#LaunchWeek Highlights

October 31, 2015 Jessica Tom

Uh, so my book launched this week.

It is/was at once surreal and also expected (I guess like the best stories, which end with a feeling of surprise and inevitability).

Here are some highlights.

Reviews! From the article above in the NY Post (FASHION PLATE ... gotta love those Post copywriters) to this awesome review and recipe from Kahakai Kitchen (when I saw her Instagram with kale, blistered berbere chickpeas, and a fried egg, I totally forgot that’s a dish in my book. I just thought, wow, that looks good). Here’s all the latest press: www.jessicatom.com/buzz

Instagrams! You guys are the best. I love, love, love seeing your book pics. And it warms my heart that so many of you have styled them with food. Here are just a few of my favs. See the whole collection over in the #foodwhore hashtag gallery here: www.jessicatom.com/hashtaggallery

Food Whore by Jessica Tom. Christine: "I just started. The book is about a grad school student who becomes the ghostwriter behind a famous New York Times restaurant review column. I worked with the author and it's her first novel which is exciting. I'm a blogger and sometimes I wish I had a ghostwriter." @cestchristine #jessicatom #foodwhore #newyorktimes #food #dining #novel #thedevilwearsprada #newyork #manhattan #subwaybookreview #happymonday

A photo posted by Subway Book Review (@subwaybookreview) on Oct 26, 2015 at 6:25am PDT

It is #autumn now #inseason for #book new from @jessica_tom hot off @harpercollinsus #foodwhore debut #foodie @yale #alumni @genevieve_ko #asianwriters #nyc #industry #foodporn #kabocha #tamarind #persimmon #beauty #cheflife #picoftheday #literature #geek #love #iphoneography #asianfood #pastrychef #instabook #instagramhub #chef #sex #liveauthentic #dining #scene #thesweetspot

A photo posted by Pichet Ong (@pichetong) on Oct 23, 2015 at 10:41am PDT

Just served up a dish of the new book #FoodWhore by @jessica_tom with a side my Rice Krispie "Whore" Snack (slutty brownies are so last year).🙊 Get a copy of Food Whore today to find out what happens when Tia Monroe becomes the new "palate" of Michael Saltz, "a legendary New York Times restaurant critic," who has "lost his sense of taste" and wants Tia to ghostwrite his reviews. (A foodie's worst nightmare, just in time for Halloween!) #feedyoursoull 👻

A photo posted by #feedyoursoull (@feedyoursoull) on Oct 27, 2015 at 9:37am PDT

So nice of @jessica_tom to name her new book after me

A photo posted by #satisfeed (@satisfeed) on Oct 28, 2015 at 7:12am PDT

TV tapings -- The thing about television is that people are basically in a big room with little dioramas. You think they’re in a powerful command center, but they’re more like those little Polly Pockets that you just fold up and put in your backpack. It makes the whole thing way less intimidating than you might think. I did two shows last week.

One with Lola Ogunnaike and Shannon LaNier at Arise 360.

And this one with Ryan Kristafer at CT Style.

My friend Jen and I also had too much fun playing around. It was super relaxed on set (though, yeah, I was a tinge nervous ... live TV!)

Random dudes asking you out on Twitter -- This isn’t so much a highlight as a weird side effect.

I didn’t realize until now that “Tom” is right next to “Tolstoy."

Sweet congrats from people who have known you from the beginning -- For most of the world, this is new book. But people who know me know this is a 6-year old book that has had many ups and downs. They say things like, "I remember when you first told me about this!" and "I'm so happy all your hard work has paid off." I've heard from teachers, elementary school classmates, former co-workers. So if you have an old friend who has done something interesting -- reach out! It'll make them feel really great (and maybe you too).

Connecting with readers -- This has been the coolest thing so far. When you write a book, you kind of have a general idea of your reader, but that didn't prepare me for the people themselves. Retirees, young mothers, chefs, students ... even men and bankers!

I decided early on that I want to be a very present and approachable author (YA authors like Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Jenny Han, and Maureen Johnson are great at this.) So definitely reach out using your means of choice. I'd really love to hear from you.

It’s gonna be another big week next week… some big announcements and my LAUNCH party on Monday at powerHouse Arena with Leiti Hsu, Fitzcarraldo, Tilit Chef Goods and Cachaca 51. 7pm. Hope to see you there!!

Book Club Bites: Cauliflower Soup with Balsamic-Olive “Caviar”

October 20, 2015 Jessica Tom

People have asked me why there aren’t more modernist cuisine (aka molecular gastronomy) dishes in Food Whore. You know, foams and clouds, things made with aerators and anti-griddles. I find that type of cooking extremely fascinating, but looking back, I must have subconsciously only included dishes I know and understand. I’ve never experimented with sodium alginate or soy lecithin. Never made a consommé with a centrifuge.

But there is one exception -- “potato pearls with black, green, and crimson ‘caviar’ in a cauliflower cream nage”, which pops up in Chapter 14. You can easily make “caviar” using agar-agar, a plant-based gelatin that’s available in health food stores, gourmet shops, and Asian markets. It looks fancy, but it’s not. And the process is so fun.

INGREDIENTS

A video posted by Jessica Tom (@jessica_tom) on Oct 15, 2015 at 8:08am PDT

“Caviar”
8 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Kalamata olive brine
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 grams powdered agar-agar
vegetable oil

Soup
1 head of cauliflower (about 1.5 lbs)
2 shallots
1 large white onion
5 cups of water
olive oil
salt
ground pepper

Fill a tall glass with vegetable oil and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Briefly boil the balsamic vinegar, olive brine and fish sauce with the agar-agar, until dissolved. Using a pipette, drop the liquid into the cold oil. The drops will immediately solidify and turn into spheres. (If yours don’t, try chilling your oil longer or using a taller glass. The droplets need to cool and congeal by the time they reach the bottom of the glass). Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a large pot, heat olive oil and sweat chopped shallots and onion on low for about 15 minutes. They should be translucent and not brown (you want the soup to be as white as possible so the “caviar” will visually pop).

