Le Digestif #17: January 30 2022
British Bites, Brussels Sprouts in Sandwiches, Citrus Couriers
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Hello hello friends. In all honesty, this week was a slow foodie week. Not in the organization committed to fair foodie practices but more just I didn’t dedicate time to savouring and enjoying the foods around me. I love food and all its glory but when I get into deep work mode, I will just eat for efficiency. As someone who lives life in pursuit of the next meal, I realize that when I don’t live life with this mindset I’m more tired, angsty, and ungrateful.
I know that’s a lot for a fun newsletter but I think on a deeper level, this newsletter has been a beautiful means in understanding my relationship to food. Yes I can share all the incredible highlights and offer cool recs but also it’s nice to just reflect on the foodie memories that sparked joy. I’ll have more exciting content in the next few weeks so stay tuned.
If you’re someone that also lives life in pursuit of their next meal, I would love to hear how you sparked joy via food. Always looking for fun ideas!
If you love Le Digestif and want to get this foodie friend in your inbox, subscribe below! Welcome to the dinner table!
Veggie Lunch at Dinner Party
Last week, I got to celebrate a friend getting her first byline published in the Cut! She threw together a little soiree for all her homies and this veggie lunch was exceptional!
I always presumed that a hearty meal involved some protein but now I’m going to lean into the plant based vibes. The sunchoke hummus toast, the mushroom polenta bowl, and the chia seed pudding were absolutely divine and dishes that I can definitely remake at home. I feel like I always overthink vegan replacements but wow mushrooms are the best meaty substitute.
Also Dinner Party is such a wonderful location. Right in the heart of Fort Greene, it’s the best spot to host your next soiree for a big, bubbly crew. Also the decor is incredibly charming and I was definitely taking notes to decorate my next space.
Kings County Imperial, Williamsburg
I think everyone in New York has a restaurant in a neighbourhood far from home that they would consider themselves to be a regular at like Cheers. I started going to King’s County in college as a treat yourself night but now it’s one of the few reasons that I’ll schlep myself over to Williamsburg. Everything about this restaurant is magic, from the low lighting to the amazing staff and the fuego cocktails. The fried squid was amazing, the xiao long bao was divine, and I had this amazing cocktail that I’m totally forgetting the name but it was creamy and delicious. All i need in this life of sin is good Chinese and great company.
British Bites
As a child of the Commonwealth, I am a sucker for some good British delicacies. They’re certified to take me back to childhood memories of reading Jacqueline Wilson novels at the table while sipping Ribena and writing thoughts in my Groovy Chick notebook. Yes food really does have that power.
The first British foodie moment was this incredible English breakfast that had all the perfect elements. Roasted mushroom? Check. Roasted tomato? Check. Baked beans? Check, check, and check. I know I’m finally grown because I ate all the things that I used to avoid in a traditional fry-up. These plates also affirm that I’m a big breakfast plate person and now I want to make as many big brekkies as possible.
With Seaside by The Kooks playing in the background, I finally got to eat at the incredible Dame restaurant. Truly some of the best British food that I’ve had. A wonderful tribute to seafood, this joint is a pescatarian’s dream. Whitefish croquettes, grilled oysters, and the star of the show the fish and chips. Also, normalize restaurants having open kitchens so that I can ask the chef a bajilion questions without truly distracting them from their craft.
Citrus Courier
Yes, yes, yes citrus season is present and reporting for duty! One of the things that I miss about living on the West Coast is the produce. One of my favourite food writers, Mark Bittman, partners with one of my favourite speciality stores Bi-Rite to send this beautiful curation/celebration of citrus.
A friend of mine just moved to the Bay Area and to support his healthy kick as well as inspire his next bake, I sent him one of these boxes. No better feeling than blessing pals with fruit and now I’m adding citrus courier to my list of dream jobs when I retire! If you want to partake in this citrus celebration, snag a box here.
Soup and Sando Themed Snow Day
I have not done a good job home cooking this week but to make the most of it, my college friends and I decided to spend the whole day lounging and relaxing all cool. I love snow day meals because you have to optimize for cozy vibes! Nothing better pairs well than delicious soup and warm sandwiches as the snow limits movement and forces us to slow down.
My favourite vegetable is butternut squash and I used this no-recipe recipe inspired by my bestie Emily. She blessed me with this during one of our frequent “help me make dinner with what is in my fridge” phone calls. I’m calling this Emily’s Comfort Soup.
The ingredients? A butternut squash, quartered onions, chopped and peeled carrots, celery, peeled garlic, peeled ginger, black peppercorns, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, cayenne. Optional: a leel cream, butter, honey, or whatever else you’re feeling. But within reason.
The recipe? Put everything in a pot and fill with water till it reaches the top, bring to a boil and let simmer. Blend, blend, blend. Add salt to taste. Throw in 1/2 a cup of cream, some butter, and some honey to make it creamy and sweet. Garnish with cilantro and sour cream! Happy winter!
For the sandos, we took the classic grilled cheese, using brioche bread and pepperjack cheese but elevating it with Brussels Sprouts and granny smith apple slices. This is the only way that I want to eat grilled cheese going forward.
That’s all for this week! See you soon and hope you are enjoying a fun meal somewhere!
Cheers,
Your friend in food
Abena
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