on hand |  a newsletter about food and drink

on hand |  a newsletter about food and drink

You can support this newsletter by shopping 🛍️

Plus, a recipe for an easy tomato confit and chickpea pasta.

Brianna Plaza's avatar
Brianna Plaza
Jun 16, 2025
∙ Paid

Hi folks -

Whether you’ve been here since the beginning or you’re a new reader, I want to thank you for being a subscriber to on hand. Writing this newsletter is an enjoyable project that I work on outside of my day job (and sometimes during my day job — don’t tell my employers). It’s allowed me to chat with really interesting food and drink people and develop some fun recipes.

This newsletter is reader supported which means that every time you read, like, share, or become a paid subscriber, you help the newsletter grow and reach more readers and new brands. Writing this on top of a full time job can sometimes be chaotic because editing interviews and testing recipes takes a lot of time. But the full time job affords me the funds to test recipes for paid subscribers and do research (buying products from brands to try them, meeting chefs over dinner, etc).

So if you’ve enjoyed this newsletter and are interested in ways to support this work, I’ve got an easy way to do that: shop!

Many writers share links to products and they earn a commission if a purchase is made. Those links usually point to Amazon, which is not a place I shop, so I am excited to work with retailers where I actually spend money. Below are four places where you can shop for cookbooks from featured authors, products for your kitchen, decorations for your home, and spices for your cooking, all while helping out on hand.

Plus, as a thank you for reading and checking out these shops, I’ve got a free recipe for easy tomato confit and chickpea pasta for everyone to enjoy!

Bookshop.org

One of my favorite parts of writing on hand is the fact that I get to interview so many interesting food and drink folks, over a dozen of whom have written cookbooks. I’m a strong supporter of local bookstores and with Bookshop.org, you can shop from independent shops around the country. I’ve compiled a newsletter collection of cookbooks, and if you’re in the market for new cookbooks, this is a great place to start.

Shop cookbooks

Etsy

Etsy is the global marketplace for unique and creative goods, and I’ve purchased a lot of custom art, furniture, and kitchen tools, like this olive oil cruet, on the site. I cannot overstate how much I love Etsy, so I’ve curated a collection of some of my favorite things.

Shop my Etsy Collection

cooking station ft the Etsy olive oil cruet and a Peugeot pepper mill.

Sur La Table

When I moved to New York City, I got a part-time job at Sur La Table helping with their cooking classes. Working there felt like going to culinary school because I learned so much. I bought a lot of things using my discount, many of which I still own and use frequently. This Zwilling bread knife is the best I’ve ever owned, I am obsessed with these Rösle locking tongs, and my Peugeot pepper mill looks gorgeous on my counter (and works great).

Shop Sur La Table

Burlap and Barrel

Burlap and Barrel sells single-origin spices sourced directly from small farms around the world, building new spice supply chains that are equitable, transparent, and traceable. Their products are so much more flavorful than any other brand I’ve used, and I’ve been really enjoying their toasted onion powder and purple stripe garlic. I will be buying peppercorns from them the next time I am out.

Shop Burlap and Barrel

Tomato confit and chickpea pasta

User's avatar

Continue reading this post for free, courtesy of Brianna Plaza.

Or purchase a paid subscription.
© 2026 Brianna Plaza · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture