ten things: great soups, good granola, and the art of the taco run

Your Friend in Food #15: July 21, 2024

Fernando Botero. Picnic, 1989. Oil on canvas.

Hi friends- Happy Sunday from CDMX! Like clockwork, summers here are defined by the 2-hour torrential downpour that grinds the city to a halt. The rain has really encouraged me to hermit so most nights after work, I’ve been making dinner, catching up on my daily crossword habit, and digging into a book or show. Slowly making my way through Season 3 of The Bear. If you have thoughts, DM me because I wanna discuss. 

Back here again with another ten things. It’s a long one- I couldn’t help it! If you’re new, I share ten food-related things that I’ve consumed, discovered, created, or enjoyed over the last week. I also share 3-5 things for you to enjoy so stick around or skip through! 

Thank you to the 10 new subscribers joining us! It’s lovely having you here! 

Interview with Ifrah Ahmed (Synonym Mag)

So so hyped to share my interview with NYT cooking contributor, pop-up chef, soon-to-be cookbook author, and exceptional TikTok curator Ifrah Ahmed. I was tapped by Synonym Mag, a new indie mag celebrating immigrant cultural stories, to chat with Ifrah about her Somalian heritage, growing up in Seattle, and what she thinks of the word authenticity when it comes to the dishes she creates. Ifrah is one of my favourite people in food to chat with and our conversations always leave me inspired and motivated to continue sharing authentic and diverse stories. 

This interview is available in print (support indie magazines) and also available online!

Cooking is chemistry (BBC) 

I loved science class growing up but I think I would have paid more attention during chemistry class if my teachers talked about the Maillard reaction and fermentation. BBC’s The Food Chain podcast published this great episode on the myriad of scientific processes that happen in our kitchens. Host Ruth Alexander chats with authors like Stuart Farrimond (The Science of Cooking) and Krish Ashok(Masala Lab: The Science of Indian Cooking) on their research process and the science behind culinary wisdom passed down between generations. Bonus points if you listen to it while making dinner. 

Zoë Kanan’s newest project (Grub Street) 

Few things fill my cup more than listening to chefs, bakers, mixologists, and other culinary professionals talk about the process and craft behind their signature dishes and drinks. One of these folks is Zoë Kanan, a brilliant NYC-based baker! 

I met Zoë 3 years ago on a cookbook shoot and it’s been a thrill following her journey. She has spent the last 15 years developing pastries for Milk Bar, Sadelle’s, and her famous pop-up Zoe’s Doughies donuts. We overlapped a bit in Mexico City a few years ago when she developed bagels for Jewish diner Mendl. I love Zoë’s perspective on baked goods: a balance of honouring tradition but also incorporating flavours you are pleasantly surprised by. 

Now she’s deep in development mode as she embarks on a new chapter: opening Elbow Bread, new bakery in partnership with the team that blessed us with S&P Lunch and Court Street Grocers. This brilliant Tammie Teclemariam feature details Zoë’s development process, the signature dishes she wants to perfect and revive like the pletzel and Charlotte Ruse, as well as where Elbow stands amidst the NYC hype bakery landscape.  I’m really looking forward to this spot and hope to see you in line. 

Pete Wells’ exit interview (NYT Culture Desk)

if you see this man inside your restaurant, what do you do?

Earlier this week, Pete Wells announced that he was stepping down as the restaurant critic for the New York Times after 12 years eating his way around the city. Wells’ honest and impactful reviews were most anticipated by nervous restaurants and appreciated by enthusiastic diners who considered his word canon. On the flip side, there is a strong camp that often critiqued Wells’ presence as an embodiment of the consistent exaltation of French dining as this standard for good food while omitting restaurants that were indicative of America’s diverse palette. 

His farewell essay is candid, well-penned and I appreciate his vulnerability on the physical toll that this job took on him. Additionally, this fascinating conversation with Culture Desk’s Melissa Kirsch is a great deep dive into his motivations for writing the letter, his critique process, his failings during his tenure, and what advice he would heed to his successors. I wonder how much his words will set a precedent on the new standards and demands that publications require from critiques and how that will shift the food writing landscape. 

