dates and cinnamon, arguably the best use for ripe bananas known to mankind.

So good, right? I once made it, as written, for some guests and everyone was very pleased. You need:

• 2 cups rolled oats

• 2 ripe mashed bananas

• 3 chopped Medjool dates

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp cinnamon (or more)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract (or more)

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

Here’s how to make it:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper

• Mash bananas, then add egg, and beat with a fork to combine

• Add in chopped dates, cinnamon, vanilla, baking powder, and salt, then combine; fold in oats

• Pat into the pan using a spatula (or clean hands)

• Bake for 20 minutes, then let cool for at least 5 minutes. Slice + serve, either alone or with nut butter. Store leftovers in fridge and eat within a few days, reheating in microwave, toaster oven, or air fryer.

Note: I also sometimes make these in a cupcake pan, although I am currently out of cupcake liners and kind of don’t care enough to buy more right now. If you go that route, this recipe will also make 6 baked oatmeal cups and you should bake it for just 15 minutes.

Another note: Nuts would go crazy in this, as would other kinds of dried fruit. Also, go ahead and put protein powder in it if you want, you freak. You probably won’t be able to taste it, but I will.

The other best way to eat dates is, as mentioned, stuffed with nut butter and chocolate chips. Something about the cool date, fresh from the fridge, mild cashew butter, and toothsome (literally the only word I could think of to describe this texture and I’m sorry) chocolate chips evokes the distinct feeling of eating a ball of cookie dough, one of the most delicious and forbidden treats on earth. A sprinkle of Maldon salt takes it to the next level. I eat one every night for dessert lately, opting for this cashew butter and stevia-sweetened chocolate chips. The dates must be Joolies, or at the very least, Medjool. Lesser dates are for lesser treats.

Tip from my friend Emily, another convert:

This treat really has helped me keep my shit together this summer in a lot of ways and I’m grateful. No further questions about that statement.

What else, what else? I’m gardening, which you may have heard, and experimenting with planting tomatoes, as well as radishes, arugula, and a variety of herbs. Gardening is life-affirming, full-stop. Highly recommend. Zach and I are going to Paris, Sorrento, and Rome next week and I am going to burst with excitement thinking about seeing art and walking and eating fresh bread and shopping markets and swimming in the sea. We are staying on a family-owned organic lemon farm in Sorrento where the matriarch will cook us dinner if she feels like it! Because of a traumatic loss of luggage on an international family trip in 2015, I no longer am willing to bring a checked bag on a multi-city trip, so I will be planning my outfits strategically and packing with extreme space efficiency. I am very excited for this challenge.

ANYWAY — love you, miss you, thanks for reading as always my friends, wear sunscreen! Bye!

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Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups finely ground almond flour (I like Trader Joe’s or Bob’s Red Mill)

• 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut (I like Baker’s)

• 3 tbsp white granulated sugar

• 4 tbsp packed brown sugar

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp vanilla extract (or follow your heart like I do)

• handful of chocolate chips (walnuts are also delicious here)

Method: Preheat oven to 320F. Combine dry ingredients (almond flour, shredded coconut, white sugar, brown sugar, salt, and baking powder) in a bowl. Add in vanilla and egg and beat to combine. Fold in chocolate chips and any other add-ins. Roll into 12 balls, bake on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet for 15 minutes or until they’re cooked through with slightly, slightly golden edges. Please, please let them cool before serving — this is so important because it helps them maintain their chewy texture. Promise me! ET VOILA!!!

What else is new with you? Do you have a cooking or hosting question for me where I can offer some thought partnership? Drop it below via comment section and I will answer them in the newsletter this calendar year within a few weeks at some point. Thanks for being patient with me. I’m tired. Have the most beautiful holidays, don’t take anything personally, don’t talk politics, don’t comment on what other people eat, and don’t get too wine drunk. Love you! Byeeeeee!!!

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Zach and I have a tradition of making Thanksgiving sandwiches with all the leftovers and eating them for lunch on Friday. (So original, I know.) For this sandwich, in past years, I’ve gotten fresh sourdough from our local bakery, but last year as I got more and more into making my own bread, I made focaccia — specifically this recipe — and decided to experiment with adding in a whole two caramelized sweet onions into the dough.

Let me tell you - it was inspired. I had to bake it a little longer than usual because of the added moisture (eyeballed it in the oven, as you should) but once it was baked into a beautiful slab, it made the most perfect sandwich bread imaginable to compliment the once-a-year treat that is Thanksgiving leftovers.

How to do it:

• thinly slice (mandolin is ideal) 2 medium or large sweet white or yellow onions

• salt them, then cook them down at medium-low in a skillet in olive oil or butter until golden brown and gooey

• assemble the focaccia dough per this recipe in a bowl

• fold in the caramelized onions

• let the focaccia dough rise as directed in the recipe

• bake as directed, adding time in the oven as needed to ensure it cooks through

With a little time and patience I promise you the best bread for the best Thanksgiving leftover sandwich. (This also slays, hard, alongside a bowl of soup, and it freezes in cubes nicely as well.) Please, please make this one, and you better text me if you do.

What else is on the docket this week? At my friend Dara’s wedding, while getting ready, the rest of the girls and I were served a crudités platter with some of the best ranch I’ve ever tasted. When I got back home I immediately purchased a pound of organic celery and cut it into perfect little sticks and have been using it as a vehicle for homemade tahini buffalo dip — made with tahini, lime, soy sauce, Cholula, nutritional yeast, and onion salt — and have been on a celery trip. Also, beet salad similar to the one I had at 12 Chairs a few weeks ago: diced cooked beets, white wine vinegar, salt, pepper, olive oil, dried oregano, and goat cheese, although I think it would be equally delicious with some whole milk Greek yogurt. Turkey wraps with yellow mustard and mayo and hot honey, leading me to ask myself the question: does anyone else besides me like yellow mustard? I think yes.

Okay, that’s it from me! Miss you and sorry this isn’t as frequent as it used to be. I have a lot going on but more than that I am not feeling quite as inspired to cook lately — not in like a depressed way but more like a “Trader Joe’s chicken shumai and a sliced cucumber actually make a really good lunch” way. I think creativity and energy ebb and flow. But I’ll be back soon. In the meantime, just wanna tell you that my air fryer is on sale for Black Friday in case you need one. This thing really did change my life.

Happy Thanksgiving — grateful for you for reading!! xoxo BYEEEE

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Anyway, if you want to know what stole my heart so instantly that I had to sit down and open up Substack and get click-clacking, it’s this red lentil “tofu”. I put tofu in quotes because although many people on the internet call this tofu], I felt this was more of a little polenta cube or even a croquette. Like a little creamy potatoey thing. All made with, like, 50 cents of red lentils! My mom is always bugging me to eat more protein and this somehow makes protein taste like carbs, therefore it’s my kind of protein source. Absolute alchemy.

This was the method:

• Soak 1 cup of uncooked split red lentils, a pinch of salt, and 3 cups of boiling water for 15 minutes

• Transfer to a blender and then blend until smooth

• Transfer to a saucepan and cook it down on medium until the mixture becomes thick and shiny

• Put it in a glass dish (I used a square Pyrex, but could have easily used a glass container) and let it set in the fridge for around 20-30 minutes — no need to grease it or anything!

• Turn it out onto a cutting board (it should slide out easily) and cut it into cubes

• Air fry or bake with seasonings of your choice as you would with regular tofu (I did salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, and onion powder)

For better step-by-step instructions than the ones I’ve written with photos just look at one of the recipes I linked and you’ll figure it out — this is a very, very easy recipe and I trust you’ll catch on.

