Hello Friends,

I had a hankering for tamales yesterday but where to go? We live in a city stuffed to the brim with opportunities. I decided to drive to Flor de Yucatán — the Mayan bakery in Pico-Union — because I hadn't been there in a while and a video popped up on my IG feed from LA Taco Editor Javier Cabral celebrating them as making LA's first cochinita pibil (52 years ago!). I am nothing if not a suggestible eater. I ate the cochinata pibil taco and took two tamales home, the fluffy colado and one of their tortiados, both chicken-filled and wrapped in banana leaves. I'm finishing the colado for breakfast. If this news fills you with a desire for tamales, here's a recent list from The Infatuation.

With the weather a little nippy, I feel like baking but I'm having a wall removed from my place today (so I can actually have a real stove). We'll see what chaos is created... Update: there is chaos and an unexpected wall issue... stay tuned. I still need to actually buy a stove so who knows how long that saga will take. I fear I'm looking for something that doesn't exist. No digital, only knobs. I am an extremely poor decision-maker. I will put off making a decision for as long as possible which explains why I've been cooking on a two-burner propane stove outside for a few years. I'll write about it eventually. 

No stove, still cooking,
Evan

Turkey. Once a year, it’s ubiquitous on a majority of our tables. But the bird whose preparation we spend so much time worrying about and planning is a very different animal than the Wild Turkey, a bird native to North America and in some minds, synonymous with it.  Jesse Griffiths, an Austin-based chef, restaurateur, author, and hunter has written, The Turkey Book: A Chef’s Journal of Hunting and Cooking America’s Bird about his intriguing experiences in the field. He hopes it will highlight conservation. Jesse shares his recipe for fried turkey with us.

Nicola Lamb is a London-based recipe developer and pastry chef who honed her craft in some of the top pastry programs in the US and UK, including Dominique Ansel and Ottolenghi. Her book Sift is one of my favorites of the year. The book combines foundational knowledge of core baking ingredients into mini masterclasses. This combines with lovely recipes to push you to create new and familiar bakes with greater expertise. Don't miss her recipe for Plum and Mascarpone Karpatka. 

LA Taco created a ranked (!) list of LA's Top 69 Tacos. Journalist and food writer Memo Torres returns to Good Food with a peek at five of his favorites from the list. 

Michael Zee is the culinary creative behind the wildly popular Instagram account SymmetryBreakfast. Known for his beautifully composed, perfectly symmetrical breakfasts, Michael has inspired followers around the world with his eye for design and love of food. In his new cookbook, Zao Fan: Breakfast of China, he takes readers on a flavorful journey through the country's diverse morning meals, offering stories, recipes, and insights that bring the culture and history of Chinese breakfast to life. Michael Shares his recipe for Sweet Water Noodles or Tanshui Mian.

Gillian Ferguson caught up with Courtney Storer,  culinary producer and co-executive producer on the Emmy-winning show The Bear at farmer Peter Schaner's stand at the SMFM. Courtney chose kabocha squash from Peter's seven winter squash offerings to make a dish she saw in Tuscany of roasted squash and walnuts. She'll be adding pasta to the mix. Keep up with Courtney at her substack Coco's Kitchen, and her culinary platform, Coco's to Go-Go. If you find yourself at the Schaner Stand ask Adina Rimmon what to do with each variety. She has the answer.