Add diced cauliflower and water and boil on medium-high for 20 minutes, until cauliflower is very soft but not sulfurous (as overcooked cauliflower is prone to be). Add one tablespoon of butter and blend on the highest setting your blender has. You want the soup very, very smooth.

Let the soup cool for 10 minutes, so the “caviar” doesn’t melt. Spoon the “caviar” on top. Serves 4-6.

Book Club Bites: Sweet Potato Flowers

October 14, 2015 Jessica Tom

What was your first fine dining “wow” moment? Perhaps it was a duck confit, made from a recipe that hasn’t changed in generations. Or an elaborate 30-component dessert. Or a simple bite of the world’s best ingredients.

In Food Whore, Tia's eyes are opened by a simple amuse bouche: a sweet potato flower with sesame-honey stamens.

Unlike some of the other dishes in Food Whore, which are based on real-life dishes I’ve seen or eaten, this one came entirely from my imagination. I’m no restaurant chef, and if you’re making this as a snack for your friends or family, you probably don’t want to spend restaurant-level time on this. So here’s my at-home version of Tia’s fine dining bite. The inside is soft, while the ends are crisp like chips. If you’re timing this to the book -- this dish appears in Chapter 11!

INGREDIENTS

sweet potatoes (this recipe will make enough seasoning for 4-5 potatoes, but you can make fewer)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons paprika
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the sweet potatoes very thinly, preferably with a mandolin (I used the 1.3mm setting). On a non-stick baking sheet, fan 7 sweet potato slices into a circle.

In a bowl, mix egg, oil, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne. Mix well then dab onto the sweet potatoes with a silicone brush (or even your fingers) until evenly covered. Make sure sure to get where the slices meet, too.

Place in oven and bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the slices are slightly golden and very pliable. Remove from the the oven, then raise heat to 400 degrees.

Once cool enough to handle, pick up the circle and detach two of the slices so you have a broken circle. From one end, curl the perimeter of the circle, holding at the base and letting the top fan outwards like petals. Use two toothpicks in an X shape to secure the bottom.

Once you’re done, replace all your flowers on the baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, or until the ends of the flower “petals” are crisp. Remove and let cool. Before serving, remove toothpicks.

How to juice a pomegranate

October 12, 2015 Jessica Tom

Did you know that this is how a pomegranate is juiced in Tel Aviv?

Fresh pomegranate juice at the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv. #shabbatshalom

A video posted by Brett Konner (@konnartist) on Oct 9, 2015 at 5:18am PDT

Tbh... right now if I need pomegranate juice (like for these pomegranate-lemon bars), I use Pom juice (you know, the one in the snowman-like bottle). I've been meaning to steal my parent's potato ricer. You just plop the seeds, and then squeeze.

But this looks so much better -- no de-seeding needed. To my eye, this just looks like a citrus juicer. I'm into it for the most part, but I feel like there would be hidden chambers of seeds/juice that you wouldn't be able to reach.

Engagement Dinner at Blue Hill at Stone Barns

October 6, 2015 Jessica Tom

Over the weekend, my parents treated Dave and me (and my brother and his gf) to a meal at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Dan Barber’s uber farm-to-table restaurant.

It was my fourth time -- and by far the best. This was also the first time I had the Grazing, Pecking, Rooting menu (In fact, this is the only option. The shorter Farmer’s Feast is no longer available).

A couple general thoughts before we get into the play-by-play.

Dinner was an epic 29 courses and took four hours. We got there at 4:30, which seems like punishingly early. But, if you’re coming from NYC, that means 4:30 is the perfect time to start if you want to get home before midnight. Plus, the natural light makes for better photos.
Even my Dad liked it, which is a shock because he notoriously hates: small bites, long menus, expensive meals. This was all three and he loved it. Take note if your Dad is the same way!
Service is virtuosic, like all fine dining restaurants. Though here, the waitstaff is a little looser, part theater ushers, part sustainable farming advocates, part normal people-touchstones during a meal that is, after all, very long and somewhat studious. I was wondering out loud what Blue Hill at Stone Barns to-go would be like (they’d need a lot of containers… here’s one for the log, the bed of nails…), and one waiter overheard and chuckled along.
Speaking of theater, I found this to be is a little similar to immersive shows like Queen of the Night and Sleep No More. You have to give up control. You use your hands for 20 out of 29 dishes. You search for little breadsticks inside a thicket of decorative moss because someone told you to. Even the tables along the wall face inward, as if the dining room was a stage (which, it is).

A few disclaimers:

This is not a review. An interviewer once asked me if I ever wanted to be the New York Times restaurant critic (as Tia does in Food Whore). And the answer is…no. Sure, I love the idea of expense accounts, the power and platform. But I identify more with the chef than the critic. The two need each other, of course. But I’d rather be on the side of creation rather than critique.
Though we started early, it did get dark. So the lighting is not ideal starting at around course 18. Obviously I didn't use flash inside.
I stand by everything that's bolded (minus what's followed by a ?). But any other thoughts on ingredients and prep are just my (educated) guesses.

Ok, and let's get into...

DINNER

1) Vegetables from the farm - white radish, tomato, boy choy, pattypan squash

An iconic Blue Hill at Stone Barns dish that sets the tone for the rest of the meal. You may indiscriminately throw these very same ingredients into your build-your-own salad (though they will be of a much lesser lineage). But these vegetables are meant to be considered. From the moment you pluck them off their nails, like artwork off a wall, your senses are on alert. Each bite was lightly slicked with a salty/sour vinaigrette. But it’s just a whisper. Enough to say, a chef was here.

