Tag Archives: squash

Pandan, Pickles, Poke

by

We had an exceptional weekend, including great food, long walks, and time in Dumbo, Chelsea, and Chinatown. Some of our favorites…

Fishs Eddy‘s newish Dumbo location has a coffee bar. Their delicious Fridge Cigarette take is their house-made cola with vanilla syrup and espresso.

Bunny & Bro‘s blackberry pie iced latte.

Bahn by Lauren‘s lime drip (flashed chilled coffee with sweetened lime) is a 100/10.

Their famous pandan honeycomb cake was good but not my personal favorite.

MOTW pumpkin pie iced latte.

We also tried their butter chicken empanada.

Nine Treasure’s Creamery ice cream sandwich with kaya toast ice cream on mango crinkle cookies.

Seed and Mill‘s sesame sundae is Adam’s favorite dessert in the city. We also got a square of pb&j halvah that was amazing.

Hawaiian food from Aloha Alley. We shared their Loco Moco plate (beef patties with beef bone broth mushroom gravy, eggs, rice, and macaroni salad) and the ahi poke (tuna with scallions, seaweed salad, sweet onion, soy garlic shoyu, and crushed macadamia. Plus furikake rice).

Hots Pizza was adorable and had the nicest workers. We swooned over this pickle slice and want to go back to try their other stuff ASAP.

Big Tings in Chelsea Market served us an great jerk chicken sandwich and iced tea with sorrel.

We were totally smitten with the sandwiches from 20 Blocks, every ingredient is clearly chosen with so much care. We shared a Turkey Town (house turkey, fried green tomato, baby romaine, and Cajun mayo on honey whole-wheat) and a Corn Star (charred corn, cowboy candy, and havarti on toasted milk bread).

Dinner at the always excellent Her Name is Han. We got a Mint Garden (green tea infused soju with fresh mint, basil, and perilla leaves) and a Hallabong Spritz (basically an aperol spritz with Jeju citrus).

We shared a bunch of things and are already excited for our appetizers. Korean fried chicken (which comes with a great sauce and wonderful radish kimchi).

Rice cakes with kabocha squash, shishito peppers, and a yuzu gochujang sauce / kimchi cheese pancake topped with a poached egg.

Gochujang grilled chicken thighs (the onion slaw on the side was my favorite bite of the evening). We also had minced beef bulgogi that I forgot to photograph.

P.S. Our actual favorite item of the weekend was a 100/10 cafecito from Titi’s Empanadas on the Lower East Side.

Goodbye Apple, Hello Pumpkin

by

I was a bit under the weather this week and I don’t have much to share but I can’t miss the opening of a new theme month! Here is my Pumpkin Month stash –

Other highlights from the week…

A strong finish to Apple Month. This sour apple Poppi was good but not unmissalbe.

My first pumpkin treat was a flop. I hated this Trader Joe’s flan (but to be fair, Adam loved it). I also had a pumpkin beer while I wrote this post!

My homemade dinners (mostly I ate bad take-out!) had a brinner theme. Homemade savory granola! Silken tofu / roasted zucchini / granola (oats baked with evoo, sunflower seeds, slivered almonds, maple syrup, brown sugar, pepper, salt, za’atar, and gochugaru) // later I added chili crisp.

Chinese tomato egg stir-fry. Plus sauteed asparagus (with almonds, lemon, butter, salt, and pepper).

Azores, Absence, Apples

by

This post is all over the place because this week was all over the place!

Last Saturday afternoon we got home from a week in the Azores (Sao Miguel and Pico Island). We went with my brother/sister-in-law and had a magical time. Great hikes, several seafood meals seated a foot from the ocean, etc. It was stunningly beautiful.

This Wednesday (9/23) we said goodbye to Webster. We think we did it at the exact perfect time for him but we are obviously missing him tons. We were profoundly lucky to have 15.5 years with him. He had a truly perfect last day, including a coffee date in a beautiful garden, a giant burger, and an entire Reese’s peanut butter cup.

Mostly we had to rely on take-out this week but here were some highlights on the food front…

Finishing up Apple Month on a strong note.

My mom came up and spent the week with Webster while we were in the Azores and she scored me some new themed candies.

I made it to the grocery in time to make two (great!) real meals this week. Feta and white bean dip. In the food processor – feta cheese, white beans, lemon juice, ice water, and urfa pepper; I topped my serving with smoky chili crisp. Served with baby carrots, dolmas, leftover chicken fingers, and ZaZa za’atar pita chips.

Veggie bean bowls. Roasted garbanzo beans, zucchini, tomatoes, and red onion (the onion I tossed with evoo, honey, salt, and dried basil – it was fantastic) topped with feta cheese and lemon juice.

Apple Month 2026

by

Highlights from this week…

You know it’s a good week when you have two kinds of blueberries! Super Jumbo and wild.

On the Emily calendar, September is Apple Month! (October – Pumpkin, November – Pumpkin again and Cranberry, December – Eggnog, Gingerbread, and Mint). I have, of course, amassed a fun stash of apple-themed snacks.

