Dip Tips

Plus: Lee Sung Jin on Lunch Therapy, Mastering the Art of Martha's Mac and Cheese, and Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Hey everyone,

This week is a big week! Tomorrow I’m zipping down to Florida to see my niece and nephew and to celebrate my brother’s 40th birthday. Then Friday it’s off to NYC to start our apartment hunt. If you know of any 2-bedroom apartments with nice kitchens near Carroll Gardens or Fort Greene, please let me know. I make a great neighbor.

In the meantime, I’m excited to launch a brand new season of Lunch Therapy with the creator of the Netflix phenomenon, BEEF: Lee Sung Jin.

I worked with Lee (aka Sonny Lee) back in 2015 on The Real O’Neals on ABC. Since then, he’s gone on to write for shows like Dave and Tuca and Bertie, and most recently, his own creation: the hit show Beef starring Steve Yeun and Ali Wong. In today’s session, we talk all about his name change (or name reversion), his Korean roots, what his comfort food dishes are, and why Ali Wong’s picture isn’t on the wall at Park’s BBQ.

@amateurgourmett’s the return of Lunch Therapy with my old pal and creator of the runaway hit Netflix show BEEF, @beherelater. Join us as we talk about everything from how he came up with the show’s title to the terrible things he ate on set. We also cover going back to his Korean roots, Gardetto’s snack packs, his secret love for McDonald’s, and the time he ate an entire box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts in the writer’s room of The Real O’Neals. Listen wherever you listen to podcasts! 💫 #koreanfood #beefnetflix #aliwong #stevenyeun #netflix #beef #korea #koreanbbq #podcast #podcaststories #fyp

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It’s a great talk, so listen to the whole thing on Apple Podcasts or right here on Spotify:

Be sure to like and subscribe! Or whatever it is the kids say.

Now let’s talk dip. Specifically, the white bean dip that I made for a dinner party this past Saturday.

It may look fancy but it’s essentially this: two cans of strained cannellini beans, four garlic cloves, 1/4 cup well-stirred tahini, a few tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice from one or two lemons (more on that in a sec), and a very big pinch of salt. You whir that in a food processor until it’s creamy and then — the most important step — you taste. I found mine needed a lot more lemon juice and a lot more salt, so be sure to adjust here.

Then, for presentation, I drizzle with more olive oil and here’s the best dip tip: sprinkle with za’atar and Aleppo pepper. Be generous. It makes the dip look so appealing. I served with celery, radicchio, and radishes and it was a great appetizer before a big heavy dinner.

Speaking of a big heavy dinner… oops, I did it again. I made Martha’s Mac and Cheese.

It truly is the best mac and cheese recipe and this time around, I made a few tweaks:

• I seasoned the water for the elbow macaroni really well with salt;

• I used the pot that I boiled the macaroni in to heat the milk, once I strained it (saving a pot!);

• I went heavier on the cayenne and nutmeg — about 1/2 teaspoon of each;

• I used Panko on top instead of the bread cubes. Just tossed 1 1/2 cups Panko with the 2 tablespoons melted butter, salt, and some grated Pecorino.

• After baking it at 375 for 20 minutes, I broiled it at the end.

What can I say? Mac and cheese doesn’t get much better than this. Look at the happy crowd of mac and cheese eaters.

I served it with an arugula salad tossed with a garlicky vinaigrette (1 clove grated garlic + splash of celery vinegar (from Tart) + 1 tablespoon Dijon + salt whisked with 1/2 cup or more of extra-virgin olive oil); also added fennel and apple to the salad, even though that’s kind of wintery. I just liked the freshness and the crunch.

For dessert? I had to make a strawberry-rhubarb pie while rhubarb’s in season! (Recipe here.)

I made the dough the night before I wanted to make the pie, so had to whack it really hard in the morning to make it rollable.

As for the filling, just lots of rhubarb, lots of strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar, lemon zest, vanilla, and a good amount of corn starch. My #1 tip? Put the pie plate on a sheet tray lined with aluminum foil b/c there will be a lot of leakage.

This is probably my favorite pie of all time. The rhubarb makes it so tart, it’s like a Sour Patch Kid in pie form. And healthier probably too! If you see rhubarb at the market, grab it and make this pie. But, please, pay for it first.

All right, let’s look at some links:

• Get all of the things from The Bear’s kitchen (Wirecutter);

• Iced Chai without the Lines (Hot Dish with Sohla);

• Three New Cookbooks Explore the Diversity of Italian Food (Eater);

• How Ozempic Quiets ‘Food Noise’ (NYT).

That’s all for today, folks!

See you back here on Thursday….

Your pal,
Adam

P.S. If you enjoy this week’s podcast, please give it a nice review on Apple Podcasts. That helps the algorithm. You’re the best!