The weekend was so perfect and I am absolutely on the newlywed cloud 9. The weather wasn’t quite what we hoped for, but I think the rain made everything even better. Aside from the 30-foot walk from the hotel to the venue, the rain didn’t change a thing and the whole weekend had no issues (that I know of).

While planning this wedding for nearly 20 months, we had a clear vision from the beginning. We wanted it to feel very colorful and springy, and we wanted a lot of food, and that food needed to be very good. I worked with Marian Versalko of Marian Frances Events to plan the weekend, and I would recommend her to any and everyone planning a wedding. She is a great planner and an even better person. If you’re getting married in the NYC or Charleston vicinity, she’s your girl!!

One of the biggest benefits of having a planner was that she knew who the good vendors were. She recommended almost all of our vendors, and I was able to fully trust them to execute the vision. The most valuable and memorable vendor she recommended was our caterer, Alexandra Dettori Catering. She knew I was not playing around with the food for this wedding, and Alexandra delivered every step of the way.

Also, our incredible photographer, Lauren Rosenau Photography, and content creator, PlanWithLaur!!!

Let’s start from the beginning: The Rehearsal Dinner & Welcome Party.

Friday night we had our rehearsal dinner at Radegast Hall & Biergarten in Williamsburg. They served very delicious German food like Vegetable Käsespätzle, Veal Schnitzel, Roast Chicken, & more. After dinner, we opened it up to all of the other wedding guests as an optional welcome party. Tip for future brides: DO THE WELCOME PARTY!!!! I made a serious effort to bounce around and talk to everyone at the welcome party, even if just for a minute, and I felt so much relief on wedding day because I didn’t feel the pressure to speak to every single person. I don’t know how I would’ve done it if not for the welcome party.

The Ceremony

This is where we really start getting into the food-focused aspect. Many weddings offer a ‘welcome drink’ (usually champagne) as you enter the ceremony. I wanted to do that PLUS a ‘welcome bite.’ I really wanted people to come in and have just a small bite of something delicious and savory to keep them looking forward to the next bites.

The prosciutto & melon skewers did just that, and I’m jealous I didn’t get to have a bite myself!

And for anyone interested in the music, this was the playlist before the ceremony, the processional was to an instrumental cover of Tenerife Sea by Ed Sheeran, I walked down the aisle to an instrumental cover of Daylight by Taylor Swift, and we recessed to Paper Rings by Taylor Swift :)

The Cocktail Hour

One of my favorite parts of the wedding was the cocktail hour. I was adamant that we get as many photos done before the ceremony as possible because I did NOT want to miss out on the cocktail hour. And it was absolutely full of food.

After we signed our marriage license, we joined the cocktail hour to enjoy the raw bar of oysters and shrimp, the caviar station (!!!), and the passed hors d’oeuvres (which included mini lobster rolls, pork belly skewers, truffled tuna tartare, and a fried gouda croquette)

One thing that felt like an unnecessary expense but ended up being SO worth it was hiring a magician for the cocktail hour. It was a fun source of entertainment beyond just chit-chatting, and he was so good. I have no idea how the stuff he was doing was possible, but I was amazed, as was everyone else. We used Daniel Borkow Magic and I highly recommend!!

Instead of traditional escort cards to direct guests to their assigned tables (we didn’t really have space for an escort card table), we got creative and installed a display wall of individual candy boxes. I love sour candy, so we got a mix of candies from BonBon. Each box had a tag with the guest’s name and table number, then the candy box doubled as a party favor!

The Reception

I was a liiittle bit nervous about the execution of a plated dinner for 115 guests. You always hear about bad plated dinners at weddings with cold chicken and whatnot. That was not the case here.

I also (in a very ‘me’ move) wanted everyone to have pasta. Pasta is usually reserved as the vegetarian option for the main course, so we instead decided to serve a pasta course! We started the meal with a light, tangy green salad, then moved on to a ramp pesto pasta that was delicious. For the main course, guests had the option between miso halibut or NY strip steak.

So many people told me that “brides never end up eating on their wedding day!” and I was like ‘yeah, okay whatever’. But, sure enough, it is very difficult to eat on your wedding day. I made a dent in the pasta (but I asked my planner if I could get any to take home and I’m soooo glad I did!!!), but eating the steak really saved me for the rest of the night. Turns out I needed some protein!

For dessert we had a super cute cake from Saint Street Cakes, as well as some passed desserts from our caterer (which I somehow completely missed). Then, the part that people were most excited for, was the after party McDonald’s food. (Yes, many people were most excited for the cheap fries and burgers than the halibut or steak, lol)

And that was it!! It was, truly, the best night of my life so far. I wish I could relive it again and again and again!

