Three Things
Easy, late-summer vegetarian dinners, chocolate pudding mugs, and the secret to writing a good recipe
Greetings eaters and readers! Thank you for making week one of TWV Get Simple’s life the happiest ever. I simply can't get over the generosity of this community — of course you, Dinner: A Love Story newsletter readers, but also the writers and editors and ambassadors in the food world at large, all of whom seem to understand more than most just how important it is to show up. In other news: BOSTON! COME SAY HELLO! I’ll be at Porter Square Books (the Seaport location) 🚨 tonight, Tuesday 9/3 🚨 in conversation with Milk Street’s April Dodd, and signing books, too. NEW JERSEY! I’ll be at Watchung Books in Montclair this Thursday, September 5, joined by New York Times Book Review’s Elisabeth Egan and you can register for that one here. EVERYONE! Earlier in the day on Thursday, at 2:00pm ET, I’ll be doing an instagram live with Adam Roberts, so follow him there if you want to join us. Lastly, importantly, I head out to the West Coast next week, and have begun compiling my cross-country airplane reading. So far I have Shuggie Bain (I know, I know, what took me so long?), God of the Woods, by Liz More (that cover, though) and Elizabeth Strout’s brand new novel Tell Me Everything (out in a week) which seems to be getting a ton of buzz. Plus: it’s Elizabeth Strout, and it’s not like I can ever really go wrong there. NOW…Sound the trumpets! Here are Three Things I’m excited to share with you this week…
1. More Corn and Tomato Recipes, Because Are There Ever Enough?
I am grateful to the universe (or maybe my publisher?) for deciding to release The Weekday Vegetarians: Get Simple in late August, which, you might’ve heard, coincides with the most wonderful time of the year: Corn and Tomato Season. So last week, in honor of pub week, I went off on the book’s recipes that shine a spotlight on those market superstars, starting with: Coconut-Corn Soup with Tofu, Basil & Chiles (page 46), a vegan soup that comes together crazy fast, but still feels special (the sweet spot!); next Kale Salad with Black Beans, Queso & Creamy Salsa dressing, arguably the most filling, most virtuous-feeling dinner salad in the book (both corn and tomatoes are mixed in there, I promise); Sheet Pan Summer Pizza with Corn & Tomatoes (you can find it on Oprah!) which, yes, requires a hot oven, but I promise will be worth it; I brought the summery Sicilian Eggplant Parm (page 149, but also here) to my brother-in-law’s barbecue, which held its own as a vegetarian main alongside the meat-eater’s main event, aka ribs 👀!
And finally, I also somehow turned the Spicy Chickpea Feta Wedges with Arugula Pesto (page 84) dinner into a showcase for sweet cherry tomatoes. But that’s the beauty of the recipe — you can think of the fritters as your center-of-the-plate protein all year long, and just top it with whatever vegetable is in season. The wedges get all crispy when pan-fried (think Socca meets chickpea fries) and are made with chickpea flour (aka besan) which is not just protein-rich but also gluten-free. Plus, they couldn't be easier to get on the table — Here’s a reel showing the how-to if you don’t believe me.
P.S. Win some goodies!
Something fun alert! I’ve partnered with @bobsredmill to give away a few of my favorite Bob’s Red Mill products, including that magical chickpea flour, plus a personalized signed copy of my book. Click here to enter. Good luck!
2. In the Department of Coveting: Enamelware Mugs
Maybe it’s because I live in the city now, but I can’t stop thinking about the enamelware mugs that were in the kitchen of our Berkshires Airbnb last month. They seemed to offer a brief portal to a life filled with state parks and campfires and hiking trails and picnic tables, and I used them for everything, from morning coffee to after-dinner chocolate pudding. Summer might be over, but well, at least we have the pudding. Here’s my go-to recipe, which takes about 10 minutes of hands-on time. I make it with Cacao Barry to next-level the chocolate factor.
3. How to Write a Recipe
Besides “What should I make for dinner?” the question I get the most when people find out about my job as a cookbook author is “How do you come up with your recipes?” It’s a mysterious process that I don’t fully understand myself, but over on Cup of Jo last week, I wrote about what I personally feel is the most important variable. Hint: See above sign spotted outside a restaurant in the Roman Ghetto ca. 2018. P.S. While you’re there, you can get the recipe for Miso-Mushroom Tacos, a real stunner if I do say so myself.
Yours in dinner,
Jenny
My new book is here! Order The Weekday Vegetarians: Get Simple wherever books are sold…
Penguin Random House | Amazon | Bookshop | Barnes & Noble |
Hudson Booksellers | Books A Million | Powell’s | Target | Walmart |
(🥬🌿Or pick up a copy of the first Weekday Vegetarians if you’re behind on your homework. Thanks for the support! 🌺🥬💚 )
I am totally sold on this Coconut-Corn Soup with Tofu, Basil & Chiles. How did I miss it in the book itself--it's so beautiful, and mouthwatering!!
I made the tomato and corn sheet pan pizza twice this weekend-at my family's request-it was delicious! next up the Sicilian eggplant parm for my parent's anniversary dinner-really enjoying this book already! The timing is perfect for the peak summer produce.