Hello friends and welcome to another fine Sunday! Today we hear from our friend Toby Lowenfels. Settle in – it’s a good one! xo Joy
Hi, JTB friends! Itโs Toby again with a bit of an SOS situation. Anybody have ideas for a good Thanksgiving side to serve for my dad who has Celiac? Heโs been a lifelong potato-hater, so heโs always passed on our beloved sweet potato casserole. Now, heโs suddenly decided he doesnโt like rice, which I guess is something you can get away with when youโre 84 years old. Please let me know and, in the meantime, here are some bits of Internet that are *almost* as good as Momโs sweet potato casserole. Enjoy!ย
โขย By far the best thing to come out of the pandemic was The Masked Hatter, who quickly became one of my favorite follows. Using her exquisite collection of hats and masks, Elizabeth Sobieski creates selfies that double as lessons in fashion history. Absolutely brilliant. (Instagram)ย
โขย Frayed is back for Season 2 and I am pumped. Sarah Kendall plays Sammy, a foul-mouthed mother whoโs forced to return to her hometown in Australia after the death of her husband. The way she contorts her body and face makes her the funniest character since Elaine Benes IMHO. (HBO Max)
โขย A thread to brighten any day: tell me about the time you laughed so hard you cried. (Twitter)
โขย Halloween has come and gone but candy trades are still going strong in our house. Seeing our kids bite a single M&M in half using their baby teeth reminded me of this extensive review of all of the different M&M flavors. Ah, siblings. (Insider)
โขย Shiny, happy Piera Gelardi influenced me into buying this cutting board which doubles as kitchen art. The price tag is slightly scary so be prepared. But! I never knew I could feel this way about a piece of cookware. It now has a permanent spot on my countertop where I dreamily stare into it. (Uncommon Goods)
โขย Life goal: turning an entire room into a personal library. โThere are about 8,000 of the buggers, thanks to more than 40 years of devoted reading and an unwillingness to let go of old friends.โ (The Guardian)
โขย The new Spirtualized single, โAlways Together with You,โ is a stunning piece of eye and ear candy. The video reminds me of the scene in 5th Element when Leeloo learns that her purpose is to save humanity even though thereโs this little thing we have called โwar.โ (YouTube)
โขย Hereโs the kind of hard-hitting journalism we need right now: Pete Davidsonโs Dating History. Maybe thereโs a convincing case for the idea that he might actually be charming? (Glamour)
โขย My recipe notes for Joyโs Mediterranean Salmon Parcels were โvery yum, served w/ rice, no changes,โ which means itโs a perfect weeknight dinner for the entire fam. Even the kiddos skipped their usual complaints, which is saying a lot. This oneโs for sure going into the rotation. (Joy the Baker)
โขย Itโd most definitely benefit everybody to take some time on this fine Sunday morning to soak up the wisdom of Joni Mitchell via The Useful Human Truth: Nine Lessons. What an icon. (Jim Carrollโs Blog)
โขย One thing Iโm not into is makeup. Embarrassingly, Iโve worn the same four Clinique products since the 8th grade. But that doesnโt stop me from inhaling every issue of Beauty IRL, a newsletter from reporter Darian Symonรฉ Harvin. Itโs full of product advice Iโll probably never heed but she covers the beauty industry in a way thatโs smart and interesting. And that Iโm into. (Substack)
โขย I cosign everything in this crafty post on 20 Things I Donโt Want To See In The Metaverse as we all continue to sift through this weird point in time/media/space. (Bustle)
โข ย Storytime with Seth Rogen is a solid option if you’re looking for a fun podcast with a short runtime. His signature stoner laugh punctuates most of the conversations throughout, which is a delight. And I love the overall premise, which is that everyone has at least one good story. Oh, did I mention Paul Rudd is a guest? Enough said. (Earwolf)
โขย Recently, I was lamenting to my friend, Jenelle, that I canโt find persimmons in Nashville. โBummer,โ she replied, โbut at least you have pawpaws.โ Record scratch. Iโve never even heard of this Tennessee fruit. Iโm going to see if I can find some in the wild and will report back. (Travel Awaits)
โขย Few contemporary poets have the effect on me that Eileen Myles does. Iโll walk around for entire years at a time with one of her lines rattling through my brain. In this case, a line from Cool for Youโdiscovered via Louise Erdrichโs new novel, The Sentenceโends with this stunner: โTo think you might wind up eating it one day, looking around, the day you forgot who you were.โ You gotta read the whole passage for the full effect. You just do.ย (Eileen Myles)
โขย And, finally, itโs officially Holiday Movie Season. Here are some of my faves. (Whatโs Up Moms)
Toby Lowenfels is a writer & mother living in Nashville. You can follow her daily musings @tobyfels.ย
27 Responses
Great reads!!