Steal my vendors if you’re getting married soon!!!

Venue: 74Wythe
Photo: laurenrosenauphotography
Content: planwithlaur
Florals: lulo_floral
Catering: adcateringandevents
Band: vitamin_m_music
Dance Floor: dancefloorkingsny
Paper + Details: dellaterragoods
Lighting + Draping: shadesofgreyproductions / Safe Sound AV
Rentals: bbjlatavola nuagedesignsinc broadwaypartyrentals
Styling / Dress: amsaleweddings theonegown rachel gilbert
Hair + Makeup: willowhouse.beauty
Late night: afterpartyfood
Dog handlers: pawfectforyou
Magician: danielborkowmagic
Cake: saintstreetcakes
Candy: bonbonnyc_

I love chicken thighs. In my opinion, there is no better-tasting part of the chicken than the thighs. Lately I’ve been very into making a chicken and rice concoction, where the rice actually gets it’s flavor from the chicken fat.

This is like that x1000. Its a very ‘more is more’ kind of recipe. Here’s the full title/name of this dish: One-Pot Chicken and Rice with Preserved Lemon, Saffron, Olives, and Herbs served with a Tangy Yogurt Sauce. Even that doesn’t fully describe the dish, but I think you get the gist.

There is so much flavor packed into this pot and I honestly surprised myself with how well this turned out. Don’t skip the yogurt sauce!! It really ties everything together.

Get the full recipe at emilyeggers.com!

see the video of this recipe

I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you try it, please comment below or tag me on social media!

instagram: @emilyeggers

TikTok: @emily.eggers

I do, however, need everyone to manifest sunshine because the current forecast is not great!

Keep scrolling to see what I’m Tasting, Anticipating, Binging, Loving, and Exploring. :)

Giveaway Alert!! Paid subscribers can enter to win the May monthly giveaway by engaging with this post in some way (like, comment, repost). This months gift is two of my all-time favorite cookbooks: The Four Horsemen Cookbook & Cook This Book by Molly Baz.

Let’s get to the table:

T | I’ve been tasting lots of cake and frosting since I made a homemade version of the Berry Chantilly cake from Whole Foods for my best friend’s birthday. As usual, I’ve also been making a ton of recipes as I was trying my best to work ahead of the wedding. Hopefully I have time to edit them all lol .

A | This week, I am anticipating the wedding!! and the food at the wedding! There is going to be SO much food, its one of the things I am most excited about. I will still have 2 recipes out this week as well: One-pot lemon chicken & rice with olives and herby yogurt as well as Comte and caramelized onion pasta.

B | I have been binging Summer House and I am so excited for the finale/crossover episode with In The City. I’ve also started a re-watch of Girls after reading Lena Dunham’s memoir. I finished Strangers (highly recommend) and I just started Yesteryear.

L | Right now I’m loving beauty treatments. Obviously, I’m doing these in anticipation of the wedding, but I really wish I could get monthly facials, spa treatments, hair updates, etc. If you’re in North Brooklyn, I had an incredible facial at Du Method in Greenpoint.

E | I’m exploring the idea of monthly giveaways for paid subscribers! And this week is the trial run of it. I’m always trying to grow the number of subscribers I have on here. So, for this month, the giveaway is just for paid subscribers. All you have to do is 1. be a paid subscriber by the time I pick the winner, and 2. interact with this post (like, comment). 1 winner will receive 2 of my favorite cookbooks: Cook This Book & The Four Horsemen Cookbook. I will pick the winner next Monday 5/25.

ICYMI:

Recent recipes you may have missed!

• Giant Bow Tie Pasta with Calabrian Chilies

• Camembert “Nachos”

• Skate Wing Piccata

• Tuna & Salmon Tartare

That’s all for today, besties. Let me know if there’s anything you’d like to see! <3

This recipe was loosely inspired by one of the passed appetizers for our wedding (which, btw, is in SEVEN DAYS). It was this delicious tuna tartare that had the perfect amount of truffle. Not overpowering at all, just the right amount. I am so excited to eat it again next week.

So for this, I decided to mix tuna and salmon (why pick just one?) with soy sauce, olive oil, and a liiiiittle bit of truffle oil. Then I served it with this yuzu mayo. You could also make it a truffle mayo if you’re really into truffle flavor.

