A Pinch Of A Whole Damn Year

A year ago today, I sat down at my computer crafting the first of many newsletters. Really don’t know how a year has gone by already. Something about combining writing with experiencing the world through food has felt natural, and while this still feels small, it felt really small back then.

Every week has been organic, some ideas flowing easier than others. Some weeks felt like fun essays and others felt like conversations with friends. While just over 100 subscribers is probably a drop in the bucket to some out there, to see and hear that anyone is reading this has been so much fun.

Catching myself before I ramble on even more – because you could also say that it’s only been a year – I say we tease a little celebration… 🥐 🍾 👀 🍾 🥐

I celebrated this past Sunday as an excuse to cook my family Sunday Dinner. After all, I think my parents are probably the #1 supporters here, with many followers coming from them chatting about it. (And I’ll gladly take it!)

Will share more on that meal later… For now, what do you say… some celebrations this weekend with The Goods?

Did Somebody Say Celebratory Bake Sale?

After all these weeks of telling what I’ve made or have my eyes on as potential recipes, let’s flip it to celebrate with some of The Goods this Sunday, July 20.

Order form below as well, so let’s get to the details:

Who: YOU can order 🫵 YOU can also share this with anyone who you think may want any of The Goods. You also can share The Goods with anyone… or not, you don’t have to. No judgement.

What: The Goods. This will be a limited menu to keep things nice and easy. That said, we’re still rocking with the favorites:

1. Kouign Amann – two ways, regular and with peach jam
   
   Gotta throw in the local seasonal fruit, especially when it was a crowd favorite at the housewarming a few weeks ago. And for those unaware of what a kouign amann is, picture a caramelized sweet croissant coated with sugar.

2. Biscotti – the classic Italian cookie that’ll taste just as good all week long, depending on how long they can last.

3. Pecorino and Scallion Scones – savory always desserts a spot at the table. This cheese-and-onion-style scone was earmarked as one of the favorites made in a very long time. And the best part about scones, you can warm them up, throw some butter on them and they taste great for a few days. Perhaps get a little crazy and use it for a breakfast sando?

When: Sunday, July 20. Yes, THIS SUNDAY. Pickup times depend on locations.

Where: Philly pickups (10 to 10:30 a.m.) and West Chester pickups (noon to 1 p.m.).

Quick note here: Philly pickups can be more flexible for later in the day or even Monday. Just shoot a text or add a note in the order.

Why: Sharing The Goods 🎉

As mentioned before, feel free to share this with anyone you may think would enjoy some good bites. Order form will close on Friday, July 18.

Also, there’s no stopping anytime soon, so I’d love to grow who’s following along. Feel free to forward this email or the A Pinch Of site to check out any of the content before and sign up to follow along with everything ahead.

Sunday Dinner Celebration

Any excuse to cook up a good meal is good enough for me. It’s been a bit since I’ve had a full day to really think through a full dinner and get to cooking, so I took full advantage of Sunday with the family for a tasty meal.

• Zucchini Pasta

• Whipped Ricotta with lemon zest and sardines

• Asparagus Salad with fresh herbs, pistachios and pecorino

• Grilled Whole Branzino

• Peach Pie

Zucchini Pasta

With some fresh zucchini pulled from my parents’ garden, it was a no brainer to cook up this pasta that Stanley Tucci called his favorite during his time on the Amalfi Coast that kicked off his Searching for Italy series. Thanks to the Serious Eats recipe here for guiding the way for the pasta, which I swapped in some riccioli for the spaghetti.

Whipped Ricotta with Lemon Zest and Sardines

Did a simple thing like whipped ricotta take two attempts? Admittedly, yes. Thankfully I didn’t use it all the first time. A hand mixer on lower speed was the solution here. Piped onto some grilled bread, and finished with some tinned fish on half to leave some for the less adventurous. (Shoutout: Fishwife branding is always 10/10.)

Asparagus Salad with Fresh Herbs, Pistachios and Pecorino

Mixing in a little bit of a different “salad” here. Pretty straightforward recipe here too and a great flavor with the combo of lemon, fresh herbs, pistachios and cheese. I may have lots of kitchen gadgets but a steamer ain’t one. With the grill already going, I opted to throw these on for about 4-5 minutes to get a little char before letting cool and topping with the rest. The mix of parsley and tarragon was the perfect fresh herb combo here.

Grilled Whole Branzino

Easily one of my favorite ways to cook fish. Simple prep to stuff with similar ingredients from the rest of the dinner – lemon, parsley and tarragon. Easy recipe here, and I recommend going for this even if it does look like a challenge. Shoutout to my dad for tackling the actual filleting and bone removal while I finished up the rest of the meal.

Peach Pie

Not originally planned, but what’s a good meal without dessert?? Tackled this one with my mom for a DAMN good peach pie. It looked great and tasted even better. Lori Anne peaches found at Wegmans, made this the best peach pie I’ve tasted in a damn long time. Followed one single recipe this time, using the all-butter crust.

I’d run back that meal at any time. But no time to think about a full meal like that, when we’ve got some baking to get to! So one last mention… get The Goods!

I have to say a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who’s reading all of this, whether that’s been from the start, at the beginning of 2025 or even just these past few weeks. Writing every week has been part of my travels and all my meals. I love putting this part of my brain to use and getting to share it all. Cheers to many more ahead 🍴📨🥂

Celebrate something for yourself this week 🤘