Our 1st Virtual Meet-Up Playback
That green tomato lemongrass pickle + Oakland meet-up next Sunday + chefs to dictators + the 💪 widow of Jack LaLanne
Hello everyone,
Just a quick note for you today!
Have you made the green cherry tomato lemongrass pickle recipe? After the newsletter went out on Thursday morning, Thai jumped on it with Sungold tomatoes just like I’m growing. You can use any kind of tomato so long as it’s unripe and rock hard — even a green green zebra tomato.
Here’s Thai’s photo shared via Instagram (yes, fresh turmeric works and may be tasty cut up as a side nibble with the pickle!) followed by a note this weekend:
Pickles are versatile, cross-cultural. The first way that I used my pickle was with fried rice for lunch. I sprinkled the brine on the rice for a bright note! Get the pickle recipe!
Shervon, a man I met in Washington, D.C., at Bold Fork Books, also used last Thursday’s jam and pectin tips right away. He’s a somewhat fearless, experimental cook. Shervon sent this note:
Good Reads
Thanks to a recommendation by Mark at
, I ended up reading a hilarious essay about cheffing 👨🏻🍳 for dictators. “How to Feed a Dictator” was so good that I re-read it aloud for my husband. I then subscribed to its U.K. source — the Browser.Remember watching Jack Lalanne in his leotard doing exercises on TV? Or, maybe you went to a Jack Lalanne gym? I did both. Turns out, his wife, Elaine Lalanne, managed their business. He passed in 2011 and she’s still alive, healthy and fiesty. 🔥 She’s 97 and this NYT profile of Elaine is full of inspiration and catchphrases, including: “Twenty minutes a day gets me on my way.”
Circling back to the poo 💩 story I mentioned in Costco Connection, #guttok and #guthealth are trending on TikTok, especially with young people. Why shouldn’t it be for the Costco community too? Digestive issues have been a discussion topic for my family since I was a kid. It’s all natural. If you missed Costco’s piece, here’s the stool story.
On the theme of bodies and health, Jenn Harris reported on attending a professionally orchestrated nude 🦵 🍽️ dinner party. What do our clothing hide or reveal? Jenn’s article at the LA Times was beautifully written. It’s also funny at times.
Sunday, 9/24, Oakland Bake Sum Pop-Up Event
Next weekend, I’ll be trying to look like these hipsters at Bake Sum in Oakland!
If you’re nearby, meet me at Joyce Tang’s smart Asian American bakery. Joyce and her team will prepare something from Ever-Green Vietnamese. They’ll have books and tote bags for purchase too! I’ll be on hand to personalize your copy and answer any questions you may have.
I’m looking forward to Joyce’s treats too! She bakes wonderful moon cakes, I hear. Hope you’ll join us.
Date: Sunday, 9/24
Time: 11am to 1pm
Location: Bake Sum, 3249 Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610
Virtual Meet-Up Playback
I saved the best for last! Ha. Despite some tech glitches, we had a nice conversation last Thursday on Zoom. I fielded great questions about cooking, ingredients, and future online cooking classes. We got to know one another a bit, which is the ultimate point.
A screenshot from soon after we got started, I had already pulled out my knives . . .
If you missed the premium paid subscriber event, below is the recording. I hope to have more of these. If there’s a topic you’d like addressed, let me know in comments! Or, shoot me an email. Thanks!