food//and
October edition + sausage and squash pasta
Welcome to our first installment of structuring things this way. The first newsletter of the month will capture food//and in its essence and live up to its name.
Thanks for hanging out.
For the last seven years I have made a list at the top of every new season with things that I want to cook or bake. Some are repeats but quintessential to the season and some are things I’ve always wanted to make and haven’t yet.
Gnocchi has been on my list every single year and every single year I have not made it.
She’s back on there.
Autumn is when I most come alive- when the heat settles and I can tolerate being outside sans shade for more than 10 minutes unless I have immediate access to water. When I feel most creative. When being quiet and still and at home seems less antisocial and more cozy.
It’s also high-holiday season which means that I get to live out the type of mothering that I clung to and sought when I was little. When my mother decorated for her birthday aka Halloween. The hosting and gathering. The themed meals I plan for the kids because I absolutely love doing it- I love that version of magic I am able to give my kids and heal my own inner-kid with, and not because it’s what I think I should be doing. I really do love making ghost shaped grilled cheese for tomato soup, I swear. That Pinterest mom shit? I was that version in my younger days, before Moonie was born. Like the time I pitched a pan of mini cherry cheesecakes at the wall leading up to a summer BBQ I was hosting because they stuck to the pan. I am that Pinterest mom because I love it. I am no longer that Pinterest mom. If you were hanging out on Instagram with me last week (@avatruckey) then you most likely saw my back-and-forth with chosen fam about having a caramel apple bar. We did it! She has a fondue set! And honestly it didn’t make the kind of mess we all anticipated? Small victories.
October is for apple//pumpkin and November is for pumpkin//apple and December is for citrus and cranberries. Of course you can still pumpkin in December but you can’t cranberry in October. These are my arbitrary rules that I assign to nobody else except me so fret not. I experimented with an apple//tahini cookie with apple cider glaze this week and I am very pleased and I also know when I need to take a lap before publishing a recipe. I know that I am a one human show, there are no official recipe testers on my roster, I am the recipe tester. Although I was taught to cook and understand food through and by some truly talented people I am not classically trained- I did not go to culinary school or any four year for that matter. I like to think of myself as a teacher of embodiment, yes, even through cooking and not so much an expert recipe crafter. I cook things literally alongside you. When I’m creating recipes I’ll make it a couple of times- not because I don’t care about the outcome. Not because I don’t appreciate precision. Not because I think I am above technical skills. But if I teach you anything it’s how to intuitively understand your food and the way you cook so that your style of cooking can be representative of you. I want my suggestions and recipes to be a guide instead of gospel.
That being said, here’s a Kinda Recipe for a truly delightful and seasonal squash pasta.
Sausage + Squash Pasta for a couple people + lunch the next day
1 medium sized delicata squash, mostly peeled (the skin of delicata is, surprise, more delicate and can be eaten. I still recommend removing most of it but do you), seeded, and cut into bite sized pieces
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz Italian sausage (sub a meatless sausage or don’t use it at all if that’s not your vibe. Mushrooms would also be a welcomed replacement)
8 oz tubular pasta (I would have used rigatoni but this is what I had)
a couple sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bunch of greens of your choice, chopped, stems removed (I used Lacinato kale because it’s the only kale I prefer to fuck with)
1 lemon
salt
freshly ground pepper
red pepper flakes (optional)
freshly grated parmesan or nutritional yeast
Bonus/optional but v good- garlicky breadcrumbs!
I don’t have any measurements! It’s going to be okay! Add a bit of butter into a small pan set to medium. Once it’s melted add enough breadcrumbs to coat the bottom of the pan. Knock it down to medium-low (breadcrumbs toast quickly) and allow them to get some color
Remove from the pan into an airtight container and grate just a tiny bit of garlic on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper, mix well to combine. Tada.
Preheat the oven to 425
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil
Set a pan on medium high if you’re using sausage
Combine the shallot, squash, olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flake to a sheet pan and toss to combine
Roast squash for 20 minutes and if you don’t get good color on it this way stick it under the broiler with a very watchful eye for a minute or two
Set it aside
Drop the pasta once the water is boiling
Use your fingers to drop in bite sized pieces of sausage into the pan once it’s hot. Space them out well so it sears instead of steams. To do this you need to drop it in and then leave it undisturbed for several minutes. You may need to drop the heat down to medium if it’s searing too quickly. Have a look at the seared-side after about 3 minutes to see how it’s going.
If a ton of fat is still in the pan once the sausage is fully cooked, drain it
Add the garlic and kale/whatever greens you’re using, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and a few squeezes of lemon, and the thyme, mix well, leave the heat on warm/low
Cook pasta according to the instructions on the package but just to barely al dente. It will continue to cook out of the water and in the pot with everything else and the worst thing you can do in the kitchen save losing a finger is making soggy pasta
Save a half cup of pasta water before draining it
Add the pasta to the pot with the sausage and greens and a few splashes of pasta water plus all the squash/shallot mixture
Set the heat to low and cover with the lid for 5 minutes to let everything meld.
Remove the thyme
Taste and evaluate what you might need. Does it need to be thinned a bit? Add a couple splashes of pasta water. If it needs balance try adding another splash of lemon juice before you go crazy with the salt. Top with the breadcrumbs if you made it that far, otherwise serve with grated parmesan and eat it in bed if you’re a heathen like us.
Updates
Evocative: a CNF workshop continues to grow and be a source of virtual community + joy. This space was designed to focus on the creative process in and outside of craft, to inspire, to be in community. Each week we look at some pieces that I have chosen, discuss, I give prompts, there’s writing time, and an option to share. It is very drop in//out as your schedule and desires allow. Come when you can, bring a friend. Oh, and it’s free.99! Send me a message if you would like to join.
I soft-launch announced the guided journal for kids 8+ that I am creating last week. After searching for something for Moonie’s birthday and only coming up with options that were gendered, teeming with diet-culture, racism, ableism, sexism (every ism) I decided to create my own. The quotes are from activists, writers, artists, tribe leaders, athletes etc that I admire. From Toni Morrison to Leslie Feinberg to Kiese Laymon to Sasha Velour. You won’t find Dr. Seuss or Lincoln quotes here. It strays from toxic positivity and instead leads them to get curious about trusting themselves and their needs. It is a love letter to my kids, your kids, and our inner-kids. I needed this when I was a kid and I think you most likely did as well. Please consider becoming a subscriber to stay up to date on release day and tell your friends xx.
I will be co-hosting a virtual writing workshop at the intersection of food + grief with Priscilla Callos from Passing on Collective on Saturday, November 9th at 12 pm MST. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for additional details. Just like Evocative you do not need to be a writer to join.
Biggest love,
AR