Maximalist Cold Cereal (and Other Important Matters)

False spring pizza, snickerdoodle testing, and a very snacky new cookbook (and giveaway!)

We were outdoor cats this weekend enjoying a bit of false spring with pizza and a late afternoon swim.

Friends, hi!

My big sister Launa and my brother-in-law Chad came to Texas for a visit this past weekend and one thing is true: we know how to chill and we definitely know how to eat.

We kicked things off Friday night at the Houston Rodeo which is always a spectacle in the very best way. We took in the Shaboozey concert which was completely fun and honestly… charming? A word I didn’t expect to use about a rodeo concert but here we are.

Back in Bellville we spent time wandering around the little town square (which obviously included karaoke at the local brewery) and swimming in the pool thanks to what felt like a very generous false spring of warm weather.

Caught us really looking like sisters!

At home I made pizza in the little outdoor pizza oven using this crust recipe, Barton Springs Mill flour, and a truly heroic amount of vegetables and thick-cut pepperoni. It’s been one of those weekends that feels exactly like a weekend should: a little loose, a little indulgent, and full of people you’re happy to linger around the table with.

Late Sunday afternoon the wind turned cold and came rushing in across the fields. It felt a little ominous — one of those weather shifts that makes you pause and think, well… let’s see what the week brings.

In this week’s newsletter I’m doing the absolute most with bowls of cereal, sharing a few cookie notes from the test kitchen, passing along some excellent reading, and introducing you to another fantastic cookbook author with a giveaway I think you’ll love.

Let’s get into it!

How to chef cold cereal.

Current Snack Fixation: Maximalist Cold Cereal

What were you doing at 3am?

I was pouring myself a bowl of cereal because this baby wakes me up ravenous in the middle of the night.

The thing about me is that I will chef even a bowl of cereal. Maybe sometimes I simply can’t leave well enough alone. But cereal and milk can be so much more than cereal and milk, you know? If we’re already up in the middle of the night, we might as well make the bowl work for us. Consider it habit stacking… but with snacks.

My cereal preferences lately are Three Wishes, Lovebird, and Ezekiel sprouted whole grain cereal — all with a bit more protein and substance than the cereals of my childhood (though I will always have deep love for Lucky Charms).

Here’s how I build the bowl:

• A big dollop of Greek yogurt at the bottom of the bowl because it’s nice to have something to scrape from the bottom of the bowl. I’ve also been known to put a smear of peanut butter at the bottom of the bowl which is very much a treat.
• A few generous spoonfuls of kefir because it is the champagne of dairies.
• A handful of pomegranate seeds, blueberries, frozen wild blueberries, or raspberries. Whatever I have that is berry and seedy.
• A sprinkle of pumpkin seeds and/or hemp seeds.
• A good pour of cereal (I would call it the star of the show but truly, it’s not the main character).
• Then finish the whole situation with cold milk. I’m still a cow’s milk girlie, so sue me. (Please don’t.)

It’s crunchy, creamy, tangy, sweet, and honestly… it’s a WHOLE midnight snack. Do I have to go back to sleep sitting up because of possible pregnancy heartburn. I mean yes, but it’s worth it.

A snickerdoodle / coffee cake combo.

Notes From The Test Kitchen

It has come to my attention that I do not have a classic Snickerdoodle cookie on Joy the Baker and, considering the number of cookies that live over there, this feels like a bit of an oversight.

So naturally I’m fixing that. But… you know I couldn’t leave a snickerdoodle entirely alone. My vision is for a thick, almost gooey doodle topped with a buttery, coffee-cake-like crumble instead of the usual simple cinnamon-sugar coating.

Don’t get me wrong - there’s still plenty of cinnamon sugar happening here. But I wanted something besides chocolate chips to add a little texture and interest to the cookie. The crumble does exactly that.

The cookie itself has that signature snickerdoodle tang thanks to cream of tartar and bakes up sturdy at the edges, soft and caramelized in the center, warm with cinnamon and spice.

I’ll give the recipe one more round of testing before sending it off to Karlee for photos, but I have a feeling this one is going to be a favorite.

Soon, soon!

If I’m being honest, I did overproof the pizza dough a bit. Nevertheless the pizza was delicious!

Reads and Things I Loved

• I might be a bit late to the game but that just means I get to binge episodes of The Pitt to my heart’s content. As an elder millennial who used to sit on her parent’s living room floor watching Noah Wylie on ER - this is fantastic. •

• I don’t consider myself a Royal watcher but I found this interesting: The Loneliness of Being Right

• On nigella seeds and saffron: Tel Aviv’s Little Tehran.

• I suppose the question is, when are we going to France for underwear? How To Give Yourself an Assignment

• To look at this dress, you wouldn’t know this Quince dress is breast-feeding friendly and I’m very into that. I’ve also accidentally been wearing these slippers as shoes all day and I can’t say I regret it.

