Morsel Musings: A Menu of Summer

Hey everyone,

David here, though it has been a minute! While creating, preparing, and sharing menus is one of the most rewarding experiences that come from much of what I share in Morsel Musings, this summer’s menu looked a bit different than usual. Contrary to most of Tavleen’s seasonal menus, this summer, being out and about was on the menu.  

Aperitif

• The Beach Mandate (“The Mandate”¹): bottle of sparkling rose, Campari, and some amaro for a little spice, PB&J, trail mix, blanket and a beach (naturally)

Main

• Comfort & Celebrations: weddings, family visits to LA, celebratory travel with close friends, and pasta pomodoro (my keys to success here are whole peeled tomatoes you trust, fresh basil, tubed pasta to trap the sauce, and chili flake / garlic infused olive oil)

Dessert

• Mexico City: See the Consuming Section below for more, and in the meantime if you know how to make homemade tortillas, (1) congrats on your massive success and (2) if you can share any tips / tricks it would be greatly appreciated! 

This Summer Menu wasn't what I had planned out in May. And coming back to Morsel Musings felt daunting at times. As the summer finally closed, though, I realized all of the communal and joyous experiences on my menu this summer left me ready and more than excited to get back into exploring in the kitchen. 

What was your food / drink / other menu of the summer? Any activity or flavor(s) that you could not get enough of? Seriously, I want to know. Reply to this email!

-David

¹ What is a beach mandate you say? It is a self-created (perhaps self-imposed? inflicted?) mandate to have my feet on the sand of a beach as often as I can during the summer.

This is usually what I am cooking in my kitchen, though it may sometimes include things I experience outside as well (a new bar, a cooking class, etc.).

• Beurre Blanc: While I am continuing to learn and experiment with sauces, I wanted to challenge myself to create a sauce I hadn’t cooked before that would both incorporate seasonal ingredients and also pair well with white fish. Perhaps unsurprisingly, I found myself focusing on a variation of a beurre blanc. I say unsurprisingly because beurre blanc is a classic French butter sauce, made by emulsifying butter into reduced white wine, vinegar, and shallots, oftentimes served alongside chicken or seafood. I won’t reach for this type of sauce every week, but on a warm summer evening served with a citrusy roasted vegetable, it is quite a delight. 
  • Current Take: What I ended up with was a sweet corn cream beurre blanc. The sweet corn brought just enough of a flavor subtly and texture variation to a relatively simple sauce that gave it a whole new experience. I really love the texture in particular and I think it can bring comfort, seasonality and some Parisian elevation to your choice of a flavorful protein or vegetable. Ingredients and measurements: 
    • 6 tbsp dry white wine
    • 2 tbsp white-wine vinegar
    • ¼ cup finely chopped shallots
    • 100g corn cream
    • Kosher salt, to taste
    • 1 stick unsalted butter

A larder is a place for storing food. The act of “larder-ing” means taking a few minutes here and there to prepare ingredients that can elevate any future dishes by acting as "layers of flavor". To me, great dishes often have layered flavor and I’ve found there’s no better place to keep these “layers” than on-hand in your larder.

• Raspberry Zhoug: I am not sure what I love more, the variations of how people pronounce zhoug or how it is prepared. Zhoug, originally a Yemeni hot sauce, is blended chiles, herbs, spices and brought together with some acidity and oil. There are different types of zhougs and a ton of recipe variants for each. To me, there is something so easy, refreshing and summer-appropriate about a dollop of zhoug on eggs, in soup, or tossed with a freshly roasted vegetable.  
  • Current Take: Inspired by a strawberry variant I had at Bavel, I have been keeping raspberry zhoug in my larder, mixed with hawaij as the primary spice and some citric acid to give it brightness without introducing too much liquid for my desired consistency.

What I am hearing, reading, seeing, or tasting.

• Mexico City: A week in CDMX is just enough time to explore a small fraction of the city’s food wonders, and the fraction is well worth it. Though a visit itself, conversation, photos, recipes, can certainly elaborate more expertly, here are some of my favorite treasures from our quick jaunt through the city’s culinary scene: 
  • Salsas: I love good, freshly made salsa. The way I consumed and served salsas was always alongside specific foods: tortilla chips, tacos, etc. In many of the places I went to in CDMX, salsas were standard accompaniments, not specific accents. I want to explore storing more of these in my larder and thinking more about “table sauces” to serve at meals vs dish sauces. The salsa that broke my mind a bit was Salsa Macha from Tetetlan (I think their key was including coriander seeds that weren’t completely smashed into a powder). 
  • Tortillas as a Plate: If I have to choose one, I think my non-negotiable recommendation for anyone heading to CDMX is to eat a meal at Expendio de Maíz. This was one of the most hospitable and imaginative dining experiences I had in a long time. Sitting at a long table, the owner (and head chef) introduces each tortilla-based dish, many of which originated from family recipes.  You can either opt-in or -out of that “round”, paying a flat fee at the end of the meal. Each dish tasted more imaginative than the former; and the connection to the story and ingredients the owner shared was not something I felt before.  
  • Make it al Pastor: Contromar was another fave during the trip, with many standout dishes (H/T to the tuna tostadas). A duh moment for me was after the first bite of their al pastor fish tacos. Al pastor, an ode to shawarma, is the seasoning itself and it is delicious (to me). Tisk tisk to myself–maybe all of us carnivores–for only thinking it should be on pork! The fish tacos were delightful and now I am thinking what should al pastor not go on?...

A big part of this newsletter is creating opportunities to have a conversation with people receiving it. Below are questions on my food brain and I’d love to hear your thoughts.

• What is your ideal comfort food and what is the best version of it you have ever had?
• What is your favorite thing to consume as the season changes? Is it your stew season, apple cobbler…? Tell me about it!