Ann Mah's newsletter / August 2017
August 2017 newsletter
Bonjour!
A quick note this month as I am writing from our family vacation! We arrived in Paris last week and are currently spending a few days in London with my parents. The weather is grey and rainy, and the high today didn't break 65ºF and I LOVE IT.
In other news, I have spent the past few weeks working madly on revisions to my novel, staying up until the wee hours since it's the only non-kid-wrangling time I've had. I'm delighted to report that the final draft is now with my editor, and we are getting ready for the book to come out next summer (June 19, 2018 to be exact). Hooray! Stay tuned for more news!
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I recently asked for your help with a survey on my monthly newsletter, but unfortunately the survey had technical errors. I've created a new, improved survey here at this link and would be super grateful if you filled it out. Thank you!
What I've been eating
All the dill
Do you ever buy herbs for a special recipe and then struggle to use up the remainder? That happened to me a few weeks ago with a bunch of dill. But then I saw an Instagram post from my friend Maria Speck, of a gorgeous bean salad laced with masses and masses of dill. (Maria is Greek and she knows her way around fresh herbs!) I was inspired to make my own bean salad, using about three-quarters of a bunch of dill, which added a lovely herbal freshness, not at all overpowering. As Maria suggested in her post, we ate the salad with slices of feta. Normally I would have crumbled the cheese into the beans, but I really enjoyed having a thick slice of cheese, which allowed for more feta on the fork!
Elizabeth Minchilli's meatballs
I've written about Elizabeth Minchilli's book Eating Rome on my blog before, but now that I've had a chance to live with it for a while, I'm back to report that her meatballs are my new go-to favorite. There are several things that set them apart, in particular the grated onion and the secret ingredient, a quarter cup of extra virgin olive oil. Recently, I've been adding an extra can of tomatoes to create more sauce for spaghetti (which I know is not traditionally Italian, but then again, neither am I :) Find the recipe here.
Super Heebster at Russ & Daughters
Before I left New York, I made a special trip to Russ & Daughters for one of my most favorite sandwiches and, yes, it took forever as usual (I think I stood in line for 45 minutes!) but it was worth it. The sandwich is called the Super Heebster and it's a bagel spread with horseradish cream cheese, wasabi roe, and Russ & Daughters' sublime whitefish salad. It's only available at the shop (not the café), but if you need a spot to wolf it down, there's a little park across Houston Street that has tables.
What I've been reading
Have you ever fried grilled cheese sandwiches in mayo instead of butter? I tried it while living in our temporary apartment in Washington DC, and I have to stay I'm a convert! It adds a delicious tang.
As I mentioned, I've been loving this week's brisk temperatures in London – the heat in Washington DC was really causing me to wilt. But did you know summer seasonal depression is a thing? Though must people usually get winter blues, about 10% of SAD sufferers get it in the warmer months. This article from Smithsonian mag has details. I feel like I've found my people!
I've been reading Charlotte's Web to our daughter, and then I saw this NPR article on the story behind the book. It's pure magic.
Here's a cute New York Times article about author Martin Walker, who writes the Bruno, Chief of Police series of mysteries set in Southwestern France – and how the region's food and wine inspires him.
"One hundred percent of Burgundy snails you buy in France are picked in Central Europe," says this article from NPR. Of course this has become a controversy, and of course it was given rise to a French snail lobby. #onlyinfrance
Stories about renovating Julia Child's former homes have literally become a cottage industry. (See what I did there?) Here's the latest one from the New York Times, on her former house in Washington, DC. The new owner will create a kitchen large enough to slaughter, cook and cure a 250-pound pig (!!!!).
A bientôt!
Thanks so much for reading this month! I'm excited to head back to Paris tomorrow for a couple more weeks of vacation – and I'll be back next month for my September report (which will most probably include an update about my French Instant Pot cookbook). If you'd like to subscribe to this newsletter, you can sign up here. Have a lovely month!
Amitiés,
Ann