I’ve also created my own library when I moved in this flat and everyone was like ‘you’ll need that space for other stuff’, I didn’t care, created my personal library, and now everyone loves it!!
So happy you mentioned Frayed. As an Australian who loves this series I am glad to see it getting some love overseas.
Hi Toby, I also have Celiac and can’t eat rice either because it sort of brings on the same symptoms as if I ate wheat. I understand your dad! Sweet potato casserole can easily be made without gluten (roasted sweets or pureed sweets with pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon on top is east peasy) and there are so many other good sides that can be made using gf crackers as breadcrumbs like broccoli casserole, mashed potato casserole, etc. Cranberry sauce is naturally gf too. Just be careful of brines and/or rubs for the turkey (some might have weird stuff inside). Use pulverized gf cookies to make a press-in crust for pie (pumpkin or Joy’s sweet potato pie are gf without the crust!). It’s much easier than it seems! Good luck!!
Hi Toby!
I am also a Celiac (I can totally understand the hatred of rice, rice is in everything gluten free nowadays) and one of my favorite Thanksgiving side-dishes is the roasted brussel sprouts with a warm honey glaze from Bon Appetite: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/roasted-brussels-sprouts-with-warm-honey-glaze
OR their cornbread stuffing with sausage (it’s amazing and we make it every year now as a staple!) : https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/cornbread-stuffing-with-sausage-and-corn-nuts
I hope your father enjoys whatever recipes you choose to make, and I hope your holidays are magical!
You can buy persimmons through Misfit Markets and they ship to TN! I’m in Knoxville and just got a few delivered this weekend.
We made Smitten Kitchen’s Winter Squash and Spinach Pasta Bake the day that she posted it and it was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. There are notes in the comments for making it gluten free. (Off to watch people laugh, which makes me so, so happy!). https://smittenkitchen.com/2021/10/winter-squash-and-spinach-pasta-bake/
Iโve heard of a brand that makes a mashed potato dish out of hearts of palm thatโs supposed to taste exactly like masked potatoes. Thereโs a recipe on FlavCity website where they use it for a shepards pie! Looks so good!
Gastropod has a great episode on pawpaws if you have 30 min to spare. I love all of their content, but the pawpaw episode was a favorite!
Thank you for the Twitter thread about laughing until you cried. That was the absolutely best way to start my day!
Same and so true!
Love & look forward to your blog posting every single Sunday! As someone with a gluten sensitivity who loves stuffing as a side on Thanksgiving, (not sure if your Dad does, but if he does) perhaps a gluten free cornbread stuffing would work? This is a goodie: https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/cornbread-stuffing/
Thanks for bringing Joy every Sunday!
Great post! Also, spaghetti squash, roasted, and shredded, mixed with some butter, basil, roast garlic, and Parmesan, piked into a getting dish and briefly baked to brown the top, is an easy, unusual side, which has won me rave reviews. Every. Single. Time. Try it out!
A personal library is the dream truly
For celiac friendly non-potato/non-rice sides, I highly recommend Samin Nosrat’s Butternut Squash and Brussel Sprouts in Agrodolce. This can be adapted to whichever roasted veg you prefer!
http://ciaosamin.com/ciao/vegetables-in-agrodolce
Good luck finding pawpaws–they’re not all that common and the critters love the fruit as much as people do.
Try an Asian market or Costco for persimmons (the Japanese variety at any rate). I’ve seen them at both recently
Thank you for sharing! For your dad, maybe a savory polenta based dish? Best of luck!
