Happy Sunday.

We’re pretty pumped about this week’s dishes — especially this chopped cheese illustration and recipe below, as promised by last Sunday’s edition.

Per usual, a grocery shopping list for the recipes is linked in Notion at the end of this email.

In This Week’s Edition

Try Something New 🤯 — Chopped Cheese Sandwich

Throwback Time 🍳 — Bibimbap

The Leftover Shelf 🥡 — Congee with Crispy Garlic Chile Pork

Extra Helpings 🤤 — Sourdough, "Dippy Eggs", & More!

Shopping List ✅ — Ingredients sorted into categories for easy shopping!

Try Something New 🤯

The best & easiest meal I made this week.

Chopped Cheese

As referenced in last week’s newsletter, the chopped cheese sandwich is a bodega classic that has taken the world by storm. Here’s how to make it:

Components (per serving)

• Hoagie or hero roll

• Mayo

• 2 American cheese slices*

• Lettuce, shredded

• Tomato, sliced

• 110 g (~1/4 lb) ground beef

• 1/4 of an onion, diced

• 2 g (1/2 tsp) chicken bouillon powder*

• Kosher salt & black pepper, to taste

• Foil or parchment paper, for wrapping the sandwich

*Feel free to use any other melting cheese as well.

*A sprinkle of bouillon powder cooked into the meat is the bodega secret that makes these taste so savory!

Instructions

1. Sear the beef: In a pan over high heat, sear the ground beef in a flat layer until very browned on the bottom side. Add in the onion and bouillon powder and then “chop” or mash the beef until broken up into small pieces.

2. Prep the components: While the beef is finishing cooking, open up a hoagie roll and spread mayo on the insides of the bread. Place it on a square of foil so that it’s ready to be stuffed and wrapped. Get any toppings ready too, and make sure to add a sprinkle of salt to your sliced tomatoes

3. Finish the filling: Once the beef is nicely browned and the onions are charred, add your cheese right on top of the beef. Chop it all together a few times so the cheese melts into the mixture.

4. Assemble & serve: Scoop your cheesy beef into the hoagie roll. Add a layer of your toppings, then close and tightly wrap the bread with the foil. We recommend letting this steam for a few minutes so that the bread softens and warms up (don’t skip the foil!). Slice the wrapped hoagie in half and enjoy it like a burrito — peel the foil back as you eat.

Pro Tip - This is the classic recipe, but feel free to change up the toppings and/or flavor profiles. Sautéed peppers are a great addition to bulk up the veg quantity, or try a fajita seasoning with queso fresco, for example.

Throwback Time 🍳

You might be looking for a fresh detox meal after that chopped cheese recipe. Bibimbap, a Korean rice bowl tradition, is the best way to use vegetables in the fridge in a filling and flavorful way.

There are a few specialty ingredients that make the sauce and elevate the vegetables, so check out the video, or read the recipe so you know what to expect.

If you try this recipe — don’t be afraid to prepare more rice than you need. We have the perfect way to use up leftover rice in this week’s Leftover Shelf:

The Leftover Shelf 🥡

Leftovers are back in style…if you know how to use them.

This week’s move:

Leftover Rice → Congee with Crispy Garlic Chile Pork

If you have a few extra items around, you can always revive dead rice into a savory meal by way of congee. If you're not familiar, congee is a savory rice porridge common in many Eastern cuisines.

Congee Components

• Leftover white rice

• Chicken stock (or water) — start with 2-3x the volume of the rice

• Onion, diced (amount to preference)

• Garlic cloves, minced (amount to preference)

• Spoonful of neutral oil

• Drizzle of sesame oil (optional)

• Salt to taste

Crispy Garlic Chili Pork Toppings*

• Ground pork

• Garlic, minced

• Chili crisp oil

• Optional: scallions, thinly sliced

*Amount to preference, and depending on how much congee you are topping.

Instructions

1. Start the aromatic base: In a pot, add both oils and sauté the onion and garlic until fragrant and softened. Add the rice and mix the aromatics in.

2. Simmer: Add in the broth, starting with 2-3x the volume of the rice. You can add more liquid at the end to adjust the consistency of the congee to your liking. Simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the rice has broken and the mixture resembles a loose porridge.

3. Make the topping: While the rice is simmering, add some chili crisp oil and garlic to a hot pan, followed by the ground pork. Sear and break up until crispy and browned.

4. Serve: Add a serving of the rice congee to a bowl. Top with the crispy pork, additional chili crisp oil, and scallions. Enjoy.

If you want a more complex version of this dish, check out this video or written recipe here.

*Pro—Move: If you make a lot of the crispy pork topping first thing this week, you can make an Asian, spiced version of the Chopped Cheese. Just use the cooked pork mixture instead of the beef in the hoagie!

Variations: Congee can be enjoyed with any kind of toppings. It’s commonly eaten at breakfast with hard-boiled eggs, or as a main dish with chicken and vegetables mixed in.

Extra Helpings 🤤

🚀 Viral Eats

Cooking trends explained.

Q: Is the sourdough trend over?

A: Baking sourdough requires meticulous attention and time, which made it surge in popularity when people were housebound in the early days of the pandemic. The sourdough trend gained further momentum when flour and yeast shortages forced people to turn to naturally leavened baking methods.

Has the trend stuck around? It certainly has on social media, and lasting work-from-home opportunities have allowed people to continue the hobby: once you start a loaf, there are several steps that only take a couple of minutes to do, but are spaced several hours apart. Thus, work-from-home culture has enabled many more people to engage in sourdough rituals during the workday.

Additionally, the process is beloved by many because of how comforting and soothing the dough shaping can be. And, it’s certainly healthier and easier on our bodies than mass-produced white bread: some studies have shown that sourdough has lower levels of short-chain carbohydrates (difficult for our small intestines to absorb), making it a more digestion-friendly option.

🧠 Reader Q&A

Q:What are your techniques for cooking over-easy eggs? (”Dippy eggs” for those from Pennsylvania). I usually end up breaking a few yolks or they stick and get too cooked. Thanks! — Travis Court

A: Hi Travis! We recommend having one small non-stick pan that you keep in great condition for eggs. Non-stick wears down over time, which is why we don’t recommend buying an expensive one, but rather one that can be replaced easily or used exclusively for eggs so the surface stays slick. You can also use a really well-seasoned cast iron or carbon steel. (If your egg is sticking, there is an issue with the pan seasoning or perhaps the heat isn’t hot enough.)

For the technique: flipping eggs in the air looks impressive but it’s also a great way to pop the yolk on impact. Instead, use a small, thin spatula to get under the egg and delicately turn it over. Barely kiss the top for a few seconds on the heat then slide it out of the pan for that perfect over easy. Hope that helps!

🏆 Dinner Winner! Reader Photo Submission of the Week

This week’s winner is Patrick Wilkenloh, who made a beautiful Sichuan Mapo Tofu.

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: It’s no longer cool to hate the vodka martini​

In a Minute or Less: Caramelized Onion Hack​

What We’re Watching: What’s the world’s strongest coffee?​

Food Science: Why Restaurant Pasta Is So Much Better Than at Home​

Upgrade Your Feeds: Connect with Ethan (especially the newly active Twitter!)

Ready to shop? 🛒

​✅ Shopping List 2/12