Edition 2: Schmaltzy cabbage, food safety and giardiniera
Hello everyone,
Welcome to the second edition of the Enthusiast Kitchen newsletter. I hope you and your loved ones have been keeping safe in the two weeks since the last mail I sent you. It's been a crazy few weeks for me. Aside from all of the lockdown madness, I'm typing this with my three week old daughter on my chest. How differently the world looks to me now.
Thanks to all of the new subscribers who have signed up since the last newsletter went out. If you still want access to Edition 1, you can find it here.
Something to cook:
Roast chicken with schmaltzy cabbage by Helen Rosner via Smitten Kitchen
You may have seen me make this on Instagram a few nights ago. Let me tell you, it is excellent. I'll never look at cabbage the same way. This recipe could not be simpler. It has 5 ingredients, one of which (the lemon) is non-essential. Give it a try. Trust me.
I promise the next newsletter won't have a recipe for chicken in it, but this one was too good not to share.
Something to read:
Food Safety and Coronavirus: A Comprehensive Guide by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt at Serious Eats
If you're anything like my wife, you may have been wiping down every piece of food that comes home from a grocery shop before putting it in the fridge and the pantry. I don't blame you. But you're probably wasting your time, because there is no evidence to show that food and food packaging are vectors of the virus.
This article from Serious Eats is the best and most comprehensive one about the virus and food that I've found. It's packed with facts and advice and will help you decide whether to wipe down all of your food, share some of your freshly baked goods with your neighbours or get that food from newly reopened takeaway joint.
Something to watch:
Brad Makes Giardiniera | It's Alive | Bon Appétit
It's pretty evident from my IG feed, the last newsletter I sent out, and my conversations with friends, that I'm a fan of Bon Appetit and have been for a long time. That is primarily thanks to Brad Leone. When I started watching him on Youtube, he was still the Test Kitchen manager at BA and he was fumbling his way through making Kombucha on his new show "It's Alive". Fast forward almost four years and 68 episode of "It's Alive" later and Brad is nearing minor celebrity status.
This week I thought I'd go back a bit in the "It's Alive" archive and share one of my favourite episodes, in which Brad makes Giardiniera. Giardiniera is an Italian vegetable pickle that's super versatile and super delicious. I've done this successfully once and I'm planning another crack at it soon. My favourite mix is cauliflower, carrots, green beans and onion, but it really is a blank canvas.
Someone to follow:
Sunday, In General
My friend Luke runs this account and aside from sharing some awesome recipes, he's also a voracious sourdough baker, loves to open dialogues around ingredients and philosophies of food, and also curates epic Spotify cooking playlists. I've learned a lot from Luke and I'm sure you will too.
One of the best things he's done is start the account @supportyourlocal_ct which highlights all of the local small businesses who are hustling hard to stay afloat during COVID-19. If you're in CT, go give this page a follow to learn how you can support local small businesses.
That's it for this edition of the Enthusiast Kitchen newsletter. I hope you got a little something fun out of it. If you did, please forward it to a friend you think might enjoy it.
Oh and follow me on Instagram. Or don't. You know, no pressure. ✌️