so into that #38

podcasts, pot roast, and free ice cream appreciation week

Hi!

How’s your week going? Labor Day marking the end of summer is a funny thing around here since September and October are some of our most beautiful, warm months in Carmel Valley. We are embracing the long days while we still have them, getting to the pool as much as possible, and going on lots of hikes, while also attempting to settle into a routine now that all three boys are in school. George and I are on week three of getting regular weekly date nights back up and running which has been really nice since we are both traveling a lot for work right now and sometimes feel like ships passing in the night. I’m also trying to get dinner cooked before the boys get home from school so that I can actually hang out with them while they’re home.

I’ve been cooking a ton from my book and it just feels so great to hold it in my hands and cook from it! The pimento cheese tomato galette was last night’s dinner (the boys loved it once I scraped the everything bagel seasoning off of their crust), the cast iron steaks with Swiss chard are coming up tomorrow, and the one-skillet chicken burrito bowls are Thursday or Friday’s dinner. Are you working your way through the book? Any faves so far??

1. Anne Byrn’s new cookbook, Baking in the American South, which came out yesterday and is a treasure trove of recipes (200 of them, to be precise). I asked if I could share one — scroll down for the best lemon bars I've ever tried, and that's saying a lot!!!

2. These high waisted athletic shorts from Amazon. I like the 2.5" waist because I have a long torso! I now own three pairs.

   

3. I've been getting a lot of questions about what the best way to zest a lemon is since I do it a lot in the book, and this microplane is the answer. Also creates the best fluffy piles of parm.

4. Cerebelly pouches. Cash loves these and I love that they all have 16 essential nutrients for brain development. A slam dunk when I really, really don’t feel like cooking and want an easy, healthy option for Cashy. TRI STATE PEEPS: Hallie Meyer, the founder of Caffè Panna (the best ice cream ever, EVER), is a new mom and hosting this event with Cerebelly in Manhattan & Brooklyn on 9/12. There will be free ice cream, which I am very into. This looks so fun, you can RSVP here and tell me how good she manages to make butternut squash ice cream taste.

   

5. A family that we met up at the cabin this summer always rolled up to the pool with a huge wagon stacked with essentials for the day. Meanwhile, we were taking multiple trips to and from the car to unload our piles of stuff. The mom finally taught me that she just keeps the wagon fully loaded for pool days — towels get washed and returned, but otherwise it just stays packed up in the garage with all the pool toys, goggles, sunscreen, etc. So smart. I got this $70 collapsible wagon and it's so helpful for activities when you have to lug a ton of stuff around (including children). I imagine it will be really helpful for bringing chairs, snacks, kids, etc to Mattis' soccer games this fall!

6. When I was in DC a girl brought me this sweatshirt that she had embroidered with "butter pants" and I’m proud to report that I have barely taken it off in three weeks. She gave me an XL and it's fabulously oversized. Highly recommend.

   

7. From my guest editor Sarah Levy: this Uniqlo crossbody bag is lightweight and deceptively big. I love that I can comfortably fit a bottle and diaper in it (peak fashion, I know) when I’m out with the baby and don’t want to lug the whole diaper bag around with me. I got it in black!

8. My Lady Jane on Prime. Warning: this show got cancelled after the first season for some insane reason, but it's still worth watching! We’re talking Bridgerton season one levels of chemistry!

by Anne Byrn, from Baking in the American South: 200 Recipes and Their Untold Stories

What do you get when you spread shortbread with lemon curd? Lemon squares, a Junior League institution and a do-ahead sweet for summer bridge games and garden parties, as well as for church suppers and bake sales. They are heaven in a puckery lemon bite! This recipe is a blend of one shared by Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist Mary Meade in the 1950s and a recipe my mother often used. Sometimes I scatter small fresh blueberries over the top about halfway through baking or on top just before serving. The bars are easier to slice if you make them a day ahead.

Makes 24 squares, each about 2 inches
Prep: 30 to 35 minutes
Bake: 40 to 46 minutes

Crust Ingredients:

• 16 tablespoons (2 sticks/227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1/2 cup (54 grams) confectioners’ sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour, divided

Filling Ingredients:

• 3 cups (600 grams) granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup (60 grams) plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

• 2 large or 3 medium lemons

• 6 large eggs

• 1 cup (170 grams) small fresh blueberries (optional)

• 2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar for dusting

1. Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle.

2. Make the crust: Place the butter in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners’ sugar and salt and blend until fluffy, 30 seconds. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add half of the flour to the bowl and blend on low until incorporated. Add the remaining flour and blend until just combined, 15 to 20 seconds. Turn the dough into a 9-by-13- inch ungreased metal pan and, with floured fingertips, press the dough evenly across the bottom of the pan. Prick the dough with a fork so steam can escape and so the dough won’t bubble during baking. Bake until lightly golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the oven.

3. Meanwhile, make the filling: Whisk together the sugar and flour in a medium bowl. Set aside. Grate enough zest from the lemons to yield 1 tablespoon. Cut the lemons in half and juice them to yield 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Add the zest, lemon juice, and eggs to the sugar and flour mixture and beat on low until just combined, about 1 minute. Pour the filling over the baked crust and return to the oven.

4. If you want to add blueberries to the filling, after the lemon squares have baked for 20 minutes, open the oven and carefully scatter the berries evenly on top of the filling. Press down gently onto the berries to anchor them. Close the oven door and continue baking for another 8 to 12 minutes. Or, to make plain lemon squares, bake the lemon squares for 28 to 32 minutes. If you like, you can garnish the top with the berries after the squares have been removed from the oven and placed on a wire rack to cool to room temperature, or chilled for best slicing. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, slice, and serve. Store in the pan, covered with plastic wrap, for up to a week in the refrigerator or freeze in the pan for up to 3 months.

I feel really grateful that a lot of incredible podcasters have taken the time to share my story recently and share my book. If you’re in the mood to pop in an AirPod and listen to me gab while cooking dinner, you’re in luck. Every podcast has its own focus, so I’ve written up a little blurb about each!

1. Food Friends Podcast: Home Cooking Made Easy — A deep dive into my tried and true tips for getting a complete dinner on the table when you’re not in the mood, plus my favorite rotisserie chicken hack.

2. Radio Cherry Bombe — If you're interested in the nitty gritty of how to build a Substack community, listen to this one!

3. This is TASTE — For my thoughts on what makes a great Internet recipe, my time living in New York City, and a little sports talk (go Heels), give this one a whirl.

4. Food Blogger Pro — This one offers a look back on my early days running my own catering business, how I transitioned into freelance recipe development, and then when I eventually took the leap into starting this newsletter.

5. A Thing or Two with Claire and Erica — A very So Into That coded episode, where I share a thing or two that I’m loving right now, and dish out some romance novel recs.

6. CREATIVE. INSPIRED. HAPPY with

   Evelyn Skye

   — If you’re curious about building an author platform, balancing motherhood and a creative career, and infusing a personal voice into non-fiction, this is for you.

Thank you to everyone who has invited me onto their podcast and listened to me talk about my book!

What to Cook launched in December 2020, meaning there are more than 175 recipes in the archives! Here’s what we cooked this week last year, and the year before that, and the year before that.

Cheesy Polenta Bowls with Kielbasa & Peppers, 2023

Chicken Chili Verde Burgers, 2022

30-Minute Scallops with Succotash, 2021

*BONUS RECIPE:

THIS POT ROAST from @GROSSYPELOSI’s cookbook, “LET’S EAT,” came out this week last year and is an all-time favorite! If you haven’t yet, you need to buy Dan’s book and cook all of his recipes!!! He is a gem of a human and an ace recipe developer.