Ooh yes to this! Savory polenta!!
Gosh I never had polenta as a kid but now love love love to eat it.
Mushrooms and mushroom based sauces go great with savory polenta
Toby – thank you all of your offerings, but especially for that Twitter thread. My stomach hurts from laughing so hard.
Have you considered a gluten-free noodle kugel for your Dad? Lots of options out there.
I make a celiac friendly creamed corn every Thanksgiving. The only ingredients are corn (I use frozen) cream cheese, milk, and salt and pepper. Maybe butter, too, I forget. It’s just cooked in the slow cooker so it’s super easy. There’s a good guide on The Kitchn’s website.
If you donโt have plans for green beans already, I love these ones!
https://carlsbadcravings.com/dijon-maple-green-beans-with-caramelized-pecans-bacon-and-feta/
Fun read but what is that a picture of? Inquiring minds need to know and should we bake asap?
One of our favorite sides at Thanksgivings (and Christmas and Birthdays and…) is from a 1971 issue of Sunset Magazine, submitted by a reader. Artichoke Nibbles is a fantastic mix of artichokes, cheese, eggs and herbs baked into a wonderful custard and cut into small squares. It does call for some easily replaceable bread crumbs. My husband, the Keto diehard, always wants it. My daughter the vegetarian begs for it, my granddaughters, the meat and candy eaters love it and everyone else scarfs it down. You can find the recipe at http://www.sunset.com/recipe/artichoke-nibbles
Give it a try. So good.
How about a classic American savory corn pudding for a gluten-free Thanksgiving side for your dad? Not too daring for most 84yo palates but still flavorful enough for those elders who are on the discerning end of the discerning/picky spectrum. I dug my recipe out of my newsletter from last Thanksgiving, so here:
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a small casserole dish.
Whisk together:
2 eggs
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. Greek yogurt (plain yogurt would probably be fine but you don’t want anything sweetened/flavored here)
1 can creamed corn
2 T melted butter (slightly cooled) (I just use a glass bowl for the whole thing, so I melt the butter in it and let it cool and then whisk everything else in) (I really like to save on dishes)
1/4 c rice flour
2 T corn starch
3 T cornmeal
1 t baking powder
Pinch salt
Whisk all that really well. Pour it into the pan and bake for around 50 minutes. It’ll be golden brown and firm when it’s done. Doubles just fine if you have a larger crowd.
One of my favorite holiday sides is a big sheet pan of roasted brussel sprouts and apples. Even sprout haters love it because if you cut things into similar size chunks, you can go for combo bites. Even my toddler devours it. Drizzle olive oil over the whole pan plus salt and pepper and chopped shallot/onion if you have a spare. Drizzle with balsamic when the sprouts feel half done and keep going (or put it on at the start for ease but the sugar might burn a bit). Also delicious with pancetta for meat eaters and/or with dried cranberries mixed in when everything comes out of the oven for an extra color kick. You can also sub sweet potatoes for the apples or go for thirds. I do this to when I want the potatoes but don’t have oven space/time for another dish. I’m all about the one pan side, you see (hence my deep love of stuffing, but that’s another conversation).
I love mashed turnips or mashed rutabagas as a change up for potatoes, especially with roast poultry or cured ham.
Make them the same way as mashed potatoes
Hi Joy!
Long time follower / reader(since your Venice days!) – Im so happy for your success and bought your holiday book last year (this year too) and attempted your praline apple pie. It came out ok. I messed something up on the topping.
Anyway. Last year – quarantine. But this year, Iโm back with my aunties and Iโd love to try again. But I forgot my book with your recipe at home ???
Here goes : would you be willing to send it to us? We do a big Thanksgiving baking day every year and Iโm hopeful I can get it right this time ( theyโre from Louisiana – lots of praline experience) under their watchful eye. And it was such a beautiful addition to the dessert table.
Anyway – hope your holiday is restful and wonderful xoxo
Roasted cauliflower tossed in browned butter with a squeeze of lemon and black pepper. Maybe some toasted pepitas on top?