November check-in

Books! Apples! What I'm making for Thanksgiving!

It’s me, hi. Haven’t spoken to you guys in ages, and I’ll spare you the excuses. But let’s do some housekeeping, shall we?

1. If you’re reading this in your inbox, you’ll notice a new banner up top. I’m slowly breaking up with Party of One, guys. In due time, this newsletter will be called “The Claudeata Newsletter.” Although she was always me, I have become Claudeata. Friends and family both like to call me that whenever I talk about my favorite meal of the week or whip my phone out to snap a picture of the food on the table. So, she’s joining the newsletter. It’s pretty much hers anyway.

2. Let’s talk Thanksgiving. This year, my family is hosting for the first time ever! Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday of the year — if only it was biannual! The menu is not set in stone quite yet, but I have contributed two items to my Mom’s spreadsheet. They’ve pleased crowds in past years so it only makes sense to welcome them to the dinner table again. First up is this cornbread recipe from the Preppy Kitchen. The most thrilling part of this recipe is when it comes time to melt the butter in a blazing hot cast iron skillet. And for dessert, I’ll be making Claire Saffitz’s Ginger Molasses Cookies from Dessert Person. These cookies need no introduction.

Phil Rosenthal

My parents and I went to the Keswick Theater last week to see Phil Rosenthal, star of Somebody Feed Phil and Everybody Loves Raymond creator — not sure which accolade is more exciting to my audience. It was so much fun; Phil is a literal ray of sun in the darkness. Mom and Dad laughed all night long, which is all you can ask for from a family date night. Plus, Michael Solomonov moderated the whole talk! Listening to two greats talk shop about their favorite foods put a good chill down my spine. You’ve gotta watch the Philly episode for yourself — an amazing tribute to our city.

The Big Brunch

I started watching The Big Brunch on HBO despite my reservations about yet another cooking competition show. But this one is so unique! Contestants present their dishes (and drinks) to the judges as if they’re part of a real brunch service, and the set is to die for. Each contestant creates something magical each round. My favorites so far are Danielle Sepsy, a bread basket wizard from Long Island, and J Chong, Asheville-based Cantonese chef whose food is just wow.

Blood, Bones & Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton

I had the privilege of eating at Prune in the East Village during my freshman year of college when one of my roommate’s parents came to visit. Her mom raved about the owner’s memoir. This was before I really ~got into~ food, so I had no idea how special of a place Prune’s was/is in New York. But I remember the experience so vividly because it felt so special. We sat under the stairs at the only table in the basement, all seven of us packed into an antique wooden booth. I had eggs and a hash brown — still the best I’ve ever had. I finally read that book — Blood, Bones & Butter — a few weeks ago and loved it. Gabrielle Hamilton just so happens to be from my area and worked her first kitchen jobs in Doylestown, Lambertville, and New Hope. So cool. Hamilton also penned an essay about Prune’s 2020 closure for the NYT. READ IT! Last time I walked by it in May it was still closed. Def a core dining experience in my young life, it was so sweet!

Ooni update!

Another update on my family’s Ooni adventures: We’ve got it down to more of a science, and the science includes rolling the dough out thinner than you think you should and throwing a handful of semolina flour down on your work surface — this has greatly improved our launching into the oven. I made a cutesy little reel of our most recent pizza night — the folks at Ooni approved — where I made a traditional pie and one with mushrooms, fig jam, and ricotta. It was *chef’s kiss*.

Apple crisp

It took me until mid-November to make an apple dessert. Can you believe it? I am an apple crisp lover — pies can stay where they belong with other inferior desserts like Jell-o and caramel covered eveythings (okay, that was harsh). Butter, flour, sugar, and oats form something that is out of this world compared to pie crust (even the flakiest kind). Add spiced apples and whipped cream to the mix and WOWEE! I asked my followers on claudeata_ if they were on Team Apple Pie or Team Apple Crisp, and honestly I was surprised crisp won — guess we really are rewriting American traditions. Smitten Kitchen opts for olive oil over butter in this recipe which led to an earthier tasting crumble, and although I’m partial to anything with butter in it, this one was still delectable.