an intro
what even is this newsletter?? / recent work / a recipe for silken tofu in a puddle of crunchy, spice-infused oil
Hello. I’m a food writer based in Washington, D.C. This newsletter is a space to update you on articles I’ve published, because I don’t self-promote in other social spaces as much as I “should” but I recognize that I need to self-promote because I’m a person trying to make money writing. Wee!
Self-promotion makes me feel boring and kinda gross, though, so I’ll keep it brief and mostly this will be a space to give you recipes, cooking tips, genuine/not-paid-for product recs, places to eat when traveling, and any other random not-too-rambling thoughts. If you’re thinking “hm, that sounds an awfully lot like a blog,” well, you might be on to something.
Writing, etc.
I joined a community compost co-op in DC and wrote about what exactly that means for DCist. Composting is easy and there are many options for DC residents! Everyone should compost!! The world is on fire!!!
It’s cold outside, you’re sad, I know, but here are some tips on what to eat and how to fight those wintertime blues from a few people who live in Alaska, Minnesota, Colorado, and Germany. (For The Highlight from Vox)
I edited the text and recipes of a super special cookbook put together by members of the LIFE Project, a food business incubator in Turkey that supports both refugees and host communities. The cookbook documents the members’ culinary heritage and paths to becoming food entrepreneurs, and also includes essays from food luminaries around the world. It should be available to order soon, but in the meantime, please tune in to my Instagram stories where I’ll be documenting some recipes that I’m going to make this weekend.
make this
This — a fallen domino line of silken tofu slabs, drenched in a puddle of roasted sesame seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric, and pepper flakes that you’ve cooked in oil — is exactly the thing you want to eat when you come home at 8 p.m. after having a few beers while playing board games that got you all amped up because you were literally screaming “I’M NOT A WITCH, YOU’RE A WITCH” at all the new people you just met. (Sorry for the yelling, DC Reynolds staff.) In other words: perfection.
To make it: Slice some silken tofu into thin-ish pieces and fan them out on a plate. Heat a generous pool of a neutral oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat, then once it’s shimmering add some sesame seeds, cumin seeds, a good pinch of turmeric, and some pepper flakes if you want it spicy. Let all that sizzle around for a bit, then pour it all (scrape to get the good stuff out of the skillet) over the tofu. Top with a little drizzle of toasted sesame oil if you have some, then scatter a good amount of flaky salt over top.
This is a mashup of a few things: xiao cong ban dou fu from Fuchsia Dunlop’s Every Grain of Rice: Simple Chinese Home Cooking and the technique for making chhonk in Priya Krishna’s Indian-ish. I used a ton of sesame seeds because I wanted something crunchy to counter the silken tofu, cumin seeds because I ordered a giant thing of them from Burlap & Barrel and am thus putting them in everything, and turmeric because ever since I started getting it from Diaspora Co., I … put it in everything. Source your ingredients well and their flavors will reward you. :)
Thanks for reading, catch you next time.
Kara