FK #27: leave the gun, take the cannoli
Deb from the Smitten Kitchen is my summertime hero
Lately I have been feeling very pro-DC, which is by my accounting one of the most livable cities in the US. I am in love with the public services here. Two public services in particular, the public library system (what’s more punk than the public library) and the public pools. I like to hit up the pools and the library pretty much every weekend in the summer, especially after discovering that the library system has a quite an extensive collection of cookbooks (hard copies and e-copies; they also have every issue of Bon Appetit if you’re like me and don’t feel like giving them your money but also want to see the recipes and features).
I’ve started checking out cookbooks because frankly there are too many I want to buy and a lot of them only have 5-10 recipes I’d conceivably make anyway. I’m planning on picking up the ones that I end up loving from Bold Fork Books (conveniently located near the Mt. Pleasant library branch).
Last month I decided to pick up Smitten Kitchen Everyday, Ms. Deb Perelman’s second cookbook. For those not well-acquainted, the Smitten Kitchen is an over-a-decade-old recipe blog with lots of good vegetarian dishes and adaptations.
A lot of the recipes from the book are on Deb’s website, too— this week I’ve really enjoyed the farro with cherry tomatoes and the smashed chickpea salad a la pan bagnat. I am also a huge fan of the chicken curry (adapted from Chetna Makan) and the quick pasta with chickpeas for an easy WFH lunch. My all-time favorite SK recipe, though, is still the pancakes. Runners-up include the zucchini butter pasta and the pumpkin bread. The blueberry muffins are top-notch on the first day, and some of the best I’ve made, but taste not that good on the second day.
I picked this book (and have reignited my love for the blog) during pool season because I am very excited to eat foods that remind me of summer and being outside, and Deb delivers: next, I’m planning on trying out the peach melba popsicles, couscous with roasted tomatoes and olives, toasted marshmallow milkshake and poolside sesame slaw. I also have enjoyed letting the vegetables take a starring role in a lot of these dishes (she has so many good uses for tomatoes and zucchini) and giving my oven a break during this extremely hot month.
While I've returned the book (and likely won’t purchase it due to how many of the recipes are available online), Smitten Kitchen Everyday has some great recipes and offers a really nice reprieve from fussier cooking.
favorite recent bites:
Two weeks ago Bold Fork Books and Each Peach Market hosted one of their monthly pop-up fairs, and I had the absolute luck of running onto RoPo Bakery. RoPo is a micro-bakery run out of Columbia Heights, and I am not kidding when I say the tiny pie I bought from Roger was the best pie I have ever tasted. I did not know pie could taste that good. He rotates his menu weekly, so I would highly recommend checking out his Instagram and picking up some treats.
Eric Kim’s gochujang-glazed eggplant is the best thing I have cooked from NYT Cooking in a while. The thinner eggplants from the farmer’s market were perfect for this recipe. Other recent favorites include a peach cobbler and shrimp with garlic and ginger
To celebrate a work achievement I recently went to Rasika, famously one of Obama’s favorite DC restaurants. Incredible meal. We got the palak chaat (a must-order), vegetable biryani, and a halibut curry. The waiter enthusiastically endorsed getting the gulab jamun for dessert and he was not wrong.
I really like this trick of crisping up shelf-stable gnocchi, and so does Ruby Tandoh
Elle for a morning scone and matcha latte
This chicken and tomato dish from Ottolenghi using Hungry Hollow tomatoes, which was definitely the best thing I’ve made this month!
I had a great time in Philly (thank you all for the wonderful recommendations!!). We had fantastic meals at Laser Wolf, South Philly Barbacoa, Angelo’s, and Goldie— what a beautiful city :,)
reading and watching and laughing
Excited to check out La Tejana, a new breakfast taco shop opening in Mt Pleasant this weekend!
Thanks for reading! If you enjoy this newsletter, consider sharing it with your friends. I’d love to hear from you about what you love to eat or drink, too. All my love, Caleigh
+1 for using the local library! 👍
Good stuff, thanks for sharing! My wife is a Half-Baked Harvest person (I've enjoyed the recipes she's cooked too!) I had no idea it was so contentious with the Smitten Kitchen folks. I'll watch my back!