APÉRITIF:
Socializing is back! Which is to say, hangovers are back! For unknown, unfair reasons, while the world was shut down and our lives ground to a halt, we somehow cruelly continued to age. Yes, some of us went into the pandemic in our spry mid-20s and exited it in what feels like our aching mid-40s. The people waiting in line for Mr. Purple (the true sign that New York is back) look younger than Olivia Rodrigo, and my hangovers are hitting in a way that suggests my body and mind have indeed aged significantly since March 2020. What’s more, it seems New York’s newest generation of partiers have also discovered our bagel spots. Perhaps the lines were always this long, but I am now impatient and overheat easily. Either way, there are days, especially in the summer when the humidity is stifling and the concrete radiates heat by 10am, that I just cannot be bothered to leave my apartment, even when my hungover heavy head and empty, uneasy stomach cry out for carbs. Today we’re sharing our favorite hangover-cures plus Dinner Plans from Evelina Eden, genius behind Wear Your Snacks, our favorite wearable food opinions and collaborator on a Sifted collection-- but more on that later. We also have our first installment of a new column, Sifted Says, where we’re dishing out product recommendations and more. Dig in!
ON THE MENU THIS WEEK:
EVELINA EDEN A.K.A. WEAR YOUR SNACKS’ DINNER PLANS
Brasserie Saison’s Grilled Endive Salad: This bad boy is a compilation of everything I love in this world. Toasted nuts! Bitter greens! Grilled lettuce! Anchovies! Garlic! Dried fruit! In its purest form (at a restaurant near where I went to college in Charlottesville, VA), it’s grilled endive dressed in a creamy Caesar-adjacent situation, sprinkled with Marcona almonds and dried sour cherries. It is a perfect food and I have absolutely ordered it as both my appetizer and entree on more than one occasion. I make a bootleg version at home and she's different in a new, beautiful and twisted way every time I do. But the general equation stays the same; something green and grilled, something salty and crunchy, something tangy and chewy, dressed with something garlicky and fishy.
Marinated Zucchini with Hazelnuts and Ricotta: My family makes this zucchini dish at least once (realistically 2-3 times) a week during the summer; I could eat (read: have eaten) entire platters of this in one sitting. When I’m home, I get my dad to grill the zucchini instead of charring it in a cast iron, but I’m determined this will be the summer I become a Girl Who Grills. The zucchini (and sometimes even eggplant if you’re feeling crazy!) gets marinated in an herby, garlic-y vinaigrette, served on a big ol’ smear of lemon-y ricotta (sheep’s milk or Kite Hill yogurt in my house!) and topped with your toasted nuts of choice (but I will say Molly Baz chose hazelnuts here for a reason, people)!
Stir-Fried Celery with Peanuts and Bacon: Aaand yet another perfect combination of veg + nuts + some kind of animal product. This stir-fry is on HEAVY rotation in my household. It’s stupid easy and STUPID good. Unlike my two other recipes, I usually make this one by the book — if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Sometimes I’ll add a lil’ cilantro at the end (gotta use up that wilted bunch that’s always lurking in the fridge) and extra peanuts for good measure. Actually, that being said, I did make it once with prosciutto/anchovy/lemon zest + juice and it was EXCELLENT. Wait…is it gross that I combined anchovy and prosciutto? Surf and turf vibes?
SO YOU’RE HUNGOVER
Dutch Baby: From the looks of it, the Dutch Baby would appear to be more suited for an overpriced brunch in Williamsburg than the meal you can make in minutes even while actively riding the Struggle Bus on a Sunday morning. But it’s truly one of the most deceptive recipes out there that looks wildly impressive but requires little cooking beyond blending the ingredients and preheating a cast iron skillet. Chuck flour, melted butter, eggs and milk into a blender then pour the thin batter into a hot, buttery skillet and let the oven do the hard work. What emerges is a billowy pancake with crispy edges and custardy middle, just waiting to be drenched in more butter and syrup. My preferred serving is dusted in powdered sugar, doused in lemon juice, and torn into with my hands. From there I’ll dunk the shreds into maple syrup or slather in some Nutella if I have it. Eating it in bed is probably ill-advised but will make you feel as though you’re in Paris or Berlin, probably still hungover, but in a like, chic, European way, ya know?
Soft Scramble: Yes, I do sometimes wake up after drinking 5+ vodka sodas with horrible headaches and lurking nausea, but no, I never get hangovers—I’m way too young for that kind of stuff. On those not-hungover-but-maybe-something-very-similar mornings, I only crave one thing: a plate of soft and creamy scrambled eggs sprinkled with sharp salt and spicy black pepper with a big slice of sourdough toast to use as a utensil. I’m usually too tired to stand over the stove for more than five minutes, meaning I end up with a simple soft scramble like this one, but when I can muster up the strength (or when I’ve convinced someone else to make my eggs for me) I prefer this slow-cooked version. You stir them in a pot for a very long time, until you’re left with a wet, buttery, almost-cheesy scramble that’s perfect scooping up with that warm, crunchy bread in bed.
Breakfast Tacos: B.O.S. (boyfriend of Sifted), Alex, recently moved dangerously close to Yellow Rose, the much-beloved East Village Tex-Mex spot and home to stellar breakfast tacos. We have been frequenting the spot many a morning for creamy, cheesy migas tacos and fluffy brioche donuts. Alex and I rarely agree on anything but do align on our favorite taco at YR: the bean and cheese taco (I swear!) This weekend I learned that they sell their impeccable house-made flour tortillas, a very important revelation that makes me think I have many homemade breakfast tacos in my future, especially ones full of zhuzhed up refried beans and lots of Tillamook cheddar. I have never been hungover and not craved a quesadilla, so I also foresee some breakfast quesadillas on mornings where I can’t be bothered to mess with beans.
SIFTED SAYS:
Cheap Thrills: ICYMI we shared some of our favorite baking tools under $20 over on the Infatuation this week. Yeah, we freaked out too. Special thanks to author Justine Lee for including us alongside so many talented bakers despite our repeated admissions of loving to intentionally under-bake desserts.
Knives Out: Speaking of tools, we’ve been chopping, slicing and mincing with the new line of Goldilocks knives, and have to say we're impressed. Everything from smashing together a garlic paste to gliding into avocado to cutting thin slices of tomatoes feels easier, more exciting, and incredibly luxurious with sharp, easy-to-hold knives— grab your own set here. **sifted sponsor**
Wear your Snacks x Sifted: The most exciting merch announcement since the In-N-Out slip-ons and this Dunkin’ Donuts themed-paint… we designed a collection of necklaces and bracelets with Wear Your Snacks. That means you can — finally! — wear our hottest takes (think: quinoa is bad) on your arm. Plus, a portion of the proceeds go to a rotating charity organization— this month's is City Harvest. SHOP AWAY for some sweet sweet serotonin and the pickle-themed jewelry you’ve been waiting for!