What else is new? Our toaster oven broke so I broke down and got this combo air fryer/toaster oven. Have to say it’s absolutely revolutionized my time in the kitchen because it just cooks everything so damn fast. I’m still getting used to its sheer power and have burnt my fair share of things in there lately. But wow. Vegetables, frozen dumplings, chicken meatballs, leftovers, pita pizza — actually on another level. I’ve also been off social media for a month so if you’re reading this you’re a real one who subscribes instead of getting it off of my story. I appreciate you. I just felt like the noise was just getting so loud in my brain — like when I would lay down to sleep I would have viral audio in my head. Tired of influencer voice. Tired of videos of people doing podcasts. I’m trying to be more present and more still.

We just got back from our annual family trip to the Berkshires, a newer Weiner family tradition, where we hiked and grilled and picked blueberries. My sister Rissy made a perfect blueberry pie and this amazing corn pasta that we were eating cold the next day with our fingers. The mosquitoes mostly stayed at bay because I doused myself in bug spray, which I don’t mind because the smell reminds me of summers past. We packed a picnic of pesto pasta, poached salmon, watermelon, and wine (how’s that for alliteration?) to go to Tanglewood to see the legendary James Taylor under the stars. I saw a shooting star — a truly unambiguous one! Food and cooking are big parts of our family.

I’ve been making my own sourdough and I got pretty decent at it — nothing like the beautiful round decorative loaves you’d see on Instagram, but nice and tasty and free of weird preservatives. I make about a loaf a week, slice it up, and keep it in the freezer for easy toasting. The process of learning to make sourdough — and starting my starter from scratch — has been one of trial and error and intuition, and I’m certainly not an expert yet, but if you’re interested in learning, I’d recommend starting with this video from Artisan Bryan and this article from Alexandra Cooks, two chefs whose content I trust when it comes to baking bread. There’s also nothing wrong with baking bread with commercial yeast which is generally foolproof and reliable — this recipe from King Arthur is my go-to non-sourdough rustic bread recipe.

What’s on the menu this week? Summer produce is upon us — kind of — although I did get a bag of peaches from Trader Joe’s that smelled great but turned out to be kind of mushy. Those will become a peach crisp so I don’t waste them. The topping for that is made with equal parts oats, brown sugar, and almond flour, plus a shake of cinnamon and a pinch of salt, then just enough olive oil or melted butter to bind it together. (Bake at 350 until the fruit bubbles around the edges.) Lots of pickles, because it’s summer and they’re so refreshing. Iced green tea with lemon. Local zucchini in all its forms: roasted, air fried, parmed and zoodled. And marinated cherry tomatoes with fresh garlic and balsamic. Soooo good.

What’s happening in your kitchen — anything exciting? Is there something you want to cook but you need to talk it through first? I’ll be better about writing these, promise, but maybe you have home cooking questions I can help you answer and thereby gather inspiration?

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Anyway, thanks for your patience. If anything I think the red lentil tofu will be worth the wait. It’s amazing. I’m already thinking about when I can have it again. I’ll be back soon! Love ya! Bye!

Because New York is the greatest city in the world for Jewish women who love to get in other people’s business, a woman in her 70s materialized in front of me. She asked me if I had ever had Egyptian charoset. I had not. Naturally, she not only begins listing off the ingredients — she starts throwing them into my cart. I bought everything, because I believe women, and made the charoset.

Let me tell you: this delicious sweet and spicy concoction transformed my relationship to charoset. It’s colorful, flecked with currants, pistachios, and cayenne, and incredibly festive. Below are the ingredients:

• Green apple, grated (about 1/2 apple)

• Shredded coconut (handful)

• Currants, chopped (handful)

• Pistachios, finely chopped (handful)

• Cardamom

• Cinnamon

• Cayenne pepper

• Black pepper

• Orange zest and a little bit of juice

Unfortunately I don’t have specific amounts — do you think our ancestors had measuring cups?! — so as always, measure with your heart and taste as you go. You can serve this as little balls or as a paste and I promise you it’ll be a hit!

What’s on the menu this week? It’s Passover! We’re heading to Miami for a few days of family and sunshine. I’ve spent the last week trying to rustle up a beach day for myself. I’m also excited for some matzah brei — sweet over savory, of course, with butter, cinnamon and maple syrup. I miss my sourdough starter (we’ll talk about that another time — so much to fill you in on there).

Okay, that’s it from me! We’re off to the airport trying out Uber Shuttle for the first time — yay, pooled resources! Talk soon! Bye!

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Since making the decision to return to school, I’ve been preoccupied with packable lunch ideas. Criteria: doesn’t need to be heated; doesn’t smell strong; doesn’t make noise; is generally unoffensive to eat in a classroom, fits in my tiny but very handy RTIC lunchbox that is made of icepack material. So far, I have brought exclusively turkey sandwiches, almonds, string cheese, and Sumo oranges. A pesto pasta salad fortified with roasted tofu and baby arugula would also do just fine. Curries and dals, mainstays in my home, are off the table, as cumin-blasting a classroom just feels obnoxious, as would tuna.

Because a turkey sandwich needs no recipe, and I also didn’t photograph it at all, let me tell you a bit about some of the best things I’ve made lately besides that. First, this homey yet complex Ottolenghi braised chickpea dish with carrots and marinated feta. The dates and marinated feta are what makes this dish special for me, but my favorite thing about this recipe is its directive to pulse together the onions, garlic, ginger, and jalapeños in a food processor before sautéing, eliminating the need to dice onions or — even worse — grate ginger. I paired it with a buttery turmeric rice (recipe is as it sounds — toast uncooked jasmine rice in the pot with salted butter and turmeric, then cook as directed).

I’m back to my obsession with making this bread — this week’s loaf was cranberry walnut and it’s been delightful with some good butter and blueberry jam. There’s something so magical about making bread. Speaking of: I’m going to start experimenting with egg-free challah in preparation of the impending shortage. If you have a great vegan challah recipe you love, send it over — I’d love to hear about it.

What else is on the menu this week? There are tons of leftover bagels in my freezer right now and I’m itching to clear some space so Zach and I may enjoy some pizza bagels alongside a big kale salad. Chicken sausage with cauliflower rice and marinara sauce and lots of red pepper flakes, probably eaten in front of the couch under a blanket. I’m loving spicy lentil stews over rice and gigantic hearty salads right now chopped really small and loaded up with nutritious ingredients like chickpeas and cabbage. Lots of beans because I love them. For Valentine’s Day, you’ll find us at Cafe Spaghetti in Carroll Gardens sharing their eggplant parm, a bottle of house red, and their perfect tiramisu while gazing into each other’s eyes. Amore.

Okay — that’s it! Stay warm, stay vigilant, remember the sensational headlines are a distraction from the real issues. And please please let’s all promise to find joy every day. Love ya! Bye!

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The fact that I only get to enjoy these once a year recently got me thinking: how could I recreate the magic of these meatballs on a regular basis? Meatballs, particularly those of the poultry variety, can be healthy, inexpensive, and satisfying — why not attempt to make them fit into my meal rotation?