While NYT looks for a new critic to fill Pete’s place, NYT Cooking editors Priya Krishna and Melissa Clark will be taking over in the interim. Both are extraordinary writers and have refreshing perspectives on food culture so excited to see how this shapes out. Mr.Wells, I know you won’t read this but enjoy the time off and maybe you can write a book about all your dining adventures. 

Garlicky Shrimp & Brothy Peas over Rice (NYT Cooking) 

Living in a new city has changed my internal production clock a wee bit. While I’m seeing a lot of summer content online, the current weather is calling me into a fall mood. I want something hearthy, slightly brothy, and packs the heat. All these things came true with this gorgeous Garlic Shrimp with Peas recipe on NYT Cooking. (gift link if you’re not a subscriber!) 

What’s more special about this recipe is that I’ve finally put my ever-growing bag of frozen shrimp heads to use. Every other month, I take myself out to lunch at seafood institution Entremar and order the camarones al diablo, whole shrimp coated in a thick and fiery chipotle sauce. Once I’ve finished, I ask my waiters to pack up the heads for me and now the payoff is here.

The recipe involves making broth from shrimp shells, letting the shrimp rest for 15 minutes with a healthy sprinkle of salt, and then sauteing shrimp in some EVOO, garlic, and red pepper flakes. I’ve been using the Algae Cooking Club oil and it’s a great alternative! When the broth is done, you cook the peas in there for 2 minutes and save about a cup of broth to pour into the pan with the shrimp. I got about 4 cups of broth that I froze in pints and some ice cube trays. Toss the peas in there and add a generous amount of chopped cilantro and parsley for some freshness and bite. Serve with rice or some slices of toasted bread. 

It can seem tedious making the broth and shelling the peas the first time around but I think there’s something special about a meal that draws your focus in, feeling the textures of your grub. I’ll make it again, well because I have all this broth, but I would season the shrimp with some cayenne and maybe some lemon before cooking. Highly recommend for a Saturday lunch or a weeknight meal after a mid-week farmer’s market run. 

Heyday Canning Co. soups*

*gifted 

In staving away from eating lunch al desko, I try to make something a little more involved so I can savour my meal and decrease my screen time. But I’m also lazy and my indecision can often result in me just making toast with labneh and jam eaten over the sink. 

A few weeks ago, the Heyday team sent over their newest product: a collection of hearty, plant-based, and protein-packed soups. If you’re not familiar with Heyday, lemme put you on. The female-founded team has been making incredible canned pantry staples that make cooking fun. I’ve gotten to know Kathryn and Jamie over the years and am so impressed by their passion for beans, wholesome cooking, and building community through food. I always reach for their apricot glazed baked beans when I make a full English breakfast a la casa and their harissa lemon chickpeas are perfect for a bright winter soup. 

I popped open a tin of their creamy coconut corn chowder after a game of tennis before diving back into work and whipping it together was such a vibe. Heating it over the stove, I rinsed the can with some water and poured it back in to get a lighter texture. I noticed on the side of the can that they also add suggestions of how to liven up your soup- just brilliant. While the soup was warming up, I chopped up some fresh cilantro and fried some bread in Algae Cooking Club. Poured my warm soup into a bowl, and added the herby greens, some fried shallots from Bungkus Bagus, and some yuzu corn hot sauce from Noma Projects (told y’all I like the spice.) Once my stock runs dry, I’ll definitely be buying more. It’s nice having a well-made pantry staple that cuts cooking time but doesn’t skimp in on flavour. 

Their soups come in 6 flavours, ranging from grilled cheese tomato soup to pinto & black bean mole chilli and golden butternut lentil stew. You can buy a 6-pack of a single flavour or try their variety pack to start. If you want individual cans,  Heyday is also available at Whole Foods and more stockists: check them out here. 

Sweet Deliverance Granola 

Due to my crunchy granola upbringing shaped by a mom who made almost everything from scratch and snuck vegetables into whatever she could, I have strong opinions about granola. It’s fairly easy to make and it makes your house smell good. But once in a blue moon, there is a ‘nola that is worthy of dropping the mixing bowl. May I present Sweet Deliverance granola. 

