Greetings from the Great Bleecker Bake Off
Welcome back to Five Things I Ate! If you’re new, check out past posts here, and please follow my Instagram @fivethingsiate.
Brew Dr. Kombucha, Clear Mind flavor
Available at your local Trader Joe’s
I always knew that one’s own body could become an instrument of torture, but even I did not know what cruel and unusual punishments were in store for me when I woke up with a sore throat, an ear infection in both ears, a yeast infection, and burning case of atopic dermatitis all at the same time. But Sophie, you say, this is a food newsletter! I did not sign up for this free service to be bombarded with your unappetizing medical problems! Well, Dear Reader, I’m sorry to report that this service is free and none of its contents are guaranteed. Also, the rest of the newsletter will be all whipped cream and fancy cakes, I promise. Anyways, if you’re still here, I highly recommend this kombucha from Brew Dr. Kombucha, when you’re desperately trying to fill your body with infection-fighting foods. It has a very light and herbal taste, and is made of lovely sounding forest items like rosemary, peppermint, sage, and dandelion root. It’s almost enough to make me feel like I have clarity of mind, if only for a brief moment.
Prue Leith’s vegan tropical pavlova at the Great Bleecker Bake Off
Any kitchen with a stand mixer and a free weekend has the potential to make this
This recipe is the kind of recipe that reminds you of the pure magical wonder of baking: Transforming raw ingredients into something totally different than what you started with. Who knew that the leftover beany liquid from a can of chickpeas (aquafaba) can magically morph into fluffy, white meringue? Even wracked in earthly misery, I couldn’t help but marvel at the mound of sugary clouds. All the contestants of GBBO Season Nine, where this pavlova was presented as a technical challenge during Vegan Week, must have felt the same way. It’s definitely a technical challenge, and calls for a few unusual ingredients, but it’s a great staycation project, and the results are well worth the effort. Make it for a birthday (mine’s yesterday!) or an engagement party (I’ve been invited to five of those this Spring and maybe you have too) or just for your fine self, the greatest celebration of all.
Mary’s Viennese whirls at the Great Bleecker Bake Off
Wherever there exists a stand mixer, a piping kit, and endless patience
It’s probably unnecessary to meticulously trace tiny circles onto a sheet of parchment paper and pipe out painstaking rounds of stiff batter for the sake of making sandwich cookies, but if the Great Bleecker Bake Off has taught me anything, it’s that putting in more effort than I usually do when baking has its rewards. So if you have a stand mixer, a set of piping tips, and an afternoon to spare, you should follow this recipe to a T, including piping out the buttercream that’s gonna be sandwiched anyway, and make that raspberry jam from scratch for the most beautiful and buttery cookies you ever did see.
Berry balsamic pie from Pieconic NY
Main St Goodness, 20 Main St, Chatham, NY 12037, but you should order online
In my dream world, everyone wakes up to eat a fat slice of fruit pie for breakfast. I’m not talking about your wimpy grocery store pie; I’m talking about that shit that’s thick and rustic and dripping with juices; it’s more buttery than it is sweet. This berry balsamic pie from Pieconic, which was brought into the office by a certain senior editor who is known to be a pie fanatic, fits my dream pie bill. The balsamic flavor isn’t very strong, but it’s just enough to cut the sweetness of the filling. This pie isn’t a dessert, it’s a whole damn meal, just the way I like it.
Zongzi at Kopitiam
151 E Broadway, New York, NY 10002
I know that I keep writing about Kopitiam, but when I like something I like it a lot. Also, it was the Dragon Boat Festival last week, so I had to make sure I ate some zongzi, and Kopitiam made a special batch for the holiday. For the uninitiated, zongzi are sticky rice balls wrapped and cooked in bamboo leaves, sweet (with jujube) or savory (salted pork and dried shrimp). My mom makes the best zongzi, but these have salted duck egg yolk in it, so we’re even.
Here’s to hoping for better health,
Soph