To be honest it’s probably because I spent the last week traipsing around LA and Disneyland with no hand sanitizer and for that, I deserve this. Let’s dive into the week in this beautiful newsletter where I promise I’m not contagious:

Schools are quickly getting back in session, and many members of our community are teachers (and some of them first time teachers!!).

I can’t claim this idea, has been doing it for years, but I wanted to share a list of teacher’s wishlists in case you’d like to jump in and help clear some. Any small donation helps, and I’ll be going through and clearing out some art supplies later today. You can find our list of 50 teachers here.

While I don’t love how Amazon has a monopoly on safe and secure donations, I’ll be looking into an alternative route and hopefully we can do a Christmas teacher restock, too. Thank you for being some of the most generous people I know <3

During my partnership with ThredUp (this newsletter is not sponsored btw), I stumbled upon this zip-up denim jacket from Uniqlo and was thrilled to see they still have it in other colorways. I used it every night in LA when the temperature dipped into chillier territory, and will probably be using it religiously when September hits.

And Dieux came out with a retinal, which after using retinoids for the larger part of my skincare career, I’m thrilled. And no, I fear I’m too scared to work up to a tretinoin. I’m baby!

A seared watermelon and raw corn tabbouleh from Pierce Abernathy’s book Every Leaf, Every Steam. Grilling or searing watermelon doesn’t make it less sweet, just a different kind of sweet. I loved it.

Jarred tomatoes because homesteading is fun in a climate-change-is-real-and-so-is-separation-of-church-and-state kind of way.

Sweet pickled tomato peels - recipe coming soon!

And Kale Tahini Pasta, which while a fan-favorite on the blog, sadly did not earn her slot in my next cookbook. There were too many great pasta dishes in the fall section, one had to fall to the wayside. (Which is fine because the recipe is still up here!).

The end of August is Big Zucchini Season. I felt like it was the time to revisit a classic:

Sticky Oaty Zucchini Cookies - I took the current recipe and I made them huge. Stay tuned for that video this week!

And this week on Supper Club - Tomatillo Beans! This is a riff on ceviche, with a few new pivots to make it a little easier and more accessible. For everyone asking for supremely cold meals (that are great to eat with chips), this one is my preferred option.

I’m also hosting a Supper Club cooking livestream tonight - gentle reminder for everyone who signed up! Can’t wait to cook with you!

My macabre obsession with The Markles - I need a "American Love Story”-style series on them STAT. (No more documentaries allowed!!).

Until next week, happy cooking, happy eating, happy summer,

Xoxo,

Justine

It’s nice to be slowed down by forces in my environment, whether that means being out of town or just working from somewhere different. It’s a nice change for the end of August, I’m going to try to keep it. But now, into the newsletter:

That Barhi dates are in season, these crisp, yellow dates are rare in the same way Phoebe Bridgers planetarium concerts are, so I’d say get them now if you suffer from the same “I must try this” disease as me.

And I did a pickle taste test with Wirecutter! Who have always been my original influencers. The pickle candy was inspired. I learned I will most likely enjoy any kind of pickle chip. And I also learned we do not need protein powder in popcorn.

Two vital things that changed my week:

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, it was…so good??!! I was put onto this book by a friend who told me it was a fast read. They were right, as a notoriously slow reader I was still able to tackle this in about 5 hours. I think the shortness of the book is what does it favors, it’s just enough chapters to tell the story without dragging it on.

I’m a sucker for world building, but I think it’s best if you go in without any background. Just know it’s about a man in a house.

And after using generic beeswax to treat my boards for what feels like forever, I finally ordered the Boos Block board cream and oil combo. I deeply neglect my cutting boards, but I oiled my boards before we left for LA, and when I came back it was like all was forgiven.

(Also this is your reminder to set a monthly calendar note to oil your boards!!)

LA was a treat, but I was staying in Orange County so I only got to visit two places that I must mention.

I vow to come back soon so I can properly hit everywhere I want to go. This is my working Google Map.

Rasarumah - Located in Filipinotown, a friend (and designer of my site! Hey girl hey) recommended Johnny Lee’s current spot. As a skeptic of google reviews, I had to confirm the mushroom curry is as addictive as everyone says. It is.

And the salmon skin was so crispy you could hear it break through the hum of the bar, which is the kind of ambiance I like.

Villas Tacos - recently made even more famous by being in the Superbowl half-time show, these tacos proved my working theory that if it’s in a strip mall, you know it’s good.

The move is to get the vegan trio with cheese (bug me about the irony later), where the heavily sauced soyrizo was my favorite. And don’t skip the pickled onions, they’re nearly tannic in a way that makes me salivate, and I think that’s something we need more of??

Summer Tomato Tuna Salad - With all the food I just listed, I’m not sure how I can convince you to try my single-tomato lunch, but if you have tomatoes to spare (and need some protein to fill you up), this combination of kalamata olives, marinated onions, bright summer tomatoes and herbs will do the trick.

It eats like the bottom of a salad, which is one of my favorite things.

And this week on Supper Club - Fresh Tomato Ricotta Pasta and Breaded Chickpeas!

A pasta dish that’s half pasta/half chickpeas, which is a ratio that comes out particularly satisfying. Everything happens on the stovetop, and the way the chickpeas are breaded feels revelatory. They just toast for a few minutes in olive oil, covered, where the breadcrumbs naturally cling to the beans. You can skip the ricotta to make this vegan, but for a light pink fresh tomato sauce, I love throwing it in.

Adam Weisblatt, cofounder of Last Word Hospitality, published his first book, For the Love of Restaurants, this past Tuesday. I think it’s too inside-baseball to have the same impact as Unreasonable Hospitality, but you bet it will be on my shelf soon. Will report back!

Until next week, happy cooking, happy eating, happy summer,

Xoxo,

Justine

If I use my past patterns to predict when I’ll start posting squash recipes, I’d say we can bet on mid-September. Meaning I’m cramming as much summer in between now and then. Until Labor Day, you can catch me outside. Now let’s dive in:

I don’t get particularly miffed by things on the internet, but OpenAI hosting a brand trip that largely celebrated nature, lush vistas, and outdoor activities didn’t sit well with me. It didn’t make me mad as much as largely depressed.

I’m in the camp that AI can potentially be helpful when it’s regulated and used in closed-door contexts. While I am against generative AI, I don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. But it’s the way it’s being mass marketed and pushed for large scale use for things like writing, art, editing, CONVERSATION, and simple creative work that is hard to reckon with. Especially as you see people across the country advocating for their land not to be taken over by these companies.

But a key part of owning my opinions is listening to the other side, so if you do use OpenAI for personal use, I’d love to hear why (and it’s a safe and respectful space, I promise).

Fall cookbook season has begun!! You will be hearing about a lot of books from me (I love many, many niches), but I’ll try to parse through them so you can tell which ones may work for you.

I live in this luxury world where I can still take my time with a 45-minute dinner, but the more I develop recipes the more I realize that’s definitely not the case for most.

Make it Fast (order here!) by is out August 11th with the promise to solve that problem. I remember flipping through her first book and being wowed with how easy but elevated everything was. She is the queen of Substack but she has a full-time fan in me.

Along with that, More, Please! (order here!) by came out this week with a healthier, kids-focused skew. I was lucky enough to go to her book event in NYC where she reiterated how much cooking changes when you switch from two people to five. Her book covers many preferences, and I think she did great work with it.