2) Radish with poppy seed butter and poppy seeds

Another clue to what’s to come. An everything bagel in a bite the size of a large multi-vitamin -- the poppy seeds of course, plus the pepperiness of the radish, the creaminess of the butter. Ie: We might be eating veggies in ways you never expected, but that doesn’t mean you won’t recognize and enjoy these flavor profiles.

3) Tondo Scuro Di Piacenza Squash with shiso honey

Prepped and served with a slicer/corer, this was surely meant to conjure autumnal memories of dipping apple slices into caramel. The squash was subtle, a vehicle for the Julianne Moore of honeys, fragrant and mild, but with surprising presence.

4) Needles in a haystack (breadsticks)

This reminded me of this Alan Cumming story about how he accidentally ate dirt at a $5,000 Noma dinner. Who could blame him? These breadsticks were kinda cheesy, with a rustic grainy flavor (cotton : white bread :: tweed : these breadsticks).

5) Flaxseed sunflower crackers with cured egg yolk and bresaola

Depending on your frame of reference, these either tasted like cheez-its, the inside of a salty egg mooncake, or a cracker made by your raw foodist aunt.

6) Speck and peaches

The heat turned the speck into a savory shell, drying and concentrating what is already dried and concentrated. The char had equal billing with the speck and peaches, a technique that lives as flavor. (Note the charred bones on the bottom… more on that later.)

7) Forage - berry vines covering fennel and wild berry tarts

My mother “foraged” this for my side of the table, and I felt a little cheated, as if she blew out my birthday candle. But nevermind. These may look like traditional canapés, but they had a very outdoorsy flavor. Maybe because the berries retained their stems, a little wild greenness that complicates an otherwise classic bite.

8) Deep-fried sunchoke flowers

At first, you only get the tempura flavor. But it only takes a second to get the gestalt. Did you know that sunchokes are part of the sunflower family? And, what do you get when you take the artichoke flavor of a sunchoke + fat + nutty crunch?

A sunflower seed. This wasn’t like a tempura at all -- a vegetable covered in a batter. The batter and the main ingredient clicked into something unified, as sure as a handshake.

9) Cucumber rings and yogurt

Looks like carnival candy and was just as fun to eat. I think the cucumber was vacuum-sealed or something. This had a watery but thick toothfeel… as if eating a cucumber Chuckle. The yogurt was also really fun -- a powder that liquified upon touch. I may have dipped my fingertips into it multiple times.

10) Pig heart pastrami

The opposite of cooped-up chicken or a wobbly-legged lamb. This muscle works every single day...until it doesn’t. In turn, it tastes purposeful. I can appreciate this, but heart just isn’t for me. Maybe I’ve been watching too much Walking Dead (we’re catching up before Season 6 starts).

11) Ham sandwich

What’s not to like? Silky ham with slightly melted lard on a textured, rough cracker. Not sure what the green is, besides the aesthetics of lichen simulcritude. But my guess is that it’s some sort of tomato essence wash. (When we went in the kitchen, I saw a cracker with a red wash.)

12) Brussels sprouts with charcoal mayonnaise

These stalks were slow-roasted with some goodness (possibly just olive oil and salt?). Great. Then you slice them off with a mini-sickle. Fun. Then you dip them into a umamied-out charcoal mayo. Fantastic.

Plus, you have to appreciate dishes like this that amp up the interactive element. You need some sort of action to break through the monotony of chain-eating.

13) Tomato burgers

Another classic and one of my favs. Tomatoes are slow-roasted until they are thick, jammy, and very sweet. The “buns” are buttery like a brioche, but pop like a wafer. This whole thing is like a savory macaron. More please!

14) Pork pate with chocolate

This was very rich and smooth with the slightest whiff of funk. A micro-crisp of chocolate added a welcome bitter tonic.

15) Tomato, hyssop and horseradish

This looked like a beef tartare, but it was all tomato -- boiled, softened and skinned. You could go down a rabbit hole thinking of the origins of this dish. Is it an ode to Ferran Adria’s tomato tartare at el Bulli? Or is Dan Barber riffing on the classic recipe: horseradish instead of whole grain mustard? Or is he riffing on tartare and tartar, sauce made with horseradish? Or maybe because they just taste good together and are in season. Who knows.

16) Farmer’s cheese with plums and bone marrow

This looks runny, but was actually pretty firm. A nice somewhat Asian riff on a caprese, with sesame oil instead of olive oil, plums instead of tomatoes, watercress instead of basil. I still don’t know where the bone marrow is, but my guess is that it was used to fortify the cheese, much like cream fortifies burrata.

17) Swordfish and corned beef burritos wrapped with cilantro and daikon (?), blood lime tapenade

Not much to look at, but a delightful and simple surf and turf using somewhat humble proteins. Seasoned daikon did double duty as a receptacle and pickled crunch factor (I feel strongly that pickled crunch is the sandwich X factor).

18) Herb-charred string beans and snow peas with apricot yogurt and flowers

Another one of my favs. You know how cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower) transform into addictive savory/sweet bites when roasted? This had a similar effect, but even more profound (possibly because the beans inside contain more sugar).

19) Potato pizza with tomato, mushrooms, beets and cheddar foam

Delightful. This tasted like a real pizza, but one that was given the Roger Rabbit villain treatment: flattened to a literal crisp. You don’t miss the carby bulk or the heavy cheese or the meat for that matter. Everything I love about pizza is here.

20) Beet and pork hot dog on a whole wheat bun, served with beet ketchup and fermented apple mustard

Two-thirds in, we went on an excursion to the outside patio. The sun was setting. We ate hot dogs, drank beer, warmed up next to a volcano-like grill. It was kinda perfect. I’m not sure how much beet was in this hot dog (certainly enough for color, but beyond that, I’m not sure). But it was pretty delicious either way.

This is also when we started getting pretty full.

And, remember those blackened bones in course 6, the speck and peaches? They’re carbonized out here--bones, corn cobs, crab shells. It’s a little morbid (that’s the Walking Dead-head of me talking), but I can appreciate the 3-dimensionality of the nose-to-tail-to-bone ethos.

