How To Eat Candy Corn (and other October things)

Because there is a right and wrong way.

Friends, hi! I’m slowly dusting off the lazy days of vacation - the very best kind, if you ask me, spent under trees in Arkansas, camping, eating well, and stirring in the middle of the night to see the brightest harvest moon. I’m clocking back into real life. There’s holiday recipe testing to be done, bakery boxes to order, and inbox wrangling.

There’s something about coming home from a peaceful trip that makes me want to dive right back into the kitchen (preferably with coffee and hopefully I left it clean). But before we sprint too far into the week, I’ve got a few fun things to share: a new Sunday post from me that feels like a worthwhile distraction from actual Monday tasks, a very timely batch of Rice Krispie treats that are both nostalgic and unhinged, and a cookbook interview and giveaway you won’t want to miss.

Let It be Sunday, 536!

This week I’m reporting live from Devil’s Den State Park in Arkansas, where the nights are full of lightning bugs which… is very cool. This week on Let It Be Sunday, we’re talking about how to have an analog fall (think: paper planners, long lunches, and fewer rectangles), what a 102-year-old yoga teacher can teach us about longevity, and the heartbreak-meets-healing essay My Parents Sold My Magical Childhood Home. It’s the feel-good post we deserve.

Read the full post and all the fine links over on joythebaker.com: Lightning Bugs, Blueberry Scones, and an Analog Fall

The Best October Sweet-Meets-Salty Combination

Listen, the only correct way to eat candy corn is by the handful with salted peanuts. It’s the sweet-salty combo that transforms the whole situation into a makeshift nougat candy bar. Unfortunately, the only way to stop eating candy corn is to make yourself absolutely sick on the stuff. I truly wish there were another way. Thankfully, candy corn is strictly an October affair, so we go hard and then we get out. While we’re going hard, may I humbly suggest these Salted Peanut and Candy Corn Krispie Treats to really turn up the volume on the season?

An interview with Herry Lui McKinnon and her new cookbook Linger

I am thrilled today to share a conversation with Hetty Lui McKinnon, a cookbook author whose vegetable-forward cooking and radiant hosting philosophy feel like a warm invitation to linger at the table. Hetty, born in Sydney, now based in New York, is the mind behind several beloved cookbooks (including Tenderheart, which won a James Beard Award), and is perhaps best known for her belief that “anything can be a salad.”

Her brand-new cookbook, Linger: Salads, Sweets & Stories to Savor, brings us into the intimate lunches she hosted while testing recipes in real time - sharing salads, small sweets, stories, and space to breathe.

This interview is delightful and before you scroll, don’t forget to enter the giveaway at the end as one lucky reader will win a copy of Linger.

• Let’s start with the origin story. What was the spark that made you think, Yep, this cookbook needs to exist?

I remember the spark for this book very clearly. It was a December day a few years ago and I was lamenting the fact that, after years of quarantining and social distancing, people seemed more comfortable with virtual connection rather than “in real life”. I sensed a loneliness and disconnection all around me.

My background in food was a salad business in Sydney (called Arthur Street Kitchen) where I personally delivered salads to locals, forging lasting friendships, and genuine human connections. This ethos of community and connection still underpins all of my work in the food industry today.

So, I decided to recreate this physical act of sharing food by inviting friends to my house to eat salads. The project spanned one calendar year, and each month, I created a seasonal menu of salads and invited friends to my small Brooklyn apartment to share food and conversation. Each gathering was a celebration of friendship and humanity. Salads were once again my most powerful source of community.

The salads that I cooked for these gatherings are documented in LINGER. The book was written in real time, all the recipes were photographed on my dining table at the time they were served. The sense of intimacy you see in the book is real, as I wanted to establish a strong sense of place and belonging for readers.

• What’s the recipe in the book that people will come back to over and over again?

It’s hard to say, as the recipes that people take to their hearts are always unpredictable! But if I’m guessing, I’ll say that coronation cauliflower might be a repeat salad for many! Everyone who has tried it so far has become very enamored by it. The cauliflower soaks up the curry yoghurt seasoning, it has bright pops from dried apricots, there’s bite from red onion, it’s textural from celery and almonds, and best of all, it can be prepped ahead and also keeps well. I also think it would make a great sandwich filling!!