Sweet Deliverance started out with a recipe that founder Kelly Geary made to meet a client’s prenatal needs. Soon it blossomed into a savoury sweet mix that she couldn’t stop making for friends and family and now a pantry staple that I can’t seem to stop chowing down.  

I first sampled it at my friend Ashley’s house last fall and then picked up a bag for myself when Pop-Up Grocer invited me to come over and sample some products. They have a few flavours but I’m a huge fan of their strawberry and salty peanut granola. It’s this awesome blend of protein-packed peanuts with the right amount of saltiness, strawberries two ways (freeze-dried and regular dried), rolled oats, chia, hemp, pumpkin and flax seeds. The sweetness comes from organic maple syrup and just a touch of coconut sugar. You can be traditional and put it atop Greek yogurt or if you’re feeling creative, add it to a summer salad or munch on it as a snack in between calls. You can find Sweet Deliverance on their website or in-person at stockists. 

proof of fandom! I think there’s a space for empties in food similar to how the beauty girlies do it.

The Art of the Taco Run 

Ask any Mexico City local about their favourite taco spot and you’re bound to hear odes on favourite taqueros, meat styles, and special tortillas. Everyone claims their favourite spot is the best spot and before you know it, you’ll have a list that wraps around the globe. 

I live in a CDMX neighbourhood that some would consider ritzy so me even shouting out this place will probably result in an eye roll or side eye. Earlier this week, I had an hour to kill between meetings and decided to go on a silly little walk. Upon reaching the fork between my house and grabbing a bite, I thought sure why not rip a few tacos? I stopped by my local taqueria, El Rey de Suadero. It’s always open, the tacos are well-priced (20 pesos is considered the city’s average), and the taqueros are kind, often warning me that the salsa will be too hot and then impressed when I douse a healthy amount of the hot stuff onto my selections. They’ve started to recognize me and I hope they start to memorize my order: tres campechano (mix of meats) con un pastor.

On this most recent trip, I just came to appreciate this spot a little more and maybe the art of acquiring a taco. I think the art of finding your favourite taco spot spurs from convenience and develops into a warm relationship. Eating across so many taquerias across the city, I think there are a few things people come to love. There should be a decent amount of people, a sign of high patronage but not a long line where you spend half an hour debating whether it’s worth it. Fresh cilantro and onion must be in abundance (forever and always con todo) and you need at least two salsas, the binary of medium and hot. You should admire your taquero in action, rapidly chopping up meat into sizeable chunks while also memorizing orders and heating up tortillas in this mesmerizing dance. And finally, your drink, be it a chela (beer), una coca, or agua del dia should be enough to pair with your tacos. I think a solid ratio is 4 tacos to one bev.

Just felt like being poetic and I think this inspired me to work on my CDMX taqueria guide. A future ten things maybe?! 

Ha’s Dac Biet x Makan 

How people feel about pop stars is how I feel about pop-up chefs. I’ll wait in line for a limited-edition donut, set multiple alarms to snag a reservation, and find my way to the back of the kitchen after asking too many questions about how everything was made. 

Last weekend, Ha’s Dac Biet, the iconic travelling duo of Anthony Ha and Sadie Burns, touched down in Mexico City at Makan, an incredible Singapore restaurant. I’ve been fangirling over Ha’s Dac Biet for a minute but kept missing their many sold-out pop-ups. Finally, my time came. I leapt into Makan’s Whatsapp upon seeing their IG announcement and made reservations for dinner. 

The couple met in 2015 while working at Danny Bowien’s Mission Chinese and began hosting private events and pop-ups on the side. When the pandemic happened, they packed their knives and went global cooking at places like Early June in Paris, 40 Maltby Street in London, and Gem Wine Bar in NYC. 

The seven-course dinner was a beautiful combination of fresh seafood, homage to Thai flavours, and a showcase of serious culinary talent. I loved the fatty oysters topped with a sweet chilli mignonette and a dollop of caviar, the steamed stingray with scallion oil served with jasmine rice and greens lightly cooked in a wok with some alliums.

I think stingray is my new favourite thing.

I fell in love with the dessert, the cafe su da tapioca pudding. It was a rice pudding, mixed in with chunks of tapioca jelly, and topped with a torched marshmallow-like fluff.

