what's shaking? 🪨
video sneak previews, a little earthquake, and my cookbook reading list
Howdy, pals!
It’s Friday, April 5th, 2024, and here in New York City, we had a little earthquake today – and a little aftershock just now! The building creaked and rumbled, but our breakables were unharmed.
I, for one, was just about to apply eyeliner as the initial quake hit, so I’m glad I wasn’t moving a minute faster today. I might have had to give it all up for a life on the sea with a sassy parrot.
The comedians and other internet-addicted denizens of New York were swift with their jokes. Here are a few of my favorites.
Other than that, here’s all the other news that’s fit to newsletter.
This newsletter may contain affiliate links, where I earn a small commission on purchases at no additional cost to the purchaser. Any recommended products are independently selected (by me).
no expert will return
If you still feel a distant rumbling, it might be the approach of a new season of No Expert coming your way! I could not be more excited to share what I’ve been cooking up.
The first promo is scheduled to go out a week from today, and the first proper video will drop the following Friday, April 19th. I’ll be sharing a video a week (and a small deluge of hopefully algorithm-attracting shorts) on my YouTube over the next couple months.
What makes this relaunch so special?
Tons of great guests you know and love – plus some new friends you’ll adore
An actual crew(!!!) – I have a producer, new audio equipment, a better camera, and a friend to run said camera, so you could say the whole series has… leveled up
A wide range of tasty, accessible recipes designed for home cooks, including some truly nerd-tacular original recipes from Chef Frank and myself
We’ve actually shot most of the series ahead, so you can count on Friday release dates from April ‘til June
I’ll also have a promotional giveaway, in collaboration with García de la Cruz, running later this month on my Instagram to celebrate the relaunch, so keep your eyes peeled if you want to enter to win some tasty stuff.
my monthly cookbooks for the year
In previous dispatches, I’ve mentioned my resolution to cook from a different cookbook each month this year, but I thought I ought to take a second to explain.
I hate to admit it (gosh, I’m so brave), but I tend to buy cookbooks and either read them but not actually cook anything from them, or find a few things I like and just cook those same recipes over and over, leaving possibly thousands of perfectly good recipes hanging around on my shelves untasted. But this year, I’ve said, “no more!”
I put a moratorium on new cookbooks until I’ve spent more quality time with the books that already live here.
Furthermore, since I keep bringing it up, I thought I should tell you which cookbooks are on my list, in case you want to cook along – or just add something new to your own shelves.
January: Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat
February: More Than Cake by Natasha Pickowicz
March: Harrowsmith Cookbook Vol. 1, a compilation (out of print, a gift from my dad)
April: Korean American by Eric Kim
May: Strong, Sweet and Bitter by Cara Devine (with thanks to my mother-in-law, Farron, for lending me this delightful cocktail book, which I read but have made only 3 recipes from to date)
June: Err: Rustic Urban Thai by by Bo Songvisava and Dylan Jones
July: Joe Beef: Surviving the Apocalypse by Frederic Morin, Erickson Meredith, and David McMillan
August: Homage by Chris Scott
September: Back to Baking by Anna Olson
October: Japanese Farm Food by Nancy Singleton Hachisu
November: Simply West African by Pierre Thiam
December: Classical Turkish Cooking by Ayla E. Algar
My dream is that maybe you already have one of these books and have similarly been meaning to cook from it more, and we can do it together.
Besides, I love a newsletter with a good recommendation or two, so I’m trying to be the newsletter I want to see in the world. Speaking of which…
odds and ends
Level 2 chef and Level 100 ray of sunshine Lorenzo Beronilla recently received a heart transplant. We’re all so glad he got the transplant he needed and that things are looking up, but it’ll still be a long road to recovery. If you’ve loved him on screen and can spare a few dollars, you can read the full story and donate to Lorenzo’s GoFundMe here.
Speaking of rays of sunshine, if you’re not watching yet, you just have to catch Gabi killing it on Next Level Chef on Fox!
And, wow, in case you didn’t have enough great stuff to watch, friend and unbelievable illusion cake artist Julie McAllister is amazing (as she always is) on the new season of Netflix’s Is It Cake? that just dropped.
I also filmed a new vid for Epicurious since we last talked with the wonderful Chef Saúl Montiel, so keep an eye out for that in the not-too-distant future! I also finally got to visit his restaurant, Cantina Rooftop, with Chef Frank, Frank’s wife Karen, and my husband Dan in March and WOW! The food was so delicious!! If you get a chance to eat there in NYC, go get the lamb barbacoa! One of the best things I’ve ever eaten
and that’s the latest dispatch from my kitchen
I know that was a lot, but don’t worry – there are no dispatch aftershocks predicted.
Until next time,
Very excited for the new videos❤️
Ahhh so excited for the new season of No Expert! Everyone of your guests are the best human beings!!!