Here was (some of!) the on-theme stuff I ate this week. The apple Altoids are weak but otherwise all winners. Also – the ruby apple Alani is a 10/10 (not a flavor I’d reach for every day but I had no notes).

Later in the week I also scored a Hal’s apple seltzer.

And some Trader Joe’s juicy apple gummies. <– hands down the best apple treat!

I made an apple syrup by boiling down apple cider with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Apple brown betty matcha – vanilla yuzu seltzer, apple syrup, butter extract, and matcha.

Apple smile iced latte – skim milk, espresso, apple syrup, marshmallow fluff, and One Trick Pony cinnamon sugar peanut butter. This was amazing, in no small part thanks to the peanut butter which is wondrously good.

See also – New York Beanery caramel apple iced latte.

An apple-themed dinner – apple pie chicken salad. Shredded chicken breast with Duke’s, plain skyr, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, cinnamon, smoked paprika, gochugaru, sharp cheddar, green onions, and toasted walnuts. Plus green beans (steamed then sauteed with honey, yellow mustard, rice vinegar, and chili crisp), apple chips, and toasted sourdough with butter.

Spaghetti with sauce and balls. Whole-wheat spaghetti / gussied up pasta sauce – Trader Joe’s pizza sauce sauteed with roasted garlic, tomato paste, gochugaru, urfa pepper, and dried basil / baked turkey meatballs – ground turkey with panade, egg, hoisin, and urfa pepper / mozzarella pearls.

We also made spaghetti casserole – all of the ingredients above baked in a casserole with sharp cheddar on top. Plus sauteed greens – fennel and broccoli rabe with roasted garlic, smoked paprika, and gochugaru.

I don’t have a name for what this dinner bowl was but its adjective was “yummy!” Waffle fries baked with sharp cheddar, Milu everything seasoning, and za’atar / roasted baby zucchinis / soft-scrambled eggs / homemade artichoke tapenade – marinated artichokes food processed with Castelvetrano olives, capers, evoo, and lemon juice. I went back and topped my whole bowl with smoky chili crisp.

Middle Eastern-inspired rice bowls. Brown rice / roasted cauliflower rice / crispy-baked navy beans / shredded super-firm tofu baked with evoo, za’atar, and urfa pepper / roasted garlic, toasted almond silvers, chopped dried apricots, and chopped olives. This was delicious but when I make it again I would add sauteed onion.

P.S. I’m going to go make a caramel apple cocktail when I hit publish!

Bananas, Bowls

by

Highlights from the week…

Banana malted ice latte. Blended frozen banana, ice, malt powder, and chocolate milk topped with espresso. <– this was fantastic

Banana bread snack mix. Whole-wheat Chex, cinnamon sugar pretzel sticks, walnuts, and banana chips baked with butter, cinnamon, vanilla sugar, and brown sugar.

Nola malted. Vanilla ice cream blended with milk, Blue Bottle’s instant Nola coffee, and malt powder.

Garlic tofu dinner bowls. Roasted shredded brussels sprouts tossed with lemon zest and parmesan cheese / homemade pretzel bread croutons / super-firm tofu boiled and then sauteed with garlic, butter, lemon juice, miso, gochujang, and smoked paprika // I went back and topped my bowl with pickled red onion.

Veggie whipped cottage cheese dinner bowls. Food-processed cottage cheese / roasted baby zucchini / tomatoes sauteed with honey, chili oil, and gochugaru / Milu everything seasoning. Yes, there was a more significant protein component planned. No, my idea did not work out. Yes, I chased dinner with chopped cheese fries take-out.

BBQ chicken dinner bowls. Roasted riced cauliflower sauteed with blended cottage cheese and shredded sharp cheddar / baked chicken thighs tossed in a skillet with homemade bbq sauce (tomato paste, brown sugar, Trader Joe’s sweet and spicy pickled jalapeño brine, smoked pimento, onion powder, garlic powder, and water) / sauteed poblano pepper and green onion / crispy onion and garlic.

Buffalo tofu dinner bowls. Celery sauteed with green onion and then tossed with plain skyr, Duke’s, jalapeño brine, and Trader Joe’s ranch seasoning / shredded super-firm tofu baked until crispy and then tossed with Frank’s buffalo sauce / crispy onion and garlic.

Strawberry, Blueberry, Peach

by

Highlights from the week…

This “sweet bean snack,” a blend of sugared red kidney, adzuki, navy beans, and green peas.

I wouldn’t have necessarily known peach without the label but these blueberries were extra fruity and floral.

This Barebells peanut caramel bar tastes like an even better take on a Snickers.

Trader Joe’s knocked it out of the park with their Strawberry Fields gummies. The mini mochis were quite nice as well.

Creamy peanut noodles. White rice ramen noodles / sauce – food-processed peanut butter, Sriracha, dark soy sauce, chili oil, sesame oil, lime juice, and silken tofu / roasted zucchini / tempeh stir-fried until crispy with green onions, garlic, soy sauce, maple syrup, Sriracha, and gochugaru / chili crisp.