It turned out so good, I served mine with some homemade nori crisps but you could get store-bought ones, serve it with wonton chips, or even just serve this with rice!

Get the full recipe at emilyeggers.com!

see the video of this recipe

I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you try it, please comment below or tag me on social media!

instagram: @emilyeggers

TikTok: @emily.eggers

In today’s world, anyone with a phone can be a restaurant “critic.” Social media is simultaneously the best and worst thing to happen to the restaurant industry. These days, people trust many online food reviewers more than legacy media reviews. Of course, accolades like Michelin recognition, making the NYT top 100 list, or Eater recommendations still hold weight, but something has changed.

The public now sees through the legacy media accolades.

This week, the New York Times released their annual list of the 100 Best Restaurants in New York City. And, as usual, people had opinions.

It goes without saying that any sort of ranked list like this isn’t going to land with every single person. That is particularly true when the topic is about restaurants. It is a highly subjective topic that can be analyzed by so many different metrics. And, people just have different tastes!

I have my own disagreements with the Times’ list. For example, I cant imagine how Via Carota, a restaurant frequented by Taylor Swift, got ranked in the top 15 — above iconic institutions and creative menus such as Le Bernardin or The Four Horsemen. Don’t get me wrong, I love Taylor Swift, but I don’t think her attendance is necessarily a signifier of the best restaurants. Or, as noted in Emily Sundberg’s Feed Me post, why none of the very well-regarded and highly acclaimed restaurants from the Frenchette restaurant group (most notably, La Veau d’Or — widely considered a top French restaurant in the city) made the list.

So, this brings me to the question: who can we trust?

Which leads to the larger question of figuring out what is actually important to you. The flavor and food alone? The ambiance and vibe of the restaurant? The value you get or the portion sizes? The author of this year’s NYT top 100 list, Ligaya Mishan, said the following, “For the rankings, I considered imagination, ambience, service, technique, passion, commitment and sheer deliciousness — but also, and most important, New York-iness.”

For me, I care about the quality of the food, but I also really want to enjoy the ambiance and service of a place too. I tend to use a combination of metrics and reviews to determine where to eat. Below are a few sources I trust.

• The Beli app - If you haven’t heard of this, its essentially a social media app for documenting, reviewing, and rating restaurants. It works by showing you an average ranking for each restaurant, as well as what your friends thought of it. Then, you answer ‘this or that’ style questions to determine where to rank each restaurant.

• Google Reviews/Reddit - I take these with a grain of salt, because generally people leave reviews in the extremes. They either hated it or they loved it. But I still like to look as a data point.

• Infatuation NYC - They have a segment called “No BS Reviews,” claiming they show up unannounced and don’t accept free food or money. I generally agree with most of their reviews, and they’re entertaining.

• Social Media Content Creators -

  • Kaitlyn Lavery (@kaitlyneats) - She has similar tastes to mine, never does paid/incentivized reviews, and is really great about covering the entire city (yes, even Staten Island). She is most well known for eating at every restaurant on the NYT top 100 list.

  • Julian Mu (@itsjulianmu)- Julian’s reviews are often creative head-to-head style videos. He often explores far out parts of the city (which is some of the best food), and featuring truly underrated restaurants.

  • Rob Martinez (@eatingwithrobert) - A bit more wholesome than Anthony Bourdain, but similar in his storytelling and desire to find really great authentic spots. His reviews are such that, even if I don’t like the food he’s showing, I trust that it’s a great spot and find myself wanting to try it anyways. He’s my go-to when someone says NYC doesn’t have good Mexican food.

  • Brian Lindo (@Briancantstopeating) - Brian covers a wide range of NYC (& beyond) restaurants. I like his reviews for their positivity, honesty, and just general enjoyment.

  • Emily Fedner (@foodloversdiary) - Emily has been making videos about NYC restaurants since well before TikTok was a thing. Although her spice tolerance is significantly greater than mine, I consider her an expert in many Asian cuisines, Russian/Slavic food, and, of course, pasta.

• Serendipity - Often, the best restaurants are hiding in plain sight. Pick a neighborhood — it could be your own, or somewhere you’ve never been — and wander. If something catches your eye, take a look at the menu or the vibe inside. Try it out. As Andrew Zimmern says, “if it looks good, eat it!”

YMMV, but below is my personal list of top 10 favorite restaurants in New York City (except I cant bring myself to truly rank them because that’s just too hard).

