Hello, snaps, crackles and pops! Right now, Beyoncé is singing about waiting for me to get home to her so I can turn that cherry out. It’s a good Sunday. Let’s talk about food and gal pals.
I grew up on Puerto Rican food with a side of quick fix American dinners. At 19, I was someone who mainly ate some form of rice and beans or chicken tenders and french fries. Oh, and guacamole but that’s because I loved nachos, not bc of heritage — see above ethnicity. But then I started dating, flirting with and going out with all sorts of mind-blowing, hyper-intelligent, and food-savvy women. And even the ones that weren’t so great brought some tasty treats my way. My whole culinary world exploded — not literally, but so close to literally that you could feel the sonic booms. So to all the gal pals, secret crushes, and sexfriends that bought delicious foods into my life, this post is for you. May you all still be eating well and feeding the people you love.
1. Mushrooms
2. Italian Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
Italian girls from Westchester hold a special place in my heart.
3. Butternut Squash
4. Pizza Dough
When the sweetest human teaches you how to make pizza dough, you eat forever.
5. Hot Pockets
I still don’t know if I ever liked how these tasted or if I just thought it was cute that she’d cooked for me.
6. Snap Peas
7. Aloo Gobi
Thank you forever to the sweet and beautiful girls who took pity on me in East Harrow. They saved me from stomach rumblings by sharing the foods their moms and aunties cooked for them growing up. All I had to do was talk in my New York accent and wash dishes afterwards.
8. Cauliflower
Who knew cauliflower wasn’t just the nasty sidekick to a gross vegetable platter at a Superbowl Party?
9. Crepes: More specifically banana + nutella crepes
10. Purple Potatoes
11. Esquites
Legit wept the first time I ate esquites.
12. Shallots
13. Corn Dogs
Katy Perry uses corn dogs to start fights over sports ball.
14. Maryland Crabs
The crab fest thing was barbaric and weird, for me. But it’s huge in Maryland.
14a. Old Bay Seasoning
Because this is how crabs are seasoned in Maryland.
15. Pizza with Sweet Corn and Prawns
Something inside of me died a little bit when I ordered pizza with foxy Brits for the first time. Y’all are putting what now on this pizza? I still ate it tho.
16. Cinnamon in Coffee
17. Mangu Dominicano
Dominican girls run the world.
18. Brussels Sprouts
Found out this year that brussels sprouts grow on a stalk. Thanks, Trader Joe’s. I thought maybe they came from a bush. Nope, stalks.
19. Salad
20. Green Chiles
The Latina desert dykes I chilled with in Santa Fe killed it with these chiles.
21. Empanadas
22. The greatest cookies of all time
I knew she loved me when she made my momma homemade Oreos.
* Bonus Drink: Bulleit Bourbon
Because what else is your burlesque-dancing homegirl outta New Orleans going to bring to drink and reminisce over?
