Ann Mah's newsletter / Sept 2018
September 2018 newsletter
Hello!
The calendar says fall arrives on Saturday – already! But if you're not ready to let go of summer, may I suggest the perfect armchair vacation? My new novel, The Lost Vintage, is on sale today for only $2.99 across all e-book platforms! If you haven't yet read the book the Philadelphia Inquirer calls "beguiling" (and goodness knows, I've yammered on about it for the past three months), I hope you'll pick up a copy. And if you have read it, please tell a friend!
Last month we returned to Washington DC and, boy, reentry was tough. But the sun is shining again and the markets are full of late-summer produce. A couple of weeks ago, I found some beautiful black mission figs and whipped up my favorite fruit tart. Adapted from a recipe by Patricia Wells, it has a press-in crust that makes it an easy weeknight dessert. I hope you'll have the chance to make it soon – and I hope you're finding sweet spots wherever you are.
Here's what else I've been up to!
What I've been eating
–Last month I tried the heavenly cookies at Mokonuts in Paris – and just last week Dorie Greenspan published a beautiful NYT magazine essay and recipe for Mokonuts's rye-cranberry-chocolate-chunk cookies. Of course I had to make them immediately! Although the recipe does call for a bunch of special ingredients – rye flour, dried cranberries, an entire jar of poppy seeds – I promise you, it's WORTH IT. These are unlike any cookies I've ever baked, with a crisp exterior breaking way to a melting, gooey center. I can't tell you how much I love them. Bake them today!
–Have you ever grilled salmon on a plank? I experimented with this last weekend and enjoyed the results – though I think the fish could have been smokier? Read more about the method at Kitchn.
–I kind of always want to be eating Italian food, especially stuffed pasta, and so I loved this video on making tortellini from Elizabeth Minchilli.
–This summer my daughter and I discovered granita at Grom in Paris and we've started making it at home. This strawberry granita from David Lebovitz is the best, and his book, The Perfect Scoop, also has recipes for amazing lemon and nectarine. Now we want to visit Sicily where they eat granita for breakfast, sandwiched into a soft brioche bun (!!!!!)
What I've been reading
–One of the reasons I'm so excited about fall this year is because my new cookbook is coming out on September 25! Instantly French offers all the best recipes to make classic French cuisine in your electric pressure cooker. From hearty braised dishes like boeuf bourguignon to desserts like crème brûlée, you'll learn how to use the French home cook's biggest secret weapon – the pressure cooker – to create classic, fast French fare. If you love your Instant Pot, I hope you'll love this cookbook. Pre-order here!
–If you're interested in learning more about speedy French pressure cooking, the On the Menu podcast hosted me for a fun interview.
–Speaking of cookbooks, I enjoyed Eater's round up the best new fall cookbooks and am especially excited for Everyday Dorie, and intrigued by Ottolenghi Simple (which seems like an oxymoron, but maybe that's just me).
–The story of Charles de Gaulle and the Free French in London is often forgotten. Last February I traveled to the UK to learn more about this unlikely birthplace of the French resistance. You can read more about my journey in this article for New York Times Travel.
–I loved this Washington Post article about a popular Maine restaurant that decided to take reservations the old-fashioned way – by postcard!
–Finally, three Lost Vintage updates. 1) I was honored to be interviewed by Richard Nahem for his series, Bite of Paris. We visited my favorite Paris café and I introduced him to aligot (cheesy mashed potatoes). 2) I was also honored and very moved by this wonderful book review from Bonjour Paris. 3) If you are in Washington DC on October 19, I would love to meet you at the Alliance Française where I'll be appearing in conversation with noted author Ellen Crosby. There will be wine and refreshments. Please join us!
A bientôt!
Aren't these figs irresistibly gorgeous? I can't wait to buy more and eat them greedily over the kitchen sink. I hope you're also enjoying the last fruits summer. Thank you so much for reading and see you in a few weeks!
Amitiés,
Ann