Cooking With Maddie Newsletter #2

Alison Roman's Spiced Chickpea Stew with Coconut and Tumeric

Hi Friends! 

Welcome back to the second installment of Cooking With Maddie. I have to start this week’s newsletter by thanking each and every person who’s reached out with compliments, excitement and love for this personal project of mine. Receiving all your support gave me the validation and energy I need to keep this cooking diary alive so thank you, thank you, thank you!

You may have also noticed that in just one week, this newsletter has had a glow up. That’s all thanks to the incredible Daniella Chila. She’s taken my random collection of fonts, colors and photography, and is creating an entire identity for this newsletter that’s actually worthy of sitting in your inbox. She’s a fantastically talented creative and designer, but an even better friend. If you’re not already following her on Insta, what the hell are you doing?

Okay, enough sap. Let’s get into what we’ve been eating this week: 

This week, we made Alison Roman’s iconic Spiced Chickpea Stew with Coconut and Tumeric. 

If you don’t know of Alison Roman, I’m so honored to be telling you about her. She’s my hands-down, all-time favorite food writer. Her books Dining In and Nothing Fancy hold a permanent spot in my kitchen. When I can’t sleep, I watch her make Thanksgiving dinner for her friends or whip up chicken thighs with artichokes all for herself. Needless to say, I’ve grown a bit obsessed with the woman, and my obsession truly started with this recipe. 

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Now coined The Stew, you know this recipe is legit when culture throws “the” in front of it. But the “the” is justified because once you have it, it’s the only stew you’ll want or need moving forward. 

This stew is something we make every other week in this household, and that’s because not only is it freaking delicious, but it’s also made from primarily pantry staples. 

Here’s what you’ll need: 

• ¼ cup olive oil, plus more for serving

• 4 garlic cloves, chopped

• 1 large yellow onion, chopped

• 1 (2-inch) piece of ginger, finely chopped

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric

• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more for serving

• 2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 2 (15-oz) cans full-fat coconut milk 

• 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock 

• 1 bunch Swiss chard, kale or collard greens, stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces 

• 1 cup mint leaves, for serving

• Yogurt, for serving

  

If you’ve never cooked with turmeric before, this is an easy recipe to start adding it into your wheelhouse. But fair warning, that shit dyes everything yellow. If you were to ever wear an apron when cooking, this would be your moment. It’s definitely not the moment to wear a white tee. I’m telling you this from experience. Learn from my mistakes! 

And while this stew is definitely chickpea-centric, the real shining stars of this dish are the toppers. If you’ve ever had my cooking, you’ll know every dish is topped with something herby, fatty, tangy or crunchy. In this case, it’s all four. The coconut-y broth is topped with a splash of olive oil, fresh mint, a dollop of yogurt and some of the reserved chickpeas. This part of the dish is crucial in my opinion. It takes an already-delicious bowl of stew and turns it into something you’d pay good money for at your favorite restaurant.

I’ve attached the recipe for you below, but I highly advise you just watch her make it herself— not only will you see how simple this dish is to make, but you’ll understand why I’m so obsessed with her.

And lastly, what’s giving me life this week. I have an on-again, off-again relationship with my gratitude journal, but this week, we’re on. There’s so many things to be thankful for (like crispy chickpeas), but I occasionally find myself getting trapped in a whirlpool of negative self talk. This journal rips me out of that current, and reminds me that there’s really amazing things going on in my life, even if it’s just starting my day with a good stretch and cold brew coffee. Speaking of things I’m thankful for, not a day goes by without me lathering my lips with this lip balm, and this smell is my second favorite scent, behind sauteed onions and garlic. 

Until next week!

Wish I was with you, 

Maddie