Hi friends! Happy Wednesday! It was my birthday on Sunday and I spent quality time celebrating with great food and my favourite people. Honestly, I’m still recovering from all the birthday buzz but found some quiet time to write this issue! I hope you enjoy it :)
Thank you to the 16 new subscribers who’ve joined this week! Welcome 🙂
Alright, let’s dig in.
Wait one more thing! I promised an Ireland recap at the end of last week’s newsletter but it was just a good food week that I’ll post it in the next two issues! It’s gonna be worth the wait <3
Okay now let’s get into it!
BIRTHDAY BOWL
For my birthday party this year, I decided to channel my inner suburbanite and host a bowling party. We ate cake, there was pizza, and some of us managed to get a strike! My dear pal Lucie Franc de Ferriere of From Lucie Bakery made me a lemon olive oil cake with lemon curd and lavender buttercream frosting. It was a crowd favourite and I especially love how her cakes aren’t too sweet and rich in flavour. Will be eating and gifting leftovers for days! Text me if you do want some cake (delivery is limited to some areas aka NYC)
Truth be told, it’s hard to celebrate a birthday in a year where there is so much pain and destruction surrounding us. Today and every day, I’m especially thinking of Palestinians in Gaza who live in despair, agony, and uncertainty about many things including where their next meal will come from. If you’re able to, please donate to Anera, an organization that is supporting people in Gaza with medical supplies and food. And please continue to call your reps daily in favour of a ceasefire.
PANTRY HAUL
The theme is noodsssss
I’m back in New York and did a little Whole Foods haul to stock up on some healthy snacks to balance out all the dinners I’m attending. Yes, I got my apples, kale, and Greek yoghurt but I also picked up some Omsom saucy noodles for a quick lunch. That was the dream but the reality was I made them as a late-night snack after a long day in the city.
The chilli sesame noodles were exceptional and easy to make. Pop them in boiling water for a few minutes, drain them, put them in your favourite bowl and spread the goodness in the sauce packet all around! These are SPICY as indicated on the label and honestly cleared out the last few sniffles of a cold. I did wish that there was more sauce in the packet or maybe 2 packets but regardless these ATE! I think next time I might add some steamed and slightly buttered roasted broccoli or bok choy!
In conclusion, this is a certified pantry staple and I will keep some at bay for the meals when I want flavour but not a lot of fatigue.
COOKS AND BOOKS RECAP
Cherry Bombe’s Annual Cooks and Books festival was this past weekend and what a beautiful celebration of the women behind the cookbooks we know and love. I was so honoured to moderate a conversation with Klancy Miller and Dr. Jessica B. Harris.
Dr. Harris is a culinary historian whose work sheds light on the foodways of the African diaspora and its influence on American food. One of her books, High on the Hog, inspired the Netflix show of the same name. It’s a great watch and Season 2 comes out on November 22!
Klancy Miller is an author and pastry chef who has a magazine celebrating Black women and femmes in food known as For The Culture. She recently wrote an anthology of interviews and recipes of the same name and it was a delight to read.
Being in conversation with these two women was a career highlight. Their works have inspired and moved me greatly as well as them being amazing role models to look up to. We talked about their books, how they found joy in food writing, the importance of community for their work, and what they love about Paris as francophiles. There were so many golden nuggets Dr. Harris and Klancy shared that will stick with me forever. Luckily, Olivia McGiff made these wonderfully illustrated notes for those of you who couldn’t join!
LINKS (and stuff) YOU’LL LOVE
TASTE RADIO
Finally made it to the other side of the mic. A few days ago, I was a guest on Taste Radio, one of my favourite podcasts. I’ve been listening for years and love the range of people that they interview in the food industry.
Host Aliza Abarbanel (know her!) asked me great questions and we got to chat about our mutual love of Mexico City, how I think about curating guests on my podcast The Future of Food is You, and thoughts on food media today. Here’s the link if you want to listen and thank you to the new subscribers who came here after listening.
BULLISH ON BREVILLE
Elizabeth G Dunn and Karen Leigh, Bloomberg Magazine
I’m a sucker for a good Nancy Meyer kitchen and if you pay attention to the details, you’ll notice how many appliances are Breville. I’ve heard incredible things about their coffee makers and toasters and have been eager to invest in one. While rabbit-holing for reviews, I found this great piece in Bloomberg about the history of Breville, the intention behind product design, and its entrance into the American home goods market. Fascinating piece for anyone who loves learning about the process and the culture around brands.
