Quick Dinners II

Make your evening meal easier, more delicious, and more diverse.

Like Ron Swanson, I won’t publicly endorse a product unless I use it exclusively and I really believe in it. I’ll also publicly endorse it if it’s mission-driven and allows you to vote with your dollars for the type of world you want to live in.

Buy Bachan’s Japanese BBQ sauce. It’s delicious on everything. I always have a bottle in my fridge and a backup bottle in my cupboard. It’s a go-to stocking stuffer and housewarming gift.

Bachan means grandmother in Japanese. Founder Justin Gill used the recipe that he learned from his grandmother, who was interred at Camp Amache as a child. This product is really a remarkable iteration of the American immigrant journey.

Double DEI win: you can buy it at Costco.

Indian-American Maya Kaimal developed her line of simmer sauces after realizing two things - one, there wasn’t really any high-quality Indian food in mainstream grocery stores and two, that while some people enjoy cooking complicated recipes from scratch, what a lot of people really want (especially on a weeknight) is to be able to chuck something in a pan and have a really delicious dinner in like fifteen minutes.

While tikka masala is her all-time best seller, Maya Kaimal’s goal is to have sauces and flavors that represent the diversity of the Indian subcontinent - so in that spirit, maybe try a sauce you’re not so familiar with, like jalfrezi curry or coconut korma. (The latter, my kid said she would taste - then wound up eating my whole plate.)

Maya Kaimal has this bit of advice (ostensibly for entrepreneurs, but I think it really applies to anyone trying to make a difference, or even just to be a good person:

“When you’re thinking about what you’re putting out in the world, fulfill a need. It’s not about being clever. Ask yourself: What do people need in their life, and how can you bring your special perspective to meet that need?”

Loisa is another one of those dinner time Hail Marys that is so delicious you’ll consider possibly never bothering to cook from scratch again (or at least, that’s my headspace these days). Grab a jar of Recaito, some pork chops, and an onion - then follow their recipe for chuletas encebolladas. Three ingredients and it was one of the best dinners we’ve had in weeks (even though it’s supposed to be four ingredients because of sazon, which I forgot to buy, but dinner turned out great anyway - so if you’re not as forgetful as I am, your dinner’s likely to be even better).

Loisa’s owners - one of whom is Dominican and Peruvian, the other of whom married into a Dominican family - are on a mission to bring high-quality, authentic Latin flavors to their community. No fillers, no artificial flavors or colors, no dyes. And, as they scale and grow, they’re committed to bringing down the prices of their products so they’re more accessible to more people. And while they’re talking about their brand here, I feel like this quote could be about this newsletter:

We wanted to build a brand that welcomed everyone. Just because you don't know some of these recipes or dishes, doesn't mean it's not for you.

I hope you’ve been inspired to step outside of your comfort zone and try some new-to-you flavors or brands. It’s been tough to stay motivated lately, even though (or maybe because) so much of the news is so disheartening, but if anyone reading out there has tried one new product from these posts, or even been motivated to flip over a jar or scroll down a website to see who’s making the things you’re buying, I’ll call that a win.

Next up: Chocolate