• Marry, shag, kill: buttercream frosting, whipped cream, jam.

I’m not a huge fan of sweets so this is a hard one for me!

But here goes:

Marry: Jam, it’s forever

Shag: whipped cream

Kill: buttercream frosting, way too sweet for me

• What’s a cooking or baking hill you’re willing to die on?

Salt your food! Most of the time, the difference between a great dish and a mediocre one is seasoning. In salad making, I swear by seasoning every element of the salad. So if you are roasting a veg, salt it before putting it in the oven, salt the cooking water for grains or legumes, salt the dressing, salt the final dish. It doesn’t mean you need to use a lot of salt but a little salt with each step develops LAYERS of flavor and makes a huge difference to the final dish. And remember to TASTE your food before you serve it so you can adjust seasoning (it sounds obvious but so many people forget this step)

• We’re going to a dinner party with a recipe from your book? What are we bringing to impress?

LINGER is basically a whole book of crowd pleasing salads that you can take to a gathering. But if I had to choose one, I think Oyster Mushroom Shawarma with Farro and Lemon Cashew Cream has the definite wow factor. There’s a lot of flavor going on but there’s so many hearty and comforting textures. The cashew cream comes to life with the robust, spiced mushrooms. Best of all, it’s vegan so everyone can join the party!

• What’s the most chaotic recipe in the book?

Ha what a great question!! I don’t know if “chaotic” is the right word but the salad that comes to mind is the eggplant trifle! Yes it’s basically built like a dessert trifle but it’s savory and each layer is an element of the salad. Eggplant is used in two ways, to reinforce the flavors. There’s roasted eggplant, then also smashed, layered with quinoa, lentils, spicy cilantro oil, and pomegranate. It sounds like a lot but it’s actually very do-able, even on a weeknight, especially if you follow my time saving tips using store bought substitutes.

• What’s a kitchen task you secretly love that everyone else seems to dread?

Chopping aromatics by hand, especially ginger! I love the smell of ginger on my hands as it reminds me of my mother’s hands. I hand chop everything for my ginger scallion oil because I love the aroma of these ingredients on my body! It’s like a natural perfume lol

• What’s the most you recipe in this book?

It’s a toss up between the dumpling salad (yes there’s a new one in this book, which is a dumpling based on potato samosa filling!) and the mapo tofu salad. Both salads are rooted in my Cantonese heritage, with bold savory flavors, while encapsulating my love of vegetables. I was particularly excited to turn mapo tofu, a beloved dish from my childhood, into a salad! It was so fun to imagine how this hot stew of soft textures could transform into a dish that is enjoyed cold, with a more robust bite, but still with an undeniable feisty mapo spirit. I love what I came up with and hope others do too!

• What’s your current cookbook crush? What are you dog-earing, gifting to friends, or quietly obsessed with lately?

I am currently loving Nicole Rucker’s Fat & Flour. It’s the cookbook that could actually make me like baking! I’ve baked so many of her cookies and several of the banana breads (there’s a whole chapter of them) and nothing has disappointed me! Highly recommend it.

Linger is full of generous, salad-forward recipes meant for sharing. To celebrate, we’re giving away a copy!
💬 What’s your go-to dish when you’re feeding friends — the one that never fails you?
Comment below. Winner contacted by Substack message and announced Thursday, October 17th! Thanks, Hetty!

New Perk for Paid Subscribers!

Friends, thank you (truly!) for being here. Your support makes Baked In possible!

As a small token of my appreciation, paid subscribers now enjoy an ad-free experience on joythebaker.com!

If you’re already a paid subscriber, check your inbox for an email with a link to set up your password and access the ad-free site.

Thinking about upgrading? Now’s a great time! If you become a paid subscriber, we’ll send your ad-free login within the next two weeks — just in time for all the cozy fall baking ahead.

Thank you for being part of this community. You’re the reason I get to keep the oven on.

xo
Joy