I decided to lighten them up, substituting dark meat chicken for white ground turkey (sorry), reducing the oil and breadcrumbs, and doing away with the butter entirely. My first iteration was a hit (in my house, between Zach and me, but a hit nonetheless) but you can of course adjust this recipe, as always, to your own tastes. I’m not a cop. Also, if you, like me, hate handling ice-cold raw ground meat with bare hands, go ahead and get some plastic gloves before starting. Here’s how I made them:

In a bowl, mush together:

• 1 lb ground turkey (I used white ground turkey)

• 1 egg

• 1/3 cup buffalo sauce or hot sauce of your choice (I use this one)

• 1/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Minced celery (optional — I didn’t have any this time)

• Salt and pepper to taste

Scoop it into 1-tbsp balls on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, then bake at 450F for 15 minutes or until cooked through. Optionally, you can toss them with additional buffalo sauce. I served them with roasted potato and carrot oven “fries.” (No, I don’t have an air fryer. I roast my vegetables in the oven because I’m an American, and that’s my right!)

What’s on the menu this week? Mushroom barley soup! A few weekends ago, my friend Gillian was visiting from DC, and we went to 2nd Ave Deli, where I had mushroom barley soup — it was just speaking to me. Since then, I’ve been craving it, so last week I made a massive pot — just onions, carrots, mushrooms, a cup of pearled barley, some Better than Boullion, and water. I also added a can of white beans for some extra fiber and protein. Highly, highly recommend — also freezes really well, because, well, it’s soup.

I also found myself with an entire container of sour cream that I didn’t end up using. To avoid waste, I made a big batch of these sour cream pancakes (just the pancakes, no toppings) and put them in a freezer bag so I could have pancakes whenever I wanted them. I made them with whole wheat flour and they reheat quite nicely in the microwave or oven, which I feel people don’t talk about enough. I love pancakes.

Speaking of pancakes, my new favorite way to eat oatmeal is in the form of pancakes, because, as previously mentioned, I love pancakes. In a blender, I blend together 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1 banana, 1 egg, 1 tsp baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. This creates a perfect pancake batter that is nutritionally identical to my morning oatmeal which, if we’re being honest, is not as good as pancakes. One more word about pancakes: if you’re not cooking them in butter you’re missing out.

“I had no idea Alex was so into pancakes!” - Everyone, probably. Well, I am.

What else? Lentil soup, specifically of the curry variety, kale pineapple smoothies, homemade pizza, salads with tahini Caesar dressing, and of course, the final boss of all comforting meals — spaghetti marinara with chicken sausage. Oh, and SUMO ORANGES are back!!! Yay!

Anyway, that’s it from me. I hope you make meatballs, soup, and pancakes because the world is cold and scary. Also, don’t forget that you still need to drink water even though it’s cold! (That’s a reminder for me, mostly.) OK! Love you! Bye!

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*I love the flavors of green bean casserole but require freshness and crunch in my green beans and ideally some jammy caramelized onions and mushrooms as well. Butter is necessary; cream is definitely not. And no canned soup — ew. My go-to is a riff on this recipe.

Caramelized onions just smell festive to me. I love making a big batch and using them as needed, and if it’s possible, I’m cooking them in a bit of salted butter. They’re great spooned into hummus or fava beans, mixed into a potato kugel, or — my personal favorite invention — stirred into focaccia dough.

First of all, there are a lot of resources out there that will teach you to caramelize onions, but the bottom line is that you have to do it low and slow, sweat those babies out, in a large, thick saucepan or Dutch oven. I add butter or oil, salt, pepper, and if I need to deglaze or want a little extra tang, a splash of white wine or white vermouth (I bought the sweet white kind once by accident, and because I find it undrinkable I use it for cooking exclusively). Caramelize onions however you know how; just use a fat and a salt and don’t raise the heat too much, but I trust you.

Anyway: the best thing you can do with your caramelized onions in my humble opinion (as a girl who, above all, loves bread) is stir a big scoop into bread dough: focaccia, challah, or otherwise. It adds this insane flavor and moisture and if I had a restaurant that would be the star of the bread basket.

Here’s how to make my caramelized onion focaccia: make the focaccia of your choice (you know I’m forever a fan of this one) and just stir a bunch of caramelized onions into the wet dough. That’s it! Then, bake it in a 9x13 pan (I line the pan with parchment paper, always, because I have something called dignity which precludes me from spending time scraping baked bits off a pan) so it rises high and fluffy — see below.

I promise you that this will be one of the easiest and most rewarding things you can make. Also, it makes unbelievable sandwich bread and freezes perfectly — just reheat in the microwave or oven.

What’s on the menu this week? It’s beyond frigid in New York right now, like really unpleasantly so, so soup and tea have been sorely needed. Last night I broke out this recipe for red curry lentils with sweet potato and spinach and added firm tofu for a little extra protein. I also got a big head (stalk?) of celery to make celery soup — a really simple soup I tried last year of celery, onion, and garlic, sautéed in a little salted butter and blended to a silky puree. One thing about me is that I rarely use broth or stock in my soups — I’m never that well-prepared — so I add water instead and just season a little extra. It works!

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the perfect Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches Zach and I made on Friday — on slabs of that caramelized onion focaccia, filled with sweet potato pie, turkey, cranberry sauce, and stuffing. It was perfection. I couldn’t even finish it, and had to take a nap afterwards to recover.

That’s all I got this week. Miss you, love you, stay warm! Drink lots of water! Bye!

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My version differs from Ruhama’s because I use different flavors and different cuts of chicken and less oil and also because as you know I’m not that good at measuring. The garlic cloves and sliced shallots or onions are non-negotiable, by the way — they bring this whole thing to another level.

What you’ll need, per two people:

• 2 large gold potatoes, cubed

• 2 chicken leg quarters on the bone

• 1 sliced shallot, or some of an onion

• 5-6 smashed cloves of garlic

• Salt and pepper

• Herbs de Provence blend (or any combination of dried thyme, rosemary, and oregano)

• Olive oil (1-2 tbsp)

• About 1/4 cup of water

Method:

1. Combine the potatoes, shallots, and garlic in a somewhat deep baking dish, like a glass Pyrex, seasoned generously with salt, pepper, herbs, and a little olive oil.

2. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, olive oil, and herbs as well, then lay the chicken on top of the potatoes.

3. Pour the water onto the potatoes so there’s just a little bit in the pan.

4. Cover the entire dish with tin foil.

5. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, then uncover and bake it for another 20-30 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked, the water has dissolved, the potatoes are soft and the skin is crispy. If you are a meat thermometer kind of girly, internal temperature should be 165 at the thickest point of the chicken.

6. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes, then serve with a lemony green salad.

Let me know if you try it. Ruhama makes it with a rub made of tomato paste, honey, garlic, smoked paprika, and lots of olive oil, which is delicious, but plain old herbs are my favorite.

What’s on the menu this week? Tonight I made quesadillas with black beans, kale, and cheddar. I actually made the tortillas from scratch this morning, but only because I overcooked a sweet potato and then decided to make these, on a whim, in my cast iron. They were pretty amazing. I prepped some grilled chicken, sliced and ready for a salad or a grain bowl. I haven’t made grilled chicken in a while because the inevitable smoke from the cast iron pan freaks me out, but I opened a window and I think it was worth it.

Last night, for date night, Zach and I decided to have a cozy night in with homemade pizza, kale caesar salad, and champagne — it’s fun and romantic to put on music and cook a meal together. I have to say it was some of the best homemade pizza I’ve ever made. Zach nearly proposed to me all over again when he took a bite. I dusted the crust with sesame seeds which totally brought it to another planet, and we did fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce, and yellow cherry tomatoes. As always, I used my girl Alexandra’s recipe for pizza crust. Since it was just the two of us, I made half of it and let it rise throughout the day.

