Issue 100
Today is the 100th issue of on hand, a milestone I am very proud of.
I started on hand in January 2021 at a time when I was looking for a creative outlet — we were still stuck inside and I was in a job I didn’t particularly enjoy. I had previously done some food writing, but not with any real regularity, and I wanted on hand to be a place where I could deep dive into the food and drink world. It took me a long time to get into the practice of consistently working on this newsletter, but I’ve finally hit my stride.
To everyone who has read or shared or subscribed to this newsletter: thank you. There are a million things you could be reading and I am honored that you've chosen on hand as one of those things.
I look forward to sharing more interesting conversations, delicious recipes, and fun stories in the next 100 issues.
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For this 100 issue milestone, I have a recipe for a salad that I have not stopped thinking about since I first had it. I recently met a friend at a new-ish wine bar called Cecily. We ordered a selection of dishes but the chicory salad was the real star. It has a little bit of everything: bitterness from the chicory, tart and sweet from pickled raisins, a little creaminess from the dressing, and crunch from the bread crumbs.
It was so good we ordered a second half size to go with the rest of our meal.
To say we have not stopped thinking about this salad since then is not an exaggeration. Natasha and I have barely talked about anything else: how good it was, how to recreate it, the random times it pops into our head.
If you couldn’t tell we were women in our thirties, well, now you know.
The salad has since come off the menu, but in a Hail Mary attempt, I messaged the restaurant for the ingredient list, and they did me one better and sent the actual recipe. It was given to me with measurements in grams, so I did my best to convert them to other measurements in case you don’t have a scale. If you’re off by a bit, you can adjust to your taste and it will still be delicious.
I think you need the bitterness of chicory here, so try and find them if you can. They’re a somewhat specialty product, but I do know Trader Joe’s sells a pre-washed bag of hearty lettuces that includes radicchio that would work in a pinch.
Chicory Salad with Pickled Raisins and Pine Nut Vinaigrette
Recipe from Cecily Restaurant
Serves 4 as a main dish
3-4 heads assorted chicory: Radicchio, Castelfranco, Treviso, leaves torn into smaller bites.
Small yellow onion, thinly sliced. About a heaping half cup
175g (about 2 cups) toasted pine nuts
75g (about 1/3 cup) water
75g (about 1/3 cup) red wine vinegar
10g pickled Fresno pepper*
50g (about 1/4 cup) olive oil
1 pint of panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lemon, zested
1 teaspoon of red pepper flake, divided
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
*I was unable to find Fresno peppers so I grabbed a jar of pickled jalapeños, which are definitely not the same. I tried the dressing with and without the peppers and the difference is minimal, so you can omit these if you’re unable to find Fresno peppers to pickle them.
Make the pickled raisins first so they have time to pickle and cool. Place the raisins in a glass jar. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, and crushed red pepper. Cook over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Pour the hot liquid over the raisins, covering them entirely. Leaving the jar uncovered, allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Stir occasionally.
Toast pine nuts in a large skillet over medium heat. Be sure to consistently move them around so they don’t get too burned. Toast them until they reach a fairly toasty color. About 3-5 minutes.
Add pine nuts, water, red wine vinegar, fresno pepper if using, and olive oil to a blender and whirl until very smooth. Add a heavy pinch of salt, whirl again, and add more salt if needed.
Wipe out the pine nut skillet. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add bread crumbs, red pepper flakes, and a heavy pinch of salt, and toast until a deep golden color, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add lemon zest and combine.
In a mixing bowl, add chicory leaves, onions, dressing, and raisins and toss to combine. Add some bread crumbs and toss again. Divide among plates and top with more bread crumbs, onions, and raisins.
PS - I like a good amount of raisins in my salad, but you might be leftover with more than what you know what to do with. Here are some other ways to use them: scatter over meat that pairs with fruit like pork or duck, on a cheese board, over hearty roasted vegetables, in coleslaw, other salads.
Congratulations on 100! Such a huge milestone! And absolutely yes to breadcrumbs on salad. Can’t wait to try out that recipe!