The Newsletter #11
a new favorite cookbook, salad secrets, and more
Hello, my dear readers,
I missed you guys! One of my 2022 goals is to resume publishing this newsletter on a more regular cadence. I took a hiatus starting in July, with the exception of my gift guide in December, because I was very pregnant and then had a newborn. But now that our sweet bébé, Mila, is approaching five months and we’re in a good rhythm, the idea of writing more consistently feels achievable again.
‘chal we dive in?
What I’ve Been Cooking Lately
Breakfast
I’ve been on a caramelized onion kick recently. Especially paired with soft scrambled eggs and goat cheese. It’s only possible when I have time on my hands — it is not quick — but it is so tasty and so easy. Plus, it sates us till dinner. Perfect for a leisurely weekend morning when you don’t have anywhere to be.
Here’s how I make it (note this yields enough for two people): I put a couple pads of butter on a pan at the lowest possible heat and meanwhile, chop up one small red onion. Once the butter is a little melty, I add the onion to the pan, sprinkle some salt, and let it do its thing for as much time as I have — usually 20 minutes but up to 30 — stirring occasionally. Then, I whisk two eggs + a splash of half and half in a bowl, pour it into a different pan (also over low heat) and softly scramble. When the eggs are close to being done, I fold in the caramelized onions + some creamy goat cheese. Let it all come together (still over low heat, I can’t emphasize this part enough!) and serve with toast and chipotle hot sauce.
Lunch
Salads, almost exclusively. There was a stretch right after Mila was born where Aman and I were getting Sweetgreen several times a week. It was expensive and started losing its appeal after a series of lackluster orders. So, I got back into the habit of making my own and I must say, it’s so much better! I like being able to control the quantity (and quality) of each ingredient, and also using it as a canvas for repurposing leftovers.
A few 🥗 tricks:
Dress the ingredients, or what Aman calls “the guts”, not the greens. Meaning, you put all your veggies + whatever else you are using into the salad bowl, mix in the dressing, and toss together. After that, incorporate the lettuce. It’s the only way I’ve found to be sure that you don’t end up with overly dressed or soggy greens.
Always use a bigger bowl than you think.
Texture diversity is good, specifically a crunch. My preferred way of achieving this is homemade croutons, crispy chickpeas, or fried shallots.
Pick one or two “splurge” items. Some ideas: marinated artichoke hearts, a perfectly ripe avocado, and/or a nice cheese, such as this sheep and goat cheese which you can find at Whole Foods, or some delicious French feta.
Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
I recommend having one, maybe two items that you make ahead and use throughout the week. For me lately this has been pickled onion and the marinated beans from The Weekday Vegetarians (which I talk more about below but you can find the recipe for online here), or a grain tossed with a bit of pesto.
Dinner
Lots of soups and stews, which prompted me to finally make homemade vegetable broth and wow! I can truly taste a difference compared to the store bought stuff. Not to mention I felt so smug the entire time — you can picture it: donning an apron on a cozy Sunday afternoon, with a big pot simmering away, having used up all the vegetable scraps in my crisper, and making a big enough batch to freeze two quarts. Total Ina Garten vibes.
I loosely followed the recipe in Jenny Rosenstrach’s latest cookbook, The Weekday Vegetarians, which I bought a couple months ago and have been plowing through ever since. Even though I have not eaten meat or fish in over a decade, this is somehow my first ever vegetarian cookbook. And let me tell you: what a game changer! It’s so satisfying when each recipe is in theory one I would actually eat. It’s no shade to my other cookbooks — I love them all for different reasons — but it’s exciting to earmark pretty much every page with a “to cook” sticky note, vs. just 25% of them. My own diet aside, it’s also just a great cookbook. I think I was suspect of vegetarian cookbooks in the past because I didn’t want the author’s best vegetarian recipes, I wanted their best recipes period and when those happened to be vegetarian — perfect. This one feels different though. Each meal I’ve made so far has been substantial and delicious, and Jenny’s tone is warm and inviting. If you want a taste before committing, I recommend subscribing to her newsletter or checking out her blog Dinner A Love Story. She also writes a weekly column for Cup of Jo.
What I’ve Been Consuming Lately, Other Than Food
Lots of content on baby-led weaning. I can’t believe solids are on the horizon.
These socks, in two colorways.
A Vibe Shift Is Coming — the latest viral article from The Cut which I’m sure you’ve come across by now but if not, is interesting.
I am intrigued by the homeware from Dinosaur Designs, especially their bowls (I think I’d go with the blood orange).
A few great children’s books: Counting With Wayne Thiebaud (RIP 😢), Poodles Eating Noodles, and Mr. Boddington's Studio: NYC ABCs.
A custom ring by Caroline Ventura as a gift from Aman, to commemorate my pregnancy and the birth of Mila (we need a rebrand of the term “push present” stat).
This season of The Bachelor — Clayton is a bit of a dud, yes, but the remaining women seem… pretty great??
Most importantly, I will be making a donation to UNICEF today, which is working across eastern Ukraine to scale up life-saving programs for children. This link also has a list of resources and organizations to which you can donate.
That’s all for now! Be on the lookout for my next installment where I dive into all things baby related, like how I would design my registry, knowing what I know now. If you have thoughts on this subject, I’d LOVE to hear them… just reply to this email.
In the meantime, please do share this newsletter with anyone who you think would enjoy. A new subscriber makes my day!
Xo, Marichal
Welcome back🤗🤗Thoroughly enjoyed ❤️