Good morning! Today we have for you:
A deeply comforting bowl of corny goodness
To answer the question that Joni Mitchell poses in “Big Yellow Taxi,” yes, it does always seem to go that I don’t know what I’ve got till it’s gone. Stone fruit. Eggplants and peppers of all shapes and sizes. The other day, I thought of a ruby-red heirloom tomato, thickly sliced and showered with salt, and my eyes watered. Thank goodness for the supermarket’s freezer section, where I can find some out-of-season friends: strawberries, blueberries, peas and corn. That bag of frozen corn of course can’t compete with the fresh, on-the-cob kind, but it does allow me to make this atole de grano (savory corn porridge with chicken) from Rick Martínez. His dish is a deeply comforting, warming bowl of corny goodness, made thick and creamy with masa harina and hominy. Shredded rotisserie chicken, crushed chicharrones, caramelized poblanos and splashes of hot sauce are his toppings of choice, but I don’t see why you couldn’t get creative. Many readers already have, listing different salsas, toasted pepitas, crushed tortilla chips and bacon as their finishing touches. I plan on keeping those tender strips of poblano peppers, though — the Latin supermarket near me always stocks them, and the sight of their shiny green selves really cuts through the gray winter frost. Featured Recipe Atole de Grano (Savory Corn Porridge With Chicken)
Today’s specialsSpicy mushroom and tofu mazemen: The colder the nights, the spicier I want my noodles. Of course, you can easily pull back the chile crisp in this five-star Hetty Lui McKinnon dish to suit your crew; the super-trio of soy, sesame and miso more than carry the sauce. Her dish is vegan as written, but a soft-boiled or fried egg wouldn’t be unwelcome. Parmesan white bean soup with hearty greens: My husband put this together a couple of days ago, and I promptly declared it the best soup he has ever made (and he makes a lot of good soups). If you’ve been diligently saving your cheese rinds throughout the year, this is the dish to use them in; I was floored by the depth of flavor you could get from simply simmering garlic, lemon peel and Parmesan rinds. (We didn’t have thyme, and I don’t think the soup suffered for it.) Energy bars: Speaking of missing summer, I just put away my bike for the season — the same one that carries me on long rides and bikepacking treks with pouches full of these homemade energy bars from Genevieve Ko. But it doesn’t have to be summer for me to make and enjoy these. One of these nut- and fruit-packed bars will give me the energy I need to balance on icy sidewalks and smush myself between down jackets on a packed train. For a limited time, you can enjoy free access to the recipes in this newsletter in our app. Download it on your iOS or Android device and create a free account to get started.
And before you goCookie Week 2025 is coming to a close, and with it your daily delivery of clever new cookie recipes (as in, Vietnamese coffee swirl brownies and strawberry-almond cookies that look just like mortadella). But maybe you want some peanut butter blossoms for your holiday cookie plate. Or cinnamony snickerdoodles. Or biscotti, which travel so well and have never met a hot beverage they don’t want to be dunked in. We have all those classics in this compilation of our 29 best Christmas cookies because, as a certain other chanteuse might say, it’s time. Thanks for reading!
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