End of Summer Treats
Two recipes + a life update
Hello my hunnies,
Some life updates…
You may remember a few weeks (months?) ago, I mentioned that Max and I were looking for a new apartment in a different part of LA. Well, we’ve decided to stay put for now, considering anything in our budget would be an obvious downgrade from our apartment by the beach. I actually don’t feel that disappointed despite the fact that I’ve been hellbent on getting back to Silverlake or the “cool” part of LA ever since I moved to the beach.
I don’t know if it’s a side effect of all we’ve been through this year or just the natural settling in that happens once you’ve been in a place for a while, but a lot of what seemed important before, doesn’t matter much to me anymore, like “making it” in a certain scene or being close to the hippest spots in town.
That’s not to say that we’ll never move back to the east side or move in general. I’m just realizing that life has its own timeline and you can’t force an outcome. I have to remind myself that is true about this newsletter too.
I almost desperately want to find success here, but a sustainable practice is one built over time, born out of longterm determination and growth, not fleeting desire, so I’ll stick it out for the long haul and continue to hone my writing and find my voice on Substack. In the meantime, I might just have to hustle a little to find the time and make it all work, which leads me to my next update.
I got a job.
After a couple months of being unemployed (besides dog walking/sitting), I got a full time job working at a grocery store chain beloved for their one of a kind snacks, friendly staff and tote bags. (Hint hint.) It definitely has it’s perks (20% off groceries which is no joke in THIS ECONOMY), but I wouldn’t say it’s exactly my dream job.
My ego is screaming a little bit. Why have we gone through all of this to end up here? Especially as my 30th birthday approaches, I’m confronted with all the expectations I have for myself (and that’s forced on all of us by society). I thought my life would look a certain way by the time I turned the big 3-0. I wish I was immune to that kind of thinking but I’m not. And as much as I can come to terms with my life not looking the way I expected, I think what I’m really craving is stability and freedom.
One foot in front of the other…how fitting it is to be going through this transition as Summer turns to Fall.
All that being said, I really appreciate you being here…subscribing, sharing, reading, sending all of your kind messages and bearing with me while I find my footing.
As for the future of the newsletter, I’m going to try to continue to share once a week. Personal essays are so cathartic for me and I want to keep exploring that medium but I’ve also been thinking about writing more about my baking experience, sharing tips and lessons from working in the kitchen. If that’s something you would be interested in, let me know in the comments!
As far as recipes go, I want them to be a part of Extra Honey, but recipe development is not the aspect of my creative practice I enjoy most. I do have a collection of recipes from my years working in kitchens, but they’re not technically MY recipes to share. To remedy this, I’m thinking about starting a series of collabs, a way for friends (new and old) to share their recipes on my newsletter. If you’re interested in having a recipe featured on the newsletter, reach out directly!
For now, details from a couple easy snacks I shared recently on social. As excited as I am for apple crisp and pumpkin pie, we still have access to some beautiful Summer fruits and veg here in LA. So, here’s a couple simple bites to prepare with that end of summer produce, while we still can!
Pan Con Tomate
A few weeks ago, I shared a video making pan con tomate. It’s a simple tapa born from Catalonia in the 1800s as a way to refresh stale bread and it utilizes all of my favorite ingredients.
All you need is some good bread (like a country loaf from your local baker), tomato, lime, olive oil, garlic and salt. You’ll want to pick a meaty tomato like a Roma but really any tomato will do, especially one from your local farmer’s market with lots of flavor. You’re going to grate the tomato into a plate or bowl and season with a squeeze of lime and salt. Toast your bread in a hot pan with a little olive oil. Rub hot toast with a clove of garlic letting the garlic melt into the bread. Spoon on the tomato mixture and top with anchovies. My favorites recently are from fish wife but any good anchovies will do. That’s it!
Serve as an appetizer, snack or along with a big bowl of pasta.
Frozen Peach & Cream
I saw a video on the olive oil brand Graza’s instagram of someone grating a frozen peach and topping with olive oil and salt and I had to try it. It’s essentially like a granita dessert but a little more straight forward and it did not disappoint. I topped mine with some lightly sweetened whipped cream for a classic peaches and cream moment.
All you’ll need is a frozen peach, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla and flaky sea salt. Be sure to put your bowl in the freezer as the grated peach will melt pretty instantly if it’s warm in your kitchen. First whip your cream with a sprinkle of sugar to taste and a little splash of vanilla (I used vanilla bean paste but you could use extract or a fresh vanilla bean pod). Whip until soft peaks. Working quickly, grate your peach with a microplane into your cold bowl (store in freezer if not eating immediately), top with a big dollop of whipped cream and a pinch of Maldon salt (important!). Makes a perfect single serving dessert of the simplest ingredients. You can always give a bite to your lover.
Like the collaboration idea. Would love to see a galette recipe here! And let me know if you need any input from a home baker on sourdough
This is one of my favorites! Good luck with your new job and future writing.