Tomorrow, we’ll probably do this pasta with the rest of the yellow cherry tomatoes, garlic, and canned tuna in olive oil. I got a gigantic head of cauliflower and broke it down into florets (including the delicious leaves! don’t throw them out!!!!) so we’ll have roasted cauliflower in its various forms this week. Ditto with curly kale — I bought a gigantic bag so it’s going in everything, especially sautéed salt and garlic. Salt-flecked, chocolate-covered figs in a container in my fridge because I love them and my mom is visiting this week. And smoothies. Even though it’s cold out. I switched my normal pineapple-spinach-lime combo for apple-spinach-lemon instead because apples are abundant right now and they’re underrated in a smoothie. Try it!

That’s it from me. Try the chicken, okay? This week if you can? It’s so easy and elegant. It takes a little bit of planning ahead but it’s sooooo hands-off that anyone could make it. I believe in you! Love ya!

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a nine-inch round cake pan greased with olive oil and lined with a circle of parchment paper. (If you’re not using this trick, you should be!) Set it aside.

In a small bowl, mix together:

• 215 g almond flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

In a medium bowl, mix together:

• ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

• 243 g sugar

• 3 eggs, beaten to blend

• lemon zest to taste

• 1 tsp almond extract

Add the contents of the smaller bowl into the larger bowl and gently combine into a batter. It will smell sooooo good. Transfer to the greased and prepared cake pan and bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Flip it onto a plate and dust it with powdered sugar. Enjoy your perfect elegant grown-up dessert.

What’s on the menu lately? I’m kind of obsessed with pita pizza right now. Nothing crazy — jarred pizza sauce from Trader Joe’s, shredded mozzarella, a couple dollops of cottage cheese, dried oregano, cherry tomatoes, broiled in the toaster oven. So ideal. With a side of fruit or a little green salad it’s actually a pretty balanced meal.

What else, what else? Black bean quesadillas, zucchini dill soup with a squeeze of lemon, egg whites rolled into a tortilla with salt, pepper, cheddar, and hot sauce. Iced green tea with lemon which is hydrating and delicious and helps with my headaches, and medium boiled eggs with hot sauce.

That’s it from me! Love you! Let’s talk soon!

Upon my return to New York Sunday evening, instead of going to the grocery store, I challenged myself to one of my favorite activities: meal prepping for the week with only things I have in my house already. Because I am a #queen on a #budget, I bring lunch almost every day, lest I spend $17 on a salad that I’m going to eat in front of a computer screen anyway. So I took stock of my pantry, fridge, and freezer, and was inspired to make a bright and creamy dal with red lentils and lots of turmeric and a squeeze of lime, over fluffy white rice.

You might be thinking: Alex. It’s 90 degrees outside. Why, pray tell, are you eating lentils right now? That, silly girl, is a winter food. And to that I say: what of it? This is bright, colorful, healthy, light, and packed with garlic, hot peppers, and lime. Also, I feel amazing when I eat lentils, and I love to feel amazing year-round. So humor me here.

This is my basic formula for dal —

• cook your onions, garlic, ginger, and hot peppers, all finely chopped, until soft (ghee is probably better but I used olive oil)

• add your spices — turmeric, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, maybe allspice or cloves if that’s your jam — and let them get fragrant and toasty — you can also add in tomatoes or tomato paste here, or some peeled and cubed sweet potatoes

• add in your lentils (I love split red lentils because they cook really quickly)

• add water to cover

• let everything cook for 20 minutes or so on low heat

• turn off the heat, then add in your coconut milk and some baby spinach and let it get all silky

• serve with fluffy rice and a squeeze of lime! (and some cilantro if you have it, which I almost never do)

Eat with a little spoon and enjoy your tasty, tropical bowl of nutrients!

What’s on the menu this week? Thinly, thinly sliced farm-fresh zucchini coins, caramelized with olive oil, then topped with cracked black pepper, grated parm, and a squeeze of lemon. It’s a truly ideal side dish for the summer and goes great with a piece of fish or some pasta. My favorite summer lunch of toast, garlic spread, tinned fish, and thickly sliced salted tomatoes.

Oh, and in the Berkshires I had a real hot dog, with a fluffy top-cut bun, yellow mustard, and dill pickles. Fans of my digestive system may remember that I don’t typically eat red meat, but let me tell you, this was so worth the stomachache and bloated fingers. I am pretty sure I heard angels sing.

Also! One more thing! Trader Joe’s is currently carrying my favorite seasonal item of all time, which is their horchata ice cream. Zach and I are addicted. I don’t know what else to say about it besides the fact that it’s perfect. There are currently three pints in our freezer right now because we don’t want to run out. Try it and thank me later.

Okay! That’s it from me! Hope you have a great weekend! Miss ya, write me!

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I want to just put it out there that throughout my years of living in New York I have spotted a lot of famous people in my life IRL (America Ferrera, Leandra Medine, Camila Ramon, Jemima Kirke, there was also a period of time I kept seeing Christina Tosi everywhere too, Susan Alexandra who lives in my neighborhood, Kyra Sedgwick at a Metro North station, and probably more I’m not thinking of) but I am NOT the type to go up to anyone and say hi. What would I even say? “Leandra, I’m a fan of the way you style colorful layered jewelry?” I cringe thinking about it.

But Maggie really is my favorite. I was (embarrassingly) in her top 1% of Spotify listeners in 2023. I went back downstairs and said hi and that I was a fan. We exchanged a few exhilarating (for me) sentences and then I went upstairs to make dinner.

I wish I could tie this story into something I cooked, or something I saw her eating but honestly I just wanted to tell you. I was so brave! A good omen for the rest of the summer, for all of us!

Anyway — that night, or later that week, or honestly who can even remember, I made tuna poke because I was really craving it. My entire office is obsessed with this poke place on 17th Street so it’s just always on my mind these days. I go to a great fish counter in Essex Market that has great quality for great prices (New Star Fish in case you ever want to visit them) where they have filets of sushi-grade tuna for just about $20/lb, and they’re always bright vibrant pink and extremely fresh, better than a lot of the stuff you get in a regular tuna roll.

It’s actually a pretty simple weeknight dinner and especially delicious in the warmer months. Typically I’ll serve it with jasmine rice or sushi rice and greens of some kind — this week it was sushi rice and a slaw with cabbage, scallions, and rice wine vinegar. And then fridge additions, of course: typically for me that’s pickled ginger that I buy in big jars from the Japanese grocery store because the sushi places never give enough. You might choose to add sesame seeds, or nori sheets, or diced pineapple, or hot sauce, or spicy mayo.

Back to the poke itself: cut your tuna into cubes (kitchen scissors are great for this) and marinate. As for the marinade: mine is soy sauce, sriracha, rice wine vinegar, minced jalapeños, chopped scallions, and some yuzu kosho if I have it. As always, all ingredients are to your taste — continue tasting until you’ve found a balance you like! There should be enough marinade to coat everything, but you certainly don’t have to submerge your fish (nor should you). Let it hang out for 10-20 minutes while you prep your rice and veggies (cucumbers or mixed greens would also be nice) then it’s ready to go.

One final note on this. I think it would make an amazing summer main dish: a big giant bowl of sushi rice, cucumbers, avocado, and mixed greens topped with a tumbling pile of delicious marinated tuna poke. A true show-stopper! If you make it, please invite me so I can be proud of you.