• Le Bernardin

• The Four Horsemen

• Restaurant Yuu

• Arthur

• LaRina Pastificio & Vino

• Verge Sushi

• Misi

• Lilia

• Ingas Bar

• Crown Shy

• Honorable mention to 2 spots that no longer exist, but were ranked very highly on my list :(

  • Cecily

  • Momofuku Ko

For this installation of the Seafood Counter Series, I decided to take up a super underrated fish that is also a chef-favorite. Skate wing. Skate is a flat fish that looks a bit like a stingray. Their “wings” have these deep ridges that make the texture of the fish super unique. It’s also a very delicate white fish.

It only seemed natural to make a piccata-style dish. Since the filet is pretty thin, it only takes a few minutes to cook. Plus, you only have to dredge it in flour, rather than a full breading situation.

But the sauce might be the best part. It’s super tangy and creamy from the lemon and butter, but also so bright and flavorful from the capers and brined green peppercorns. Green peppercorns aren’t traditional in a piccata, but they add a fun au poivre element. If you can’t get them, don’t worry about it.

Get the full recipe at emilyeggers.com!

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I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you try it, please comment below or tag me on social media!

instagram: @emilyeggers

TikTok: @emily.eggers

There are a million different things you can do with camembert, including just slicing and enjoying as-is, but I wanted to make something a bit more creative and unique, so I made Camembert “Nachos”!

These “nachos” have very little in common with traditional nachos. The base is kettle cooked potato chips, layered with sliced camembert, a few drizzles of honey, fresh figs, and prosciutto on top. This would be such a fun snacky/appetizer/party food!

the full recipe:

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For my birthday last month, I went to a very popular Italian restaurant in Brooklyn which was very hard to get a reservation to. It’s one of those places that specializes in a rotating menu of small, sharable plates and pastas. But one of the pastas which stays on the menu all the time is the Farfallone with Calabrian Chili Butter and Smoked Pancetta.

These big, dramatic, floppy bowtie-shaped pastas are soaked in this spicy (but not too spicy), buttery sauce and topped with crispy panko breadcrumbs that imbues a textural element to an already exciting dish.

Anyways, after waxing poetic about that pasta, I remade the dish to the best of my ability. I did make my own giant bowties for this dish, but you don’t have to do that if you’re short on time. Regular pasta is just fine, but I included some shortcuts if you do want to make the farfallone.

Get the full recipe at emilyeggers.com!

see the video of this recipe

I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you try it, please comment below or tag me on social media!

instagram: @emilyeggers

TikTok: @emily.eggers

Keep scrolling to see what I’m Tasting, Anticipating, Binging, Loving, and Exploring. :)

Let’s get to the table:

T | I’ve been tasting so. many. recipes. as I’ve been trying to get ahead on content for this month, so I can keep posting throughout my wedding week. I’ve also been eating at a handful of new & old spots around Greenpoint. The (slightly) warmer weather has allowed more outdoor dining, which I love. Two restaurants of note that I’m loving: Arthur and Chez Ma Tante. Arthur is a brand new spot on Franklin St., and the food is a near perfect replacement for my former favorite restaurant that closed in November, Cecily. It’s innovative, casual fancy, and just really damn good food. Chez Ma Tante is always a classic. In the summer it becomes our go-to spot since we live nearby. Just really good Canadian-French food, get the falafel and the pig’s head terrine.

A | This week, I am anticipating two new recipes going live and I am SO excited about them. We’ve got a Calabrian chile butter farfallone (aka a dupe for the I Cavallini dish) and some camembert nachos to continue our cheese series!

B | I have been binging books! and reality TV! I’m nearly done with Lena Dunham’s memoir, Famesick, and I really enjoyed it. If you’re a fan of Girls on HBO, you’ll most likely really enjoy this. I highly recommend it as an audiobook since Lena is the narrator. I also bought, but haven’t started yet, the memoir from Isabel Klee — a TikToker who takes in difficult foster dogs and makes content about that while finding them a family. I just loved the title, and I love her content, so I’m excited to read Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I’ve Cried About. I think I’ve become a memoir lover??

Also catching up on the absolute mess that is Summer House season 10.

OH! And we saw Maya Rudolph make her Broadway debut as Mary Todd Lincoln in Oh, Mary!!!!!! She’s incredible in the role. I felt like I was watching her in an SNL skit the whole time.

L | Right now I’m loving this Oral-B mouthwash for mouth sores, lol. I am a person who is very prone to getting canker sores in my mouth. Plus, I have a permanent retainer on the back of my teeth with sharp edges, often cutting my tongue. When these things happen I’m soooo uncomfortable for days. I bought this stuff and I feel like its the only thing that finally got them to go away!

