Good morning. To celebrate the recent one year anniversary of this newsletter, we're doing another giveaway. It’s a cooking gear bundle worth over $409!

• All current readers are automatically entered into the giveaway (in eligible shipping locations). See below for more details.

If you want to forward this email to anyone who might be interested, here’s a link to sign up for the newsletter and giveaway before it ends this Thursday, Nov 2nd (winner announced here next week!)

TRY SOMETHING NEW 🤯

Jamaican Curry

Jamaican oxtail stew is a flavorful and hearty dish that is often enjoyed as a Sunday meal, so it’s perfect for these colder Fall weekends.

Stew Components

Meat:

• 500-1000g oxtail pieces

• A drizzle of cooking oil

Aromatics & spices:

• 1/2 onion, diced

• 2-5 garlic cloves, crushed

• 2-3 scallion bunches, diced

• 1-3 scotch bonnets, diced

• Knob of ginger, minced

• Generous sprinkle of black pepper & ground allspice

Braising & flavoring liquids:

• a few spoonfuls of ketchup

• a few spoonfuls of browning, Worcestershire, or soy sauce for umami & color

• enough broth or water to cover everything

• Salt to taste

Starches:

• A can of butter beans, drained (but cubed potatoes would also work)

Garnishes

• Thyme sprigs

• Scallion greens, sliced

Instructions:

1) Sear the oxtails: In batches, sear the oxtails on each side until well browned in your pot with a bit of cooking oil. Once all oxtails are seared, set them aside.

2) Sweat the aromatics: Add all aromatics and spices to the pot. Sweat over medium heat until they begin to soften and go fragrant. Scrape to deglaze any browned bits on the bottom of the pot (add a splash of water to prevent burning, if needed). Add in seared oxtails and mix together.

3) Add braising liquids: Add in ketchup and browning sauce, and stir to coat everything. Cover with water or broth, then bring to a simmer.

4) Simmer: Let it simmer on the stovetop, partially covered, for 2-3 hours or until the meat is tender. Add in the butter beans and thyme sprigs and simmer for a final 20 minutes, uncovered.

5) Finish & serve: This dish can be served immediately or reheated throughout the week. Garnish with sliced green scallion tops.

THROWBACK TIME 🍳

Umami bomb cucumbers

After trying these smashed cucumber pickles from Masaharu Morimoto's book, Master the Art of Japanese Home Cooking, Ethan knew they were a perfect dish for the home cook:

• These spicy, salty, and umami cucumber pickles can be enjoyed on their own as a side, thrown over some plain rice for a snack, or used as a general garnish.

While the traditional recipe takes 24 hours to fully pickle, you can accelerate the process for a 10-minute weeknight version if you’re in a pinch.

How? Check out the video or the written recipe for all the details.

Make a big batch because these last a while in the fridge and can be used to upgrade so many dishes…

THE LEFTOVER SHELF 🥡

Kimbap

Kimbap, or gimbap, (meaning “seaweed rice” in Korean) is often confused with sushi. However, it’s usually larger in diameter than Japanese sushi rolls and can be filled with a broader array of vegetables, meats, eggs, and seafood. Often the rice is flavored with sesame oil instead of rice vinegar.

• While the above pickles are a Japanese recipe, they still make for a great filling for Kimbap (Japanese sushi & kimbap are historically intertwined anyways, although their influence on each other is debated).

Kimbap components

• Nori sheets

• Cooked rice, preferably short-grain

  • Drizzle of sesame oil to season rice

• Vegetables of choice:

• (Optional) proteins of choice: cooked egg, meats, etc

To assemble

1. Lay out a sheet of nori and cover the bottom 2/3 of the sheet with a thin layer of rice

2. In the center of the rice, add fillings of choice along the length of the sheet.

3. Roll up so that the exposed nori overlaps and seals. Slice into rolls and serve.

FOOD TRENDS EXPLAINED 🚀

ASMR morning coffee routines

Q: What's up with all these espresso making videos on my feed?

A: If your social media algorithm is anything like ours, you’ve probably seen highly cinematic videos of coffee being meticulously made.

Why are these coffee routine videos going viral (some to the tune of ~80M views)?

1) The ASMR level sensory stimulation:

These videos focus on the sensory aspects of making espresso, such as the sound of grinding coffee beans, the hiss of steam from the espresso machine, and the gentle tapping of the tamper.

• Because these rituals usually combine visual and auditory elements, it’s an immersive experience that’s addicting to watch.

2) Debates in the comments

There’s often a heated mix of snarky comments (”when your morning coffee is ready after dinner”) and those defending the process of espresso making as a niche, personal hobby.

• With the rise of 3rd wave specialty coffee, devotees claim that high-end beans, especially rare varietals, should be brewed precisely and delicately (which often involves pricey equipment).

Our take?

We appreciate these videos educating the masses on the fascinating world of craft coffee.

• If you haven’t tried a single-origin light roast, it’s a completely different experience from preground, commodity coffee (who knew coffee can taste like cherries or toffee?).

Remember, coffee is like food. It can be something you make just to get into your body — or something that turns into a complete obsession. Where do you fall in the spectrum?

READER Q&A 🧠

Spicy food science

Answer: This concept was first covered in the recent garlic deep dive video, since raw garlic contains pungent sulfurous compounds that cause irritation to our mouth and nose membranes (similar to wasabi),

In the often cited On Food & Cooking, Harold McGee compares eating spicy food to voluntarily jumping into a cold lake or going on a rollercoaster, which temporarily stress the body but end up being enjoyable.

He essentially says:

• While pungent & spicy foods do send signals of pain and irritation to our brains, our minds recognize that those situations aren’t truly dangerous. Thus, when on a rollercoaster or eating a spicy curry, we savor those stimulating sensations for their own sake and find pleasure or novelty in them.

And then the relief that follows makes it all worth it:

In other words, spicy or pungent foods like pepper, garlic, or mustard because they stimulate our senses and make eating less boring. Thanks, Harold!

By the way, if you’re wondering why garlic doesn’t make you cry like onions do when slicing them, check this out.

READER PHOTO SUBMISSION OF THE WEEK 🏆

Standout steak dinner

This week’s dinner winner is Michael S., who made this Picanha steak with spicy soy sauce noodles. Well done!

Think you can win? Reply with a picture of the best meal you made this week for a chance to be featured in a future email.

MORE YUMMY CONTENT 🍽️

A read: The ultimate guide to sandwich breads

In a minute or less: How to use stale tortillas

What we’re watching: Harvesting Maine lobsters

Food science: Garlic PhD Crash Course

October giveaway bundle

• Thermapen One thermometer ($99 value)

• MADE IN entree bowls ($119 value)

• Tojiro 8.2” gyuto ($100 value)

• Peugeot Cast Iron Pepper Mill ($50 value)

• Utopia dish towels 6 pack ($12 value)

• 3-month membership to the Pickled Onion Club community ($30 value)

If you're already subscribed to this newsletter, you're entered into the giveaway. Terms & conditions apply, including limited global shipping destinations.

Find all the details here.

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