Good morning…There are 3 more days left in the August Cooking Bundle Giveaway if you want to share the link or forward this email to anyone who might be interested.

Shoutout to all new subscribers and longtime readers alike!

Keep an eye out for any emails from The Mouthful 🍳…the winner will be contacted this Wednesday, August 30th, and then announced in next Sunday’s edition!

TRY SOMETHING NEW 🤯

Green pozole

This Mexican indigenous staple isn’t as intimidating to make once you understand the dish: a meat & hominy soup thickened with an aromatic, colorful puree.

If you want to follow exact amounts to learn the framework, try this Kenji Lopez Alt tested recipe.

Green pozole components

1 part green base*: tomatillo, cilantro, onion, garlic, & destemmed fresh green peppers (jalapeno, serrano, or poblanos)
1 part hominy: freshly cooked or canned nixtamalized corn kernels
1 part meat: Chicken thighs or pork shoulder, roughly chopped
4 parts liquid broth: water or stock + bay leaves & oregano
Optional garnishes: Cabbage, cilantro, radish, avocado, onion, lime juice, sliced chilis, or cotija cheese

*To make red pozole, substitute the green elements with a mix of dried chilies.

Instructions

1) Start the base: Add a thin layer of oil & green base ingredients to a pot or pan. Sauté on high heat until vegetables are softened and are starting to take on some color.

2) Start the broth: Meanwhile, add the hominy, meat, and liquid broth ingredients to another pot. Bring to a simmer.

3) Blend the green base and combine: Add the softened green base ingredients to a blender. Add a ladle or two of the liquid broth, and blend until completely smooth. Pass through a strainer and add to the simmering broth.

4) Finish & serve: Simmer until the chicken or pork (pork might take a few hours) is tender and falling apart. Add more liquid to keep at a soupy consistency, if needed. Discard bay leaves, & ladle into bowls and garnish.

Pro Tip - For a thicker broth, you can blend pumpkin seeds or some of the hominy into the base.

THROWBACK TIME 🍳

Perfect peeled eggs

Peeling hard-boiled eggs is one of the most tedious kitchen tasks…but it doesn't have to be infuriating.

Almost three years ago, Ethan tested & fact-checked the best ways to peel an egg.

The results? Start your eggs directly in boiling hot water, and they’ll slip right out of the shell.

If you start eggs in cold water, the membrane between the shell and the egg will fuse together during the slow temperature change, which makes for a tough time peeling.

Now that you know how to boil and peel eggs with ease, make a big batch, or test some for yourself. Here’s the best way to use up leftover eggs:

THE LEFTOVER SHELF 🥡

Egg salad framework

Egg salad follows the same framework as chicken & tuna salad, which was covered in a previous newsletter — protein, pantry staples, and crunchy diced vegetables.

Egg salad components

2 parts hard-boiled eggs, diced or smashed
1 part crunchy aromatics: diced onions, celery, carrots, or scallions
1/4 part creamy: mayo and/or olive oil
Flavor adjusters to taste: mustard, salt & pepper, spices, lemon juice or vinegar

Serving options

On a sandwich
With crackers
As a side

To assemble:

Toss & mash together all components until well combined and creamy to your desired texture.

Taste and adjust with more salt and acid (lemon juice or vinegar), if needed.

FOOD TRENDS EXPLAINED 🚀

Spicy snacks

Are spicy chips becoming more popular?

Salty, sweet, bitter, umami, or even sour, do not deliver in the same way that spicy does — because spiciness is a physical reaction (literally triggers your pain receptors).

But because our brain recognizes spicy situations as safe, our bodies can enjoy the stimulating sensation.

How have these products become so popular?

A market once dominated by big brands like Takis and Hot Cheetos is now bursting with fresh products, and new kids to the block, like Paqui, have captured market attention with viral challenges.

For example, the one chip challenge trend involves eating a chip laced with Carolina Reaper and Scorpion peppers.
Eating super spicy food is a full-body experience that more and more people are becoming interested in.

TLDR: The physical allure of spicy foods combined with the influence of social media has heated up demand in the spicy chip market.

READER Q&A 🧠

Do leftovers taste better?

Question: “I've noticed that certain foods - particularly soups, stews, Asian noodles, and rice dishes - taste better after being cooled and then reheated. Can shed some light on why this is the case?” - Brad C

Answer: Acidic and spicy elements mellow over time, so they might taste more rounded out after a night in the fridge. Noodle dishes also slowly absorb the sauce, leading to a more evenly seasoned dish.

In general, dishes simply taste different after being cooked down than reheated.

Think about a freshly grilled burger vs. a leftover one. Those char-grilled, smoky aromas won't be as strong the next day, even when reheated.

Aromas (which are important to how we register flavor) are volatile, meaning they go airborne and leave a food’s surface over time.

Is any of this a placebo, too?

Leftovers might only taste better because the smell is fresher to you that day.

When you're cooking something for hours, you become desensitized to the smell and thus don't enjoy the full flavor experience of the food when you sit down and eat it. The next day, however, the aromas hit you all at once when you reheat & enjoy it.

Thoughts on this topic? Have a different culinary question? Just reply to this email to write in!

READER PHOTO SUBMISSION OF THE WEEK 🏆

Prized Pakistani Karahi

This week’s dinner winner is Shmulik H, who made a winning version of Ethan’s Pakistani Chicken Karahi recipe.

Shmulik is a Pickled Onion Club member and shared the photo to the community cooking channels!

Reply with a picture of the best meal you made this week for a chance to be featured in a future email.

READY TO SHOP? 🛒

✅ Shopping List 8/27

The Mouthful 🍳

Why do leftovers taste better sometimes?