21) Berkshire pork with grapes and apricot fig pudding

This was my dad and brother’s girlfriend’s favorite. Meat! Crispy pork skin! Perfectly distributed fat! But by this point, we were kinda trained to expect (and enjoy) vegetables (hot dog field trip notwithstanding). My favorite parts of the dish were the grapes, mixed with that sweet and irony blood pudding.

22) Barber Farm sourdough with cow butter, lard, and fennel salt

Thick and chewy and a tiny bit rubbery, in a good way. Both spreads were great. If they served the bread course at the beginning of the meal, people would most certainly gorge on it and spoil their appetite for the rest of the meal.

23) Tromboncino squash, beet bolognese, Malabar spinach

Here we got a bit of the Blue Hill at Stone Barns manifesto. This is the tromboncino squash. Though it grows abundantly, people rarely eat it and many regard it as purely ornamental. But at Blue Hill, a plentiful vegetable like this becomes the centerpiece while something that is not so plentiful (meat) is used more as a condiment.

I think this was cooked sous-vide. It had a flavorful density, almost like asparagus.

24) Honey and barley cake with almond blossom tea

Light and malty. Might look like a cheesecake, but it was much airier. If the tea looks like hot water, that's because it practically was. It had a very ephemeral quality to it, a breeze from the herb garden and then it's gone.

25) Blueberries, milky oats, chestnut

A crowd-pleaser, with a pb&j vibe (note all the cozy references in this meal: bagels, cheez-its, pizza, hot dogs and beer). I liked how this wasn’t a sugar/fat bomb. The sweet side of breakfast. The nourishing side of dessert.

26) Zucchini cake

Not your typical Z-cake. This was moist inside, like a custardy bread pudding, which leads me to believe that the zucchini was pureed and used as you would eggs, oil or milk. Then with the stiff golden crust, this was almost like a green cannele (hey if you can have a green smoothie, why not?).

Also, only upon writing this post did I realize that we had four zucchini courses. But they never felt redundant or overkill or that we were paying for garden offloading.

27) Sunflower praline with whole grain shortbread

The obvious praline accompaniment would have been chocolate. But here, the biscuits are barely sweet, earthy and gritty against the roof of your mouth.

28) Chocolate mints

With fresh mint embedded, reminiscent of Stone Barns’ beautiful bread plates with leaves and wheat stems pressed into the clay. (sorry don’t have a great pic of this)

29) Grapes - Jupiter, Canadise, Himrod (?)

Probably not a coincidence that this mimicked the first baby vegetables course. You pluck a very local product. Your senses are heightened -- what’s the difference between these grapes? How do their skins slip off? This one is more oblong, this is more spherical.

But unlike the first course, this hasn’t been touched by a chef. It’s like when Broadway actors take their bows, then point to the orchestra, the crew, the audience: the components that make the show what it is. In this case, we taste, simply, the ingredient.

CONCLUSION

At Jean-Georges you’ll get sparkling finesse. At Daniel, French precision. At Le Bernadin, a Zen-like meditation on seafood and the things that effortlessly fall into its orbit. Ko has its explosive flavors and textures. Alinea, wizardry.

But at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, you get a bucolic theater--from the cows at the entrance to the bone candle votives to a meal that is at once challenging and simple. And maybe that’s the point: elevating and sharpening the pleasures of the farm, while also dampening the chef’s urge to manipulate.

Food Whore in 90 seconds

October 2, 2015 Jessica Tom

Back in July, I made my way to the HarperCollins mothership to do this video. Take a look and excuse this goofy still. Or, watch and find out why I'm making this praying motion.

And now... Nine unnecessary questions about this ninety-second interview.

1) Did you get the questions in advance?
Yes, but only the day before.

2) Did you wear red to match the color scheme of your website and social channels?
Sigh ... yes.

3) What are you wearing?
Rozae Nichols capelet (from her original line, not Clover Canyon); Theory tank; ASOS skirt, Prada peeptoes

4) Were you nervous?
A tiny bit, in the beginning. But members of the team were there so it was more like a conversation. It was hot under the lights though.

5) What is with your hair?
It's in a braid on the left side, but something about the lighting and the darkness of my hair makes it hard to tell.

6) Are you from California?
No, but I guess I talk that way a little.

7) Your hand gestures are so sharp. Do you normally talk like that?
Yes. When I'm in the groove, keep fragile things away from me!

8) Do you have an elevator pitch for your book?
Yes and no. I have a general template, but I try to change it every time. Don't want it to be too mechanical or rote.

9) When does the book come out again?
October 27th!

One Month to Launch! || What's new?

September 28, 2015 Jessica Tom

How. In the World. Did this happen?

Okay, if you look at it from my perspective... I started writing this book in 2009. There were **SO** many times I wanted to give up. I did, for a couple months at a time.

And there were other times when I would grasp onto any sign from the universe that this would happen. I would see a woman wearing an emerald ring and then a sign that said "Green" (there's a character named Emerald Grace in my book.) and think, oh this was meant to be, keep going. I'd sit at my computer, lost for words, then see the last name "Saltz" in the New York Times. (Foolishly mystical? Maybe. But, hey, it pushed me.)

And now it's almost here. Finished books are printed and are being shipped to stores. Lovely reviews are coming out. People are adding the books to their GoodReads shelf.

And what am I doing? Basically an advanced version of what I was doing two months ago: helping with PR pitching and strategizing, sending out books, creating campaigns.