THE ALLURE OF EREWHON
To make a classic American high school analogy, Erewhon is that popular person that everyone has an opinion about yet few people know. For what it's worth, I love Erewhon and once you look past the allure of the $30 ionized water and designer-style supplements, they have a solid produce selection and a great spread of quality CPG produce.
This piece delves into the humble hippie beginnings of the grocery chain, offers an observational critique of customer archetypes based on location, and how the brand got its new mojo. There are many zingers but my favourite line is “Your L.A. friends will roll their eyes, but they also have $200-a-year Erewhon memberships. Your New York friends will come as a joke, but they will come before they hit LACMA, and their money is just as real.”
CHEFS AND THE ISRAEL-HAMAS CONFLICT
Kim Severson, New York Times
The conflict that escalated on October 7 between Hamas and Israel has taken centre stage in many aspects of our lives from politics to culture and everything in between. It’s a topic of conversation at every dinner table or meal I’ve shared in the last few weeks. This piece was a painful reality of how conflict affects interpersonal relationships and the communities they co-exist in. It encouraged me to continue having hard conversations with friends, do more personal education on Israel and Palestinian history, reach out to my local representatives to demand a ceasefire and pray for peace in the region.
MODERNIST CUISINE GRAIL
*gifted (one thing about me, you’ll always know)
In the last newsletter, I raved about my trip to the Modernist Cusine headquarters in Seattle. Just when I thought the fangirling was over, their team sent over their Modernist Pizza set, a collection of three books and a kitchen manual all about the Italian culinary treasure. Is the sign to start my foray into becoming a pizzaola? The jury is still out. I’m so grateful and can’t wait to slowly read through it over the next few weeks. If you have a pizza nerd in your life, this might be the perfect gift for the holiday season before you invest in the homemade pizza oven.
EVENTS
I know Thanksgiving is the biggest event for my American friends (we will talk about it next week) but here are a few events coming up that I found cool and I think you will too.
BISTROT PAUL BERT EVENT
BPB is the bistro I go to when I’m in Paris and cosplay being a local. The waiters are the perfect amount of snobby, the food is simple yet elegant, and the neighbourhood is perfect for a post-lunch stroll.
The Bistrot Paul Bert team will be in NYC for 3 nights partnering up with Sadie Mae Burns and Anthony Ha, the team behind Ha’s Đặc Biệt. There will be wine pairings courtesy of Les Valseuses, a winery & guesthouse in Jura, France. Reservations are available on Resy from November 27th to 29th at Leo Pizza in Williamsburg.
Resy says sold out fret not, it sounds like there will be a Little Cave Paul Experience Bert for walk-ins with a selection of wines and a special slice. I won’t be in town but if you go, please report back! I can’t wait to hear
ONE LOVE COMMUNITY FRIDGE HEALTH FORUM
I’ve been a huge fan of the One Love Community Fridge project in Brooklyn and try to stock a fridge if I see one. This weekend, they’re hosting an all-day forum dedicated to conversations, food, and community. There will be panels on food justice and nutrition access with dear pals Sophia Roe and Maya Feller. Check out the One Love market with goodies from local chefs and crafts. It’s free to attend but you have to register here!
SPEED DATING WITH EAT SCHMUTZ
With the fatigue of dating app swiping looming over the city’s love life, it sparks joy to see people who are encouraging flirting IRL. Especially when food is involved. Friend of the newsletter Michael Rubel is the founder of Eat Schmutz, a delicious haroset perfect for any time of year.
On November 30th, Eat Schmutz will be hosting a speed dating night at B&H Deli in the East Village! Come for the bottomless food and booze, stay for the potential of sharing a grilled cheese with the love of your life.
Seats are limited, single pals! Apply here if you’re interested!
Can’t wait to catch up with you next week where I’ll talk about (American) Thanksgiving! Have a wonderful week!
On that note, I leave you with this song. Sweet Banana, a hi-life bop by King Sunny Ade. If y’all like this, maybe we can make it a tradition.
Eat well and be well!
Abena, your friend in food
P.S. If you have recommendations for places/things to donate this holiday season, please let me know and I’ll share. Thank you in advance!