Year in Review + Recipe Nostalgia

2024 + Elaine's Applesauce

Well, it’s been a year. I, for one, am ready for it to be over…but not before I enjoy the lush comfort of the holidays: early darkness, cozy fires, stews and soups and breakfast cakes. And, of course, falling asleep with a book on my face. Below, a roundup of the year’s hits (don’t miss the full list!), plus a recipe from my grandma that’s especially timely. So, before we look forward, let’s look back.

We started with tomato sauce and stories of young love:

We baked and dipped into literary darkness:

We sprang into spring and immersed ourselves in campus novels:

We baked some more and deep-read about telling The Truth:

We bounced back from reading ruts and made the perfect breakfast / snack:

We read the hits:

Looking back, I’d say it was a delicious year, both in eating and reading. Thank you all for being here. I can’t tell you how much it means to have your attention in this nutty world of too-muchness. And now, the last recipe of 2024.

Eat

My grandma Elaine was my everything: Bold, intrepid, widowed in her 40s with three boys. She traveled the world and never forgot an itinerary. She befriended my friends and gathered them around her table. She patted my butt and called me ‘cookie’ and ‘pet.’ She left me voicemails reminding me that I am good and worthy. And when we lost her, nothing was the same. I have her cherished keepsakes all around my house, and each year I look forward to making her famous applesauce. It’s special. And by special I mean it’s pink, thanks to a handful of Red Hots (I know! She truly was the coolest.). We used to eat it on the same fork as her unbelievable, crispy-topped mac-n-cheese (a combo I just learned might actually be abnormal. What can I say? I love a sweet and salty moment and if you think about it, it’s basically apples and cheese.). The recipe is so simple and will make your house smell absolutely divine. Serve it on its own, or with mac-n-cheese or latkes. It’s excellent stirred into tangy yogurt, too.

Gram’s Applesauce
Makes 4 cups

3 pounds apples (ideally in-season varieties), cut into rough chunks (Note: If you have a food mill, you can keep the skins on and seeds intact; if you don’t, peel and core the apples first.)
1 cinnamon stick
4 cardamom pods, bashed to reveal seeds
1 star anise pod
Juice of one lemon
2 cups water, plus more
1 tablespoon Red Hots (these really are crucial, lol)
Pinch Maldon

Add all of the ingredients to your largest heavy-bottomed pot, stir well, and set the heat to medium. Allow the apples to simmer away, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon to avoid uneven cooking and sticking. Anytime the mixture looks like it’s drying out, add 1⁄2-1 cup of water and give it a good stir (I use about 4 cups total per 3 pounds of apples). Continue simmering until the apples are broken down and fall apart easily when poked with a spoon. Let the mixture cool a bit, then run it through a food mill to extract the seeds, spices and peel. Spoon into a heatproof jar and store in the fridge. (If you aren’t using a food mill, simply remove the spices and pour into a heatproof jar. You can also remove the spices and pour the sauce into a high-powered blender to make apple butter.) The sauce should keep for a few weeks.

Thank you so much for reading. Happy holidays and New Year. See you in ‘25!