Welcome to the latest edition of Food52 founder Amanda Hesser’s weekly newsletter. Hi, I’m Amanda.packed with tips on food, travel and shopping, Food52 activities and other topics that catch your attention. Get inspired: sign up here to receive their emails.
I just got back from the West Coast, where I spent some time with the Schoolhouse team in Portland and then headed to Ojai and Los Angeles, California. Along the way, I took it upon myself to pick up shopping and food tips for you guys.
Photograph by Amanda Hesser
Photograph by Amanda Hesser
Photograph by Amanda Hesser
Photograph by Amanda Hesser
Yaowarat – I’ve mentioned this Thai-Chinese restaurant’s take on beer and lemonade before (they make it with Guinness and Thai tea); this time I went back to try their chive cakes, which are deep-fried cubes of chive-infused rice cakes that are dipped in vinegar and soy sauce. Order them alongside the crispy tofu dumplings filled with shrimp and pork fat. And be sure to check out the bathroom (on the right) to see the excellent bird tap.
Xiao Ye – I wanted to tell you about this place after my last trip to Portland. They describe their cuisine as “first generation American cuisine” and the menu is a lot of fun. Try the half-fried chicken with pickles, the garlic shrimp, and the fried shrimp with head and salted egg yolk butter.
Ken’s Artisan Bakery: Ken Forkish’s bakery (check out his morning ritual here!) offers an “Oregon croissant,” a plump square of croissant dough filled with blueberries, blackberries, and hazelnut spread. Shouldn’t every state have a signature croissant? New York’s: shaped like a slice of pizza in honor of the Pizza Rat.
Photograph by Amanda Hesser
Photograph by Amanda Hesser
I have a big project underway in Ojai, which I’ll tell you about soon. For now, I have another big piece of news: I’ve discovered a substitute for avocado toast: toast topped with aioli, sliced egg, anchovies, and pickled mustard seeds. This gift to humanity is served at Rory’s Other Place, a coffee shop downtown where you can watch the bakers roll out pie dough while you order coffee served in a handmade red mug, then sit on the patio and gaze out at the Topatopa Mountains.
Photograph by Amanda Hesser
Photograph by Amanda Hesser
Photograph by Amanda Hesser
Photograph by Amanda Hesser
+COOP – I finally got to meet a personal hero, Jenna Cooper, who has built an empire around two of my biggest obsessions, home goods and real estate. Jenna sells beautiful homes in and around Los Angeles that she adorns with vintage furniture and artwork, as well as home goods at her gorgeous +COOP store in West Hollywood. You don’t need to be house hunting in Los Angeles to enjoy her feed – follow her at @shopcoopla.
Tortoise General Store: I made my first purchase at Tortoise General Store almost twenty years ago, when the store was still on Abbot Kinney. My purchase was a set of Sori Yanagi steel bowls and colanders that I still use almost every day. The owners have since moved to a larger space on nearby Venice Boulevard. Everything in the store is either hand-selected, carefully crafted, or charming—and often all three at once. Go buy some dishware, then head to Venice Beach to watch the skaters. That’s what I did.
The best time of the year to cook is from late August to early October. Anyone want to discuss this? We’re ready for you!
Save the sweet, but not too soft, peaches for Nea’s peach crumble bars. The brown sugar topping doubles as a base, easier than making a pie.
Caesar’s Nectarine and Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho is part of our month-long recipe challenge for seasonal tomatoes. If you make it, please share! Post a photo on IG with the tag #f52tomatothon and let us know what you liked or what you tweaked. (My Roasted Tomato Jam is part of this week’s recipe challenge.)
Most people I know cook with headphones or earbuds. I just read that Dyson, the maker of elite vacuum cleaners and fans, has launched noise-cancelling headphones that can be customized in over a thousand color combinations. A thousand!
I use these Sony headphones when I do laundry or cook. They don’t squeeze your brain or give you a headache, but they are completely black and I’m getting bored now.
Yours in fomo headphones,
Amanda