Dinner was so great that I came back for brunch on Sunday. After witnessing England squander another chance at the Euro title, this meal was needed to drown my sorrows. My dining mates and I were famished so we basically ordered everything off the menu. 

The brochetas, grilled skewers with sweetbread and duck offal, the fish congee turned seafood delight with bits of snapper, mussels, clams, and oysters, the Cantonese roast pork fried rice with chunks of slightly wilted but flavourful lettuce, and the decadent and perfectly fried omelette with a chunky sweet chilli sauce and topped with some caviar. Didn’t know I needed this egg x egg combo but I want more of it. 

If this review moved you and you live in Los Angeles next week, you’re in luck! Ha’s Dac Biet is popping up at darling wine bar Voodo Vin from July 30 to August 1. Snag a seat on Resy before you regret it.

Saint Panaderia x Fenn Apartmento Danish

CDMX bakery darling Saint Panaderia turned their production facility into a retail space and it’s beautiful. They make some of the best loaves, pastries and always carry impressive wines and pantry goods. 

They hosted specialty housewares brand Fenn Apartmento in their space and it was a treat. Fenn is run by an incredible couple, Sebastian and Aracelli, who are importing the finest goods from around the world to be treasured in our Mexico City abodes. They curated a small menu with Saint and one of the standouts was the classic Saint Danish topped with beautiful balsamic vinegar from Modena. A surprising delight and I hope it becomes a permanent item on the menu. 

TREATS FOR YOU 

Thanks for sticking around! Now for you, here are some events to check out and maybe meet a friend in food. 

July 22, Aug 5, Aug 19th: Burgers and Friends at Gertrude’s, Brooklyn

This was a late catch but Gertrude’s, the bistro-style spot in Prospect Heights, has been hosting a burger collaboration with some impressive chefs like Peking House’s Eric Huang and Hellbender’s Yara Herrera.   On Monday, July 22, Johnny Spero from Washington D.C’s Bar Spero will be on grill duty. 

I saw a preview of his burger on Gertrude’s Instagram and it’s coming in hot with smoked cheddar, dashi butter onions, miso pickled onions, and special special sauce. SAY LESS.  Throughout August, there will be two more collabs with NYC darlings Caroline Schiff (ex-Gage and Tollner) on August 5th  and Calvin Eng (Bonnie’s) on August 19th. Book a table on Resy and check their Instagram for more info.

July 25th-28th: Big Night @ Scribe Winery, Sonoma, California

`It’s always cool seeing your favourite store expand into a cinematic universe. Big Night, the gorgeous home goods and pantry supply store,  is my heaven on earth and I’m so honoured to call founder Katherine Lewin a friend in food. Katherine, along with recipe developer Rebecca Firkser, released a fantastic cookbook this spring and they’ve been touring it across the country spreading the Big Night love everywhere.

From July 25th- July 28th, Katherine is bringing the party to Napa Valley. She will be the chef-in-residence at Scribe Winery, inspiring the tasting menu with recipes from the cookbook. It’s going to be a NorCal dream and Scribe’s wines are divine so this is a perfect match. Tickets are available here and available exclusively to Scribe members (tbh the membership looks like a good deal or find a friend and go hehe) 

July 31st: Woldy Kusina Kamayan Dinner @ Rockaway Hotel, Queens

Filipino-American Woldy Kusina is the embodiment of a fashion foodie. His impeccable taste shines through in his fits and his stunning and delightful dishes. On July 31st, Woldy is hosting a kamayan dinner as part of Rockaway Hotel’s Beach Sessions. Kamayan dinners are a Filipino staple where guests sit at a long table with food doled out on banana leaves, enticing diners to eat with their hands and make conversation. This stylish and modern meal representation will have dishes like garlic turmeric rice, pickled papaya and guava, and grilled oyster mushrooms.  Tickets are available here- get them quick! 

That’s it for this week’s ten things! I always want to hear what memorable things you’re consuming so please tell me them below. 

As always, leaving you with a song to groove to in the kitchen!

Eat well and be well! 

Your friend in food, 

Abena