A few **new** things though:

- This pre-order campaign! To be frank, this took a lot of work. Five original recipes that I created, photographed, and compiled into a cookbooklet. But I have to say... it came out really nice and I'm super proud of it. You can get your own free copy by pre-ordering the book and sending your receipt and mailing address to fwpreorder@gmail.com. Sorry, we can only accept receipts up until 10/20... so perhaps order today? :)

- EVENTS! Okay, this is really becoming a thing now. I have a couple events on the calendar and we're working on securing more. The biggest priority is the launch party at powerHouse Arena on Monday 11/2. You can learn more & RSVP here. There will be wine, delicious food (more on that later), and some sure-to-be juicy convo. My in-conversation partner is my friend Leiti, who makes a career out of eating, connecting, and commenting on the food world. Here's a truly jaw-dropping interview with her in Cosmo (that hustle!). And here's a taste of her jet-setting, lip-smacking travels.

- Excerpts. Today HarperCollins popped the first chapter of Food Whore into my Facebook page. You can read it here. And if you wanna jump ahead, you can read to another pivotal scene in this Entertainment Weekly excerpt.

- And ... there's the primping. Nails (I always go here), eyelashes (I don't have a regular place -- do you have any recs?) And a haircut (I go here). I'm debating whether to get this for the launch party, but I will either look editorial and avant-garde or desperately off-the-mark. Hmm....

NYFW Highlights According to Me

September 21, 2015 Jessica Tom

NYFW is like March Madness. So many shows, so many stats to follow. Even if you think you're on top of it, you're probably behind.

But, I soldiered on and did my twice annual binge. Here are the looks that I liked from the Spring/Summer 2016 collections.

Altuzarra

This is a classic workplace silhouette, but the colors and textures make it a luxe showstopper.

Carolina Herrera

Pale pink is a trend for spring/summer 16, and I'm not a huge fan. Not a pastel girl. But! These pleats move like a dream, and again, I'm digging the soft/hard, romantic/futuristic contrast with the boxy top.

Christian Siriano

That hand-drawn pattern with those sharp lines...It's professional and polished, but a little art teacher-y too.

Clover Canyon

It's like Lululemon meets Dolce & Gabbana. What's not to like?

Delpozo

Gonna recreate this scarf tout de suite.

Delpozo

Those sheer panels can be kinda tricky (see here). It's almost like your slip wasn't long enough to line your whole dress. But this strikes me as deliciously subversive: the pale pink, cutouts as severe and simple as a Shaker chair, the spiny sequins, and that fluff of jolie laide black.

Delpozo

The craftsmanship on this dress is stunning, but the detail that does it for me is the little pointed flat collar: so girl-geek.

Givenchy

This looks like those cheap leis at your 2nd grade luau birthday party, but Joan Smalls is totally owning this dress.

J. Mendel

I think this cross-cross, boob-sling, cutout thing is on the verge of being played out. But... this dress has so much pizzaz and think how fun it must be to wear.

Maiyet

Khaki shorts, a suede jacket, a flowered tank. I definitely wore this exact outfit in middle school and wouldn't mind this lovely upgrade.

Mara Hoffman

My most-worn dress of the summer was a Mara Hoffman tent dress. Yeah, It's basically a muumuu, but it has pockets and you can throw it in the wash and the colors are tropical and pleasing, wherever you are. I'd wear this out and as a housedress.

Milly

A great palate-cleanser look that I'm gonna call altar boy minimalist.

Monique Lhuillier

Not a typical ML look (which I love), but this look has so much immediate appeal to me. The colors, the flounce, the stones at the neckline. Yes, I love muumuus and caftans.

Narciso Rodriguez

Not the fanciest NR frock, but so, so versatile: sexy, comfy, and polished all in one.

Naeem Khan

Simple shape, (what I assume to be) simple dressing procedure. Very un-simple fabric.

Prabal Gurung

The koi-like pattern is intriguing and gives a lovely sense of calm to the dress.

Prabal Gurung

This color + those baby shoulder blade slits? So killer.

Rag & Bone

So very sporty, in a downtown color scheme. Love the high neck and the low arm holes.

Reem Acra

I was *not* expecting this maharajah thing from the normally princessy Reem Acra. But this is princessy in a whole other way.

Rosie Assoulin

Waist cutout, yes. Décolletage, of course. But let's take it into the armpit and inner bicep?? So madcap and delightful.

Sea

I have a vintage dress that kinda looks like this and, after an unexpected call, found myself in the ER wearing it. People thought I was a nurse. That's kinda why I like this--it's like a nurse's uniform meets a karate uniform.

Sophie Theallet

I think if you had boobs, this would look even better. I like its avian quality and the chimney halterneck is something I haven't seen before.

Tanya Taylor

Yeah, this puffy flamenco off-the-shoulder thing is gonna be embarrassingly overdone in a year. But until then, I like this easy silhouette in the pattern of a French dishtowel.

Tibi

This suede/silk-like fabric looks like wearing a massage.

Vera Wang

Why didn't Nancy Kerrigan wear this??

Vera Wang

But really, the back is what does it for me. The sporty racerback meets the maribou feather, in a silk that could almost pass for shiny performancewear. Someone put this in an aspirational Equinox ad.

Victoria Beckham

Posh is known for her super-precise, slim cut dresses. And this is that. But it also has an air of whimsy and warmth: the homey fabric, the skewed way the pattern meets at the seams. The mismatched collar. It's kinda eccentric (!), in VB's own way.

Which looks were your favs?

Sunday Writing Inspo - Billie Holiday by Vern Rutsala

September 20, 2015 Jessica Tom

BILLIE HOLIDAY
by Vern Rutsala

On those last records her voice
sounds almost gone—
cracking, breaking—but hitting
notes wasn't the point.
She was after the bones of beauty
not the flesh. It was far
too late for anything else.
She sang what must happen,
what has, the death of gardenias,
the abyss that the abyss
falls into. It all scraped along
her phrases, extracting the horrible
meat hiding inside simple words,
in the space between each
word, between each note.
And she broke our hearts until
they could break no more,
then broke them one more time
just to make sure we got the point.
Art isn't on the surface,
not some decoration like frosting,
like a flower in your hair—
it's like a silk bag of pulverized
crystal, glinting, sharp,
able to cut in any direction.
Her voice filled every room
in our minds and showed how empty
each was, how desolate
the wind blowing through them
and yet with sticks and stones,
castoffs, garage sale losers
she furnished each one
with a shattered gritty beauty
just before she took it all away.