E | I’m still exploring this idea about how food and ethics play an odd role in the “final meal” or “death row meal”. It’s a strange concept of empathy juxtaposed with cruelty. I’m still gathering my thoughts on the idea, but I do plan to write more about this.

ICYMI:

Recent recipes you may have missed!

• Whipped Ricotta Dip with Snap Peas & Frizzled Leeks

• Blackened Black Cod Taco Bowl

• Giardiniera Pasta Salad

• Chicken Thighs with Honey Dijon Cream Sauce

That’s all for today, besties. Let me know if there’s anything you’d like to see! <3

My favorite time of year is when it finally becomes socially acceptable again to eat pasta salad at all times. AKA summer. This one features a new-to-me condiment that many of you are probably very familiar with — giardiniera.

Giardiniera is a condiment made of pickled and marinated vegetables, such as carrots and cauliflower and more. I believe it is very popular (and possible a different variety?) in Chicago.

It works well here as a starting point to build a flavorful pasta salad which is essentially based off of a big Italian/“grinder” sandwich.

Get the full recipe at emilyeggers.com!

see the video of this recipe

I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you try it, please comment below or tag me on social media!

instagram: @emilyeggers

TikTok: @emily.eggers

At this point in my Seafood Counter series, it’s getting hard to not become repetitive. I’ve done most of the standard seafood options. But on my last post, I received this comment:

And I realized that the commenter was right, I hadn’t made a recipe with black cod yet! I’ve used regular cod, but this fish isn’t actually even related to cod.

Sablefish is popularly known as black cod, and it is a flaky and buttery white fish. Though less fatty and elegant than Chilean sea bass, black cod is definitely more luxurious than your standard white fish. The most popular preparation of black cod comes from the famous Nobu restaurants. Their miso marinated black cod is great (I made a similar version here), but I wanted to make something a bit different and something that didn’t need to marinate for days.

This dish uses blackening seasoning and high heat in a cast iron to get an intensely flavorful and lightly charred fish. I made it into a taco bowl preparation by using cilantro lime rice, mango salsa, cabbage slaw, etc etc. You could build the taco bowl however you like, but this blackened black cod really steals the show.

Get the full recipe at emilyeggers.com!

see the video of this recipe

I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you try it, please comment below or tag me on social media!

instagram: @emilyeggers

TikTok: @emily.eggers

I use whole grain mustard in so many things (salad dressings are one of my favorite applications). It’s milder than most mustard, but it imparts a textural element as well.

In this recipe, we’re cooking crispy-skin chicken thighs in a flavor-packed cream sauce with whole grain mustard, some white wine, cream, and just a touch of honey to balance it out.

This recipe is quick, uses ingredients you likely already have, and is so so delicious. It’s garnished with dill, and I chose to serve it with white rice, but this would be great with pasta, rice, potatoes, or a veggie side.

Serves 4

the full recipe:

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Episode 2 of my cheese counter series is a classic — Ricotta Cheese. I decided to show off the ricotta a bit by making a whipped ricotta dip, but of course I had to incorporate some spring produce and topped it with a delicious snap pea salad and some fried leeks.

This dip is meant to be eaten with crunchy potato chips (kettle cooked are best for this). The dip is also so full of flavor, with honey and truffle in the ricotta and then dill and lemon in the snap pea salad.

Somehow, all of these flavors complement each other rather than compete, and it ends up being a show-stopper of an app.

Get the full recipe at emilyeggers.com!

see the video of this recipe

I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you try it, please comment below or tag me on social media!

instagram: @emilyeggers

TikTok: @emily.eggers

Every other Sunday, I’ll pop up in your inbox telling you what I’m Tasting, Anticipating, Binging, Loving, and Exploring.

Let’s get to the table:

T | My birthday was this week, so I’ve been tasting a ton of really great food all week! Starting with my birthday, Thursday, when I made myself a sushi cake. You can read alllll about how to make one for yourself! We also had a great Japanese-French omakase dinner at HOUSE Brooklyn, a more casual but still delicious Japanese meal at Rule of Thirds, and — my favorite of the week — an amazing dinner at I Cavellini, the pasta restaurant from the people at Four Horsemen. It’s almost impossible to get a res at I Cavellini, but I set up a request on tablepass.nyc and landed a 7:30pm Saturday dinner res for 4!! And a major honorable mention to the pastries we got from Radio Bakery, especially their rhubard custard croissant.