Lauren (a member of Team Snacks) jogged my memory of a pretty ideal New York City summer itinerary this week, and after demanding she do it this weekend (I hope you did!!) I’d be remiss not to share:

Along Doyers Street (which isn’t so much as street as it is Chinatown’s personal alley), there’s Nom Wah Tea Parlor, a no-reservations dim sum place with borderline unstable outdoor tables (the only kind I want) and a paper wait list. Next to it is Apotheke, a bar behind a big wooden door that’s easy to miss. The move is to do one and then the other, but I’ll let you decide what order.

Grilled Tofu Skewers with Cilantro and Lime - I AM CRAMMING IN ALL MY GRILLING UNTIL LABOR DAY. Sorry for yelling, but I am passionate. These skewers are designed with a meat marinade in mind, but swap the Worcestershire sauce for soy sauce to keep them vegan. Half of the flavor comes from the caramelization, so while I prefer the grill, an extra-hot grill pan will also do the trick.

And this week on Supper Club, Blackberry Basil Limeade Cake - This cake is overly moist and nicely citrusy, but just a little bit. The biggest flavor you’ll get is from the sweet-tart berries and the deeply buttery crumb. If you’ve never squeezed lime juice over a cake fresh out of the oven - well, it’s fun and it is effective!!

Nothing else, really. I’m just cramming for my LA trip next week. I’ll share all the recs you gave me in the newsletter next week!!

Xoxo,

Justine

Sohla did a great piece about how to use tomatoes this week, but there’s also the Tamari Heirloom Tomatoes recipe from my debut cookbook that has been a lifesaver to eat alongside tuna on rice. Last night I grated a tomato, threw in some chickpeas and some pasta straight from the pasta water and topped it with garlic, basil and Calabrian chili paste that I fried up together. For being a thrown-together tomato option, it was way better than it should have been.

It kind of flew over my head to be offended by this Nantucket “No Influencers” news cycle. I am more interested in the illusive, rich-but-rustic attitude of Nantucket, Cape Cod and the like. Although I’ve heard, like most places inundated with outsiders during summer, they are dreamy.

The influencer drama I am interested in is the new “Influencer Issue” from Vittles, the UK food magazine that has a pretty good pulse on the London food scene. You can see their teaser here that piqued my interest. London is one of the prime scenes for food influencers, so I’m especially intrigued by how they shape their coverage of it.

GOODIES LA IS FINALY OFF OF AMAZON!! Meaning I can link this flower plate, flower bowl, and rimmed dinner bowl in peace (I don’t demonize Amazon use if you need it, I just never link to them if I can help it). All their items are under $25 and they have the most beautiful ceramics. The marble collection is sold out (sad but not shocking) and most things sell out quickly here, just to warn you.

And in continuing my UK theme, my Fellow Kettle was mentioned in a UK debate about how Americans don’t have electric kettles. So I’d like to say I do!! And I’m obsessed with it!! Mostly because it boils water in under a minute so I can use it to soak my cashews.

I’m in a big sprint period for my cookbook (that’s out in 2028, how ridiculous is that?) but since the book is seasonal, we have to shoot half of it in October, meaning I need 75 recipes done and dusted by then. So currently I’m the queen of “there’s food at home.”

But to give an honorable mention for drinks, Soft Bar, the no-alcohol bar and cafe (of Summer House fame), is actually quite great on the cafe side. And I think that’s a first for Bravo.

Fried Fish with Chili Tomato Salad - Between all the cookbook testing, this summer meal has been our go-to. It takes 15 minutes, plus you can throw whatever summer veg you have into the salad and it will still be fresh and delicious. Big plates of salty, fried things are forgiving that way.

And this week on Supper Club, Zucchini Lasagna!! - The love of my life. The mean, green machine that I love to make for many, many people. The full video for this will be up tomorrow, but you can either slice into this lasagna right away for a silky noodle and gooey cheese, or let it rest for clean, green, and sliceable layers. In either scenario, the moisture from the zucchini becomes the sauce. Meaning the only big work you have to do for this is whip up some basil oil, which is a treat unto itself.

I listened to Caro Claire Burke’s podcast before Yesteryear was what it is, and now watching her ride the wave of being a global best seller has been fascinating. It’s interesting to watch a piece of work with such a strong point of view be consumed by, well, everyone. I enjoy her Instagram.

Until next week, xoxo,

Justine

It was during one of these trips to the farmers’ market that I fully dropped a packed box of squash blossoms, sending it across my feet, scattering them all over the floor. Before you ask, they were in my hands because I planned to buy them, and after recovering them from the ground I DID buy them. And they are great.

But as I was on my knees gathering my soon-to-be children, someone who saw me talking to my camera asked what I used my squash blossoms for. Since I was flustered (and again, on my knees), I gave a really horrible answer:

“Oh well, if you’re a show-off you can just put them on anything…”

pause, knee scrape, shuffle

“A lot of people stuff them…and then fry them…they stuff them with like……cheese.”

gets up off floor

“Oh duh! People put them in quesadillas!!”

Ladies and everyone, I write recipes for a living.

If I had more time not on my knees, maybe I would have been able to chat about the lifecycle of a squash blossom. How they emerge as part of the zucchini and summer squash growing cycle, meaning they aren’t a rare thing to get your hands on, so not to feel bad using them. Or how there are two flowers, male and female, and how you’ll probably only see the male buds sold, since those are the ones that don’t produce fruit. And how you have to check the insides for bugs - you really must.

But too bad I didn’t have enough time with him fully standing up. So as my karmic penance to the universe, I’m throwing these out in case they may find him:

The recipes I should have said:

• You can absolutely make quesadillas, OR you can halve them and press them into a frico. A frico is when you grate cheese (typically parmesan, although I’ve seen it done with cheddar), let it melt on a cast iron or nonstick pan until it’s golden on the edges, then slide it off to cool into a cheese-crisp. These are fun to put over pastas, salads, or any grilled veg.

• A Simple Squash Blossom Tart - in the same vein of “they are great to put on things!” this ricotta-based tart is a beautiful way to show off with squash blossoms and have something light and fun to take to a party. Plus if you use store-bought puff pastry, it’ll take you minutes to assemble.

• Tofu Stuffed Squash Blossoms are great if you are on the vegan side, or the protein-maxing side (which if you are…how did you find me?). I’ve always said the ratio of traditional stuffed squash blossoms is off. It’s too much cheese to too little crunch. Luckily since tofu is a bit lighter of a filling, the ratio ends up feeling perfect. It’s also vegan, delicious, and very filling.

• And this week on Supper Club: Sungold Orzo with Crispy Basil Garlic, with your optional topping of squash blossoms. When I told the man at the market they were good for putting on anything, I really meant it. They look nice, but also soak up flavor. So a pasta or anything saucy works well with squash blossoms melting in, and that’s probably why you see them in those dishes so often.

  

Nothing to report for the rest of the week, other than yes! I’m writing that second cookbook! And we are so deep in summer that all I want to do while I test book recipes is blast the AC and watch Parent Trap.

Your reminder that it’s not too late to start building your Chessy wardrobe. It’s great for cooking in.

Until next week, xoxo,

Justine

So let’s get into the week, with the most interesting info probably being why I chose to stop my paid tier on Substack. Let us begin:

Well, obviously the launch of Supper Club! Which you can learn more about here.

I’ve been open about my desire to keep my recipes free for as long as possible, but as tech changes more rapidly than we can fathom, it’s inevitable that we change, too. There were many reasons for my decision to start this new paid tier, and these are just a few:

1. My biggest reason? People have asked for ad-free content, and it’s just a better user experience this way. You might have seen me trying to build out an ad-free recipe index on Substack for my paid subscribers, or launch livestreams or chats, but nothing really felt of monetary value on here unless I paywalled a recipe, which then turned indexing, searching and finding a recipe into a nightmare.

