The Sunday Ledger
More Spring flowers, unexpected churros, and my take on a TV dinner.
I’m kicking off a new weekly dispatch, the Sunday Ledger. Each Sunday, expect a weekly inventory of food and hosting-related things I have spent time thinking about over the course of the week.
1. Lily of the Valley
I was pleasantly surprised to find Lily of the Valley at the Farmer’s Market this weekend (and for a very reasonable price). I wish I could bottle the sweet scent emanating from them when at this scale.
I bought two bunches, placing one in my bathroom and one in my bedroom. I keep catching their delicate scent when a breeze flows through the apartment.
2. Unexpected Churros
In an unexpected and delightful turn of events, I was surprised with churros twice this week. The first was during an opening at Pace Gallery, where they emerged with ribbon-shaped churros hanging off a wooden umbrella. The spectacle of visitors reaching up to grab a churro while the servers navigated a crowd with large umbrellas was memorable, but unfortunately the churro itself was not.
The second was while over at a friend’s place. She passed her phone around for everyone to add food to the group order, then surprised us with an order of churros. This churro was outstanding and inspired me to order a churro next time it’s offered. It remains to be seen if a deliberate churro is as delightful as one that’s unexpected.
3. Window Box Flowers
While my mom was visiting last weekend, I purchased several plants at the Union Square Farmer’s Market for my window boxes. I’ve had issues in the past with birds eating everything I plant (I’m on the top floor), so I purposefully chose plants they would not be interested in. I went with two bell varietals (foamy bells and coral bells) and white hellebore.
Unfortunately, squirrels supplanted birds and won the battle this year, plucking off each individual leaf from the bell plants before I could event put them in potting soil. The hellebore remained untouched. I’m hoping to grow back the bells, while simultaneous looking for squirrel and bird deterrent methods. Deterrent or animal-proof plant suggestions welcome. I have not yet decided on what should go in the remaining space and additional pots.
4. Wild Sorrel Cookbooks
I have been so excited for the opening of Wild Sorrel Cookbooks on 13th Street, and it exceeds all expectations! A perfectly curated mix of secondhand and new books, it makes sense that the lovely owner comes from Third Lives & Co. lineage. The East Village has a new haven for home cooks and food lovers alike.
I walked away with two new volumes of Canal House Cooking, as well as a novel by Ruth Reichel that I have not yet read.
5. Daffodil Candlesticks
Still more flowers, yet these ones less fleeting. The candlesticks I detailed in my post on Spring hosting just arrived after an unexpected detour to California. I love the frosted glass and delicate details.
6. Sunday Night TV Dinner
After my Sunday morning walk around, I settled in and prepped several Japanese-inspired dishes for the week. I marinated salmon in a miso glaze, made cold cucumber salad, simmered kabocha in dashi with sake and mirin, and made goma-ae spinach with sesame. I love making several sides like this on a Sunday to have for the week ahead.
Spencer and I decided to sit down to eat while watching something (usually Anthony Bourdain or Gordon Ramsay) and the fish, sides, and rice formed my version of a TV dinner. The grown-up version of the Kid Cuisine dinners I loved when I was young.
I hope you have a great week ahead!
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