A | This week, I am anticipating revisiting the Cheese Counter series with a really delicious springtime ricotta dip. I also have a paid subscriber exclusive recipe coming this week for an incredible chicken recipe!

B | Alex and I have been binging Love on the Spectrum on Netflix. This is possibly the greatest TV show of all time, it is just so enjoyable. I’ve also started the book ‘Strangers,’ a memoir by Belle Burden that is essentially a cautionary tale for women. I’m only about a 1/3rd of the way through it, but it really grips you from the beginning!

L | Right now I’m loving ‘fancy’ soaps! I recently discovered UME, who makes hand soaps that are basically an art sculpture you can display in your bathroom or kitchen. Yes, they’re expensive, but they seem to last a while. I watched a tiktok about how the Aesop or the designer brand soap is no longer the peak of fancy soaps, and that the more design-focused/quirky soaps have replaced them.

E | I’m exploring the wedding industrial complex because currently, when I’m not thinking about food, I am thinking about wedding planning. It’s fun! It’s stressful! and it’s currently consuming all of my free time! Best of luck to anyone else planning a wedding right now.

ICYMI:

Recent recipes you may have missed!

• Ramp Spaghetti with White Wine Butter Sauce

• Pad Thai-flavored Whole Roasted Branzino

• Taleggio and Pear Gnocchi

• Melted Cabbage Pasta with Miso

That’s all for today, besties. Let me know if there’s anything you’d like to see! <3

If you look up ‘sushi cake’ on TikTok, you’ll find 2 very different varieties. One kind looks like what I made, where it’s built using layers of rice and high quality sashimi. The other kind is built using a ton of pre-made sushi rolls. Neither version are wrong! But I’d like to think my version is much better for a real sushi lover.

It wasn’t nearly as hard as it looked, and I definitely learned some tips along the way and things I would do differently next time. Here’s how I did it.

The Cake Pan

I saw a lot of different ways to do this, but they all require some sort of cake pan. I highly recommend using a spring-form pan (the kind you use for cheesecake). These work best in my opinion because you can build the cake exactly how you want it, then just remove the outer lining when you’re ready to eat!

The other method was to use a standard cake pan, line it with plastic wrap, then essentially build the sushi cake upside down. After building it upside down, you would flip the cake pan on to a plate/platter, then remove the plastic wrap. This works fine, but I think a spring-form pan works better!

I used a 9” spring-form pan, but I would recommend opting for an 8” or 7”, if you find it. The smaller the pan, the taller your cake can be.

The Ingredients

Ingredients for your sushi cake can really be whatever you want. You’ll need sushi rice, which you can either make yourself or buy pre-made (those little microwavable packs of rice work great).

As far as fish goes, source good quality sashimi-grade fish of your choice from a reputable place. If you don’t have a good place to buy sashimi-grade fish near you, you can always buy/order some sashimi slices from a sushi restaurant.

If you live in NYC, Osakana in the East Village is the best place to get fish for sushi.

I used salmon (for the spicy salmon mixture), sliced salmon, tuna, tuna belly (toro), and yellowtail belly.

I also used shiso leaves for 1 layer, but these are totally not necessary. The spicy may “frosting” and mixture were just a combination of Kewpie mayo and sriracha. Other ideas for ingredients could be: thinly sliced cucumber, masago or tobiko, or really whatever you want.

The Process

If using a non-stick spring-form pan, you’ll assemble it as follows.

1. Place a layer of cooked sushi rice on the bottom, making sure to press it into all of the edges. This should be between 1/4-inch and 1/2 inch-thick. Be sure the layer is even on the top.

2. Scoop and spread a layer of spicy salmon mixture, again making sure it reaches all of the edges of the pan.

3. Place shiso leaves on top of the spicy salmon mixture. You may need to tear/cut a few pieces. You want this to cover as much of the spicy salmon as you can.

4. Place another layer of rice, about the same thickness as the first layer. Again, be sure to gently press down to keep everything firm. Lightly wetting your hands/tools will help the rice not stick to you.

5. Layer the top with the sliced sashimi. If using different kinds of fish, I recommend alternating them throughout. Be sure all of the rice is entirely covered. You may need to cut a few pieces to fill in any gaps.

6. Cover with plastic wrap (touching the fish) and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

7. After 30 minutes, remove the plastic wrap and carefully unlock the cake pan. Carefully lift the cake rim up and set aside.

8. For the spicy mayo “frosting,” I cut open an almost-empty bottle of Kewpie mayo. I added the sriracha to the mayo inside the cut-open bottle and mixed it with a chopstick. Then, you can use the Kewpie bottle cap as a “piping bag” and dot the cake with spicy mayo.