   
   The garden grows where you water it, and my blog has always been my biggest priority, so having an ad-free, benefits tier on my blog made the most sense. And it’s organized which sings to my Type-A brain.

2. AI has changed…everything. I hate to say it, but I think in 10-15 years time, being able to get a credible recipe for free on the internet will be a thing of the past. AND I’M SORRY. Search engine traffic is down, AI food blogs are popping up left and right, and if you look at the bottom of food TikToks you’ll see an AI generator attempting to mimic the recipe. It’s a minefield out there.

   
   I’m not worried about AI stealing my content (I have code that blocks any crawlers), I’m worried about how generative AI takes away the sustainability of an ad-revenue driven business model. And if you choose to support my paid recipes, there’s also the level of trust that a human made them, not a bot.

3. Third, Substack is launching a paid partnerships portal, moving them closer towards a social platform. There is nothing wrong with this, it’s just not the home I envisioned for a paid platform. I joined Substack when their ethos was to foster audience-supported journalists, making it so the writers weren’t reliant on promos or ads. While I love Substack, their new Creator Portal puts them as the middleman between creators and advertisers, meaning they will benefit from writers adding sponsored content.
   
   While I don’t take issue with writers getting paid, my goal is to have all of my paid elements be ad-free.
   

4. I have a lot more flexibility to add value. By hosting Supper Club on my own domain, I’m able to make a membership tier feel worth! it!!! I think Collections is a good example of this: you can save recipes to your personalized folders and then auto-generate grocery lists, something I wouldn’t have been able to do here.

5. There’s something to be said for community. I personally love to support a Patreon, you can catch me as a paid member of Diabolical Lies, Mammoth Club (shockingly not about mammoths), the St. Louis Zoo, and a pile of other podcasts and creators.
   
   I love how those spaces connect like-minded people, and I’m very excited to see if our first cooking livestream (which we are planning right now!!) could do the same.

   ---

At $3.50/month, I aim to keep Supper Club as accessible and fair as possible. If you can’t afford a subscription at this time, scroll to the bottom of the FAQs to get in touch, we’d love to help you out.

AND THANK YOU to everyone who has already signed up. We have a big community on there and I think that is so freaking cool!! See you at the first cooking class!

Selfishly? The Audrey Hobert x FishWife Collab Tin (use code JUSTINESNACKS if you, too, have a FishWife problem).

Realistically? The book How the Other Half Eats: The Untold Story of Food and Inequality in America by Dr. Priya Fielding-Singh. I’ve been interested in the food divide in American for years, mostly because I’m fascinated by how we can live across such extremes. We are the wealthiest country in the world, yet we have food deserts. We have industrialized farming so we could feed the world ten times over, yet we have children who are hungry. We have Americans who eat exclusively foods wrapped in plastic (AKA my family when I was growing up), and we have Americans who wouldn’t dare to get produce outside of their local farmer’s market.

I’m sure you’ve seen the whole Catherine Ebs grocery store debacle, which further spurred on my interest. How we view what’s fit to eat is a fascinating paradigm to dissect.

Did I already tell you I finally ate at L’industrie for the first time? It’s embarrassing to have waited this long.

It absolutely lives up to everything you’ve heard. I have to apologize for thinking a slice of Prince Street could compare. Get the burrata and the white slice.

Two tomato dishes this week, one simple and raw, the other simple and cooked:

Golden Heirloom Pan con Tomate - I’m sure my Spanish friends would crucify me for adding basil and not rubbing down the bread with garlic, but when it’s hot and I’m tired, this quick pan con tomate feels like the most streamlined, simplified, delicious version to me. Also it’s summer!!? You’re telling me when don’t have basil to use??

And this week on Supper Club, Basil Tomato Salmon!

I was almost kicking myself for making our debut recipe something so simple, but as I was making it for the third time in the past two weeks (using various forms of tomatoes: sungolds, vine, cherry, etc.), I was reminded of the value of a really good, simple, healthy-ish, weeknight meal.

It’s not like this recipe doesn’t have skills or secrets. The salmon starts in a cold pan, skin down, letting the fat render from the salmon as it comes up to temp in the skillet. The tomatoes and aromatics deglaze the pan, then you gently poach the salmon in the tomatoes until it’s nice and flaky.

And I am so over people saying cheese doesn’t go with fish. This basil parm sauce on top of salmon is wonderful.

THE WORLD CUP! I love how the Knicks didn’t do it for me, but soccer did.

Oh sorry, football.

Until next week, xoxo,

Justine

Yesterday, I turned off the Substack paid tier to start a better, cheaper membership tier on my own site. Welcome to Supper Club!

For the longest time I have been trying to find a place where I could share my recipes ad-free, as well as share exclusive recipes, organization + grocery list tools, plus livestreams and community benefits. Substack, while great, is still evolving in terms of everything I wanted for a recipe platform.

That’s where Supper Club comes in, and it is so good!!!

First things first: It is $3.50/month.

Meaning if you were a monthly subscriber on Substack, your price just went down. If you were an annual subscriber, you get 1 free year of Supper Club starting today, and next year you’ll be notified of a renewed subscription at $35/year.

What happens to your payments and personal info: Nothing. All of your information has been seamlessly transferred via Stripe, the secure payment platform that both Substack and my new membership platform, Memberful, use.

If you were previously a paid tier member on Substack, click “Sign In” on the upper right hand corner of my site, enter your email and you will receive a code to set up a password.

This is the welcome video you’ll see when you sign in ^^

What is Supper Club?

There are four main things you’ll get with Supper Club:

1. As soon as you log in, 100% of the ads will disappear. Ad-free browsing and faster loading times.

2. You will get an exclusive recipe every week, along with an archive of 75+ recipes that I’ve recently marked as Supper Club exclusives. You’ll see a red lock on the top right-hand corner of every recipe that is exclusively for Supper Club.

3. COLLECTIONS! My new favorite feature! Just like NYT Cooking, if you see a recipe you love on my site, you can save it in personalized collections. Think: “Baking for the Weekend” or “Lunches to Try.” From there you can populate your saved recipes into a weekly meal plan or grocery list.

4. Monthly livestreams. This is a new venture for me, but we are going to host monthly community cooking classes. We will send out an email the week before and you can sign up for them as you like.

So what’s next?

If you were already in my paid tier, the only thing you will have to do is sign in. Click “Sign In” on the upper right hand side of my site, enter the email address you used to sign up for Substack and Supper Club will send you a link you can tap to sign in. This is also where you will select your password. From there, you’re all set with an ad-free site!

If you want to find your Collections in Supper Club, it’s at the top right-hand corner of my site.

If you want to join Supper Club (which, I think you should), that option is here.

My emails will still come through Substack, but all exclusive recipes, discounts, and updates will go through my website.

I’m really excited about this change, and please know I take your investment in my brand seriously. I appreciate your support so much.

Please let me know if you have any questions or if any issues come up. We just launched, so I want to know anything/everything.

Xoxo,

Justine

Due to it being a holiday, this newsletter is required to be short and fun. Glad to say I am an expert in writing things that are brief and good for poolside reading.

Let’s get into the week, shall we?

The final reports that Taylor Swift’s wedding was at MSG. I don’t have fully formed thoughts on it yet. Why couldn’t it have been at The Met??

Also, this goes between the Saw and Need section, but I’ve devoured a few beach reads in the past weeks, my biggest recommendations go to The Everlasting (tear jerker), Wild Reverence (world builder), and Yesteryear (fun, although I didn’t love the twist!).

Two things that feel particularly summery to me: this Sonderhaus sardine tee, which I have been living in as a fresh-out-of-the-shower shirt, and the Grossy Pelosi + Crow Canyon collab. Specifically this red splatter pitcher that screams America. And this 5-quart bowl that screams pasta salad.

