Three Things

Detox soup, the green sauce that makes everything better, a busy week in food news

Good morning! Hope everyone had a nice weekend. We spent ours watching soccer, shopping for a dogwood tree (a birthday present from my parents), and celebrating a dear friend’s commitment to college — with a Carvel cake, of course. Here are your week’s Three Things…

1. Detox Soup

It has been waaaayyy too long since we’ve pulled this one from the DALS archives: A chilled cucumber-avocado soup puréed with yogurt, lime, cilantro, and scallions. (Published in June, 2010 when the girls were 8 and 7! Take me back!) We used to call it Detox Soup and generally made it for a Monday dinner if it had been a weekend heavy on pie and cheesy pastas…or if we just wanted to start the week off right. I forgot how easy it is — the whole thing comes together in the blender and you don’t have to turn on the stove (unless you want to top it with homemade croutons, which we did last night). We’ve thrown shrimp in there for a protein hit, but honestly it’s satisfying enough on its own because the avocado and yogurt give it a nice healthy heft. I like it topped with the croutons plus some diced avocado and cucumber for a little texture.

2. That Green Sauce

Speaking of pureed green things, we broke out Gina Homolka’s Peruvian Green Sauce last week and were reminded that if I had a Top 10 recipes that make everything taste better, it would be higher than the highest #1. (Shown here on my instagram a few years ago.) It’s a puree of cilantro, jalapeño, lime, mayonnaise, mustard, and vinegar….

…and when we served it over these pan-fried salmon filets last week, I swear I would’ve paid $30 for it in a restaurant. (YES, that is the famous Always Pan, gifted to me for my birthday and so far, I love it. Will give you full report in a few weeks once I’ve really tested it out.)

…The next night I thinned out the leftover sauce with a little more vinegar and water to make the consistency more like a salad dressing, then drizzled it over the salad you’re looking at above: blanched and chopped broccolini, shredded romaine, feta, red onion. Nothing fancy. The romaine was from one of those supermarket trio bags and the broccolini was from Trader Joe’s. Trust me when I say it did not matter how fresh or not fresh the vegetables were because as far as I was concerned they were just vehicles for the sauce, and prevented me from drinking it straight from the leftover jar with a straw. Other uses for this sauce: Alongside any grilled fish or chicken; drizzled on roasted vegetables and salads; tossed with boiled potatoes for a spring-y potato salad; stirred into risotto or basmati.

3. Big Week in Food News

Is it just me or has this been a big headline week in the food world? Seems like every time I pick up my phone there’s another major announcement. Food52 is acquiring and reviving the iconic, beloved Dansk cookware line; Bryant Terry (who you might remember from last week’s podcast) is launching a new imprint at Penguin Random House called 4 Color, dedicated to showcasing BIPOC cookbook artists, writers, authors, activists, and innovators to “give rise to a more healthy, just, and sustainable world for all.” On the topic of sustainability: Epicurious, one of the first recipe archive websites ever (I remember saying to my mother-in-law in, like, 1998 “You can just type in any ingredient and it gives you dozens of ideas for what to make!!”) announced that they’d no longer be featuring beef in any of their recipes, articles, or newsletters. (They are not deleting those already archived, and in fact put this policy in place over a year ago, only announcing it last week.) They admit that it’s complicated and messy and but feel strongly that cutting out beef is a worthwhile first step for anyone who cares about climate change. “…Every time you abstain from beef at the grocery store or a restaurant, you send a signal—to the grocery store, yes, but also, and perhaps more influentially, to whomever you talk to about your decision.” You can read more about it here. Lastly, along the same lines, Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park, the grande dame of New York destination restaurants, helmed by chef Daniel Humm, announced that no meat or seafood would be served when it re-opens. Not only that, but they’ve adjusted their business model so that every meal ordered at EMP will allow them to provide five meals to food insecure New Yorkers. I do feel like we are going to start reading more and more headlines like these post-pandemic, as people and businesses reassess their priorities.

Thanks for reading. See you in a few days!

P.S. One quick fourth thing, a Mother’s Day Read: My Foster Daughter’s First Birthday, by Sarah Sentilles, the author of the new must-read memoir Stranger Care.

Housekeeping

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