BBQ chicken. Shredded chicken reheated in a frying pan with with gochujang, tomato paste, rice vinegar, brown sugar, fish sauce, and soy sauce // steamed green beans sauteed with Dijon, honey, sesame oil, and chili crisp.

Larb inspired chicken salad. Shredded chicken with Duke’s, Kewpie, skyr, Sriracha, lime juice, garlic powder, toasted rice powder, brown sugar, shallot, mint, pickled red onion, and crispy fried onion and garlic // salad – tomatoes, cucumber, green onion, and mint with chili crisp, gochugaru, gochujang, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and honey // plus our last frozen Apollo bagel.

P.S. We had a great, unphotographed dinner at The James, a new Long Island steakhouse. We enjoyed everything we ordered, especially the duck fat confit potato with fermented black bean, scallion, ginger, shallot, and lemon.

Hudson 2026

by

This was one of my best birthdays in recent memory! We spent a long weekend in Hudson, filled with an excessive amount of handholding, pastries, and cocktails! Some highlights of our favorites …

Hudson Roastery butter pean iced cortado (with an extra shot, this is the best ratio for us here).

Treats at Kitty’s. This cruller was actually only ok, but I had a puffed rice krispy treat with tons of marshmallows.

Treats from Mel the Bakery, all 10/10. Jalapeno cheddar pretzel croissant / blueberry jam and corn cookie sandwich / almond chocolate croissant.

Supernatural Coffee‘s blueberry jam oat bar tasted as good as it looks.

Huckleberry lemonade (this was the best premade lemonade I’ve ever had).

Hudson Brewing Company pink guava sour IPA.

Pez Husker Du – white and Oaxacan rums, Flor de Azul, blue corn, and lime. The incredibly nice bartender gave us a taste of the house-made blue corn syrup and it was amazing.

Hereafter Marigold Weather including gin, lemon verbena tea, meyer lemon, orgeat, and honey.

Breakfast at Cafe Mutton. This restaurant is so special. We shared a perfect meal. Delicious house-made celery soda.

Zucchini, corn, and onion omelet with goat gouda. With toast buttered to near insanity. I asked for hot sauce and they brought out a house-made sungold tomato situation that was one of the best sauces we’ve ever tasted.

Lettuces salad with sungolds, cucumber, corn, scallions, herb dressing, pecorino, and breadcrumbs.

Milk-soaked almond cake with honey and blueberries.

Breakfast at Gracie’s Luncheonette. Chicken biscuit with honey butter and hot sauce and a great hashbrown. This was some of the best fried chicken I’ve ever eaten.

Dinner at Gracie’s Luncheonette (yes, we went twice, it’s that good!). I got the white bbq half chicken – broiled half chicken with Alabama white BBQ (also some of the best chicken I’ve ever eaten; we loved the sauce and rub too), slaw, a biscuit (excellent), and mac and cheese (weak; meanwhile Adam’s fries were swoonworthy). Sadly, we enjoyed neither our iced coffee nor our iced coffee cocktail.

Dinner at Lil Deb’s Oasis. Their upcoming closure is giant loss. I’m showing my three favorite things but we ordered a lot and it was all great. Charred snap peas with tahini sauce / tomatoes and cucumbers with fennel, perilla, roasted peach jam, and sesame chili crisp. <– these were both stunningly good

Burmese crispy tofu lettuce wraps with spicy ginger mustard.

Dessert was my favorite course. We had flan, a surprisingly good dessert cocktail (with vodka, brown butter, dates, orgeat, and nutmeg), and the best – boozy – affogato I’ve ever had (with sweet cream ice cream, grilled pineapple, and coffee caramel tequila). I wasn’t expecting to enjoy the pineapple but it actually made the dish.

Sour Cream And Onion Chicken Salad

by

Obviously, I had a cache of Fourth of July themed foods…

Here was some of what I ate this week…

Adam bought me this wild cherry Barebells bar because when he saw it was a new/limited flavor he knew I would want it (correct). It was not as good as most of the milk chocolate flavors but better then the other white chocolate flavors and surprisingly much better than the s’mores one.

Sour cream and onion chicken salad. Shredded chicken with caramelized sweet onion and shallots, fresh green onion, sour cream, Duke’s mayo, fish sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and white pepper. Served with star-shaped pretzel crackers and roasted cauliflower.

A savory, summery, vegetarian dinner. Roasted zucchini / a take on esquites – fresh corn sauteed with green onion, poblano pepper, Trader Joe’s sweet and spicy pickled jalapeños, gochugaru, garlic powder, onion powder, and cotija cheese, plus lime juice, sour cream, and Duke’s after I took the pan off of the heat / glazed tofu – super firm tofu that I boiled (<– worth the time, the texture was great) then tossed in a hot skillet with butter, evoo, gochujang, chili crisp, honey, soy sauce, and minced garlic.

Warm bean salad. Sauteed sliced snap peas, celery, green onion, cotija cheese, pinto beans, lime, and chipotle Cholula. Plus crab dip and pretzels on the side.