More homemade ice cream than I can count. A basil potato salad that was great to dip into from the fridge during breaks from writing at my desk. And a sungold tomato curry because the first sungolds of the season are precious.

A Strawberry Gooey Butter Cake for NYT Cooking! Which you can access with a gift link here.

While more classic, German-style gooey butter cakes are yeasted and take 3-4 hours, it would shock me if this one takes you more than an hour, tops.

I developed this recipe to mimic the gooey butter cake of my memories, which was something we only ever ate during summer vacations back to St. Louis while we lived in Hong Kong. Even without a strawberry swirl, this cake will always scream summer to me. And it’s fantastic with vanilla ice cream. Double points if it’s some kind of soft serve.

Here’s where the newsletter gets a bit gossipy. It is no secret I am not generative AI’s biggest fan. In fact, I’m so anti-ChatGPT that when people tell me they use it to write their emails I have to remind myself that yes, that is an option. Aside from the argument that reliance on it impacts our critical thinking, it also takes away from genuine creative work. Artists, writers, and even recipes are suffering.

This week I saw a few murmurs about AI and Substack — this platform that we love so much. (And yes, that was intentional em dash use).

As someone in this field, we know exactly who uses AI and who doesn’t. You hear them talk about it at events, post about it on Close Friends, there’s a nonchalance to it, because some people see using AI to create work as a big deal, and some people simply do not care.

Reenie Karim posted a video that starts about ChatGPT but then transitions into general commentary, which she followed up with a story yesterday that got me thinking:

If AI is supposed to be considered a tool, what duty do people who use AI have to their audience to disclose it? Is it considered their work if they generated it from a prompt? As the tool becomes more casually used (which I do not endorse!!), I think this question becomes more and more relevant. And I’d personally like a disclaimer on all AI generated work.

Anyways, maybe if this post gets to 5000 likes I’ll name names. It’s a holiday after all.

Xoxo,

Justine

Now when it comes to vacation destinations, Hawaii was never on my list. Between knowing the burden of tourism on Hawaii, as well as the flights being intimidatingly long for someone coming from the east coast, the juice never felt worth the squeeze. And it’s hard to justify a 10 hour flight when Europeisrightthere.

But last year I had the opportunity to work with Hawaiian Airlines during their merger with Alaska Airlines, and part of my compensation was in flight vouchers. Leading me to ask: just how far can I go with these??

I took it as far as I could go.

And that’s how we got to Maui! An island I have always been curious about, but is extraordinarily more special than I could have imagined. I saw this as a great opportunity to make a locally-conscious travel guide for anyone like me, who is not so much a resort-goer as an adventure-seeker. I’m using the term “locally conscious” because during my time in Hawaii I wanted to support as many small, locally-run businesses as possible, while being respectful of the land’s resources and sustainability. It’s a tall ask, especially with a place as visited as Maui, but I was thrilled with where our itinerary ended up, especially for a short 3-day trip.

Here is a little recap - please know I didn’t make it to the west side of the island, so this is not comprehensive - but ohhhh will I be back!!

You can find a Google Map of every recommendation I marked here. (Note: some of these were recommended to me but not visited by me, it’s a big list!).

Where we stayed

The Inn at Mama’s Fish House in a Luxury Junior Suite. And I must say, the photos of this place do NOT do it justice. When I booked it, I was looking for a locally owned and operated inn, and I was obsessed with the small beach cove outside of Mama’s Fish House, where you can see sea turtles in the evenings and watch the fish get delivered to the restaurant by boat in the morning. When you stay here, that beach essentially becomes your backyard. So I resigned myself to us having a “fine” room and a great beach, but the room ended up being fantastic. We swam in the cove every night and I wish we had spent our whole trip here.

Fairmont Kea Lani - While I’m not a huge resort girl, I wanted to see the famous Wailea Beach for a bit on our trip. I chose the Fairmont for their sustainability practices and commitment to mālama pono (taking care).

It sits on its own separate beach outside of the other big hotels, but there’s a walkway easily accessible to go across to each. I’d say the Fairmont and Andaz are the best for adults, while the Grand Wailea looked great for families (I had pool slide envy).

What we did

Okay, I’m pushing the Road to Hana to the end because I have too much to say. But aside from that, we did a few other things that I loved:

Ho’okipa Beach Park - for sea turtles! Moving and shaking and swimming!! There is signage and a rope on the beach to show where you can’t pass. You can go past that barricade if you are going in the water (so if people are snorkeling, don’t sweat it). Around 10am-3pm is when you will see tons of turtles coming and going, but we were there from 8-9:30am and saw five on the beach. I say grab a coffee, hang out and watch them move (slowly).

Leilani Farm Sanctuary - if you do one scheduled thing in Maui, please make it this. This farm is so unbelievably special. You’ll meet rescued pigs, deer, goats, ducks, chickens and up to 42 cats (plus a turkey…and a swan). The land is also paradise to look at, with more native plants than I could imagine.

Surfing Goat Dairy Farm - a very charming microcreamery and dairy farm. While it is a bit touristy, after talking to the owner and his wife, you can tell they have something really special. It’s no longer kid season, but if you go during the spring, I recommend a baby goat tour followed by their cheese flight.

Golden Hour Snorkel - While you can snorkel cheaply and on your own during the day, this sunset one took our breathe away. I had to include it in case you like booking snorkel tours like I do! Otherwise the location is right off Makena Landing Park near Turtle Town if you want to do it on your own.

Where we ate

We only had a few days, so these are just a few of my favorites:

Tin Roof - I think everyone will tell you to go here. And it took hearing his name for me to realize the chef/owner was on Top Chef!! This is a three minute drive from the airport and the perfect kind of Hawaiian food to get right after a long flight: protein, noodles, rice, kombuchas, and a mac salad that fixed me.

Paia Fish Market - big portions of uber fresh fish. Get the calamari (it’s not what you’d expect). You order at the bar and sit after, and the line moves fast.

Malia Coffee Co. - we loaded up on coffee and breakfast here before our upcountry day. The big must-gets are the Miso-Sweet Latte, Ube Latte, or Mac Nut Americano.

Kihei Caffe - Get the mac nut pancakes and pour the golden syrup on top. NOT the maple syrup. The yellow-gold syrup in the smaller pourer - it’s some kind of coconut macadamia syrup, and it is divine. The “So Ono” coffee is also worth coming for alone.

Ocean Distillery - the food here was largely “meh” bar food, but with almost 360° views of the island and good drinks, being here for sunset is a vibe. And since we didn’t have time to drive to Haleakala, it felt like our dupe.

(And I am giving you full permission to skip Monkeypod’s Mai Tai, you have similar food and drinks at home!).

My thoughts + guide to the Road to Hana

Brutally honest review incoming: I think the Road to Hana can be a grueling and terrible experience if it’s done wrong. I also think it can be really magical if done right. What no guide or research told me is that it is intensely personal and variable, based on you, the road and what’s accessible with the weather.

Here is the structure I’d recommend (and what we will most likely do again, after facing a few mistakes):

• If the sunrise allows, start at Wailua Falls. You need to park on the street here, then climb the small path on the right side of the bridge. It will be empty in the morning which is good, it gets crowded later in the day. Take a swim, it’s pretty insane.

(We then chased an entry to the Red Sand Beach but flooding has made it inaccessible).

• Book the 7am-10am entry time for the Black Sand Beach. If you arrive between 7-7:30am you’ll have the beach to yourself. If I could do it again, I’d spend our whole three hour reservation here (that was our mistake, we ditched early to hike Pipiwai).

