Ricotta Pancakes with Maple Apples for Pancake Day
Plus: The Substance Bars, Eggs and Veggies, and Dinner at Eel Bar.
Hey everyone,
Tomorrow’s Pancake Day in the U.K. (aka Shrove Tuesday) and my U.K. publisher, Hutchinson Heinemann, asked if I would do a collaborative post about it on Instagram tomorrow. “Happily,” I said, always looking for an excuse to make pancakes.
Now those of you who read Thursday’s newsletter may be surprised that I made pancakes this weekend considering that I was mid-glow-up and ostensibly giving up sugar, carbs, and alcohol. Ha! You fell for the oldest Amateur Gourmet trick in the book: it’s where I do a post about going on some kind of diet and then one newsletter later admit that I didn’t stick to it.
But actually, truth be told, I did really give up alcohol this weekend. And that was an accomplishment because I went to dinner at Gertrude’s where Craig had a martini and a glass of wine, then a birthday at a bar in Williamsburg where everyone was drinking lots and lots, and finally an Oscar viewing party last night with lots of rosé available. At the bar, I drank a Phony Negroni which worked wonderfully: it felt like I was drinking a cocktail when I wasn’t. And I had no hangover; in fact, I slept wonderfully.
Anyway, I’m doing my best, and these pancakes were a real treat. I used Mark Bittman’s recipe (Gift Link) and Martha Stewart’s recipe for sautéed apples with maple syrup. They were crispy, light, and fluffy and worth every calorie.
The good news is that I cooked up a pancake antidote to bring to the Oscar-viewing party I attended: THE SUBSTANCE BARS.
How did I make The Substance from scratch? I used Clare Saffitz’s recipe for Minty Lime Bars (Gift Link) and added some food coloring. Let’s go to the tape:
I have to say these didn’t go flying off the plate at the party. Maybe because they looked so Substance-y?
But they tasted amazing: lime + mint + egg yolks + butter = Oscar-worthy. Or, apparently not… sorry Demi!
In vegetable news, I’ve been continuously working my way through my CSA box each week.
On Thursday night I roasted up the Brussels sprouts and made David Chang’s dressing with fish sauce; then, on Friday, I sauteed some sweet potato cubes in vegetable oil until golden all over and cooked through. I added the leftover Brussels sprouts and brown rice from the day before and let everything cook all together. Finally, I made four divots and cracked eggs into them… I put a lid on the pan and basically allowed the veg to crisp up like a giant pancake (pancakes!) while the eggs cooked. It was great.
And then on Saturday, I made a frittata with mushrooms and kale and a salad with arugula and apples.
The secret ingredient? Lots of Parmesan.
Finally, on Thursday I attended a big author event for Knopf where I met with journalists from NY Mag, the NYT, The Boston Globe, etc. It was fun but also stressful… I did have a drink (or two) that night, but it was a necessary evil. A highlight was meeting the author Gish Jen who has a book coming out this fall and who told me she injured her wrist cooking a multi-course Chinese New Year feast for twelve people.
Afterwards, I met up with Craig at Eel Bar on the Lower East Side and it was such a buzzy, youthful spot. We felt like old men, even though Craig looks half his age in this picture:
The food at Eel Bar was truly excellent. Highlights for me were the fried black bass with mayonnaise (almost like a giant fish stick).
And the swordfish with clams and French fries which all married together beautifully on the plate.
If you find yourself on the Lower East Side at nine at night and you’re looking for a chic spot, look no further than Eel Bar.
Hey, time to look at some links:
The Most Important Person in Japanese Food You’ve Never Heard Of (NYT; gift link);
“I Told Him to Stop: The Elite Restaurant Culture That Consumed Me” (The Guardian);
Decrease your screen time… touch grass (via Kottke.org).
That’s all for today, folks!
Time to hop on the Peloton and drink a smoothie… though another round of Pancakes + a Substance Bar sounds like a better option.
Until next time….
Your pal,
Adam