Boo! The sun sets at 4:50 today
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Hello from a very busy Halloween/Marathon/Daylight savings/early voting weekend. Our CSA wrapped for the season and I miss it already. The sun is setting way too early for my liking (can we get rid of daylight savings time as a society?), but otherwise, a great time was had by all. I love watching the Marathon around mile 12, screaming people’s names and giving high fives. I went in the early afternoon, which is when a lot of the morning cheering folks head out, so we could get really close. All the runners deserve so much support for their effort, no matter the speed or finishing time, and it felt great to cheer. I never really run but I’m definitely considering giving it a try (pending PT clearance).
I wanted to thank you for all the kind words about the ninth anniversary of This Needs Hot Sauce. It was an emotional walk down memory lane and it’s wild how much has changed. Next year, we will throw a party and not get as in our feels.
Coming on Friday, our October recap. It was an eventful month! Remember to vote if you haven’t already. I went on Halloween and they were out of the fancy stickers but kids were trick or treating at the location, which was adorable.
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Now, let’s dive in.
Something to cook:
Jared made a lovely meal of tofu, kale, roasted turnip and pickled purple daikon with rice. It used up some CSA odds and ends and was so comforting.
Leah and I watched Dancing with the Stars and I made us Brami pasta with veggies and pesto using kale, collards, onion and garlic, cherry tomatoes and white beans. We topped everything with a hearty shower of pecorino and red pepper flakes and were sad when Tyler went home, but it was time.
We had another big veggie dinner of farro with mushrooms and bok choy topped with chili crisp. i love a vegetable forward night at home.
The CSA eggs are so good so Jared made me a french omelet with thyme and tarragon. I ate it with sourdough toast and some CSA arugula that was so flavorful.
Frida hosted the first annual chiliween, a daytime hang featuring chili dogs (veg and regular). It was delicious and she had all the fixings: shredded cheese, jalapeños, homemade guac, and sour cream, plus many kinds of seltzer. We did some costume crafting and watched clips from scary movies.
Leah and Erika came over to get ready for Halloween and I needed some quick snacks. I already had skyr and the Lipton onion soup mix so I made the best dip (that’s literally it, you can use sour cream, yogurt, mayo, or a combo). I served it with carrots and radishes from the CSA and picked up Graza potato chips, which are really good. I need to restock my onion soup mix cause it’s a great thing to have on hand if you’re hosting last minute. Erika also complimented this hand soap, which I’m on my second bottle of.
I did some light meal prep and made pesto with carrot tops, parsley, walnuts, pecorino, garlic, nutritional yeast and olive oil. No recipe but in an immersion blender, you can easily taste as you go and adjust to get the right seasonings and texture. Every time I make pesto, I’m shocked at how little you get from a big pile of herbs. I also roasted beets that I hope to make into a dip and roasted a delicata squash, one of the best kinds of squash.
Something to order:
Ivy, Angela and I caught up over dinner at Gus and Marty’s. It was my first time there and it was delicious and well made for sharing. My favorites were the gigante beans and lemon potatoes and the pita is made to order and comes to the table hot and fluffy. It’s also pretty quiet if you have a lot to discuss.
Amy and I coworked at Outro, a coffee shop near Union Square with so much space for laptops or hangs. They also have outdoor seating but the wifi only works indoors. I’m glad to have this one in my back pocket next time I need a spot to work.
Madi and I had a lovely life chat over the excellent happy hour at Margot, which includes a $13 burger, $10 salade vert (excellent), and a cheese plate, as well as wine and cocktails. It goes till 7pm and gives Cozy Royale happy hour vibes, which is a huge compliment. Pencil this in for your next hang—it’s centrally located and so cute.
Megan hosted her 30th birthday “Megnum Opus” at the Saloon at Clover Club, which was the perfect venue. They had great drinks and snacks including an asparagus arancini and so many cheeses. It was such a blast to celebrate her and she leaned into Halloween with the theme: you had to dress either Greek or like the Odyssey. I was inspired by Mamma Mia for my costume with a red patterned dress I got at a clothing swap and Jared dressed as sad Ben Affleck, best friend of Odyssey star Matt Damon. He brought Dunkin props and everything.
We wrapped the weekend with family dinner at Pasquale Jones. Lizzi is in town for work so that was reason to gather! We were seated in a round booth which was great for conversation and some of our favorites were the braised leeks and all the pizzas. We ordered an extra one while we were eating because we knew we would need it.
Something to read:
The planet’s vital signs are getting worse. One of the easiest fixes is your diet. Frida is always right and if you’re looking for ideas for vegetarian meals, I have nine years worth of them!
Casey Lewis shared her career arc from blogging as a teen to writing a must read newsletter on youth culture: After School by Casey Lewis.
Hilary Duff’s tour was one of the best nights of this year and this cover story is a joy.
It makes me sad that teens and tweens are using AI for emotional support.
Love this vegan butter chicken recipe made with tofu and Lukas Volger broke the news (to me) that Trader Joe’s sells paneer now. This paneer sheet pan dinner looks so good.
My screentime is up and I’m fine with it because gay Halloween + marathon content brings so much joy. This costume was so good and I love everyone’s creativity. Plus kids in costume are so adorable.
Have a great week! I truly can’t believe it’s November.
xo, Abigail
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© 2026 Abigail Koffler
Brooklyn, NY