9. Top with any other garnishes you may be using, such as ikura, spicy mayo, cucumber, etc.

Be sure to only add soy sauce to the slice you’re eating, and not the whole cake. The soy sauce will cause the rice to no longer stick together.

If this is stored in the fridge for long periods of time, I recommend microwaving a portion for 10-15 seconds before eating to soften the rice.

Every year between April and May, food-lovers of the Northeast go crazy over a seemingly random vegetable from the allium family — ramps.

Ramps are a type of wild garlic that are local to the northeast regions of the US. Ramps (generally) have to be foraged, which means they have to be found out in the wild rather than farmed. They have a garlicky flavor without the spicy punch of raw garlic and they’re a bit milder and sweet. If you live in the region, there’s a good chance you’ll find them at your local farmers market!

Don’t worry, you can still make this recipe without ramps. Substitute with wild garlic or scallions!

There are an endless amount of ways one can use ramps. Ramp pesto, ramp butter, pickled ramps, etc, etc. For this, I wanted to keep it simple and really let the ramps shine in their mostly natural state.

This is a pasta with ramps thrown in and coated in a delicious white wine butter sauce with lemon, red pepper flakes, and parmigiano reggiano.

Get the full recipe at emilyeggers.com!

see the video of this recipe

I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you try it, please comment below or tag me on social media!

instagram: @emilyeggers

TikTok: @emily.eggers

Would you believe me if I told you that whole roasted fish is one of the easiest methods of cooking fish? I find that a lot of home cooks are intimidated by it, but this whole roasted branzino really couldn’t be simpler!

Simply ask the person at the fish counter if they can butterfly your branzino and remove the bones. Some places even sell it already prepared like that.

The flavoring for this fish is inspired by a pad thai sauce, using tamarind paste, palm sugar, and fish sauce. (But don’t worry, I provide substitutions in the recipe for all of those!)

Once you’ve prepped the fish it just takes around 15 minutes in the oven and it’s ready to eat! No need to worry about searing or sticking to the pan or any of that!

Get the full recipe at emilyeggers.com!

see the video of this recipe

I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you try it, please comment below or tag me on social media!

instagram: @emilyeggers

TikTok: @emily.eggers

You’ve heard of me cooking my way through the seafood counter, but now we are cooking our way through the cheese counter. Starting off strong with Taleggio cheese!

Taleggio is a soft to semi-soft cow’s milk cheese typically made in Italy. It has a pretty strong aroma, but the taste is much more mild, nutty, and almost fruity. It melts down easily and pears well with fruits like stone fruits and pears.

While it might sound strange to put pears in a cheesy pasta dish, this is actually quite common in Tuscany. Using ripe but still firm pears brings out just this subtle sweetness and acidity that cuts through the richness of the cheese and the gnocchi incredibly well. Alex said this was the best thing I’ve ever made and I’ve made a LOT of food, so thats saying something.

Get the full recipe at emilyeggers.com!

see the video of this recipe

I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you try it, please comment below or tag me on social media!

instagram: @emilyeggers

TikTok: @emily.eggers

Cabbage is one of my favorite vegetables because of it’s mild flavor, high fiber, and ability to be easily incorporated into all kinds of dishes. (plus, it lasts forever in the fridge).

This recipe is loosely based on the popular eastern European dish, Haluski. While that dish traditionally uses cabbage + egg noodles, this version uses linguine along with white wine, some miso paste, and a heck of a lot of parmesan cheese.

the full recipe:

see the video of this recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Olive oil

• 1/2 head of Cabbage, halved and thinly sliced (around 430g or 15oz)

• 1 Shallot, sliced

• 1/2 tbsp Kosher salt

• 1/2 tsp Garlic powder

• Black pepper

• 1/4 cup White wine

• 1 tbsp White miso paste

• 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, microplaned/grated

• 6 ounces Linguine pasta, cooked to al dente

• 1 tbsp Salted butter

• 3/4 cup Reserved pasta water, more as needed

• Chopped parsley for garnish

• Squeeze of lemon for garnish

Steps

1. In a large pot, such as a dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced shallot and stir while cooking until they soften, about 2 minutes. On top of the shallots, add the sliced cabbage along with 1/2 tbsp kosher salt. Gently stir and allow the cabbage to steam and cook down.

2. Once the cabbage volume has reduced by about half, add the garlic powder and a few good cracks of black pepper. Stir and continue to cook over medium heat. The cabbage will continue to reduce.