What’s on the menu this week? I have had an intense craving for my mom’s chicken salad, which has apples, walnuts, celery, and mayo. Because I didn’t think ahead to defrost the chicken breast I have in the freezer, nor do I currently have celery, I’ll be making turkey sandwiches on sprouted grain bread with sliced green apples. Sweet and savory FOREVER!!!

For work lunch: tofu and cauliflower stir fry. Green smoothies (as always, spinach, pineapple, yogurt, water, and lime juice) for breakfast. Cottage cheese (Good Culture of course). Banza spaghetti with simple pomodoro, feta, and some wilted greens. For Shabbat dinner with friends, a big pot of mushroom pasta alongside a salad and some marinated beans. And of course… soft serve in a wafer cone with rainbow sprinkles whenever possible.

Okay. That’s it from me! Love ya! Bye!

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In those days, Zach and I ate pasta for dinner with a frequency I can only describe as Italian. It was… amazing. I felt great. I relished every bite of my dinner every night. And sometime during that time I discovered this pasta recipe.

You know I’m not a big recipe person, but I was desperate to discover new combinations for the existing items in my pantry. So when I came across this tomato-y, garlicky pasta that featured canned tuna in olive oil as a protein, I had to try it. From then on, although I never followed the recipe exactly again, this has been a staple in our house, known simply as “tuna pasta” on my weekly meal plans.

What I love about this dish is that it’s adaptable to what I have on hand — ideally I’ll use cherry tomatoes, but it’s just as delicious with diced Roma tomatoes, canned tomatoes, or sweet yellow Sungolds in the summer. For the spicy element, I’ll normally use regular chili flakes, but if I have Calabrian chili paste or fresh hot peppers, that’s even better. You can even add capers, olives, and/or anchovies if you’d like to dress it up like a puttanesca. To me, this pasta conjures an afternoon in Italy or maybe Greece. I think it’s extra special with a squeeze of lemon on top.

As always, no quantities here, but broadly, for every two people, I make 5 oz dry pasta and use 5-6 cloves of garlic, a pint of cherry tomatoes, and one can of yellowfin tuna packed in olive oil. Wilted greens are optional but always welcome, although I usually do a side salad. Everything, as always, is flexible to what you have in your kitchen at a given moment. Trust yourself!

Method:

• On one burner, cook your pasta in salted water in a pot according to the directions

• In a large pan, cook a few cloves of chopped fresh garlic and chili flakes in a little olive oil on medium heat until fragrant

• Add your tomatoes — either halved cherry tomatoes, chopped whole tomatoes, or canned tomatoes, and let them cook down and caramelize

• Drain the extra oil out of your tuna (this is a personal choice - you are free to keep it in) and add it into the pan, breaking it up with a spatula

• 2 minutes before the pasta is al dente, add a scoop of pasta water (1-2 ladles full) into your sauce, stirring it together to create a liquidy, tomato-y substance, and set more pasta water aside in a mug in case you need it

• Add in your almost-done pasta into the pan

• Turn the heat WAY up so the sauce starts to bubble, dissolving the extra water, finishing off cooking the pasta and melding the sauce into a glossy triumph! You will know it’s done when your sauce thickens in the pan and coats all the pasta.

• If you’re wilting greens into the pasta for some color, add them in now.

• Serve immediately with a squeeze of lemon!

This is a great way to use up tomatoes that are maybe getting a little bit old or out-of-season and give them a new life. Even if fish in pasta is something that’s made you shrug in the past, try this. It’ll elevate humble ingredients into something truly special. Let me know if you try it.

What’s on the menu this week? My current favorite work lunch: a big giant salad of arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, shredded mozzarella, and chickpeas, dressed in red wine vinaigrette (homemade by me). Have I written about this before? I really think this is the best thing to meal prep EVER because it requires zero preparation (besides my once-weekly batch of dressing, which itself takes all of 30 seconds to assemble).

Zach and I also drove down from Vermont today after a wedding and stopped at an Italian American cafe near Schenectady. Slightly hungover, we each ordered an eggplant rolatini entree which came with a “side” of pasta — by side we’re talking basically an entree portion — and a trip to the salad bar. If I tell you that what they brought to the table could have fed a family of five. We ate what we wanted but brought most of it home, and now the plan is to add in some white beans and cauliflower rice for fiber, bake it all together like a ziti, then serve it alongside some dressed greens. Meal prep done!

For dinner, keeping it simple: wild salmon, roasted asparagus, and other springy, lemony things. Mushrooms, specifically portobellos, because I’ve been loving them lately, and the first sweet, fragrant peaches of the summer. I hope they’re good near you, too!

Anyway. Make that pasta and let me know how it goes and of course text me if you have a question. Enjoy the most beautiful time of the year (if you’re in New York) and let’s talk next week! Love you! Bye!

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Q: I need meal prep ideas!

A: Don’t we all! I saw a woman on the internet saying that every January she and her husband challenge themselves to only eat what they have in the pantry and freezer and try to buy as few groceries as possible. I sort of use this mentality when it comes to meal prep — what proteins do I have in the fridge and freezer? What beans or grains are in the pantry? Sauces? Then I get the fresh vegetables I need and go from there.

For example: red lentils (pantry) + canned tomatoes (pantry) + frozen spinach (freezer) + spices, onions, garlic (pantry) + rice (pantry) = easy dal. Pulled chicken breast (freezer, or purchased fresh) + salsa verde (pantry) + black beans (pantry) + cauliflower (purchased fresh) = burrito bowl-ish. Tuna (pantry) + hard boiled egg (fridge staple) + cucumbers (purchased fresh) + piece of toast (I keep a bag of sourdough in my office freezer, because I’m weird) = tuna on toast. Arugula (purchased fresh) + capers (fridge staple) + pepperoncini (fridge staple) + cucumbers (purchased fresh) + salad dressing made of red wine vinegar, honey, and olive oil (all pantry staples) + canned good tuna (pantry) = a really good kind of Mediterranean salad. I actually went so far as to have bought a giant plastic salad bowl from Target to keep in my office cabinet, and I make my salads stuffed into a quart container, then I shake everything up and toss it really well in the giant bowl.

Other ideas:

Turkey wraps with baby spinach and honey mustard

Chicken sausage, roasted cauliflower, and roasted carrots

Chickpea or tofu curry over rice

Pesto pasta salad with cherry tomatoes, spinach, and a protein

A Trader Joe’s salad kit

Any kind of protein pasta with a side salad (I do dressed arugula often to get the greens in)

Before Passover, I was in the mode of kitchen cleanout, and I ended up inventing something I’m calling “everything quesadillas” — tortillas stuffed with black beans, onions, jalapenos, tofu, mozzarella, and roasted sweet potatoes, AKA the final contents of my fridge. Have to say: justice for a work-week quesadilla, especially if you are like me and keep hot sauce at your office, too.

Q: What do I do with miso?

You know what — it is a tricky ingredient. The flavor is so great and it’s so ubiquitous but then when you actually buy a tub it’s a little intimidating. My favorite uses for miso are:

• in a salad dressing with tahini, garlic, and apple cider vinegar

• in a glaze on salmon with soy sauce and honey

• melted into buttered noodles (try this recipe)

• as part of a soup base (along with vegetable stock, soy sauce, and a little rice wine vinegar)

• basically anywhere where you could use a little salt or brine, even in a cookie!