Friday Links | New Nice Things, NYFW, #bookstagram

September 18, 2015 Jessica Tom

Yes, I know I haven’t done a Friday Links in a while… but let’s not make perfection the enemy of the good, kay?

So, since the book is my life now, let’s start with that. Somehow I missed this when it first came out on Monday. And then my team and I stumbled on it and ::jaw drops::. I was included on Bookish’s Fall Fiction to Watch list among the likes of Elena Ferrante, David Mitchell, Michael Cunningham, Jonathan Franzen, as well as buzzy debut novelists Bill Clegg and Garth Risk Hallberg. Aaaaaaa.

Also, Will Goldbarb had some very nice things to say about Food Whore and me (see above). Will, as you may know, is one of the world’s foremost food innovators. I ate at Room4Dessert when it was briefly stationed in ABC Home & Carpet (and where there’s now a little ABC Kitchen overflow room). It was insane and magical and eye-opening in a way that few things in this jaded world can be. This WSJ profile does an excellent job of describing Will’s journey from savory to sweet, rat race to calm, NYC to Bali. Warning: you will get hungry.

And... fashion week! I’ll do a separate post of the looks I liked from NYC, but for now I'll say, it’s a LOT more fun to look at fancy dresses now that I’m in the market for one (though Dave is a traditionalist and thinks it should be white… wah). Here’s a look that caught my eye at Oscar de la Renta...

And then basically all of Marchesa...

Marchesa in 15 seconds... 💛 @marchesafashion @kerencraigmarchesa @georginachapmanmarchesa @stregishotels @stregisnewyork #NYFW #ss16marchesa #marchesa #fw15s

A video posted by Jamie Beck (@annstreetstudio) on Sep 17, 2015 at 2:48pm PDT

Speaking of weddings, you basically saw the extent of our planning: looking at dresses. We have a general guest count (100 or under) and a general vibe goal (outdoors, special but not too stuffy). And then that's where it ends! Actually not really. I did sign myself up for some wedding planning emails. DYK know that "champing" is a thing? I dunno, seems like it'd be...inhibiting.

I'm LOVING #kitchensofthegreatmidwest by @jryanstradal. 1) it's funny in an I-was-the-weird-kid-in-school kind of way, and 2) it's about food! I'm only 5% in and have already highlighted so many lines. A fav: "Cynthia's sensitive nose couldn't handle the smell of her daughter's poop, but for Lars, after a decade of making lutefisk, it was easier than flipping an omelet." // shown here with a soft-boiled egg with pesto on a @firehookbakery multigrain flax cracker. #fridayreads

A photo posted by Jessica Tom (@jessica_tom) on Sep 11, 2015 at 2:32pm PDT

I'm currently reading J Ryan Stradal's Kitchens of the Great Midwest. I really love it. It's dry and funny in a way that I'd never be able to pull off. The characters are quirky without being precious. Odd Midwestern dishes are described with warmth and crackle. I also love the shifting POVs.

Also, I have to say I'm in awe of the #bookstagram community. From @thereadingrebels, a dream team of book Instagrammers from all around the world, to beautiful photography (and styling) like that of @foldedpagesdistillery and @novelsandnailpolish (a kindred-spirit account if there ever was). These ladies are supportive and creative and I don't get that one-upsmanship vibe that sometimes leaks into other Instagrams.

Anyway, tomorrow I have my friend's Sip 'n' See for her littlest one. And on Sunday, gonna dive into a day of reading at the Brooklyn Book Festival. Maybe I'll see you there?

A Food Whore Cookbook Giveaway

September 17, 2015 Jessica Tom

Food Whore doesn't have any recipes in it -- but it should. I realized this after the book was copyedited and the text was designed (ie: waaaaay past the point I can make any substantive changes).

But that's why I'm so happy that some of the most important dishes in Food Whore are in this exclusive cookbook featuring all-new recipes inspired by the book. Every bite and sip represents a pivotal moment in the book: Dacquoise Drops, Pomegranate-Lemon Bars, Cioppino, the "Michael Saltz Manhattan", and Salade Nicoise.

More than an interview or an appearance ever could, these recipes really show what I was thinking while I wrote the book. Food fiction is interesting because the dishes have to be convincing as actual edible meals, but they also mean something. These dishes are far from arbitrary. In the Food Whore Cookbook, I write about why I chose these dishes--and how to make them at home.

So how do you get it? Well, you can't buy it in stores. All you need to do is pre-order Food Whore by 10/20 and send your receipt to fwpreorder@gmail.com. HarperCollins will send you a copy for free! Supplies are limited, so I suggest ordering ... nowish :) More details here!

Read an excerpt of Food Whore in Entertainment Weekly!

September 8, 2015 Jessica Tom

Exciting news! Entertainment Weekly has an exclusive excerpt from Food Whore. It's a pivotal scene that kickstarts the drama...

Head on over here to give it a read >>>

Two Months to Launch!

August 27, 2015 Jessica Tom

The road to publication is really really painfully long. Until it’s not.

In just two months the book will be released. In about six weeks, the books will be shipped to stores. Reviews have been coming in, and more are expected soon. Advance readers’ copies (ARCs) are already out there, and some people have even left reviews. Ack!

Here are my most frequently asked questions during this time, in case you’re interested…

Q: Are you so excited?!??!?!?!!?
A: Yes! I am! Though, to be honest, it’s a long-term sustained excitement that I don’t wear on my sleeve (if you were expecting me to be jumping up and down 24/7). It’s a mix of anxiety and gratefulness and a constant computation: what can I do now to make this launch the best it can be?

