Three Things

How to be a good dinner guest, easy Halloween treats, and my wallpaper reveal :)

Greetings readers and eaters! Today’s newsletter is brought to you by MY NEW WALLPAPER! Thanks to everyone who weighed in on the four options a few weeks ago — I am very happy with how it turned out, softening up the corner a little and making the room look bright and happy, even on the cold, rainy Friday I took this pic. (The wallpaper is Graham & Brown Forsythia Sunshine.) In other news, on last week’s “Ask Me Anything” thread, reader Allison wrote, “What are your best pack-up-to-eat-in-the-bleachers-as-your-kids-practice meals?” I was never a bleacher eater so I was hoping to tap into the community to help her out — if any sports parents out there have some creative ideas for her, please comment below. Thanks in advance and here are your Three Things…

1. How to Be a Good Dinner Guest

Last week, I wrote a post for Cup of Jo called “How to Be a Good Dinner Guest: Eight Rules” and, as with all Rules stories in the writing business, the Amen-ing and the No-Way-ing in the comment section was the most fun part of the whole story. Obviously so much of being a “good” guest depends on reading certain social cues, whether there are kids involved, and of course how well you know the person who is hosting, but I was surprised by how strongly people disagreed with a few rules I thought were pretty much standard. Especially, number 2, my declaration that it’s OK to be a little late. I’ve always thought that 15 minutes late is perfectly acceptable — even appreciated by hosts — and if it’s up to 30 minutes to just update the host by text. Welp, readers did not like this: “I’m calling BS on ‘fashionably late,’ wrote one. “I hate it. For a casual, pot-luck gathering – no problem. For a plated, sit-down dinner – no way. If I say cocktails at 6, dinner at 7, I’ll be serving at 7.” The other rule that got a lot of pushback was “Do not start eating before the host sits down.” I must be very old-fashioned because it never occurred to me that this was a controversial opinion. Anyway, head over there to read something unusual in our times, i.e. extremely low-stakes sparring in the comment section. And stay tuned for my next story “How to Throw a Dinner Party That Will Survive Late Guests No Matter When They Arrive and When You Sit Down.”[In the meantime, remember there’s always the mostly make-ahead dinner party line-up I’ve been cooking up for friends for two decades.]

2. Oh yeah, it’s Halloween!

One of the weirder things about not having kids around is that October 31 is now just another date in the calendar. I was never breaking out the sewing machine to hand craft costumes or doing much more than carving a pumpkin, but I find myself missing it a little this year. Maybe because I’m in the city now, and the block where I used to live went off on Halloween — one of my former neighbors, a professional actress, dressed up as a witch in full costume and make-up, stirring her smoking cauldron; others covered every inch of their front lawns with various frightful displays, and kids flocked from all over town to walk up and down the street. Anyway, for those of you still in the game, I wanted to be sure to re-up a few low-effort, high-reward Halloween treats above — Two from Supermakeit’s Jodi Levine: Her Lychee Eyeball Martini (which could be repurposed for any drink, obviously) and her genius cotton candy monsters. And if I was in charge of bringing something to the Halloween party or bake sale, I would absolutely make those fun little doughnut monsters — check out the how-to reel from creator Mackenzie Biehl.

P.S. Remember the Teriyaki Brussels Bowl that started as a pre-trick-or-treat dinner then turned into a regular in the vegetarian dinner rotation? Maybe that will be how I celebrate next week. Followed by the obligatory Milky Way Midnight.

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3. Chicken of the Week

Last week, I was craving bánh mì, but instead of making my recipe in The Weekday Vegetarians (or ordering takeout!) I decided to go with the one from Andrea Nguyen’s Vietnamese Food Any Day, a cookbook we use like crazy, as anyone who reads this newsletter already knows. I was also in in the mood for chicken instead of the usual tofu, so followed her instructions for the most delicious Char Siu-style chicken, which marinated in hoisin, honey, soy sauce, Chinese five-spice, among other delicious things. We made enough to have leftovers the next day tossed with greens, pickled radishes and spicy mayo, and now I’m trying to figure out how quickly I can make the whole flavor-bomb thing again. The recipe is online (and calls for chicken thighs, even though I used breasts), but I highly recommend picking up Nguyen’s book.

Have a great week,

Jenny

P.S. I just turned in second round of revisions for my next book, The Weekday Vegetarians, Part 2 (woo hoo!) which will be published in August 2024. If you can’t wait that long, I have a suggestion.