If you think about the basic mechanics of cooking, you can always tell when something needs something salty and funky, and miso is a great use for that, but remember you’ll want to dissolve it in something or you’ll end up with a big salty glob. It also stays in the fridge for forever and a day, so don’t feel pressure to use it up — it’ll last a while.

What have I enjoyed lately? It’s Passover, so lots of classics — matzah with cream cheese and jelly, matzah brei, matzah pizza. I’m on team sweet matzah brei for life — egg, milk, cinnamon, vanilla, crushed matzah, scrambled in butter, then topped with maple syrup — perfection! For Zach’s birthday, instead of the usual pizza and beer, I made matzah pizza and salad served alongside multiple bottles of wine.

Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the pickle party that my friends Gaby and Emily and I hosted — we got together some friends and some snacks and some vegetables and some brine and made bespoke jars of pickles. I haven’t tasted them yet, since they need a little more time to develop flavor, but I look forward to some salty, sweet, tart treats for many days to come.

On the menu this week: chicken thighs and veggies cooked in the cast iron, lentil soup, and Rubirosa for Zach’s birthday!

Hope you had a good weekend and got to enjoy the great weather and told someone you loved them. If not, there is still time! Night! Love ya!

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I have been fascinated by this for a long time. It’s how I invented a specific omelet that got me through my first three years in New York — egg whites from the carton, shredded lite mozzarella, and powdered mushroom seasoning, folded in half. A more recent one for me has been my new favorite dessert: coffee ice cream with a drizzle of tahini. (This is the only tahini that exists as far as I am concerned, btw.) There was a period of time where I would take simultaneous bites of a green apple and a spear of cheddar cheese and that would be my snack every single afternoon. One time, I had a few limp carrots in the back of my fridge, so I boiled and mashed them and experimented with making carrot gnocchi. (It worked!)

There’s a lot to be said for taking the time to consider and prepare exactly what I want to eat, even if it’s weird or impractical. I don’t have to worry about anyone’s dietary restrictions or preferences except my own. When Zach is out of town, I miss him dearly — but I get to eat strawberries, my lifelong favorite food, to which he is tragically allergic. So that’s what I did this weekend. While he was away, I had strawberries, a whole bone-in fish (which he and most of my other regular dining companions also dislike) and seared oyster mushrooms one night. And I made a lovely, pungent personal pizza with fresh garlic, anchovies, hot pepper, and honey alongside a mountain of sautéed garlicky cabbage the other night, garlic breath be damned. Just for me! It’s nice to be in the kitchen, listening to my music, making something somewhat labor-intensive of which I get to enjoy every last bite. It’s meditative, like this scene in Bridesmaids I think about often where Kristen Wiig makes one very gorgeous cupcake just for herself.

I have to tell you that I earnestly believe that making a pizza from scratch, just for yourself, with a vegetable of your choice, is one of the most luxurious things a person can do. Also: this is my current favorite pizza dough recipe, although when I’m cooking for a crowd I usually opt for focaccia pizza because it’s just a little heartier. If you are not doing semi-regular pizza nights then you definitely should. If you’re newer to the newsletter, you can find my original post about pizza here.

Anyway, next time you find yourself home alone, instead of reaching for takeout or leftovers or a frozen burrito, if you have the time — put on a Spotify playlist and make something special that will bring you joy. You deserve it!

P.S. It goes without saying, but as much fun as I have cooking by myself in my kitchen, I have 5000% more fun with my husband, who is just the absolute best.

What’s on the menu this week? Zach is taking Banza with pesto and baby spinach to work this week, and I made a Greek salad for myself — my sister Rissy reminded me that Greek salad exists, and I had a bunch of Persian cucumbers to use up. For dinner, pulled chicken tacos with salsa verde and black beans, grilled chicken thighs with a big salad, maybe some of Zach’s famous spaghetti pomodoro if I’m lucky. My mom is here this week, so we’re taking her to Leo Sourdough, one of my favorite spots in Williamsburg — I’ve been talking it up to her for a long time. (Best martini in New York too IMHO.) Sumo oranges: still in season, still in my lunch every day.

I really missed this! What topics should we cover in the next few weeks? Let me know what you think. Enjoy the beautiful weather. Please wear sunscreen! Love ya! Bye!

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The truth is that I have been working a lot. And I spent a lot of time in front of a screen. So most weeks I’ve been so zapped that I have no inspiration or desire to write. Things have balanced out for me a little which has been nice — a lovely benefit of getting incrementally better at a new job — and just enough people have recently asked me: “So, is the newsletter over?” So I put pen to paper tonight because of course it’s not over. It’s never over. 

Let’s talk food highlights of the last few months. Ones that come to mind: a perfect margarita, sturdy, crunchy potato chips drizzled with Cholula, lentil sweet potato curry soup, lemony Tuscan white bean stew with tiny ditalini, very Jewish apricot glazed chicken, chocolate covered dates with peanut butter and salt. I have all but stopped eating eggs except maybe once a week. I’m rediscovering my love for my mini slow cooker, letting dried chickpeas mingle with onion and garlic overnight while I sleep.

I’m torn about what to share with you tonight because we just have sooooo much to catch up on, don’t we? Also, I’m pretty sure we’ve discussed the chocolate covered dates and the lentil stew already. That settles it: I’m going to tell you how to make the apricot chicken. Forgive me, for this recipe is as always a method and an approximation rather than an exact science. Trust yourself!

Marinade:

• roughly equal parts apricot jam, soy sauce, and olive oil (maybe 1/4 cup each)

• shake of garlic powder

• black pepper

• drop of white vinegar (maybe a tablespoon)

Mix it up and see if it tastes good. If the proportions are right, it will taste DELICIOUS and you’ll want to drink it.

Pour it over a bunch of bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks (or any cut of chicken, honestly — it would be amazing on wings) and give it a little massage to make sure the marinade covers everything; put in a Pyrex with high sides and bake it at 400 for 45 minutes. When you take it out, the sauce should be all bubbly and caramelized. Carefully spoon that molten bubbly sauce all over the chicken and let it get all glossy and coated and deep brown.

I know I don’t do a good job of telling you quantities, so just trust yourself, okay? Like, if you’re just making this for yourself and one other person, maybe do 2 tablespoons each of apricot jam/soy sauce/olive oil. But let me just tell you that this is a crowd pleaser and you should make it for people you love. I, in front of guests, practically licked the leftover marinade off the plate.

What’s on the menu this week? Packed lunches include Banza pesto pasta salad with baby spinach and pulled chicken with salsa verde over rice and beans. Sumo oranges every day, of course. I’ll be sad when the season ends.

I’m still working my way through a giant head of cabbage, so dinners will likely include cabbage in some form — sautéed with garlic, butter and chili flakes; stir-fried with tofu and Mala seasoning over white rice; crunchy and raw in a chopped salad with chicken, brown rice, and pumpkin seeds. Cabbage is having a moment right now, as epitomized by the $19 charred cabbage appetizer I had at Claud, which by the way was worth every penny. Perhaps even more notable was the Crispy Salad at Insa which was a perfect pile of finely shredded cabbage with peanuts and herbs and some kind of mysteriously perfect tangy dressing. I’m here for it: cabbage inspo is everywhere.

I realize I mentioned the perfect margarita without telling you how to make it. Here’s the basic formula: juice of 1 lime + 1 shot of tequila + 1/2 shot of Cointreau per person, served shaken, ideally poured in a lowball glass over one giant ice cube.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my favorite meal of the last two months, which was cooked for me by Zach, who is starting to get more comfortable in the kitchen. It was a glorious platter of eggplant meatballs, but the real star was his spaghetti pomodoro — a perfect way to learn about the science of flavor.

