the haystack needle

what to eat now

With Juniper past the 6-week mark, I'm trying my best to add more of the things I need (and want) to do in my days. Things like work, shrinking my dreaded email inbox, visiting friends — and cooking. So far, cooking has seemed like the most daunting task. I'm the cook in our house (have to say that in times like this, I'm a bit jealous of everyone I know with husbands who cook.) I never excelled at meal planning, and now it seems that planning anything is a risk since you never quite know what your day is going to be like with a newborn. So things have gotten super simple. I've been shopping at Brooklyn Larder and Eastern District for foods I can pull together in a matter of minutes and eat with one hand, ideally without utensils. The last couple days, I've been munching on the best ricotta cheese with strawberry balsamic jam on crackers as breakfast. And Brooklyn Larder's almond butter with honey on bananas or crackers (plus a scoop of Brooklyn's Larder tuna salad) for lunch. It's basically my version of tapas. And while it's not a substitute for a hot home-cooked meal, I will say that splurging on good grocery provisions is working to keep me fed (which was a struggle a few weeks ago!). If any of you mamas have suggestions for how to work cooking (especially for a slow cook like me) back into your days, I'd love to hear. 

super natural every day

Thinking back, cooking was really more of a sport for me a few years back. I loved the challenge of taking on some recipe that required a couple dozen ingredients, used every small appliance in my kitchen, and would take the better part of the day to cook. I doubt that thrill of conquering a great, involved recipe will ever completely fade away, but I'm in a much different place with cooking now. I want it to feel more effortless. I want it to be an everyday ritual rather than a challenging weekend project. I want to have a batch of recipes that feel comfortable to come back to cooking all the time. And I want to eat more vegetables, more fresh foods, more of the real, unprocessed food we all know is better for us. I've noticed that after the first four months of being unable to eat in my pregnancy, my body has really shifted in tastes and cravings. Like a bowl of pasta with rich bolognese sauce does not sound appetizing to me now, but butternut squash ravioli with cilantro pesto sounds heavenly. 

Last week, I picked up the new Heidi Swanson cookbook, Super Natural Every Day, from my favorite local bookshop. And I'm truly loving this cookbook. The recipes are approachable and simple, and there are so many that I can't wait to try out. But the recipes also feel more special than all the 30-minute meals in magazines that rarely excite me. The book is centered around vegetarian dishes, but it doesn't feel like a vegetarian cookbook. And this book is gorgeous. I'm amazed how Heidi can craft all these recipes together and take such beautiful photos of the food, too. I was talking to my friend Laura last night and discovered she had the same reaction to the book. And Laura is the kind of cook I aspire to be. She cooks often, she's fearless with recipes, and she's inventive and uses up her pantry supplies. Me, on the other hand, I have yet to make it through a pack of celery without the remaining stalks going limp. (You should check out Laura's blog The Little House in the City, as she posts a lot of recipes that she's trying out.) But that's another thing I've realized about cooking. You don't need to take a class, you don't have to master it, and it's ok if you need a crib sheet of recipes to work off. Just a few new recipes can completely transform your every day cooking. I like that – how it's never too late to start eating better and cooking more. Heidi's Ravioli Salad has already become a comfort go-to recipe for me. (And for the first time ever, I finished off an entire bunch of cilantro before it went bad.) This weekend, I'm trying out a granola recipe from the book, which I have a feeling will become another standby favorite.

Photographs: Heidi Swanson and me

harissa

Last night, Dan and I got back to Brooklyn late after an appointment with our midwives. It was rainy, chilly, and I was in the mood for some warm, comfort food. We wound up at local favorite Cafe Colette, where I tried out the grilled red snapper dish on the menu. It was served on a bed of sweet potato wedges with a creamy yogurt sauce and a dollop of harissa on the plate. The sauces really made the dish, and I couldn't get over how delicious the fish tasted with a dip of yogurt and spicy harissa. It makes me want to try replicating it at home with a white fish. Here's a recipe for harissa from Saveur. (Although I doubt I'd make my own to be honest. I've seen jars of harissa sold in some gourmet shops.)

Photograph: Andre Baranowski for Saveur

the stand brooklyn

On Sunday, Dan and I stopped by the Brooklyn Flea in its new Williamsburg location amidst a busy afternoon of errands. We wound up just staying long enough to grab lunch, because we both felt like we were trapped in a wind tunnel (it was so windy there by the water!). While I didn't get a chance to shop, I did manage to discover a new-to-me local company — The Stand. I'd just grabbed tacos when I spotted their stand of fresh lemonades, made with far-from-ordinary flavor pairings. I went with a blueberry hibiscus lemonade and it was so delicious. I just checked out their site and it looks like The Stand sells their flavor-packed syrups online, and they make marmalades, jellies, and garnishes, too. They also create unique lemonade stands for private events (how fun for a wedding!!). I'm keeping my eye out for their line. I love a good lemonade. 

Photographs: The Stand

cashew cream smoothie

About 6 weeks ago, I was over the worst part of morning sickness with my pregnancy, but I still couldn't get near a lot of foods — including vegetables — and didn't have much of an appetite. So I started drinking a lot of homemade smoothies. Most of them are fruit-based, but I managed to get some veggies in me with some recipes including carrots and kale. I found most of my recipes through Whole Living, and I've made my way through almost all of their 25 smoothie recipes. Thankfully, I'm over the hump and can eat vegetables (for real) now, but I'm still loving a few smoothies in my week. Today was a new one — cashew cream smoothie. Winner. I woke up craving a chai latte, so this filled my craving for something creamy and substantial. It's a full breakfast — and you can easily make it as you're getting ready in the morning. Find the recipe here.

Photograph: Whole Living

purple cow

Last week, my friend Ellen introduced me to Schnipper's, a fantastic lunch spot if you're hungry and stuck by Port Authority, one of my least favorite parts of Manhattan. I drank my first purple cow — it's a float made with grape soda and vanilla ice cream. Basically, drinking your childhood through a straw (how had I not known about this before?). Then we went around the corner to Muji, where we obsessed over all the cool Japanese storage solutions like the big home dorks that we are. The perfect lunch date. 

Photograph: The Girl Who Ate Everything

(Shake Shack makes Purple Cows, too)

four & twenty blackbirds

When it comes down to choosing, pie is really my favorite dessert over cupcakes, cakes, custards, cookies, and the like. I have a special weakness for homemade fruit pies. Served warm with some fresh whipped cream or maybe a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream — and I'm in heaven. I've been excited to go to Four & Twenty Blackbirds ever since I first heard about it. The shop's located on the south side of Park Slope, they're not open late, and you can only order pie by the slice. Since it's not in my neighborhood and I can't grab a pie to go, I've decided the best thing to do is make a pie date. So this weekend, I'm catching up with a dear friend over pie at Four & Twenty Blackbirds. I may even have two pie dates, because it looks like it's going to be a chilly weekend where an amazing slice of pie will make your day. 

Hope you have a sweet weekend!

Photograph: Julia Gillard for Four & Twenty Blackbirds