Q: What are you doing now?
A: A bit of everything:

This blog and social media.
With the help of my awesome PR team, thinking of personal essay ideas and pitching them.
Writing said personal essays.
Consolidating contact lists.
Emailing and sending ARCs.
Working on fun campaigns (more on that coming soon!).
Researching how other authors have launched their books.
Keeping abreast of hot topics in fiction, food and fashion.
Improving website design and analytics.
Playing with paid advertising.
Scheming partnerships.
Creating visual assets (and teaching myself the necessary skills, if applicable).
Working on my second book!

I’ve worked in startups for my whole career and actually like wearing all these hats: creator, designer, brand strategist, social media coordinator, photographer, etc. I have 3+ to-do lists at any given time: one with weekly goals, one with daily goals, and others that are project-specific. Yes, I work all the time, but I think of it like I’m founding a startup: me.

Q: Are you going on book tour?
A: People love this question. Well, think of it this way. I’m a debut author. There are books out there, so let’s say about 100 people have read my book. Still. If I book an event in San Francisco… or Denver… or Minneapolis… who would come?

That being said, who knows what opportunities will pop up after the launch. So, to the book tour question, I say TBD. (ALSO, it’s well-known that book tours can be pretty ineffectual and needlessly depressing -- even for established authors. But there are of course exceptions to this).

I do, however, have events in my homebases: NYC, New Haven and my hometown, Pleasantville, NY. Check out the up-to-date event schedule here.

Q: Can I get a signed book?
A: Yes of course!!!! The best way to get a signed book is to come to a book event. Or, you can purchase from a bookstore that has my autographed books in stock (that info will come later). Or, I can send you a signed bookplate. Haven’t quite figured it out but rest assured, I will sign anything you put in front of me.

Q: Where/when can I get a copy?
A: You can pre-order a copy at the bookseller of your choice: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound. The book ships/ will be in stores October 27. Pre-ordering is definitely the way to go… soon we’ll be announcing a fun goodie for early purchasers.

Okay -- back to work! If you have any other questions, hit me up in the comments!

Book Club Bites: Dacquoise Drops

August 24, 2015 Jessica Tom

Even if you’re not particularly food-obsessed, you probably have one. A bite, a dish, a sip that changes your life somehow. Perhaps an oyster started a lifetime of risk-taking. A restaurant meal introduced you to your soulmate. A family dish opened generations of stories.

For Tia, her dish was a plate of cookies. Dacquoise drops connect her with her family, give her national recognition, and finally put her face-to-face with Michael Saltz.

The cookie is light but sturdy -- a stiff meringue made even more hardy with four types of nuts. I love them with a nutty, milky coffee. Pro tip: save a packet of silica gel from some kale chips or freeze-dried fruit. They’ll help keep your cookies crisp.

RECIPE:

Bring 4 egg whites to room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In an electric mixer, whisk egg whites on high until foamy, about 1 minute. Add 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar and mix until fluffy, about another minute. Mix ⅔ cup of powdered sugar with ⅔ cup of granulated sugar. Add to egg mixture one tablespoon at a time while on medium-high speed. Continue to whisk until shiny and stiff (a peak stands up straight and doesn’t fall over). Gently mix 2 ¼ cups of chopped nuts (a mixture of pecans, pecans and cashews) and 1 cup of almond flour.

Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon meringues onto tray with two tablespoons, leaving about an inch between drops. Turn off oven and leave in there for at least two hours and up to overnight. Makes 40 cookies.

Book Club Bites: A Michael Saltz Manhattan with Jalapeno-Infused Bourbon

August 21, 2015 Jessica Tom

One of the main characters in Food Whore is Michael Saltz: a manipulative, secretive creep who lies to Tia to get his way.

And yet. It was important to me that he wasn’t a cartoon villain. We can spot overt power plays and runaway egotism a mile away. It gets more complicated when the person appeals to a desire within you.

For Tia, that’s recognition and making it in NYC. Michael Saltz offers that in an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime arrangement. Except there’s a catch…

This is a classic Manhattan, with a little twist: jalapeños and ancho chilis infused in the bourbon. Manhattan (the city and the drink) will always sting. We know that. Here, it burns. I used two dried peppers to one fresh one. Why? This is a flash-infusion. If you use all fresh peppers, it will take longer for the flavors to infuse into the bourbon. The dry peppers absorb the liquid more readily, releasing their flavor.

Like Michael Saltz, this is a glamorous, sophisticated drink that packs more of a punch than you might expect. Sip carefully.

RECIPE: Using a vegetable peeler, peel the skin off half an orange. Place inside a mason jar with two dried ancho chilis and one red jalapeño (ie: a green jalapeño that has ripened and turned hotter). Pour 8 oz of bourbon (half a standard mason jar) and let steep at room temperature for at least one hour. After 24 hours, pick out the peppers.

In a cocktail shaker, add ice and 2 ounces bourbon and 1 ounce sweet vermouth. Shake, strain, and pour into a short glass. Spritz the oil of one orange peel into the glass and add with maraschino cherry. Repeat three more times until the bourbon is done.

Our Aruba Vacation

August 19, 2015 Jessica Tom

We've been back for almost a week but I'm only getting my head on straight now. There was the epic unpacking/laundry, catching up on life obligations and book stuff (some awesome new blurbs and press clips here), and everything related to the engagement -- seeing friends/family, insuring the ring. It doesn't help that we're in the lazy days of late August -- not exactly the most productive time for anyone.

But I've loved spending spare moments processing our vacation pics and designing an album for ourselves and our families (I've used Blurb for years and love it). Here are some pics from -- apologies for being sappy -- the best vacation ever.

We stayed at the Ritz-Carlton, so come on, what's not to like? The hotel is the farthest north on the hotel strip, so it's quieter and cleaner. There are no passers-through, no annoying pop music, just the sound of the water and birds. (If you look carefully at that photo, you'll see I have a huge bruise on my left shin. We went windsurfing and apparently I have an aggressive way of mounting the board).

