The food I've been dying to tell you about
What I've been making and eating lately
I have good and bad news. Let's start with the bad. My laptop broke, and I had to replace it. It's the first big dipping-into-my-emergency-funds purchase I've had to make since graduating, which makes me feel so grown up. 😭 The good news is that I have lots to share with you today! 🥳 I’ve been thinking about these things in the car, on runs, on the train, so here’s a look into my tiny little mind.
A good yogurt sauce elevates any meal
My favorite is from Carla Lalli Music’s That Sounds So Good. Greek yogurt, lemon, and garlic can never do you wrong. One night for dinner I made a similar rendition with dill and basil from our garden, lime, and honey and schemered it onto a plate with chicken and Brussels sprouts. Look how fancy it made Monday night look. I imagine adding warm spices and salt to a tub of yogurt might do me well in the colder months, so if you have any recipes, lmk.
Trader Joe’s salmon is the best
When I lived alone, I basically only shopped at Trader Joe's, but my mom prefers to do her weekly grocery trips at either Giant or Costco. And while I love having access to so many brand names, there are a lot of TJ’s things that I miss — namely their salmon. I don't know what it is about it, but it is so buttery and smooth. I convinced my mom to pick some up so I could prove to my parents that they were missing out on something. I'm no seafood expert, so I have no idea if it's considered sustainable or high quality, but my taste buds just can't get enough of it. I marinated it in lemon, evoo, and garlic and then baked it at 450°F for 15 minutes. Paired with crispy potatoes and asparagus.
Chestnut Hill Brewing Company
My best friend Bridget and I are both living at home at the moment, so we spend a lot of our weekends together bopping around the suburbs. We try to go to a workout class at The Sanctuary in Flourtown and then get coffee in Ambler — like Wake or Starbs (it’s fall drink season, okay? And no one does it better than Starbucks). Over Labor Day weekend we spent so much time together that it prompted Bridget to say, “It’s like we’re on vacation together!” That Sunday we went to Chestnut Hill Brewing for dinner and split a pizza and a chicken sandwich. Get yourself a friend who understands that when you can't decide, you just get both. Thanks, Bridge!
It’s fall pumpkin everything season
Sorry not sorry, but I love pumpkin-flavored treats. Pumpkin cream cold brew. Pumpkin cheesecake. Pumpkin blondies (I’ve been eyeing this recipe from Hailee Catalano). Pumpkin bread! Pumpkin pie! And don’t get me started on butternut squash. This time of year is my favorite for so many reasons, but the food that’s in season has got to be reason #1. My mom makes great vegetarian chili and butternut squash soup, and all the great pumpkin things above really get to have their moments in the coming months. I made a batch of pumpkin cream to put on my coffee in the morning, and although it’s small, it brings me a lot of joy. Recipe here.
I love Instagram
Okay, that’s not 100% true 100% of the time, but I’ve really been enjoying the food side of it. When I started posting pictures of my food to @claudeata_ I had big plans to make it big time. But that takes a lot of work, and quite frankly I don’t have the time to make Reels and I definitely don’t have access to great natural lighting. Posting on IG without pressuring myself to “grow” my account has been 100x more fun. It’s sort of like this newsletter — a diary — so if you like this, I can guarantee you’ll like all the pics.
Favorite follows: @sourdoughbagels | @lindseyeats | @kalememaybe | @munchinwithmaddie_ | @will.this.make.me.happy | @highlycuratedeats
Some other things I wanted to share!!
Three Philly restaurants made the Bon Appétit 50 Best New Restaurant list
I made muffins out of my favorite banana bread recipe and added walnuts which got rave reviews from my father who “just loves walnuts!”
Yogurt szn
You always make me hungry. Will be trying some of your recipes 😘