It's Pub Day!!

It’s Pub Day!! My new book, The Forest Feast Road Trip is now officially out in the world and I’m so excited. It was 3,000+ miles, a 3rd kid and 3 years in the making! I was pregnant for much of the writing of the book and so the dedication goes, “For Winnie—the best (and only) reason I can think of to buy a minivan” 🤣

THANK YOU to everyone who has ordered it and thank you to all the amazing people who helped bring this book to life: @ljdozier @alisonfargis and everyone @abramsbooks —and of course @jackproz —the mastermind behind all our travels and my constant collaborator. Thank you friends who traveled with us and to the women who helped behind-the scenes, especially @ms_slade @em_heck and all of the many volunteer recipe testers. Thank you to all of the farmers, ranchers, shopkeepers, makers and others who hosted us while traveling. @campovida #delacourranch @skyfarmyurt @elizabethpoett @umamimart @artelexia_official @humboldtbaysocialclub @thomasfogartywinery @shoppigment @flygirlfarm and so many more…

I hope this book sparks wanderlust and adventure, wherever you live and inspires you to be creative in the kitchen.

Happy cooking!!

xx Erin

Signed copies available by request at BOOKS INC.

Other places to preorder:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Books-A-Million

Bookshop

IndieBound

Powells

PS: come to my preorder party via Zoom TONIGHT!!

Forest Feast Festival/ Launch Party!

For anyone in the Bay Area, hope you can join us in celebrating at the cookbook launch party for The Forest Feast Road Trip!

Where: We'll be taking over the backyard of the San Benito House, our favorite restaurant in Half Moon Bay, at 356 Main Street.

When: Saturday April 9th, 3-6pm

Who: Free and open to the public, all ages welcome, invite your friends!

It'll be a festive, colorful afternoon with live music and creative Forest Feast activities. And of course, I'll be selling and signing my new book! The Cantina at the San Benito House will be open for food and drinks outside and it's an easy place for kids to play on the back lawn (Ezra, Max and Winnie would love company!). We hope you'll come and hang out with us for the afternoon and evening. More event info here.

Thank you all for your ongoing support of The Forest Feast, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. If you can't make it, feel free to pre-order a signed copy here.

XO

Erin

Chickpea + Radish Salad (Vegan)

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This has been my go-to weekday lunch. It’s crunchy and light but filling and it does well when made ahead.

CHICKPEA + RADISH SALAD

1 (15-oz) can chickpeas (garbanzos), drained & rinsed

5 radishes, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/4 onion, diced

1/4 c chopped parsley

Dress with a splash of olive oil, rice vinegar and Bragg liquid aminos (or soy sauce).

It makes 2 good-size servings. I like to put it alongside some cottage cheese or a green salad for lunch.

Fried Olives + Pickles for Hanukkah

The story of Hanukkah has to do with an oil lamp miraculously burning for 8 days straight. And I love how we have translated that into a reason to eat foods fried in oil for a week! Latkes and doughnuts reign supreme during the 8 nights of Hanukkah. But I’m always looking for simple holiday recipes to add to the festivities. So when food writer and cookbook author Leah Koenig recently reached out to me about working together to share a very simple recipe from her fabulous book, Modern Jewish Cooking, I was excited! This recipe is so easy. If you’re frying up some latkes, you can toss these in the pan as well for a deliciously festive combo.

Leah has written 6 cookbooks including The Jewish Cookbook and Little Book of Jewish Feasts (which I am gifting to a few people this year!). She also has a really great newsletter called The Jewish Table that I highly recommend subscribing to. Here’s her tasty Hanukkah recipe…

Fried Olives and Pickles

This recipe is adapted from the fried olives recipe in Modern Jewish Cooking

Serves 6

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon smoked or sweet paprika

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs

40 pitted green olives, patted dry

One 16-oz container dill pickle chips, drained and patted dry

Vegetable oil (like sunflower) for frying

  1. Stir together flour and paprika in a wide, shallow bowl, beat the eggs in a second bowl, and add breadcrumbs to a third bowl or plate. 

  2. Dredge the olives and pickle chips in the flour, shaking off the excess, then dip into the egg wash, and dredge on all sides in the bread crumbs.

  3. Heat ¼ inch of oil in a large frying set over medium heat until shimmering (350 to 360F), and line a large plate with paper towels. 

  4. Working in batches, and adding more oil as necessary, fry the olives and pickles, turning once, until crisp and golden, 2-3 minutes per batch. Transfer to the plate to drain, serve hot on top of or alongside a swirl of labneh sprinkled with smoked paprika or swooshed with harissa. 

Recipe by Leah Koenig

Photography and Illustration by Erin Gleeson

Handmade pottery by Cara Janelle

Setting the Holiday Table

Years ago, we had a set of white plates and one day, I put the whole stack in the basement. I have always collected vintage plates to shoot food on, many of which are featured in my books. I love color and pattern and decided it would make me smile each day to eat off those instead. So now, about once a year, I go down to my stockpile of 100+ plates in the basement and choose 12 to keep in our kitchen cupboard. The kids eat off them as well! They aren’t precious because I paid less than $5 for each and I put them in the dishwasher too. It makes mealtime just a little more fun and our table a lot more colorful.

I’ve always loved a mix-and-match table. So when I was recently gifted a set of Rose Marble Dinner Napkins from my friends at Goldie Home, they went perfectly into the mix. I chose a photo table cloth I made as the base and an overall warm-colored palette of pinks and oranges. I am not fancy when hosting. I don’t usually set a “proper” table with extra salad forks etc, and I usually only put spoons out if we need them. I can honestly never remember which side the fork even goes on!, but if I want to remember, I check the little illustration I did in The Forest Feast Gatherings.

Another tip I share in The Forest Feast Gatherings is to use a platter as the centerpiece. This is my go-to! Here I’m using the wooden tray my mom brought back from Italy as a teenager in the 1960s. I start by putting flowers in the middle and then add whole fruit or vegetables around it. It adds a pop of color and is easy to move if you need the table space for a platter of food later.

Color overload isn’t for everyone, but I have so much fun with it. I try to incorporate it into not only the table setting but also what I wear and the food and drinks I serve. Find more of my tips in this fun Entertaining Q+A I did with Goldie Home.

If you’re setting the table for Thanksgiving in a couple weeks, try mixing it up – things don’t need to match. Have fun with it and don’t be afraid to add extra pops of color!

The Forest Feast contains affiliate links which means we may make a small commission if items are purchased via links we provide, at no additional cost to you. This post is an (unpaid) collaboration with my friends at Goldie Home. They gifted me the napkins and I love them so much I had to share!