Three Things
Three Things
Inspired sheet pan recipes, a simple, show-stopping salad, my new favorite gift for kids
Good morning eaters and readers! What’s for dinner tonight? I’m making some version of the hummus bowl from last week’s newsletter, topped with arugula sprouts, crispy chickpeas, and pickled onions; or pretzel chicken with greens and mustard sauce (the pic always makes me so hungry); or sheet pan ramen (shown above, more details below); or the ol’ reliable pasta with yogurt, spinach, and caramelized onions, because I am really craving noodles on this chilly New York afternoon. Speaking of which: Can it be summer already? I’m hearing serious buzz about two novels coming out in June and July: Sandwich, by Catherine Newman (We All Want Impossible Things) and Long Island Compromise, by Taffy Brodesser-Akner (Fleishman is in Trouble) and I would like to be poolside somewhere reading both right now. Put ‘em on the list! And now, your Three Things…
1. Sheet-Pan Cooking, Upgraded
There’s a new cookbook out today called Hot Sheet, by Olga Massov and Sanaë Lemoine, which is an ode in recipe form to all the ways the humble sheet pan makes a home cook’s life easier, from starters and snacks, through dinnertime and dessert. Good lord, everything looks so delicious and — here’s what shocked me for a sheet pan cookbook — elegant. The recipes, shot by one of my favorite food photographers, Johnny Miller, are inspired: Roasted Greek-ish Salad with Halloumi, Savory Bread Pudding with Leeks and Pancetta, Vietnamese Pork Chops with Snow Peas, Roasted Dates with Blue Cheese and Hot Honey, Crispy Ramen with Cabbage and Bacon (shown in opening photo, recipe here), which my weekday vegetarian readers can make with mushrooms instead of bacon…
and this Blackberry-Lemon Clafoutis. (Why didn’t anyone tell me how easy it is to make clafoutis?) In other words, there’s very little here that you wouldn’t serve to someone you were trying to impress…even if that person is under four feet tall. (All-The-Crispy-Bits Mac and Cheese, anyone?) I was also pleased to see that Massov and Lemoine’s favorite brand of sheet pan is the one I’ve used forever. In general, they recommend thick, heavy-gauge (13- to 18-gauge) metal, either stainless steel or aluminum, nothing coated or nonstick. Also excellent: the authors make a point to showcase recipes on baking sheets that have developed actual patina — I maintain that you can always tell a good cook by how filthy their half-sheets are.
P.S. If Lemoine’s name seems familiar, perhaps you recognize it from her novel, The Margot Affair (excellent on audio) about the secret illegitimate child of a prominent French politician and famous actress in Paris. As I wrote on DALS in 2020, “The writing is so good — quiet and powerful — and Lemoine manages to work ridiculously appealing French food into every scene.”
2. The Sweetest (and Savory-est) Kid Gifts
My go-to gift for little kids is almost always a book — 9 out of 10 babies will receive Margaret Wise Brown’s The Important Book upon meeting their Auntie Jenny — but the other day, I was in the East Village having lunch when I realized I needed to pick up something for two toddlers I was visiting later. I didn’t have time to order a hard-to-find book online, but as luck would have it, East 9th Street is home to three very special-feeling stores for kids and babies: The March Hare, Pillow-Cat Books, and an.mé, where I found these great PiccoliNY T-shirts and onesies. The only hard part was trying to decide which food combo — Bagel and Pickle? Coffee and BEC? Cannoli and Rainbow Cookie? Hot Dog and Pretzel? I ❤️ NY.
P.S. Our 2012 round-up of the 121 Best Books for Kids.
3. This Salad, on Repeat
Last week, I had dinner at Buvette and didn’t think too hard when I ordered what was listed on the menu as “CHOUX de BRUXELLES, brussels sprouts, parmesan, currants & walnuts.” I definitely assumed the sprouts would be roasted or simmered or, well, cooked — I’m not sure what this says about me, but I don’t think I would’ve have ordered them if I knew they were raw. Which is strange for a few reasons. To begin with, the Times wrote about the salad six years ago, so maybe I should’ve been paying attention. Second: What are Brussels sprouts if not baby cabbages (!?), and cabbage slaws are on constant rotation in my house. Well, I’m sure you know how the story goes: Even up against Buvette’s charming little pots of coq au vin and hearty stews, the salad took the crown. I think this was mostly because the Brussels were shaved so thin, like feathery-thin…and ok fine, also because of the crunch of the slaw playing with the creamy-crunch of the walnuts, and the alternating bright pops of sweetness from the currants and saltiness from the Parm. In short, the dish felt instantly special — I actually woke up at 3am thinking about it — so I set about recreating the recipe on Saturday night for friends,* painstakingly shaving each little sprout on my scary-sharp mandolin. Since it was Saturday, I didn’t mind — the prepping actually felt meditative, which I realize is not a word most people use during the work week. But I thought you’d like to know that green cabbage swapped in for the Brussels works just as nicely, should the craving surface on a weeknight. But definitely still use a mandolin, it’s crucial.
*I served it alongside this; a perfect menu, btw, that required minimal starters (my friends brought dessert)
Brussels Sprouts with Parm, Walnuts, & Currants
Serves 4-6 for a side. Inspired by New York’s Buvette
5 cups thinly shaved Brussels Sprouts OR 5 cups green cabbage (12-14 ounces, from about 1/2 medium cabbage), shaved feather-thin on a mandolin
2/3 cup grated Parm (from about 2 ounces)
1/3 cup currants
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped finely
1/4 cup champagne vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, your best one
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
In a medium bowl, combine Brussels, Parm, currants and walnuts. In a measuring cup, whisk together vinegar and olive oil and toss the dressing with the salad. Finish with salt and lots of black pepper.
Have a great week!
Jenny
I love a shaved Brussels salad so much, and never thought to put currents in with the parm! (I usually do lemon, parm and walnuts). My friend reminded me last weekend that a food processor, if available, makes quick (less scary) work of shaving all those little bits.
Jenny, would you share where you found the salad bowl featured in this post? It’s lovely!