• Driving towards Paia, hit some fun/cuter things like Hana Gold Cacao Plantation or Island Cow Cuddles (lol), and enjoy some slower time during the hottest part of the day.

• This will take you to lunch time with Hana Hawaiian Barbecue (our favorite and cash only), Nahiku Marketplace and Coconut Glen’s all right there.

• Hopefully you still have afternoon energy to hit all the waterfalls on the way back, like Pua’a Ka’a Falls, Puohokamoa Falls, or Twin Falls.

You may notice I skipped the Pipiwai hike to the bamboo forest and the Garden of Eden, and that’s because to us, hiking for a few hours wasn’t our priority over jumping in waterfalls. I wish someone told me it was impossible to do it all - that way I would have made it a bit more personal to us!

A big tip: if you don’t like driving, book a tour. And if you do drive, drive going towards Paia to avoid the rush.

And that’s everything from our trip! I love making big guides because as a planner and researcher, these kinds of accounts are what I find to be the most interesting and helpful. I hope it might be useful.

But, I never forget the weekly recipe(s)!

Maybe freshly inspired by all my Maui fish dinners, on the blog this week is a Miso Corn Rice with Chili Cod that already has some rave reviews. It’s seasonal, simple, and a great way to use up a ton of summer corn.

Until next week, aloha :)

Justine

It has come to my attention that you may have received an email in the past few days that looks like it is from me, with an email address and subject line like this:

Please know this was not sent by me, and do not take any action at this time. If you did not add a card, nothing will be charged to…

Read more

Apologies for this hitting your inbox on a Sunday, you can blame the fact that I am currently laser-focused on planning our upcoming vacation. What starts as fun quickly disintegrates into stressful, and don’t even get me started on choosing where we are going to eat. *sobs*

To everyone who gave me recs last week, thank you. You are doing the lord’s work.

Now hello and happy weekend! There are a few new faces here (most likely for the rhubarb cookies, which you can skip ahead to below). But welcome, SNACKS is a newsletter where I cover everything I Saw/Need/Ate/Cooked and am Keeping up with for the week. I love a bit of listicle work, but the Cooked section is where my favorite stuff always lives.

This summer feels like a sigh of relief, and while I’ve been delivering a lot of baking recipes lately, that’s about to change as all these zucchini, tomatoes, corn and cucumbers come in. It is the most wonderful time of the year!!

Outside of Love Island US, Love Island UK, Off Campus, the Summer House Reunion and the Top Chef finale, I promise I am searching for good quality television.

Best of the World with Antoni Porowski, who is the loveliest human and my favorite person to follow on Instagram, premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow and is the perfect way to cleanse my brain from all the Bravo I’ve been consuming.

I needed the detox. You can watch the trailer here.

If I posted these already, please forgive me. But I got these for said upcoming vacation and I am obsessed.

I’ve been breaking them in as a city sneaker, and they are lightweight, flexible, and make my size 11 feet look so petite.

Did I get them because I saw a girl say they were the next cool girl sneaker? Yes. Influencer marketing is real!! But I’m always pleasantly surprised when the influence gets me something great.

Khachapuri and catfish in cilantro broth at Chama Mama, a restaurant I claim as my own only because I went to its first location before I could really afford to eat out like that. Nearly ten years after opening, their bread service stays one of my favorites. If you’re in NYC, be bad, get the Imeruli Khachapuri, the Taste of Georgia, and whatever orange wine they tell you to.

I also went to Wallace, a new wine bar in the space formerly occupied by Olmstead. It’s beautiful in a way that makes me excited to visit during the winter. However, the outdoor patio is big and shaded, so how lucky are we?

I also ate more homemade date brownies than I can explain, but that’s for something later.

Rhubarb Cookies with Ginger, Lime and Sesame Toffee - Four weeks ago I would have said rhubarb was not my thing, but I am so glad I changed my mind. These are my labor of love, with a toffee that easily shatters as you bite into a fruity, soft, slightly gingery cookie. You can skip whichever component you like, the cookie dough is forgiving that way!

Cucumber and Melon Salad - More crunchy-meets-juicy combos, please. This herb and feta filled salad takes a few minutes to toss together, and it is exceptional when you serve it a bit cold.

Tomatillo Beans - I was told by a friend this recipe also works well with green tomatoes, and since green tomato season is here…well…..

I’m months behind, but this Substack post from Ham El-Waylly feels like required reading.

I have many thoughts but this letter is getting long, maybe we can bring it to the chat.

Until next week, stay cool out there <3

Xoxo,

Justine

I’m very committed to 1) this being a fun summer, since last year my kitchen was under renovation and I was keeping it a secret, so I spent most of my days in fight-or-flight-why-don’t-I-have-a-sink mode and 2) it being a spritz-heavy summer. I am embracing it. I forget how good this lychee one is, and don’t get me started on this spicy one.

This also was a great week for cooking, eating, and prepping for being outside, so let’s get into the rest of the week, shall we?

The new season of Couples Therapy. Which if you aren’t familiar with the show, it’s a documentary-style series that follows patients as they go through couples counseling. It’s so well crafted, and I’m constantly surprised at how raw and honest it is. While the show is always good, in this season you see the use of AI as a romantic emotional supplement, and it is wild.

This immediately reminded me of a podcast episode reposted this week called “Dating my AI,” which had my mouth GAPING OPEN on the street as I listened to people have conversations with their AI partners. AND BELIEVING THAT IT WAS REAL.

Look, it is no secret I am not a huge fan for AI supplementing emotional, creative, or strategic work. My friend Carina Wolff recently published a newsletter where she listed out why AI sucks. It seems like a lot of college graduates agree with us, but outside of recognizing what casual AI use is doing to the environment, we also need to consider what it’s doing to our emotional brains. Brain plasticity isn’t just for math and habits, it’s for our connections with people, too.

++

(On a lighter note, I also saw and enjoyed shows like Off Campus, The Crash, and ~whispers~ the Summer House Reunion).

I went on an affordable shorts binge, hopefully so you don’t have to. After diligent research, here are my favorites:

Linen Blend Easy Shorts ($29.90) - These have a longer inseam than most of my shorts, and I kind of love it. They longer shape also makes them easy to dress up (with a strappy top/strappy kitten heel kind of combo), or down.

High Rise Baggy Lightweight Shorts ($75.00) - I linked these before, but since I’ve been wearing them nearly every day, I feel like they deserve a relink! Honestly, they are probably the only denim shorts I’ve ever owned and not hated.

3-Stripe Woven Short ($30) - I was looking for a vintage-sporty short and this one scratched the itch. This with a white tee - great for errands.

And if you’re still on your boxer game ($55.00) - I love all the color ways these come in, and they are so lightweight but not see-through, bless.

I’m back on my iced coffee combination of Chobani Sweet Cream creamer and Wandering Bear Cold Brew (preferably the Banana Bread flavor, but I also dabble in Vanilla). I discovered this last year and it is my hot weather guilty pleasure. I wake up thinking about it.

Wandering Bear is partner of mine, but they are not sponsoring this particular Substack post, however I have discount code JUSTINE if you’d like to try them out!

I also made the trek to Cafe Kestrel in Red Hook this week, and I’d do it again for the Apple Sauce Sundae alone. They mix caramel and apple sauce together for the layers, so expect a recreation of this in the fall.

While my brain is now deep in summer mode, the farmers’ market was still firmly in spring last week. But I think that gave me an excuse to make some of my favorite kinds of foods. Sunchokes, you’re up:

Sesame Lime Sunchokes over Coconut Rice - While you don’t need sunchokes for this, they give this recipe the feeling of having crispy, nutty potato chips all over. The rice itself is a creamy, coconuty blend of spices and aromatics - so it reads like a really vibrant, low-effort risotto.

