Good morning…Thanks to everyone who has written in with great food questions. If you have a culinary curiosity…just reply to send it in.

• You and your topic might featured in a future newsletter…we’ll choose from the best questions to write the Q/A blurbs.

TRY SOMETHING NEW 🤯

Pesto framework

Ratios are by approximate volume. Taste, and adjust, then taste, and adjust.

Pesto Components

• 4 parts herbaceous & green: fresh basil, herbs, or even peas​

• 2 part hard cheese: Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano

• 1 part fat: extra virgin olive oil

• 1 parts nuts or texture thickeners: pine nuts, sunflower seeds, or even breadcrumbs

• A few garlic cloves + salt to taste

Serve On

• Pasta

• Sandwiches

• Grilled chicken

• Roasted potatoes (or potato salad!)

Instructions

1. Optional: Blanch your greens to keep the color of your pesto vibrant.

2. Grind it up: In a mortar and pestle or food processor, pulse together all Pesto Components to your desired texture. Taste and adjust with salt (or more grated cheese), or loosen up with extra olive oil.

Pro Tip - Use the framework to make different kinds/flavors of pesto. Arugula walnut pesto is lovely. To go red instead of green, use roasted red peppers as the main ingredient for romesco-style sauce

THROWBACK TIME 🍳

Sandwich sized baguettes

Flour, water, salt, yeast. That’s all you need for one of the best vehicles for food.

• Simple baguettes are a great way to learn about dough hydration, proofing, & shaping.

• This baguette recipe is the exact same as Ethan’s focaccia recipe, minus the olive oil, which leads to a crispier texture.

For all the details and guidelines, check out the video, or read the recipe here.

Making baguettes is a great way to be inspired for meals throughout the week…

THE LEFTOVER SHELF 🥡

Banh mi sandwiches

If you have baguettes around, you should make at least one bahn mi. It’s a versatile sandwich that can use a range of ingredients:

This Eater article on Ho Chi Minh City banh mi stands documents endless variations of fillings, ranging from meatballs to pate to cold cuts.

Banh mi framework

• Crusty bread roll (preferably a small baguette)

• Meat filling (pretty much anything goes here — use what you have around)

• Pickled vegetables (like carrots, radish, cucumbers, or chilies)

• Fresh herbs (usually cilantro or scallions)

• Spreads and sauces (usually flavored mayos, soy sauces, or chile sauce).

If you want to follow a specific recipe, you can use Ethan’s chicken banh mi version, which is also shown in the illustration above.

To assemble

Slather mayo on the insides of a sliced baguette. Generously stuff with meats, pickled vegetables, herbs, and extra sauces. Close together and enjoy.

FOOD TRENDS EXPLAINED 🚀

Ricotta on the rise

Why is ricotta in everything now?

From ricotta pancakes to whipped dollops on Detroit-style pizza, this cheese is everywhere now. Move over, marscapone.

Ricotta is fresh whey cheese typically made from cow’s milk, with a smooth cottage cheese-like texture. It adds a creamy mouthfeel to dishes but isn’t overly heavy. Thanks to it’s neutral flavor, it can be easily used in both sweet and savory applications.

• It makes a delicious dip or can be added to pasta, soup, or pizza for a texture upgrade.

• It can transform toast or add moisture to baked goods like pancakes or donuts (in place of buttermilk or sourcream)

TLDR: Ricotta has soared in popularity because of its ability to add light richness to both sweet and savory dishes across menus and home kitchens alike.

READER Q&A 🧠

Saving stale bread?

Question: “What do you do with bread leftovers, like sourdough? Croutons?” - Guillermo B

Answer: You're spot on with croutons. Here are some other ideas too:

1. You can blend dry bread into breadcrumbs.

2. Serve stale bread in a dish where it will get rehydrated, and the texture won’t matter anyway:

• Tomato soup or gazpacho usually gets served with bread chunks that absorb the broth.

• Bread pudding and French toast are designed to absorb a custard base.

• ​Panzanella is designed to use stale bread chunks that absorb the dressing.

Also, before bread goes stale in the first place, freeze any bread that won't get eaten. Some people even freeze bread immediately after buying it. Why?

• It'll keep almost indefinitely in the freezer and can be toasted or griddled back to its former glory in minutes.

• For whole loaves with a thick crust, like sourdough, make sure to slice it before freezing.

READER PHOTO SUBMISSION OF THE WEEK 🏆

Winning wings

This week’s dinner winner is Candin R., who made Gojuchang air fryer chicken wings. Nice work, Candin!

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: Why the Instapot went bankrupt​

In a Minute or Less: What does “salt to taste” mean?​

What We’re Watching: Cheap vs. Expensive Stand Mixers​

Food Science: Why Real Balsamic takes 12 years to make​

READY TO SHOP? 🛒

✅ Shopping List 9/10