Lavender days 💜

On the trials and tribulations of moving.

Hello and welcome back to Five Things I Ate! This week, we try to eat well in the midst of a move. Read past posts here, and please follow my Instagram @fivethingsiate. 

Lavender whip iced americano at home

New home coming soon.

I am in the final stretch of the years-long saga of leaving my cursed tiny apartment! By the time you receive my next newsletter, I will be basking in natural sunlight from the comfort of my own home for the first time in 2+ years. Also, I will no longer be sleeping in a precarious Murphy bed, EVER. I apologize in advance if you invite me to be a house guest to your home and you have one. I am looking forward to many things in my new place, including a window that doesn’t face a garbage alley, and getting fit by running up to a 6th floor walkup multiple times a day. But most of all, I am looking forward to building the Basic Bitch coffee cart of my dreams, which I can now post on Instagram because I will have natural light (see above). I’ll probably start by making my favorite concoction as of late, the Lavender Whip Iced Americano. I started using whipped cream in my coffee when I ran out of half-and-half and didn’t bother to buy whole milk, and of course, it’s delicious, plus very aesthetic. To make this beverage, pull two shots (Nespresso or proper espresso OR cold brew except I hate cold brew so I can’t help you there) of espresso over a cup of ice. Meanwhile, lightly whip 2 tablespoons of heavy cream with half a tablespoon of Monin lavender syrup (because I am a shill for Monin) or whatever other brand you have. Slowly pour over the top and admire how beautiful it is. Sip with a cold metal straw. 

Pistachio whip iced americano at home

New home is coming soon.

I don’t know why I buried the lede (I guess that’s what happens when you’re your own editor??), but my favorite version of the whipped iced Americano is definitely pistachio and not lavender. The Monin pistachio syrup is truly GOATed and if you are looking to send me presents for my birthday in 2 weeks you can just send me more Monin syrups as you can tell I am a huge stan. It is buttery and mellow, and it’s pistachio in the tune of a creamy pistachio ice cream. For the recipe, follow the same steps as above, subbing the lavender syrup for pistachio. Stir, and enjoy.

Simplest avocado, egg and kimchi rice bowl at home

New home coming soon.

When I don’t know what to eat – which is often, despite always buying way too many groceries, which all go bad before I have a chance to finish them – I can always count on a rice bowl. What I can’t always count on, though, is an avocado. No one can count an avocado. They are fundamentally unreliable and their ripeness always feels like an emergency. Therefore, when I stumbled upon the most creamy, perfectly-ripe avocados at a street fruit cart, I had to buy them. If you have rice in the pantry and kimchi in the fridge, you can make this delicious meal. Simply put freshly steamed short grain rice (ALWAYS SHORT GRAIN!) in a bowl, top with half of a perfectly creamy sliced avocado, a fried egg, a mound of kimchi, and drizzle with Kewpie mayonnaise and sriracha. For bonus points, sprinkle it with furikake or nori flakes.

Southern B.L.T. at Jacob’s Pickles

509 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10024 and Other Locations

Oh boy. I haven’t been to Jacob’s Pickles since college –and ten plus years later, this place is still hopping. The seating spills out almost a full block outside of the restaurant, and on weekends, the line is miles long for brunch. The portions also remain ginormous. I think it’s as hard to hate Jacob’s Pickles as it is for me to finish a meal there. The vibes are very positive and the food is both tasty and fun. However, the biscuit sandwiches are greasy, creamy, and salty in a way that’s hard for me to eat more than half of. The cheesy grits it comes with are excellent, though, and the biscuits don’t miss. I love fried chicken and eat it semi-regularly, but I actually didn’t love the chicken here – it was maybe too smothered in sauce to be shatteringly crisp, the way I like it. Also, the fried green tomatoes were cold. 

The Last Pint of Ample Hills Ice Cream (Just Vanilla, Please) at a bodega

Can you still buy these?

I’m still confused sometimes how Ample Hills fumbled their entire business when they have an excellent product that is universally beloved (ice cream). But, my attention span is too short to read any article longer than 500 words unless it is a 10 page long deranged Reddit post so I guess I will never find out why. Anyways, I hope they are still selling their pints in stores because I love the vanilla flavor. It’s so, so good. I managed to nab a pint at a bodega but I forgot where, and now I’m worried if I’ll be able to get another. Can you let me know if you have insight into this? Thank you!

Have a good long weekend,

Soph

P.S. If you can afford it, please consider a paid subscription to Five Things I Ate. The rent in NY is extremely high and this newsletter is a labor of love. Subscriptions are currently only $30 per year, and you gain access to all recipes in the archives, including my famous Pineapple Buns and Mama’s Scallion Pancakes. 

P.P.S. WHERE SHOULD I EAT FOR MY BIRTHDAY? Do you have fun ideas? I’m looking for a fun, sort-of-bougie, but NOT TOO BOUGIE restaurant in Manhattan or Brooklyn where I can reserve a table for a small group! Good food is key!~ Trendy is also nice since it’s ~ Gemini szn ~ Thank you!