Provincetown 2022

Plus: Tony Kushner and Mark Harris Cook Us Dinner (!), Oysters and Martinis and Clams Oh My, and Grossy Pelosi on The Amateur Gourmet Podcast.

Hey everyone,

We just got back today from our annual trip to Provincetown, MA and despite a sewage emergency that shut down most of Commercial Street, this was my favorite trip so far after five years of visiting. Maybe it’s because this year things didn’t feel as dire and scary as they did last year when just stepping foot in a bar filled me with dread.

We did so many fun things: a day on a pontoon with lots of rosé and Beyoncé’s new album, not to mention potato chips.

Or the day that we walked to The Red Inn during a rainstorm and arrived totally drenched:

My shirt was like a sponge, but then we ordered some gin martinis with olives (do you see the Broadway star in the background?)…

And raw oysters to match the briny weather:

…and as my shirt got dryer, my insides got sloshier (which is why it was so fun).

The most remarkable event, though, was on Thursday night when Tony Kushner — whose play, Angels in America, is probablyone of the most important and influential American plays ever written (like many people, it made a huge impact on me when I first read read it) — and his husband, Mark Harris, whose numerous books on film and culture (including his recent biography of Mike Nichols) are universally revered, invited us over for dinner.

How did this come about?

Well Mark subscribes to this newsletter! And he’s made an appearance on my podcast.

I can’t tell you how surreal it was to stand in the kitchen with Tony, helping him broil the top of his lasagna, when two decades ago I was laying in my bed reading his book of essays about playwriting and his quote: “A good play, like good lasagna, should be overstuffed.” I brought that up to him and he said, “This isn’t that kind of lasagna.” (It was actually Ottolenghi’s mushroom lasagna, which was so delicious, along with the salad and the garlic bread he made.)

For dessert, there was blueberry cobbler and fresh corn ice cream:

I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve a night like this, but it’s not one that I’ll ever forget.

Another highlight of our trip? A day trip with our friends Kevin and Conor to Wellfleet for oysters and clams and more at Mac’s Shack. Here’s a TikTok I made of the journey:

@amateurgourmetWe took a little side trip to Wellfleet, MA for oysters, clams, and chowdah at Mac's Shack. #capecod #oysters #seafood #travel #clams #chowder #fish

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

On Saturday, we took the ferry back and spent a night in Boston. I had to take Ryan to our favorite restaurant there, Pammy’s, and Pammy was there herself to greet us:

So many great dishes, but the one that surprised and delighted me the most was this linguine with cherries and… wait for it… pickled white anchovies. Sounds weird, but trust, it was dazzling.

Hey! It’s occurred to me that because I was off last week, I didn’t tell you newsletter readers about my amazing conversation with Instagram phenomenon Dan “Grossy” Pelosi on my podcast all about body image and being gay and loving food:

It’s probably one of the most candid conversations I’ve had on the pod so far and I’ve already gotten so many nice emails and shares from people who were touched by it. You can listen to the whole thing here:

I also have a new episode up today with the author of the fantastic new cookbook I Am From Here, James Beard award-winning chef of Snackbar in Oxford, Mississippi: Vishwesh Bhatt.

Listen to the whole thing here or wherever you listen to podcasts:

Now for some links… I know it’s been a while:

• The Best Pasta Shape is Fusilli Corti Bucati (never had it, gotta order it now!) (Eater);

• 20 Years at 30,000 Feet: A Flight Attendant Answers Questions (NYT);

• Seems like more and more people are going electric with their stoves. It’s hard to argue with it. (Taste);

• A groovy caponata recipe from Felicity Cloake (The Guardian).

That’s all for today, folks!

See you Thursday friends back here on Thursday. If you’re not a paid subscriber, sign up here so you don’t miss it:

Until then….

Your friend,

Adam