Okay, that’s it from me for now! Missed you dearly and happy to be back. Can’t wait to hear how you’re doing and what you’re cooking. See you soon! Love ya!

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I’m back to being a full-time RTO working girl again, starting to go into the office almost every day. I have a ludicrously capacious bag, a lunch pail, and flats for the subway. (Kidding about the flats — I work in tech so we all wear sneakers and it’s cool.) My team values face-to-face time in a post-Covid world, which I love. It also means I’ve had to start packing my lunch consistently again, something I haven’t done since March of 2020, heating up soup in the communal kitchen of my second job.

It’s been a fun challenge to prep for Zach and myself, spending Sundays in the kitchen. It’s the season of soups and comforting, nourishing food, so there’s been lots of beans, even some canned (organic, vegetarian) chili on a day I needed an easy out. (Side note — that chili is delicious and if you’ve ever had chili at my house, there’s a 0% chance it’s homemade.) I can’t stomach a big lunch salad right now — it’s too cold — so everything’s pretty hearty and warm, and we’ll go back to crunchy, raw things when the weather gets nice again.

So what have I been making, pray tell? Chicken’s kind of been giving me an ick, as are eggs, so I’m eating them sparingly, and favoring plant-based proteins like lentils. Green lentils mixed in with a grain like farro or Israeli couscous, made tasty by garlic, spinach, lemon juice, and parmesan — that was a great invention. This red lentil curry sweet potato soup that my friend Brian made for dinner at his house and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about, so I made it and I already can’t wait to have it tomorrow for lunch. (FYI — I halved the coconut milk and added extra cayenne pepper.) Pesto pasta with roasted veggies and white beans which felt light but decadent and just so good. Chili and turkey sandwiches. Good sourdough toast topped with creme fraiche, sardines, and lemon, which I had at Good Thanks Cafe on the Lower East Side and have felt compelled to recreate again and again, although I haven’t brought it into my office yet. And Sumo oranges! Every single day! How lucky are we to be in the season of Sumo oranges?!

For breakfast — since I don’t usually get hungry until 10 AM, I experimented with making egg white and spinach sandwiches and freezing them, then popping them in the oven to warm up while I get ready for work and sticking them in my bag. The jury is still out. I don’t know how to make them crispy and not soggy upon reheating. They are, what we call in the business, good-not-great. I’ll let you know when I have an update.

What (else) is on the menu this week? Grilled boneless skinless chicken thighs with (homemade) shawarma seasoning. Green salad, specifically spinach, with a simple dressing of red wine vinegar, honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper. I know I just described the most basic dressing in the entire world, but it’s so incredibly delicious that I nearly ate an entire bag of baby spinach on Friday night because it was dressed in this heavenly elixir. Also, charred cabbage is hot right now, in case you haven’t heard — I’ve been ordering it whenever possible on restaurant menus and trying my hand at making it at home. (Cut a head of cabbage into cubes, then stick them in a cast iron, dry, on medium-high heat until they get a char. Then, add some oil and sauté like normal, then add whatever you want — I love it with, you guessed it, red wine vinegar and honey.)

Next weekend, Zach and I head to Mexico City — we loved it so much last year we had to go back. It’s snack paradise. I’m sure I’ll have lots to write about.

Until then, thanks for being patient with me. Life gets busy! I hope you’re nourishing yourself in all ways. Remember to bundle up! Love ya!

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I asked myself recently: why do I even own a slow cooker? All things considered, I am probably among the slow cooker’s least relevant users: I don’t eat red meat, I don’t work crazy hours out of the house that require me to use it for convenience, I’m not a big stew/chili person, and you definitely won’t find me making one of those gross Facebook crockpot recipes that centers around a block of cream cheese. My digestive system could never.

However, a few years ago, I was gifted a mini slow cooker. Most of the year, it lives high up on a shelf behind my second-string knockoff Swell bottles, but sometimes, I pull it out to cook dry beans, which is the best possible use for a slow cooker in my opinion. (I also used to use it to make shredded chicken breast, but the stark white color of boiled chicken haunts my dreams, so I stopped.) When it comes to cooking dried beans in a slow cooker, I’m sort of a one-trick pony — chickpeas or white beans inspired by this recipe. (Side note: this woman Alexandra Cooks is the reason I know how to do like 25% of the things I know how to do in the kitchen.)

My method for slow cooker chickpeas has very few ingredients that I almost always have in my house, even earlier this week, after a weekend in Nashville celebrating my sister’s engagement before I’ve had a chance to restock the fridge.

You’ll need:

• a cup of dried chickpeas

• a few big slices of red onion or shallot

• a few gloves of garlic, smashed or sliced

• a few strips of lemon peel (my secret ingredient that makes these go beyond)

• a little drizzle of olive oil

• salt

• hot pepper flakes

• tiny bit of baking soda - less than a teaspoon (another secret ingredient to make them really soft and delicious that I learned from Mike Solomonov, not personally)

Basically, you rinse the chickpeas, add all the ingredients in, and then cover it with water, then cook it in a slow cooker (or on low heat in a pot on the stove, AKA the original slow cooker) for, like, eight hours, or until they’re soft and creamy. And then you have this really nice pot of chickpeas with a flavorful broth and you can either eat them plain, or add any combination of the following: cooked farro, a soft boiled egg, grated parmesan, chopped herbs. Great with a side salad, too. It feels so fancy but it’s actually a really easy thing to do when your fridge is bare bones, and tastes like more than the sum of its parts. Also, it makes great leftovers. Let me know if you try it

What’s on the menu this week? My take on Chraime, or spicy, saucy fish cooked in tomato sauce with cumin and coriander and lots of onions, garlic and hot peppers. Great use for frozen cod which is a budget-friendly and highly convenient food in our house, because everything the fish itself lacks in flavor is made up tenfold with the fiery sauce. I bulk it up with canned chickpeas which in my opinion are way more delicious than cod. I’ll drop the recipe at some point in the future — my version is probably less heavy-handed and more weeknight-friendly than the delicious, olive oil-drenched ones you might find in an Israeli restaurant. I’ll typically serve it over steamed white rice.

Aside from that: green smoothies, and this spiced whole wheat sourdough I got from my local bakery that’s sneaky good — it has pumpkin and ras-al-hanout! So innovative! Lots of mushrooms — sometimes I forget how delicious mushrooms are. (Did you know they can’t be overcooked?) For Shabbat, fresh pasta from Raffetto’s that I’ve had in the freezer for a minute, alongside all the vegetables I can scrounge up. And for my birthday on Sunday, Zach and I are going to walk around the city in search of a perfect, warm chocolate chip cookie and a double cappuccino. I can’t wait.

One birthday request from me to you: If you’ve made any of my recipes or taken any of my newsletter suggestions about cooking or hosting, can you send me a picture? Even if it’s not something I wrote about specifically — if I’ve encouraged you to do something crazy in the kitchen? Pics. Please. It would make me so happy.

That’s it from me! Love you, miss you, hope you don’t get the new Covid strain (even though you definitely have it already, as do I, certainly). Bye!

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I’ve leveled up a lot since then. During Covid, I spent a lot of time inside cooking Instagram and learned new methods, new recipes, have picked things up from friends, experimented with dishes I’ve tried in restaurants… but some of my OG go-tos still really hit. Today, I launched into an afternoon of meal prep in anticipation of a busy week and felt compelled to revisit some old favorites: my super basic soy sauce roasted tofu and mushroom brown rice soup.

