Celebrating one year of publishing on Substack
Plus recent eats, of course
Hello! I just made the most scrumptious dinner ever, and it only would have taken me five minutes to prepare if I hadn’t filmed it. My best friend Bridget taught me how to use TikTok, and I’ve been trying my hardest to make at least one a week. So far I’ve posted two to @claudeata_, but I want my first cooking one to be Good Stuff, and I think I have it. You’ll just have to follow me on IG to see if it turns out… 😄😄😄
Somehow it’s already October, and my favorite time of the year is well under way. Last Sunday, I spent the entire afternoon baking two loaves of pumpkin bread and watching Gilmore Girls (starting it for the first time ever) and it. was. perfect. The only thing missing from my quintessential fall afternoon was a trip to the library to bang out a chunk of homework. Not having a syllabus to structure my life with is very weird. I thought that months went by quickly when they were broken up into weekly modules, but time moves even faster without it. I miss the UC library the most, even without loads of homework to get done.
Graduating is weird. In the thick of midterms and finals, I used to dream about having nothing to do once I got home, but now I’m not sure what to do with my free time in this chapter of my life. When I have the time to cook, I do that, and I read or listen to a podcast whenever I’m in transit — on the train, on my walk to the office. Life feels very “in between” in this moment. Starting any new hobby feels pointless, and I tell myself I’ll start needlepoint or painting-by-numbers when I finally move out and into an apartment with friends. Writing is something I definitely thought I’d have more time to dedicate to, even though every writer has told me that’s not the case. Sitting down without a prompt or deadline (or without my beloved section of the library) is excruciating. So for now, I’ll continue to cook, read, eat, and watch Netflix — perfect ways to pass the time as it flies by.
In addition to pumpkin bread, I made a plethora of other goodies that wonderfully autumnal afternoon. Doing something with my hands other than typing or scrolling was so refreshing and allowed me to start my week on a very good note.
I’ve learned a lot about my work ethic in the past few months since starting my job, and the biggest new fun fact about me is that I much prefer to do physical work over desk/mental work. This was evident during college too, when I found much more satisfaction in restaurant work compared to the internships that had me glued to a computer screen. I love going into the office and allowing my Type A brain to organize and execute office/planning tasks, but there is nothing more rewarding than working an event. Some of my coworkers noticed how my energy changes depending on the environment I’m working in: in the office I’m quiet and always a little tired, but on events I’m laser focused and bouncing off the walls. Working with my hands has always felt right, and adding food to the mix makes it 100 times more fun.
Speaking of food…
Scenes from an Italian restaurant on Broad Street
Maeve, Grace, and I went to Osteria on Thursday for happy hour, and it very much exceeded my expectations. The scamorza alla piastra was one of those “perfect foods” dishes. A perfect food is any carbohydrate covered in fat (oil and/or cheese will do) and doused in flavor. In Osteria’s case, their perfect food is the piastra — a “plate” of sourdough covered in smoked mozz and sesame honey. Amore.
Salad recipe for success pt.
Last December, I told you about my go-to salad equation, and another one has stolen my heart this season. It’s based on Hailee Catalano’s Fall Chopped Salad recipe, which was a big hit with my parents. Here goes it: kale + squash + fruit + bread crumb topping (panko works great). Roasting the squash and toasting the bread crumbs take a little bit of time, but it’s so worth it. Use an entire bag of chopped kale and you’ll have salad all week long — just keep the dressing and crumbs on the side.
Started a starter!
I started taking care of a sourdough starter last month, and boy is it a lot of work when your house is cold. I used pointers from King Arthur Baking Company to get it going, but without the heat on in the house, my bubbly friend is having a hard time growing. She now lives in the fridge, and I’ll continue to feed her once a week, but bread making will have to wait until the house is warm enough for my dough to properly proof. If you have any tips, please! Give them to me!
I’ve been publishing on Substack for over a year now, and I want to extend a HUGE thank you to everyone for reading! I am not sure how I found the time to write as much as I did last year, but I’m proud of myself for keeping at it — even if it feels silly. Looking back on these issues is like reading a diary, and sharing my meals with you all has been so much fun. 🤭🤭🤭 Thank you for partying with me all this time!!!
Congratulations !! Proud of all you do honey