PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS AND A BRAND PARTNERSHIP WITH CORTO OLIVE OIL.
woooowwwwww I have not done a catch-up since OCTOBER. That’s pretty wild. I’ve been busy! Life, man. It gets ya.
But I’m excited to chat about all the things! so many T H I N G S.
Ok, first! March! Lots happening this month. Not only is Nowruz (the Persian New Year) and Women’s History Month in March, but it’s also WOMEN’S PIZZA MONTH. Count me IN.
The lovely people over at Corto Olive Oil challenged me to create a pizza using THEIR PIZZA KIT devoted to a woman that inspires me. The kit comes with Corto TRULY 100% Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Stanislaus datterini tomatoes (cutie little whole baby plum tomatoes), and Burlap & Barrel oregano flower buds.
I am incredibly lucky that I surround myself with wonderful, strong women who challenge me, uplift me, inspire me, and support me.
One lady in particular truly means the WORLD to me, and that’s my sister, Amanda. Not only is she kind, giving, funny, hardworking, and just full of sunshine (most of the time…she is my sister after all, so I won’t say that she’s PERFECT…), but she also encourages me to be and do my best. She’s my number one fan, my best friend, and the person that I call about everything. She listens and laughs along with me and gives me advice, even when I don’t ask for it (lol).
Growing up, my mom always told us (while we were in the middle of fighting) that, “sisters are forever friends,” and I honestly HATE to admit it, but my mom was absolutely right.
For Amanda, I made a Detroit-style pizza because the Sadeghin family (mainly my mom) loves a thicc slice. I used Armenian string cheese to represent our Iranian side, fig preserves because the girl can grow a fig (outshining my dad’s trees in recent seasons), n’duja for some heat, and then scissors to cut it (just the way Grammi used to do it).
Plus! the incredible ingredients in the pizza kit. The extra-virgin olive oil coated the bottom of the pizza pan, resulting in a truly golden and crisp crust. The tomatoes because they are teeny tiny and delicious and a touch of oregano to finish because, well, we all know my feels on oregano (see Cooking Cousins and Sun-dried Tomato Hamburger Helper).
It’s got a sweet heat to it…which, I guess you could say is like Amanda. Sweet gal, but with a fiery streak. Dough recipe at the bottom of this post!
Next things! I’d like to share some links of recent works and recipes etc etc. Enjoy!
GOTHAMIST! My monthly column has been going strong. Some recent ones: where to eat Chiense food in Sunset Park with Bonnie’s chef Calvin Eng; amazing Senegalese food in Harlem; great Colombian food in Jackson Heights with my pal Edwin Santacruz; Polish food in Greenpoint with my amazing friend Agatha Kulaga.
I shared my recipe (and a reel on IG and Tik Tok) for frito pie with Saveur.
Have you subscribed to my YouTube channel yet?
My recipe for Cajun-Style Shrimp Alfredo is in the cooking section of THE NEW YORK TIMES!! Stay tuned because I’ve got more recipes coming there soon!
I recently dined at Cadence (plant-based soul food) and Coqodaq (Korean fried chicken and champagne). I cannot stress enough how tasty both restaurants were. The jerk mac and cheese at Cadence! The FRIED CHICKEN BUCKET at Coqodaq! So good, fun, and playful. Check them out!
I saw Madonna with some girlfriends in January which was pretty sick.
Went to the MOMA with a pal. I hadn’t been there in so long but it never disappoints. Also went to the Brooklyn Museum for the new Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz exhibit (called Giants). Go see it!
Other than those things, I have been busy busy busy on many different projects, mostly involving hot dogs (coming in 2025!). Excited for all the things coming up, and thanks again for your support. If you’ve made it this far, go sign up a friend for this newsletter, would ya? I need some more subscribers! :-)
THANK YOU ILY. xoxo
Detroit-Style Pizza Dough Recipe
Makes 1 large pizza or 2 smaller
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 3 hours
INGREDIENTS
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
2 teaspoons honey
2 cups|275 grams bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup|60 ml olive oil
DIRECTIONS
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the yeast, honey, and 1 cup|250 ml water, heated to 115°F. Let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add the flour and salt and mix on medium speed until a smooth dough forms, about 5 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Drizzle a Detroit-style pizza pan with half of the oil and, using oiled fingers, gently spread the pizza dough onto the pan. (Alternatively, use a 9-inch-by-13-inch metal cake pan.) Be gentle with it, and don’t stress—it won’t spread all the way to the edges, and that’s cool. Drizzle the remaining oil over the top of the dough and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size in a warm spot, about 1 hour longer.
Heat the oven to 500°F. Using your fingertips, spread the dough to the corners of the pizza tray. Let sit, uncovered, for 30 minutes longer.
Sprinkle cheese all over the dough, right to the edges of the pan (this is how you get that iconic crispy-cheese crust), then add any other toppings that you’re using.
Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is golden, about 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack for an additional 5 to 10 minutes before using scissors to cut.
Busy Lady! This pizza looks GREAT! Yum!
But also love the walk down memory lane!