Today is Juneteenth. The day marks the date that 250,000 enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, first learned that they were free — more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. It is not a day for buying things, whatever Walmart might have you believe. But I would like to recommend some reading.
On Juneteenth, by historian Annette Gordon-Reed, came out last year and offers a deep dive into the holiday and the history that precedes it. More recently, Nicole A. Taylor published Watermelon and Red Birds: A Cookbook for Juneteenth and Black Celebrations. Eater editor-in-chief Stephanie Wu spoke to Taylor about the book and what it means to honor Juneteenth. As Taylor, the self-proclaimed “queen of celebrations” describes it, “Watermelon and Red Birds is about my Juneteenth celebrations and how I chose to celebrate for more than a decade.”
It may be too late for you to make use of recipes like rhubarb barbecue sauce and sweet potato spritzes for any gatherings you have planned today or tomorrow, a day many office workers now have off, but the recipes are such that they’d be welcome additions to any summer gathering. And anyway, as Taylor says, “I’m all about the food, but it’s important that all Americans really start the Juneteenth day — or the day after, if they want to use the national holiday — by grounding themselves in the history of it.”
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Haand cloudware mugs, Caviair caviar, Watermelon & Red Birds, Fly By Jing x Jacobsen Salt Co. Tingly Sichuan Salt, and Levan's rocky road cookies.
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As we enter grilling season, it would behoove many to know which veggie dogs are worth buying, and Dayna Evans has the answer after tasting and assessing 10 different vegetarian hot dog brands. The most surprising recommendation: a veggie dog from Ikea she says is “actually more like an old-school veggie patty, with kale, lentils, quinoa, onions, and wheat protein, all smooshed together and visible.”
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Another thing to add some variety to summer grilling: Fly By Jing partnered with Jacobsen Salt Co. on a tingly Sichuan salt. It’s recommended as a dry rub or finishing salt for any number of foods.
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Evans also interviewed the co-founder and head of Patagonia Provisions, the growing pantry arm of outdoorsy clothing brand Patagonia. It all started with wild salmon, but now there’s beer and pasta made with Kernza (a low-gluten grain that Patagonia Provisions incentivized farmers to grow), and, naturally, a whole host of tinned fish. For those who want a primer on the sustainability-focused brand, the Patagonia Provisions pantry stocker box is a good place to start.
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Patagonia Provisions’ Birgit Cameron noted that the company didn’t start selling tinned fish because it was trendy, but because those smaller fish tend to be more sustainable. Now, though, the trend can’t be denied, as Japanese snack box brand Bokksu becomes the latest seller to stock tinned fish with a collection sourced from Japan, Korea, and China.
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In a similar, but really entirely different vein, Ariel Arce’s direct-to-consumer caviar company Caviair is partnering with pop artist Ashley Longshore on three limited-edition tins of osetra caviar. Prices start at $325 for 125 grams.
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For the first time, Levain Bakery is launching a limited-edition rocky road cookie flavor just for summer (at least that’s the plan). The dark chocolate cookies, with cashews and marshmallows, are available to order online in gift boxes, and they’ll also be for sale in the bakeries, which now span 11 locations in five cities.
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Ceramics brand Haand, which is located in Burlington, North Carolina, is celebrating 10 years in business with a couple of additions to its pretty cloudware collection. The new mug and vase would both make wonderful gifts.
Thanks for reading. If you liked this email, please forward it to a friend. — Monica
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