Guys, I’m sorry, but I don’t really like soup. Most are boring, redundant and textureless. It’s always so hot it incinerates my tastebuds or not warm enough to enjoy. It’s difficult to travel with — I have had a quart of piping hot matzo ball soup leak through its paper bag and splash onto the sidewalk. I don’t want to drink a meal, I like chewing. Courtney called this my anthem. She loves soup, though, and over the years has helped me find a few I not only tolerate, but actually enjoy. So whether you’re a Courtney (lover) or a Gaby (hater), there’s a soup for you in this week’s letter.
I’m addicted to Nightingale ice cream sandwiches. They’ve suddenly popped up in the freezer section of nearly every grocery store I go into, and I can never resist bringing one home to keep in my own freezer and cut little slices off of when I want a treat. They’re also fun to bring to a friend’s house and serve sampler style in lieu of a pint of ice cream:
If you know me (and now, even if you don’t), you know that when I’m home, Girls is playing on my TV. It’s my comfort show, my favorite show, the show I’ve been restarting since I was 16 years old, the best show ever made. Naturally, I’m in love with the HBO Girls Rewatch podcast. If you share a similar fervent love for Lena Dunham’s masterpiece, I highly recommend listening.
On my radar:
The new Ghianduja spread that sounds like a Crunch bar in a jar. I like that it’s made with puffed quinoa and crushed almonds. I’ve never seen that combination before, it sounds delicious.
Court’s Recc’s:
What’s cooking:
A gorgeous-yet-stupid-simple last-minute apple tart for our Hanukkah party this weekend, but swapping in thick, cooked down apple cider for actual caramel. Thinking about recreating the best sandwich from Turkey and the Wolf, which I have not stopped thinking about since the last time I ate it a few weeks back.
What I’m eating:
An absolutely perfect steakhouse meal at Hawksmoor. Some of the best cocktails I’ve had in recent memory (do not skip the milk punch), ribeye rested on charcoals, so smoky it tasted like bacon, and immaculate creamed spinach (worth every Lactaid). I’m relishing the fact that the recipe for the latter is online—the rosemary is a revelation.
Calling your attention to this absolute rollercoaster of a headline in honor of the latest season finale of GBBS. Also calling your attention to the fact that this exists now. And finally, telling everyone I know to watch the new season of Fargo and not just for Jon Hamm’s butt and double nipple rings.
On my radar:
The cookie that changed Nancy Silverton’s life—gonna have to shop my beloved nuts.com for some Spanish peanuts. Heartbroken to report that BjornQorn is not doing its usual holiday tin this year (confirmed via DM to yours truly). I blame Emma Chamberlain. These corn dumplings that feel like they came out of my fever dreams. This $48 pistachio spread that feels like it came out of Gab’s.
One of the reasons I love soup is that it allows you to consume an large quantity of vegetables without really noticing you are. This swampy bowl of extremely verdant chicken and rice soup from
’s brain does exactly that, and tastes so much better than it sounds or looks (even when you accidentally add too much rice and essentially make green congee like I did). If you make it with leftover rotisserie chicken and rice it comes together in no time, and a teaspoonful of miso helps add some welcome oomph. I used extra spinach to make these noodles, which I make several times a month whenever I also want to eat a lot of greens without noticing (or think I’ve suddenly become anemic and need an iron boost). -CK
There are few things I appreciate more than a recipe that works no matter how many ways I make it my own. This one is perfect as written, I love that there are enough ingredients to design different bites each time, a quality most soups lack. But I’ve also made it without the sweet potatoes, with brown rice subbed in for jasmine, with handfuls of spinach tossed in at the end, with chicken breasts (just take them out a few minutes earlier than you would thighs). My favorite spin, though, is adding a drizzle of sesame oil to the deeply savory and healing broth right before serving. -GS
My boyfriend and I have been on a coconut kick since discovering how incredible the Tom Yum is from Soothr (note: everything is incredible from there). It’s reminded me of this comforting soup, of which there are many iterations online (see here, here, and here). I’ve made the Smitten variation more times than any other and it’s endlessly delicious. Is this technically a soup? Probably not. Can it count as one if it helps convince Gab that soup is, in fact, good? Definitely. -CK
This is the only soup I’ve ever craved, probably because it is like a bowl of baked potato. Waxy potatoes get cooked with leeks and bouillon, then slightly smashed to contribute some creaminess to the soup, but not enough to leave no chunks of potato. We want texture!!! Greens (Swiss chard is especially good in this) get wilted in, and then it’s all topped with cold sour cream and a showering of dill. 10/10 soup, and that’s coming from me… -GS
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The Smitten soup/stew is the recipe I give to people when they want a cozy meal. It is my favorite and I always make more broth than the recipe states so I can choose if I want soup or stew!
The Smitten soup/stew is the recipe I give to people when they want a cozy meal. It is my favorite and I always make more broth than the recipe states so I can choose if I want soup or stew!
Yes to soup!