Please don’t be intimidated by the ingredients in this one, the process is simple and the reward is off the charts.

Strawberry Jam Ice Cream Sandwiches - I am now on an ice cream sandwich journey. These tender and soft strawberry jam cookies are just the beginning - and that’s a promise, not a threat.

A reminder that paid subscribers can access all recipes ad-free here.

There’s not much else to report this week, but I am planning what I’m trying to call a locally conscious trip to Maui (supporting locally-owned hotels, restaurants and small businesses!) so if you have any recs along those lines, please let me know :)

Now have the best weekend, I can’t wait to see you next week <3

Xoxo,

Justine

This newsletter will be similar. Sparse. We have one Very Good Recipe, and three reasons it’s so uniquely delicious. Happy Memorial Day Weekend, lovers <3

To clarify, Blueberry “Brownies” aren’t chocolatel…

Read more

For this summer I’m thinking…maybe journal more often (I try to at least for a few minutes every day…but I lag), go to less influencer events (I’m sorry but I do not need to be at your yogurt event hosted by Craig Conover), and go back to prioritizing my friends over my work. If I owe you a text back…well, now you know it’s coming.

If you want to set some intentions with me, I’d love to hear ‘em in the comments. Hope you’re having a great weekend, and let’s jump right in!

The one-two punch of Devil Wears Prada 2 (in theaters, duh), and Wuthering Heights (from the comfort of my own couch, as god intended). I was saving Wuthering Heights for a plane, but together in one week they are quite the cocktail.

Devils Wears Prada 2 left me completely fulfilled. Andy stayed naive and hopeful, Miranda stayed complicated and forever the villain, and Emily. looked. great. One note: I do wish Andy didn’t take that apartment.

I came into Wuthering Heights knowing it was mega creative interpretation. I pushed the book out of my brain and let Fennell go for it. I enjoyed it.

I think we are afraid to like things in this world - there’s so much worth critiquing in our politics that we feel rabid to hold everything else to its highest standard, mostly as a way to cope. I get it, and I do it. For everyone who is upset that Heathcliff’s casting didn’t stay true to the book, I think it’s interesting that Fennell cast the only characters of integrity and selflessness as POC. And that artistic interpretation I liked.

It’s not so much a “need” as in a “if I didn’t find it on my block, I’d be buying it on Kindle.” I found The Man Who Ate Too Much abandoned on my street and it resurfaced memories of one of my favorite books, Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger. Both fantastic reads and remind me why I love food memoirs in the first place.

In a world where it feels like we aren’t meant to be hungry, I’ve been loving books that remind me how wonderful it is to be obsessed with food.

Also, is there no better cover than Lisa Donovan on her book??? Like please????

The shakshuka focaccia from Radio Bakery as a way to cope with the hard truth that my Friday bagel place is no longer the place I fell in love with. The drama.

I will settle for focaccia dripping in spicy tomato sauce, though. The BEC slice my husband had also looked cheesy and full of bechamel in a way that made me jealous.

Spring Green Shakshuka - If you’ve ever had the green shakshuka at Jack’s Wife Freda, think of this as her creamy cousin with MANY more micronutrients (AKA: we stuff a lot of greens in here). This is especially springy because it’s made to mix with a lot of variations of spring greens. So feel free to stock up at the market and toss a half pound of arugula in here

.

Tofu Schnitzel with Buttermilk Slaw - Have you ever brined tofu in buttermilk, pickle juice and mustard? No? Well, you must. This recipe is shockingly light and very easy. And very crunchy. All things we love. The full YouTube video is up, and the recipe is on NYT Cooking!

A reminder that paid subscribers can access all recipes ad-free here.

Marathon Eaters lol, I loved this piece. With the unveiling of the 100 best restaurant list in NYC, I live to stalk the reddit threads debating the list, and I love to hear about the people who take on the list as a personal challenge. They do the work so we don’t have to!!

My key takeaway every year when the list comes out? Eat where you like. Eat where you feel good and welcome. Eat in many different cities. New York isn’t everything (but I’m sorry that sometimes my newsletter makes it feel that way - I vow to travel more, I promise!).

Until next week, miss you already.

Xoxo,

Justine

To all moms and moms-to-be, I hope you are having a wonderful day. If you have a family celebrating you - know that you are the magic. If you (like me) have a different history with this day, know that I see you, and you are absolutely allowed to feel whatever feelings you have today, good, bad or indifferent <3

Now let us begin:

A great chunk of writing by Alison Roman, but let’s be honest, her best weapon is her writing. But I saw this, pulled from the unpaid version of her newsletter:

There is nothing worse than inserting someone’s extraordinary writing in the middle of your mediocre writing. I aspire to be better for you!!

You‘ve probably heard the term “treadmill” before, a word a lot of creatives use. The work can’t cease because what will happen if I stop? kind of rhetoric. But for years I’ve been thinking about this, and I believe that creativity thrives in security. I was only able to build this platform because it felt like a secure place of anonymity. I was only able to take risks in my cookbook because I could sit with them and change them in the privacy of a year. And as we circle the ether that is “online,” nothing feels secure when its being presented on a platter for mass critique. It makes me wonder how we create anything good anymore.

Don’t hate me when I quote Taylor Swift at an award show (no one can make me hate her): “Anything you feed your mind, it will internalize. Anything you feed the internet, it will attempt to kill.”

As someone that’s fed by the internet, I’m sitting with this.

A vacation to think about the above section a bit more.

At Union Square Cafe, two blocks from my old office where I was too entry level to need somewhere to take clients for a power lunch, so I rarely went. I enjoyed the healthy mix of corporate suits, tourists and creatives. I also enjoyed the garlic chips, big windows and free bread.

I’m crafting my two NYC lists, one for locals who live here (which will change more often), and one for people traveling in for a few days and want my top recs. This one might make the latter - getting to eat food made from the market three blocks down is such a treat.

At a pop-up this week at Gertrude’s! The menu included my Ramp Pesto (with roe and latkes, a dream) and Malted Coconut Cake with Mango Yuzu Curd, but also a Hake Sandwich with Rhubarb Agrodolce and Slaw (yum).

That recipe will be in the next section for paid subscribers, but if you need a last-minute Mother’s Day recipe, we also have these:

Rhubarb Rolls with Ginger Sugar Nuts & Lemon Frosting - based on my classic cinnamon roll dough, but with a little jammy (tart!) rhubarb filling mixed in. I rarely do a classic frosting, but the mix of tart-and-sweet was begging for it.

A reminder that paid subscribers can access all recipes ad-free here.

Now, another recipe! This fish sandwich is goooood so if you ever want to do a restaurant night at home, here’s the list:

Makes 3-4 sandwiches

For the hake fillets:

9 ounce hake (or lemon sole)

My Substack is no longer where I store my paid content, to access this recipe, look here!

Read more

In a way, I feel that’s why Substack is so popular, it’s a great place to discover new, earnest and honest writing, and even produce some. This makes me all the more sad about potentially moving this newsletter from Substack…but more on that later (and if you have thoughts on that, please let me know).

The inside of the Atlanta airport before going right back home again. I love a scenic tour.

I joke, I joke - I was supposed to go on a quick trip to see the Vital Farms farms in Springfield, MO. As a Missouri girl, I was excited. The trip got quickly cancelled due to hail THE SIZE OF GOLF BALLS and the need to keep the girls (the hens) inside, and us safe.

In better news, I used this valuable time to finish my six-month journey of a Mad Men rewatch, read reviews of Goop Kitchen (no desire to try it) and the Devil Wears Prada 2 (so much desire to see it), and find out that Ronan Farrow is on Substack, which always piques my interest.