• Print is back, baby! I’m subscribed to the Saveur magazine and looking forward to all the tomato things.

A Cookbook Interview (and Giveaway!) with Anna Hezel

Today we’re welcoming the wonderful Anna Hezel to the newsletter to celebrate her brand new book Party Tricks: Easy, Elegant Recipes for Snacking and Hosting.

Anna is one of those food writers whose work pops up everywhere - from The New York Times and Bon Appétit to Eater, Food52, and the dearly missed Lucky Peach. She’s also the author of the delightfully snacky cookbook Tin to Table and the deeply comforting Lasagna: A Baked Pasta Cookbook. In other words, she really understands what makes people want to gather around a table.

Her new book is all about the art of hosting without making it complicated — clever snacks, elegant bites, and the cookie dough we must have stashed away in the freezer.

We’re chatting with Anna about snacks, anchovies, and her inspiration Marian Burros. And because sharing cookbooks is one of my favorite things, we’re giving away a copy of Party Tricks at the end of the interview.

Let’s get into it!

What was the “aha moment” recipe while writing this book?

I’ve spent so many hours of my life stuffing dates with blue cheese and wrapping them in bacon for devils on horseback—one of the best classic party snacks of all time! But when I first made my Fried Dates with Blue Cheese and Pickled Celery, I realized I liked it even better than the original. You can make the celery ahead of time, and then assembling the plate is extremely easy and casual. It’s vegetarian, and everyone can build their own custom bite on a toothpick.

If your cookbook had a playlist, what three songs would be on it?

“All Tomorrow’s Parties” by the Velvet Underground, “Mambo Sun” by T. Rex, and “Gone Baby, Don’t Be Long,” by Erykah Badu

What’s one ingredient you’re evangelical about?

Good anchovies! So many people think they hate anchovies, but they just haven’t tasted good ones yet. I love opening a tin of Don Bocarte, Codesa, or Siesta anchovies and changing people’s minds.

If someone cooks just one recipe from your book to understand you as a person, which should it be?

The Freezer-Reserve Pistachio-Sesame Chocolate Chip Cookies. Whether I’m hosting a party or not, I feel very strongly about having balls of dough in the freezer for freshly baked cookies on demand.

What’s a mistake you hope readers make at least once?

Underestimating how long it will take to cook something. Even as an experienced home cook, it often takes me twice as long as I think it will to cook through a recipe. Learning this has made me realize the importance of putting out a few snacks (even if they’re just a few chips and crudites) for guests while I finish up everything else in the kitchen.

What kitchen tool deserves more respect, and which one do you think is wildly overrated?

I really love my cocktail mixing glass for making perfectly chilled martinis that aren’t full of ice shards. You can definitely use a pint glass to get the job done, but a cocktail mixing glass is so much more satisfying (and pretty), plus the small spout makes it easier to pour right into your chilled coupe.

Fill in the blank: People think I’m ___ in the kitchen, but actually I’m ___.

A. perfectly following a recipe B. probably eyeballing everything and messing up a little bit along the way

If you could hand-deliver this cookbook to one person (living or not), who would it be and what would you want them to cook first?

Marian Burros, the author of Elegant But Easy (and the creator of the famous New York Times plum torte), died this past fall, and she was a huge inspiration to me. I have a first edition of Elegant But Easy, and the book is so charming and full of good humor.

What’s your most controversial food opinion

I put ketchup on my hot dogs, and my husband is always mad about it.

When you’re not eating your own recipes, what are you absolutely guilty-pleasure ordering for takeout?

I have been on a huge kick of ordering from Laghman Express in Brooklyn, which serves Central Asian dishes like dry-fried laghman noodles, spicy big tray chicken, and steamed lamb manti.

What do you hope someone feels (like, truly feels) when they cook from your book for the first time?

The confidence to have a party, whether it’s a handful of friends you invite over for a bottle of wine on a Friday night, or a 40-person cocktail hour.

✨ Cookbook Giveaway

I’m so happy to share a copy of Anna Hezel’s new book Party Tricks: Easy, Elegant Recipes for Snacking and Hosting with one of you!

To enter:
Leave a comment below answering this question:

• What’s your go-to snack or bite when friends come over unexpectedly?

My answer? Any sort of fruit I have on hand, (usually sliced Cosmic Crisp apples) with sharp cheddar cheese, and hopefully some fresh baked scones I pulled from the freezer and baked.

Giveaway details:

• Open to U.S. residents only
• Giveaway closes Friday, March 20
• One winner will be selected and contacted via Substack message

I can’t wait to hear what snacks you swear by. I’m always looking for a new party trick myself.

Have a wonderful week, friends!

xo Joy