It's a takeover

Yasmin Fahr tells us about her new book and that there are no rules in Florida

I’m happily handing over the reins of the newsletter this week to one of my closest and coolest friends, Yasmin Fahr! You’ve seen her recipes on NYT Cooking, Food52 or The Kitchn. Or perhaps you know her from my constant fan-girling? She’s here to talk about her new book Boards and Spreads: Shareable, Simple Arrangements for Every Meal and about her new (lawless) home base of Miami.

Below the fold, she shares not only her latest Miami restaurant recs but also the recipe for an Italian Aperitivo board from her new book, just for us! Without further ado… xoxo

That’s us in Oaxaca

Hello, hello from Miami! My name is Yasmin, and I’m taking over for the lovely Nicole this week. I’m a cookbook author and recipe developer, but perhaps more importantly, I moved to Miami about a month ago from NYC, and it’s been pretty… interesting... 

I’m not saying I don’t like it, I do. Before I moved, the four friends I have who live here told me, “You’ll love it, but it’ll be an adjustment at first.” But I, somewhat brazenly and cockily, dismissed them thinking, well I’ve lived in London, LA and NYC, I mean, how different can it really be?

I was wrong. Let me give you an example. 

My first Saturday in Miami, the temperature said 88 degrees F but ‘feels like’ 100 because of the humidity. I found myself at the Legions Farmers Market on the Upper East Side (yes, I too was surprised to see this name here), and spotted some produce that looked exactly like the kale found in the supermarket. You know, the one wrapped with the purple elastic and label? When I asked if food from anywhere could be sold at the market or if there were rules about the distance it was grown (like in NYC), the very kind and knowledgeable man who runs the market, paused, lowered his sunglasses, looked me in the eye, and said, ‘there are no rules in Florida.’