When D and I go on vacation, we try to find a place that has a blend of relaxation, nature, and athleticism. There was plenty of pampering at the hotel, on the beach, and at beachside restaurants where we ODed on seafood. But we also paddleboarded, windsurfed for three hours, hiked in Arikok National Park, and went snorkeling. Next time we have to do landsailing and mountain biking.

We snorkeled with Aruba Bob, who has the most impressive Trip Advisor profile I've ever seen.

I did standup paddleboard yoga with Rachel Brathen's (aka @yoga_girl) Island SUP.

Our hike was spectacular, but in the moment it was a bit harrowing. We embarked on a 45-minute trail to the Natural Pool, and three people stopped and warned us. It was 95 degrees, with no shade, nearly all uphill. But we wanted to do it (we had enough water and we had done something similar in the Everglades in August -- we could handle it). But we got lost and that 45-minute hike turned into a 2 hour one. See the jeeps in the top left corner of that pic? That's where we wanted to go. Once we realized we were lost, we just went to the water and walked along the coast. It was exhilarating beside that wildness, waves of immense force crashing over a moon-like terrain. But once we got to the Natural Pool... we hitched a ride on a Jeep.

You might think of a Caribbean island is lush, but Aruba is semi-tropical, with many deserts. There were far more cacti than palm trees.

We also saw a fair amount of wildlife. Here's what the locals call "a free pedicure".

Here are bats in Quadirikiri Cave in Arikok. Legend has it that the tribe leader locked his beautiful daughter in here when she fell in love with a foreigner. Her spirit escaped through the holes in the ceiling so she could return to her lover.

We went to the spectacular Butterfly Farm where we saw hundreds of butterflies and moths. This mini-documentary gives a great tour of the space + poses some thought-provoking questions about life and consciousness (a chrysalis is basically a vessel of genetic goo that forms into a totally different being).

We also saw ton of blue lizards, land crabs, pelicans, and hawks. We spotted two hummingbirds but alas they are impossible to photograph.

Mountain goats roam the streets (we even saw a goat skeleton while hiking... at least we think it was a goat?). Those are some tough goats because they forage inside prickly cactus patches.

I shamelessly drank numerous blue drinks because Curacao is just next door to Aruba. This was Breaking Bad inspired.

Towards the end of vacation, we kept saying, we wished we could stay just a little bit longer. And we did!

We arrived at the airport only to be told that all flights in and out had been canceled because of a software malfunction. We booked another night and went back to the beach. Can you tell I'm really happy??

And, finally, let's talk FOOD. The first couple days, we stayed around the hotels while also thinking how we'd be able to manage eating at restaurants where the main courses started at $38 (seriously... that's for the chicken breast or pasta). But once we ventured out a bit, the food was not only more affordable, but also much tastier. Some recs:

Flying Fishbone - For dinner on/in the beach. The closest row is in the water -- so far in that it'll reach your upper-mid calf. We sat in row 2.5... close enough to see the flying fish in the water, far enough that the sand under our feet was dry. Had a delicious unicorn fish and Baked Alaska here.

Pelican Nest Seafood Grill - Straight-forward, deliciously prepared seafood. The entrance is in the thick of the touristy hotel area, but the actual restaurant feels more low-key because its out on a pier. Like Flying Fishbone, the name of the restaurant is literal. Expect pelican sightings.

Madame Janette - A spot for locals and tourists alike. This restaurant is inland, away from the hotels and water sport kiosks. It also showcases the diversity of Aruban cuisine: local seafood, Dutch classics, Argentinean steak, and of course, blue drinks.

And for more casual spots:

Garden Fresh Cafe - Sometimes during vacation eating, you just want a SALAD. This hit the spot more than any 4-star meals could. We also went for breakfast, where I had my first (!) acai bowl.

Gari & Wasabi - "Japanese Caribbean fusion." But I think their most interesting menu item was DEEP-FRIED sushi! I know this sounds terribly déclassé (and it is), but it was quite interesting and delicious. Mine had salmon, crab scallions, eel, avocado, and nori.

And so ends Summer Vacation 2015. Ready to get down to business (in two weeks).

Sunday Writing Inspo - Seinfeld's Motto

August 16, 2015 Jessica Tom

No hugging, no learning. - Seinfeld writers' motto

(As in, no cheesy pedantic storylines.)

Our Proposal Story

August 14, 2015 Jessica Tom

So in last week's Aruba update post I mentioned how this was a life-changing trip. Behold why.

The proposal went down ten days ago, and we're just going big with the news now. We told a couple close friends and family in the days after, but otherwise kept it private. And it was kind of nice, being engaged and just thinking about each other -- not checking our phones every second for likes and emails and texts.

So how'd it go down?

Though tropical vacation screams "engagement alert," I thought there was 0% chance it'd happen while we were away.

We had already shopped for ring settings. Dave told me the ringmaker was backed up from the annual jeweler's holiday and the ring wouldn't be done until late August. And I believed him (for the most part)! Every couple days, I'd secretly check for his great-grandmother's diamond, which we kept in a small box in Dave's shorts drawer. (The gem is set in front of your eyes, so loose gem = no finished ring.) I checked the box the day we left while Dave was in the shower ... diamond still there.

So when Dave got down on one knee that very same night on a secluded beach, I was completely surprised. The gem in the shorts drawer? A cubic zirconia bought for $10. The ring was finished almost a month ago.

Here's the actual ring with the cubic zirconia, which is smaller than the actual diamond. But I wasn't inspecting the stone... like Dave predicted, I only wanted to see it was there. I never even took it out of the bag.

And here I am with the master sneak himself...

Very early in our courtship, we once discussed a recently engaged couple where the guy took his girlfriend on an over-the-top trip including the Brooklyn Bridge, Grimaldi's, the Ritz, a sunset, and excessive walking. We said it was too obvious. Dave told me that if he ever proposed to me, that I wouldn't see it coming.

... and he was totally right.