I linked this in the gift guide months ago, but WOW did my Baggu carry-on change the game. Its winning trait is that it is so lightweight, so pulling it off and on my suitcase and in and out of security was a dream. Great for my scenic tour of the Atlanta airport.

Also went on a bit of a denim shorts hunt and settled on these. I’ll keep you posted, but I love a long inseam.

A rhubarb agrodolce as I was prepping for my Monday pop-up at Gertrude’s (you can make a rez here! I think there are a few four-tops lurking around). Which, I am biased, but damn, it’s good.

And a few spring apps by Max Baroni for California Olive Ranch at Ha’s Snack Bar, which I will be immediately returning to. The location is easy and I want to try everything else they serve (outside of a pop-up).

A Breakfast Radish Sandwich - My argument, my plea, to use all of the your radishes, greens included! When you pan-fry the greens in a little bit of olive oil or butter, they get all translucent and crispy. Add enough salt and it’s kind of the equivalent of adding potato chips to your sandwich (and don’t call me out for this being a stretch, I know it is a delicious stretch).

Gideon’s Bakehouse Cookies - I, famously, have sweet treat cravings. While I love cooking with the seasons and rhubarb is a gift and blah blah blah, I also love to throw down on some truly delicious (gigantic) cookies. These are modeled after Gideon’s, a bakery in Florida, and I tightened up my old recipe to make it doable in about two hours. Video to come - sweet treat to have now.

A reminder that paid subscribers can access all recipes ad-free here.

Weirdly, rhubarb, a stunning little veg that I’m surprised to see popping up in farmers’ markets and grocery stores right now. For context, in my area rhubarb is a very peak-summer thing, so having it this early is a GIFT.

But I’ve heard it’s deep in its season across the states, so if you want to think pink, we have a tart, some jam, rhubarb salad dressing (my favorite), and some drop biscuits. Let’s go nuts.

Until next week, let me know how you’re feeling about all the recipes/content! Feedback always helps, and I miss you very much <3

Xoxo,

Justine

But while this was a slower week for me, there’s still a bunch to recap on! Mostly some fresh-and-bright-spring recipes that I am in love with. So with that, let us begin….

My little backyard garden really start to pop up! I will not lie - we had a garden bed catastrophe over the winter. Usually I mix my compost in with soil in a 30/70 mix, let it hang out in a bucket for two weeks, then add it to my garden beds.

But this year, like an idiot, in between the snow storms I decided to quickly toss my compost in my garden beds. After all, it was a 30/70 ratio, just …on a huge scale! And nothing was planted yet anyway!

Then it snowed 18 inches. And didn’t melt for 6 weeks. When it did melt, my compost had rehydrated, molded, and…festered. Saying it smelled like cheese is an understatement - and I really thought my hard-cultivated soil was now useless.

I took March to recover, planted a few crops two weeks ago, and have been keeping a (hopeful!) eye on them every since. We have beefsteaks, yellow and green peppers, sugar snap peas, and marigolds on deck. My perennial lilies are already starting to come out. Signs that summer is almost here.

Lena Dunham’s book, Famesick. A wildly honest memoir, and after chapters of murmuring to myself “oh my god?!” and “I can’t believe that happened to her??”, it made me feel profoundly sad. Our lived experiences could not be more different, but no one is immune to the scorn that comes with being a woman with a perspective. I’m nearly done with the audiobook and will likely buy it in paperback.

A few other things: slippery soft pajamas because a girl in my book club said they felt both like butter and nothing all at once (they do, although they are pricey). Salterhouse hemp clogs that are made in Morocco and good for fall/spring gardening. My favorite bowls once again. Oh, and I am restocking these sheet pans since I’ve vowed to never bake on dark colored sheet pans ever again. (As a recipe developer it’s irresponsible for me not to pick a lane).

A chocolate mint pie that tasted like a giant andes mint at Superiority Burger during the pop-up for the special edition Steak Zine. They also had pretty delicious ramp butter rolls - proving I’m not the only one who is obsessed.

Next, some chocolate chip cookies at Spring Cafe Aspen (I promise this week wasn’t just desserts!).

And more sourdough focaccia than I can count because we’re starting a sandwich series! And sandwiches need excellent breads.

Peanut Ginger Tofu Sandwich - The first recipe of my Big Sandwich Era™. I used to not really jive with sandwiches because as a pescatarian, they were never that filling or that great. Or they were just tuna salad or egg salad. But now, prepare yourself to see a lot of tofu sandwiches. Starting with this extra flavorful peanut ginger tofu with a slaw in the same dressing. Very filling, very healthy, and great for prepping for work.

Crispy Artichoke Hearts over Lemon Quinoa - In the spring I need to have artichokes. Multiple, and preferably, often. This quinoa bowl sizzles some cilantro, lemon and tahini in olive oil to give it some deep flavor, and the roasted artichokes just get to be the (delicious) bonus. I realized I need a pop of olives to go with the citrusy herbs and spring veg, so I promise, nothing is one-note.

A reminder that paid subscribers can access all recipes ad-free here.

A delayed shoutout to how much I’ve been enjoying my friend Colu Henry’s book, Better at Home. If you saw me flipping through it on the subway the other day - weren’t you jealous?

But really, it’s a smart and elegant book that keeps me interested on every page. Which is no small feat, because I am constantly distracted by new TikToks about the Summer House reunion.

Until next week, enjoy this glorious weather!

Xoxo,

Justine

I was honored to be included as one of AdWeek’s Brand Genius Creators - which, seeing as part of this brand is us hanging out here every weekend, thank you. I’m so grateful that my recipes have evolved into this brand and community that we all share. I appreciate you more than you know.

I hope wherever you are, your week has also been busy but fulfilling. Now let’s dive into everything else, shall we?

The inside of the NYT Cooking Studio kitchen! We filmed a quick-turn video for ramps this week, but if you simply cannot wait for the video, I have a gift link for you here!

It’s always so fun to film in the NYT Cooking space, but it does stress me out. You have to be “on” and be the “talent,” and I’ve been around enough talent by now to know it’s not always natural to bring that energy. (Camera energy is not real life energy…it’s almost like a camera lens saps you a bit). But when the video drops - I hope you feel the energy! (Ramp energy, to be precise).

To share with you THE cookie book of the season: Cookie Club by my friend Mallory Oniki came out this Tuesday, and while we are friends, I feel like I’d love this book even without that bias.

It’s very rare that I’m drawn to single-subject cookbooks (Sesame by Seed and Mill’s founder Rachel Simons and Hot Date by Rawaan Alkhatib are my exceptions). But what I love about Mallory’s cookbook is that everything is simple yet FUN. We made olive oil cookies at my house and it took seconds, but they were so soft, sharp and delicious that the effort-to-reward ratio was well worth it.

You can find Cookie Club here!

At Burrow by Sammy Koolik, which after being featured on Feed Me last week is now fully famous (and so deserved). This is a 10-12 seat supper club that takes place in Koolik’s apartment, but the food he is able to produce in the space, along with the atmosphere he is able to curate is wildly impressive. And just comfortable.

I briefly met Sammy at a bake sale last winter, when he had just started Burrow. Seeing what is has become is such a treat. Sammy plates the food feet away from you and every course I was saying, “how did that..? He coursed that? Just now??”

More green things, of course! If it’s March, April, or May, I think you will see a trend.

Caramelized Leek Pasta - For those of us who want to use the whole leek, I have the answer for you. I used to blanch the leek greens for this pasta, but I’ve switched to roasting them. Which 1) makes them more flavorful and 2) makes them softer and easier to twirl into the pasta. Any pasta shape will do, but spaghetti is particularly fun.