3. When the cabbage has shrunk to a point where you can easily see parts of the bottom of your pot, add the white wine. Raise the heat slightly and stir until the wine cooks off. Lower heat to low. Add the white miso paste and stir until it is fully combined with the cabbage (you may want to add more water to help the miso combine).

4. Remove the pot from the heat. Add the cooked pasta along with the salted butter and approximately 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Grate on the parmesan cheese and allow it to sit for 1 minute to begin melting. Add another splash of pasta water on top of the cheese, then stir heavily to combine until the cheese and butter are fully melted. Taste and add more salt and pepper as desired. Add more pasta water as needed and discard what is unused.

5. Once the cabbage forms into a sauce with pasta water and cheese, serve the pasta hot on a plate, scooping more cabbage on top of the plated pasta. Garnish with more grated parmesan, black pepper, a squeeze of lemon, and finely chopped parsley.

• Be sure to heavily salt the water that the pasta is cooked in, as this will add flavor and create the right texture for the pasta water.

• Good parmesan has a tendency to clump when heated. Be sure to only add the parmesan after you have turned off the heat, and use the pasta water to help melt it as needed.

White miso paste: You can use another kind of miso, or you can omit miso and substitute by adding extra parmesan and a splash of soy sauce or tamari.
Linguine: Any pasta shape works here, but avoid very thin or very small pastas as they won’t hold up to the sauce very well.
Parmesan: Pecorino would be fine as an alternative.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you try it, please comment below or tag me on social media!

instagram: @emilyeggers

TikTok: @emily.eggers

This newsletter will be replacing my old monthly newsletter (which I neglected to keep up with). Every other Sunday, I’ll pop up in your inbox to share what I’m Tasting, Anticipating, Binging, Loving, and Exploring.

While I did come up with that acronym on my own (please clap), the idea was inspired by Olivia Noceda’s friday reports and Justine Doiron’s SNACKS, where they do essentially the same concept as this.

Let’s get to the table:

T | I’ve been tasting all kind of things while in Miami Beach this weekend. Most notably, we went to the famous Joe’s Stone Crab. While the stone crabs were amazing (though, I think I prefer a classic crab leg), what really blew me away was the fried half chicken for only $8.95 and the lobster mac and cheese which was my favorite side by far. The food and service was great, it’s worth a visit if you’re in the area.

A | I’m majorly anticipating my new website and gentle rebrand!! You guys get the first sneak peeks, as this letter is part of my new content strategy. I’ve actually already updated my substack page with the new logos and given my substack account a new profile photo. This coming week I’ll be updating my social media profiles (idk why but this makes me so nervous) and then we’ll officially launch the new site!

The new site (emilyeggers.com) will house every one of my free recipes with no ads and no life story before the recipe. Just a small blurb, then the recipe right where you want it! I’ll still share about all new recipes on this substack, and all of my exclusive recipes for paid subscribers will also stay here on substack. My old blog website (legallyhealthyblonde.com) will still exist as it is, but she’s taking a back seat for the time being :)

I’m also anticipating the recipes coming up this week: Melted Cabbage Pasta and Taleggio Pear Gnocchi (part of a new series i’m also super excited about!).

B | Currently binging Jury Duty season 2 (so so funny), Rooster on HBO with Steve Carrell (cute and easy watch), recently finished and loved Love Story on Hulu. I’m also trying to catch up on Summer House…especially given the recent drama there

L | I am loving the bathing suits from Monday Swimwear. They’re a bit on the pricier side but they are a thick material that really feels secure and high quality. I got the one I linked for my bachelorette party and really love it, plus they have a lot of fun pool/beach accessories.

E | I’ve been exploring the idea of bringing back some occasional food essays, maybe once a month or so. I have a degree in Philosophy and a masters in Food Studies, and some of you may remember when I used to share some of my papers from when I was in school still. I really enjoyed writing those and I think I’m going to revive them. My current pondering is the ethics surrounding the idea of a ‘death row meal.’ I posted about this on tiktok and got a lot of interesting perspectives. I’m largely interested in the ethics and empathy of sentencing someone to death, but granting them a final meal of whatever they choose. It seems a bit contradictory to me. I’m still working out my thoughts on it, but I’d love to hear yours if you have any!

ICYMI:

Recent recipes you may have missed!

• Cheesy Creamy Instant Ramen

• Bay Scallop Scampi with Linguine

• Homemade Caesar Butter

That’s all for today, besties. Let me know if you like this new series or if there’s anything you’d like to see! <3