Soy sauce roasted tofu is a lifer for me. I press super-firm tofu and cut it into 1-inch cubes, spray it with olive oil, toss it in a glug of soy sauce poured right on the parchment-paper-lined baking sheet, then sprinkle it with black pepper and garlic powder. It’s then baked at 425F for 25 minutes. Today, I made it alongside sautéed cabbage and mushrooms — also hit with some soy sauce and garlic powder — and served it over brown rice, of which I made a big pot. It’ll be a work lunch for Zach this week.

With the rest of the cooked brown rice and mushrooms, I decided to make another light-but-cozy old standard: mushroom brown rice soup. This is something I remember bringing to work at Hillel all the time that I haven’t made it years. It’s a brothy soup made with finely diced onions, carrots, and mushrooms, cooked until fragrant with olive oil and a little bit of vegetable Better than Boullion. Then, I pour water over all of it — today, about 6 cups felt right — and let it come to a boil, then simmer it for a couple hours so the broth gets rich and flavorful. When it’s been simmering for a bit, I taste it and then season it with salt as needed, and then add the cooked rice right before I serve the soup so it doesn’t get soggy.

Note: this is fundamentally how to make virtually any soup — cook the stuff, add the water or broth, boil it, then turn the heat down and simmer it for a few hours. You can then blend it (like a roasted cauliflower or tomato soup) or keep it chunky and brothy, like chicken soup. You can even purée half of it — with an immersion blender, or by putting some of it in your standing blender — so it’s thick but not completely smooth, like a lentil soup. This is the case for any vegetable, any bean, any meat — if you boil and simmer anything long enough, it will become soup. And you can take that to the bank.

What’s on the menu this week? Latkes, of course, although I have never made my own — I buy them frozen from Trader Joes and pop them in the oven. Deep-frying scares me, and the ones that come in the freezer are pretty good. Tomorrow, for our friends Madeline and David who are coming over for a Chanukah party, I’m serving latkes alongside sour cream and apple sauce (obviously), paprika-dusted deviled eggs, and some absolutely perfect Keys-style smoked fish dip with Ritz crackers, just because I was craving it and had most of the ingredients for it. I’ll also throw together a simple green salad, for our health, and maybe some ice cold dirty martinis, because they’re festive.

During the day this week, I’ll live on green smoothies and pots of lemony green tea, egg whites in a tortilla with hot sauce, and lots of grapefruit — they’re in season right now and very delicious. I also made chocolate covered dried figs by melting down some stevia-sweetened Lily’s chocolate chips with a drop of olive oil — they’re sprinkled with flaky salt and live in a little container in my fridge if I want something sweet.

My friend Liz is making my arroz con pollo tonight, and I want to remind you that it’s easy and delicious, and my recipe can be found here. If you’ve made any of my recipes, I’d love to hear about how they went — it makes me so happy.

Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you about my favorite seasonal item at Trader Joe’s right now: figgy cheddar. This is beyond. I won’t say anything more but you should buy it.

Anyway — that’s it from me. I hope you’re enjoying festive holiday vibes and that your Secret Santa knocks it out of the park with a gift that is just so you. And don’t read Instagram comments this week, OK? Also, hydrate, wear your SPF, tell your friends you love them, and I’ll see you soon. Bye!

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This is all to say: I know I haven’t written in a while. I haven’t quite known how to. As my friend Emily recently asked me: “What’s going on with your newsletter?” To which I replied: “I feel weird writing about what to do with winter squash when it feels like the world is ending.” “That’s fair,” she said.

But you’re still eating, right? Hopefully things that nourish you, that make you feel as close to happy and healthy and powerful as you can feel. I’m proud to say that I’ve started having the energy to chop onions again, and I made a heart-shaped challah for my friends Bari and Ronnie who have a new baby, although I left it at home when I went to visit them, and I made an amazing focaccia with Herbs de Provence that’s cut up and stored in fluffy cubes in the freezer, waiting to be dipped into soup. Baking bread is really such a pleasant distraction from life.

I do honestly want to tell you about winter squash, because the season is so short and it’s so much easier than you think. Can I do that? I don’t know why for me writing about winter squash has felt so frivolous, but I promise you, I don’t mean it that way. I’ll tell you about my favorite way to roast squash — and here I’m referring specifically to delicata and honeynut squash, because you can eat the skin, which makes it infinitely easier to prepare.

You’ll slice open your rinsed squash, scooping out the seeds (and leaving them aside to be roasted). You’ll then cut it into chunks of about 1.5 inches, or half-moon slices if you prefer. Add a spice blend of salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper, then toss it with some olive oil spray. (I also like to add in a can of chickpeas at this time, but if you’re skipping those, that’s OK too.) Roast them at 425F for 30-40 minutes, flipping them halfway through. And voila! You have caramelized smoky squash. I love to serve this as a side with a piece of grilled something — a turkey burger or chicken breast maybe — and treat it like french fries, dipping each piece in hot sauce.

Now, for the seeds! You do have to rinse them and get all the pulp off. This is an annoying and necessary step, but maybe you could treat it as a meditative activity. I put the seeds and pulp in a bowl of water, then remove the seeds (or the pulp, depends what’s easier) into a separate bowl. After that, dry the separated seeds off, spray with a little olive oil and add salt and fresh black pepper, then bake them in a single layer at 350F until they’re as brown as you like them, which for me was about 15 minutes, then let them cool before you eat them so they get crispy. Why are they so good? I wish I could tell you. Nature’s free snack, baby. Let me know if you try it.

What’s on the menu this week? Ceviche! When I was home in Miami this weekend, my dad made a large container of ceviche for us to enjoy. Naturally, most of it went to me, because I love it, and since I’ve been home I’ve made it for dinner twice, because it’s so easy, and so healthy. You can find the recipe somewhere in this post, right below the horizontal line (or just Ctrl+F “ceviche”). I also went to the Latin grocery in Essex Market and bought a big cylindrical bag of tostadas, so there will certainly be more ceviche in my future. It’s so good and healthy and tastes like you went to a restaurant, and aside from the chopping of ingredients, takes almost no effort.

What else? Baked carrot “fries,” because I want fries but I need vegetables, alongside — you guessed it — Trader Joe’s fish sticks, which have not released their hold on me. Smoked chicken breast that my dad made in his smoker that I brought home in my carryon, probably with rice and beans and a big salad with avocado and lime. And lentil soup, because it makes you smart. Also, I’m rediscovering my love for cream cheese and jelly. If you haven’t tried this glorious combination — what are you waiting for? I’ve been enjoying it on rice cakes and on toasted English muffins and it’s constantly the best thing I eat all day.

Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the very special duck eggs we received as a gift from Zach’s coworker who raises ducks in New Jersey. I asked my professional chef friend Gaby what to do with them, and she suggested deviled eggs, so I made them, and they were perfection. My basic method for deviled eggs is: boil the eggs for 7 minutes, mix the cooked yolks with a little mayo and dijon mustard, add in salt, pepper, and smoked paprika — then mix it up and tuck it into the egg whites. I add a sprinkle of smoked paprika on top to make them look a little cuter.

Anyway — love ya, take care of yourself, don’t read Instagram comments, and remember, if all of this sounds overwhelming and you want to just make boxed mac and cheese, that’s OK too — just consider adding a vegetable on the side. And drink some water and tell your friends you love them. Bye!

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