Green and Garlicky Ramp Soup - And remember, you don’t need ramps to make this. For this recipe, I’d actually push cilantro as your best substitute. This bowl ends up tasting somewhat like salsa verde, so it’s delicious served hot or chilled.

A reminder that paid subscribers can access all recipes ad-free here.

Caity Weaver’s quest to find the best bread basket in America for The Atlantic. Starting with a survey and taking it all across the country. No spoilers, but this is the kind of journalism I want us to be pursuing.

I personally am biased to the bread course that comes with a whole head of roasted garlic at Yachtsman’s Steakhouse, but I’d also be swayed by any place with free cornbread.

Bring back our free bread baskets, please!!

Now I hope you have a Friday that feels like a summer Friday. We deserve it.

Xoxo,

Justine

I hope you all have had an excellent week, here’s what I’ve been seeing/doing/cooking (…ramping):

The first pile of ramps of the season! And I changed my entire content calendar to accommodate. For me, this is very normal.

If you aren’t sure what ramps are, we have a little guide here, And I want to caveat that nearly any ramp recipe can be substituted with a mix of scallions and garlic. Don’t let the elitists (me) make you think you can’t make ramp recipes!! I will say I’m filming something very exciting for NYT Cooking next week - so stay tuned for that - AND IT CAN ABSOLUTELY BE DONE RAMP-FREE.

I also saw my bowls go through their first production cycle! Meaning we sold our first batch, and we’re gearing up and making more!

If you’ve ever liked one of my bowls or pieces, it was probably Jono Pandolfi. I’ve collaborated with them to make two bowls which are available for purchase during this! month! only!

They are shallow enough for photos and styling, sturdy enough for every day use, and just look gorgeous. You can get one here!

And thank you to everyone who has already supported the collection - your bowls should be arriving soon, and please let me know what you think!

This and this and this from the Emma Chamberlain + West Elm Collection. I really like it!! I also love the birds, sue me. Hanging the curtains today and I’ll let you know how they look.

I’ve also gotten 8 million (…four) comments on my skin being dewy this week so I’ve decided this setting spray has earned its recommendation. I’m obsessed, and it’s given my dry skin a glass-skin-with-dew kind of finish.

My first slice of Joe’s in what must be years after a stop by Phillip Williams Posters to hopefully finish our living room art hunt.

A michelada made with Missy Robbins’ new Diavola sauce at their launch party, and it was spicy in a way that makes your lips tingle - just the way I like it.

And an impulsive stop at Ample Hills ice cream for the banana pudding flavor because I cannot get over the lore.

This week was an interesting cooking week. I cooked a ton, but of course I was moving quickly to get all the ramp content done for you before ramps themselves are …gone. Here’s what I did online, plus a few updated recipes that I’m excited about:

Ramp Pesto - Starting with the basics, I never had a good ramp-only pesto recipe until this year. It lasts in your fridge forever (mine from last weekend is still bright green), and no need to blanch anything. Ugh I love it.

Ramp-Covered Salmon - Now in this ramp-apocalypse I wanted to give you three things: 1) a basic recipe (the pesto) 2) a weeknight recipe (this salmon) and 3) a weekend recipe (the biscuits below). This salmon looks like a lot, but it’s as simple as they come. Plus it uses my favorite technique to infuse breadcrumbs with flavor in just minutes.

Three Cheese Ramp Biscuits - I used to think recipes like this buried the ramp flavor, but what I’ve found is you only need a few ramps (or scallions) to make these layered, cheesy biscuits incredibly aromatic. This recipe almost guarantees you layers because of the cheese, so make it with or without the greens - but never skip the cheese.

Brown Butter & Black Sesame Banana Bread - We gave this recipe a little glow-up this week. It’s now more moist, and we found a ratio for black sesame paste OR black sesame seeds. If you want a nuttier, marbled banana bread - this one is a great one to try!

Creamy Tofu Pasta with Kale - I still have some of this in my freezer and I get excited about pulling it out for the nights I don’t have dinner planned. It’s incredibly healthy, very satisfying, and PASTA. So…we have nothing to lose.

(Healthier) Edible Sugar Cookie Dough - I made this recipe so long ago that I forgot how delicious it is. I’m happy to add it to the “recipes-we-updated” list because it’s incredibly easy and very freezer-snack-friendly.

A reminder that paid subscribers can access all recipes ad-free here.

I will be hunkering down and reading this piece on Sam Altman this weekend. I hear you need a few hours for it. I’ve also heard it gets dark - I’ll report back.

Otherwise, I’ll be digging into RHORI to raise my spirits.

Have the best weekend, I love you lots, and you don’t need ramps.

Xoxo,

Justine

I’m hoping to check out the hotly debated Canyon Coffee in Prospect Heights this morning, mostly to celebrate what’s going on below:

ICYMI: I just launched two bowls in collaboration with Jono Pandolfi!

I’m thrilled to introduce you to the Green Banded Coupe Alaska Bowl in two styles, Wide Banded and Doubled Banded.

You’ve seen these bowls all over my content. They are perfect for food styling and photography, shallow enough to hold a wide variety of foods but also deep enough to handle your cereal (very important). Plus, they are durable, scratch-resistant, and incredibly sturdy.

Each piece is hand-molded and hand painted (you can see me painting some here). Jono Pandolfi started as a restaurant supplier, so I knew that by partnering with them I would be able to make some of the best quality plateware out there, and I hope you’ll love it as much as I do.

I haven’t sold a product since my cookbook, and I knew if I ever did, I wanted to make it something my audience was asking for. Bowls were always my most requested, and I’m thrilled to share these with you!!

If buying bowls isn’t in your future right now, we also have a giveaway, linked for you here!

(PS, we’re counting this as both Saw and Need, because I saw how amazing these were and needed to tell you about them).

The whole fried fish at Bong in Crown Heights. This restaurant is nestled in the former location of Ursula, so I’m no stranger to standing in a line that runs around the corner of this block, and I am pleased to do it again.

The food here is just as fun as their Instagram and the chicken looks bomb. Can a chicken-eater please go and report back? Otherwise the crabbage and the fried fish are my musts.

We got a reservation same-day by just checking the resy app, so it’s hard to get into, but not impossible.

This week included a pile of old recipes that (after a tiny zhugzh) are now in my top favorites. If you need some Easter ideas, I have some fun pink stuff for you:

Lemon Tahini Salad with Radishes, Dates & Sesame Seeds - I like to think of this salad as winter-meets-spring. It uses all the radishes being harvested right now, while anchoring itself with winter chicories. It’s sweet and bright and excellent for a brunch table.

Strawberry Cookies - I’m on somewhat of an apology tour for old recipes that used to be fun but not amazing, and I’ve been updating them to make them amazing. This recipe is one of those recipes. Easter-egg pink and tart with berry flavor, these are a fun last-minute bake for the weekend.

Carrot Cake Covered in Caramel - My favorite recipe of this week! This cake bakes while it is drowned in caramel. It’s essentially a caramel-poached-cake, and I enjoy how crazy that sounds. It’s loosely modeled after Pouding chômeur, which is also delicious.

Gochujang Baked Quinoa with Slow Roasted Salmon - So you want something to meal-prep after the long weekend? This. Healthy, hearty, spicy-sweet. I could eat it all day.

A reminder that paid subscribers can access all recipes ad-free here.

Books that were popular six months ago that I’ve finally read. I just finished Alchemised, and after going in with no expectations. I have to say it was particularly devastating - and I loved every second of it.

I have a category of books called “ones so good I woke up early to read them” and Circe, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, The Marriage Portrait, and Alchemised all fall into that category.

Happy eating, happy reading, happy resting! Until next week.

Xoxo,

Justine