Equal Parts

Newsletters are the new blogs – actually, they have been for a few years – and I briefly considered turning this website into one. But the truth is I write this for me, and maybe Olivia, and the handy index that guides me to my family’s favorite recipes in one click. I don’t want to reference my repertoire in email form, and I’m happy with my loyal following of quantity 4.

But all my favorite writers have made the leap. Molly Wizenberg. Jenny Rosenstrach. Alison Roman. Edan Lepucki. Luisa Weiss. And so many more. There’s no way I can keep up. Like with blogs beforehand, I follow and unfollow based on time and interest. Most cost $5/month to enjoy full content, and I think it’s a great way for writers to get paid without advertising. If I had a following, I would for sure want to make money this way.

New to the newsletter game last month is one of my favorite food writers – Julia Turshen! – who I have written about on this site many times. I signed up immediately. In her inaugural issue she shared some behind-the-scenes process of cookbook writing, specifically what she thinks about when deciding whether or not to include a photo of a recipe (because even she, Julia Turshen, and her publishers can’t afford to include photography for all).

She then directed us to one of her favorite recipes from Simply Julia, green chile braised chicken thighs, which she feared few of us were making due to a lack of photographic inspiration. She encouraged us all to give it a try with the note that now she “can do what I’ve always dreamed of doing, which is to write directly to other home cooks without anyone in between us.”

Keep it coming, Julia, because I made this dish last night, and it was incredible. I’ve been looking for a go-to braised chicken recipe, and this could not be easier. Brown chicken thighs; add a can of pinto beans, diced tomatoes with green chile, and some spices; simmer for one hour until the chicken is pull-apart tender. We used the results as filling for tacos, so I can claim this as both the best chicken* and the best tacos I’ve ever made at home. Even Jeff, who isn’t necessarily a spicy / chicken / taco fan, thought these were great. Whew! I can’t wait to make these again!

*stiff competition here

GREEN CHILE BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS, from Julia Turshen

You’ll need:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 can pinto beans
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles (RoTel)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp red chile powder
Juice of 1 lime
Salt
Cilantro (optional)
Tortillas (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the chicken thighs with salt. When the oil is hot add the chicken thighs to the pot (in batches if necessary) and brown on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side. When finished browning on the second side, add the pinto beans (no need to drain the can), tomatoes, cumin, chile powder, and a large pinch of salt to the pot, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then immediately lower the heat, cover the pot, and simmer until the chicken is pull-apart tender, about 1 hour. Turn off the heat and use 2 forks to shred the chicken. Let cool slightly, then stir in the lime juice and sprinkle with cilantro. Fold into tortillas for tacos.