Three Things

quick dinners galore, tableware I love (+ discount code!), and a clutch vegetarian pantry staple

Good afternoon eaters and readers! Before we get to Three Things I’m excited about this week, I wanted to point you in the direction of a new little feature here on my Substack. As you already know, you can always visit my home page and use the little search function to find recipes, but now, on the right side of that page, there’s going to be a rotating list of whatever 10 quick dinners I’m into that particular month. That way, if it’s like 6:30 on a Tuesday and you’re thinking I know I read about something easy in Jenny’s newsletter but what was it and where the heck is it? you can just head to that cheat sheet for reference. Of course, you are always welcome to head over to Dinner: A Love Story’s original home, where every single recipe I’ve written since 2010 is categorized up and down and all around, but paralysis of choice is real, I get it! That’s it for housekeeping, here is your week’s Trinity of Treats…

1. A dinner-worthy lentil salad

My sister and her husband came over for dinner on Saturday and instead of falling back on one of my predictable, no-brainer menus — i.e. Pork Ragu and Our Favorite Kale Salad — we decided to up the ante a little (read: we were hurting for excitement) and make lots of small plates, which one might call tapas-ish. Eventually I will share the whole line-up, but in the interest of getting you a healthy veg meal option right up top today, here is one of the dishes that I haven’t stopped thinking about, and that I believe would make an excellent, stand-alone, dinner-worthy salad: Lentils with Tomatoes and Gorgonzola. Ottolenghi superfans might recognize the recipe because it’s from one of his first books (Plenty) and made a cameo on the Today Show about a decade ago. It calls for Castelluccio lentils, which I didn’t have and couldn’t find, but I can tell you with confidence that I can’t imagine improving upon the regular old brown lentil version I cheffed up instead. Also: Don’t be skeptical about picking up sad-sack Roma tomatoes in the dead of winter — a slow-roast makes them all sweet and jammy and I found myself wishing there were more of them in every bite, especially alongside the creamy, pungent chunks of gorgonzola. Wowowow that was tasty.

2. Pretty things alert!

Here’s something fun: One my partners, Revol, makers of gorgeous tableware (including this ceramic platter above showcasing Bok Choy with Ginger Vinaigrette in all its green glory) is offering DALS newsletter subscribers 15% off all of their products from now until February 15…

I am a big fan of anything from the Caractere line, but I also own a few items from their Solid line, including that very well-loved bowl up there, which is great for soup (shown: Avgolemono!) and salads. Just type in code LOVESTORYREVOL22 at checkout to get your 15% discount. (There is no minimum order, and the code cannot be combined with any other offers.) Have fun!

3. A magical pantry staple (+ a hot soup for a working lunch)

You know what ingredient makes my heart sink a little every time I come across it in a recipe? Vegetable broth. I know, I know, cry me a river, but I just cannot find a store-bought vegetable broth that doesn’t have…how do I say this?…top-notes of low-tide on the marsh?? Weekday Vegetarian owners know this is why, when I have time, I opt for making my own stock — even a 30-minute simmer of onions, carrots, parsley and mushrooms (especially mushrooms), and whatever else in water will yield something tastier than what comes in a carton. But here’s a trick I discovered during my book research: Because I so rarely have fresh mushrooms to spare in my house, I instead rely on mushroom powder to lend my broth (and also stir-fries) that crucial meaty earthiness. Mushroom powder can be kinda pricey, but a little goes a long way — I am just now finishing up this bag I bought two years ago. In any event, I was happy to have it on hand last Friday when my Like Magic partner Jodi (a vegetarian) came over for a working lunch. I wanted to make her hot soup with what I had on hand (I enjoy these kinds of pantry-raid challenges, oddly) which, it turned out was a head of cauliflower, some carrots, onions, and some last-legs parsley. But I’m telling you, deploying that mushroom powder saved the day. And thanks to some olive oil, the soup ended up tasting like a velvety mushroom bisque and so perfect for a cold winter day. The recipe (for the broth and the soup) is over on DALS today.

P.S. Tell Us a Story, Win a Book

Speaking of the Like Magic project, I wanted to remind you that Jodi and I are still in search of those feel-good stories! How have you made someone’s else’s day recently or not so recently? What’s a cool way are you connecting with people these days? Or simply: What is making you happy? Send a voice memo (or a regular email) to (jenny@dinneralovestory.com) with your name, hometown, and story, and if we include it on an upcoming post or podcast, you will win a free copy of The Weekday Vegetarians. (Or any of my books if you already own that one.) There’s no wrong answer here, I promise.

P.S. Subscribers, I need your help with a crucial decision this week, so check those inboxes in a few days to weigh in on the conversation. Thank you!

Have a great week, everybody!

Jenny