Ann Mah's newsletter / July 2017
July 2017 newsletter
Bonjour!
Joyeuse fête nationale! I snapped this photo last year as the fireworks boomed outside our apartment. This year I'm currently Stateside, but I'm still excited to raise a glass to France tomorrow in celebration of her national day. Though our temporary apartment means I won't be making an elaborate French meal, I'm definitely planning an indoor picnic of bread and cheese, the stinkier the better.
The last month has been rather topsy-turvy given our move, but I'm delighted to say that I am typing this from my NEW writers workspace in Washington, D.C.! We landed almost two weeks ago and are staying in temporary digs while we look for a place to rent. I have to admit, I've found house-hunting quite fascinating – especially the glimpses into Dupont Circle row-houses, which are all turrets and bay windows from the outside, and cramped, oddly arranged rooms within. While I'm not sure I'm cut out (anymore) for a fourth-floor walk-up, street parking, or shared laundry facilities, the novelist in me has enjoyed imagining all the lives going on in all the different homes I've visited.
I have also been loving the Dupont Circle Famers Market, which remains my favorite farmers market (yes, I even like it more than the one at Union Square in New York). The produce here is so delicious, I'm considering spending the rest of the summer eating only peaches, corn, and tomatoes :) Here's what else I've been up to:
Would you please take my survey?
Believe it or not, it's already been six months since I started sending this monthly newsletter! I'd love to hear about what you like, what you don't, and what you'd like to see me cover. If you have time, would you please answer the survey below? If you'd like to offer more detailed suggestions, please email me at ann@annmah.net. Thank you!
1. How did you discover this newsletter?
*|SURVEY: Forwarded by a friend|*
*|SURVEY: Signed up as a book giveaway|*
*|SURVEY: I read your articles, blog, and books|*
*|SURVEY: Other (email me)|*
2. What type of content are you most likely to read?
*|SURVEY: Restaurant reviews|*
*|SURVEY: Travel tips|*
*|SURVEY: Links to new books and articles|*
*|SURVEY: Other (email me)|*
3. How long do you spend reading the newsletter?
*|SURVEY: Around 2 minutes|*
*|SURVEY: Around 5 minutes|*
*|SURVEY: Around 10 minutes|*
*|SURVEY: More than 10 minutes|*
4. What else would you like to see?
*|SURVEY: More news about new books|*
*|SURVEY: More restaurant and travel tips|*
*|SURVEY: More book giveaways|*
*|SURVEY: Other (email me)|*
Where I've been eating
(new york edition)
My last days in New York City were a bonanza of farewell lunches and dinners. Here are a few of my favorites.
Lafayette
It's not easy to find a good French omelette, but the one I ate at Lafayette was almost as good as the best omelette I've ever eaten in my life (which was at L'Etape du Promeneur in Buoux, Provence, now closed, #RIP). The plump, tender, fluffy roll of eggs was flecked with herbs and stuffed with tangy goat cheese, nothing fancy, and exactly perfect. Too bad about the accompanying limp salad.
Totonno's Pizzeria Napolitana
Located on Neptune Avenue in Coney Island, Totonno's is an old-fashioned New York pizza institution, founded in 1924 by native Napolitano Antonio "Totonno" Pero, and still owned by the same family. The tables are formica, the plates are paper, the service is gruff, but the pizza is darn good, cooked in a coal oven, and featuring a thin, chewy, crisp crust and bright sauce. The clientele is a healthy mix of tourists, hipster-foodies, and Italian-American regulars. This is a great place for lunch if, say, your kid adores Coney Island and begs to be taken there regularly, and you're sick of Nathan's Hot Dogs. Note: Cash only.
Le Coq Rico
This place calls itself the "bistro of beautiful birds," and indeed their squab en croûte was stunning, ravishing, sumptuous. The deboned breast is stuffed with foie gras, wrapped in a cabbage leaf, enrobed in puff pastry and baked until golden crusted and rosily interiored. The result is insanely rich – I split this dish with my friend, Hilary, and couldn't even finish my half – but it is SUBLIME.
What I've been reading
I've been loving these Little Free Library boxes scattered throughout Washington D.C., and this article explains the trend. (They started in Wisconsin in 2009, and there are now over 50,000 of them nationwide!)
In honor of Bastille Day, I created a Culinary Tour de France for The Kitchn, honoring five unsung heroes of regional French cuisine, including recipes! This was a super fun project and the accompanying photos are gorgeous.
I also took a tour of France via ten composed salads over at Food52. And I wrote about the intricacies of la salade verte, which must surely be the most regimented dish of the French table?
David Lebovitz spills the beans on how to entertain like a Parisian. (Don't forget the wine.)
After reading this profile of culinary historian Laura Shapiro, I can't wait to dig into her new book, What She Ate, about the food lives of six famous women, including Eleanor Roosevelt, Barbara Pym, and Dorothy Wordsworth. Bring on the tweed pie!
Baked goods are a gift – but so is the very act of baking, especially when you do it with the people you love, as Dorie Greenspan writes in her New York Times magazine column. Plus a recipe for Bakewell tart.
On my blog, I created a twist on flammekueche, with crème fraîche, smoked salmon, and dill.
A bientôt!
This coming month, I'm looking forward to more summer fruit (especially local peaches), and I'm longing to get my hands on a good melon. I also can't wait to get back to France! My next dispatch will be from Paris. Thank you so much for reading. If you'd like to subscribe to this newsletter, you can sign up here. Until next month, happy summer – and vive la république!
Amicalement,
Ann