sapphic & the city by grotto: issue no. 10
Our special queer cookbook issue! Plus a raffle for paid subscribers!
Happy Friday, sapphics! I’m keeping the intro short and sweet today, since there is so much to dive into below for our first queer cookbook issue. I’m so excited about this one, both as a hospitality writer and a book lover. Personally, I just scoured a West Village estate sale and landed three Julia Childs’ books (including a first edition) that I can’t wait to dive into. Sure, I also have 300+ digital recipes saved on Tiktok, but there’s something special about cracking open a physical cookbook and bringing a recipe to life in your kitchen.
Without further ado, you’ll find below interviews with four talented authors in the food & drink space, as well as fun recipes to try at home. Paid subs can also enter a raffle to win the books featured in today’s issue at the bottom of the page! If you aren’t yet a paid sub and are interested in entering (and supporting queer journalism!) please consider upgrading before the raffle closes next Thursday at midnight.
Chef Chrissy Tracey is a first-generation Jamaican American vegan chef, forager, and entrepreneur. Her debut cookbook, Forage & Feast, serves as an invitation to explore nature's bounty, with over 85 vegan recipes that highlight foraged ingredients, guiding both novice and experienced foragers through the seasons.
What inspired Forage & Feast, and what was the spark that first drew you to the world of foraging?
CT: Forage & Feast was born out of curiosity and a deep desire to reconnect—to the land, to ancestral knowledge, and to myself. I stumbled into foraging by accident during a hike where I noticed wild ramps growing beneath my feet. That spark ignited something ancient in me. Foraging felt like remembering, like tapping into something I didn’t know I had lost. From there, it became not just a way to find food, but a way to find meaning, seasonality, and place in the natural world.
How did your upbringing and cultural background shape the way you connect with the land—and with food?
Growing up in a Caribbean household, food was never just fuel—it was a language of love, resilience, and joy. My parents grew up eating a meat based diet in Jamaica, and when they moved to the US and saw how corrupt the food systems were, my mom decided she wanted her family to be vegetarian. You’d think that would remove a lot of the island influence from my upbringing, but it didn’t.
Every week my mother would make dishes that replicated the flavors she grew up on, using plant based alternatives. She’d bring us to Little Jamaica in New York to explore all of the imported fruits, and every Sunday she’d make a well intentioned meal from what we chose from the store— usually an array of plantains, root vegetables, and some sort of curry stew with callaloo, accompanied by a platter of exotic fruit.
It was really cool to see how she was able to weave the flavors of her childhood and her culture into our food, and she always seasoned everything with intention. It certainly had a profound impact on my connection with food as I quickly realized how deeply food inspires connection. While I wasn’t foraging in the woods as a child, I was learning how to honor ingredients, waste nothing, and find flavor in everything. That cultural lens taught me that food and land are intertwined—and that connecting to the earth is a form of spiritual practice.
What does it mean to you to tell a story that weaves together Black identity, veganism, and wild food?
It means reclaiming space. Black people have always had a deep relationship with the land through farming, herbalism, survival, and celebration. But those stories haven’t always been centered. For me, weaving together Black identity with plant-based cooking and foraging is a form of resistance and remembrance. It’s saying: we’ve always been here. We’ve always known how to live in harmony with nature. And we deserve to see ourselves in these narratives of sustainability and nourishment.
How does your queer identity inform the way you cook, write, or relate to the natural world?
Being queer has taught me to exist outside of binaries, and I bring that same fluidity and freedom into the way I cook and create. There are no hard lines—just intuition, curiosity, and expression. The natural world reflects this in so many ways—ever-changing, complex and unapologetically diverse. It’s also taught me that there are absolutely no rules when it comes to love, regardless of who you are with at any given time or who you present as; love has no boundaries. My queerness allows me to see beauty in the in-between spaces, to tell stories that honor multiplicity, and to create food that feels like home for those of us who’ve had to make our own.
You’re throwing a forest picnic with your best friends—what are you stocking the basket with?
Oh, this is my dream scenario! I’d pack freshly baked focaccia topped with wild herbs and edible flowers, a jar of pickled ramps or fiddleheads, a foraged greens pesto, a citrusy farro salad with dandelion leaves, and some stone fruit galettes for dessert. To sip: a chilled bottle of natural wine or some sparkling sumac lemonade. And of course, a soft blanket and a playlist that makes us all feel golden.
You speak beautifully about food as medicine. What’s a dish from Forage & Feast that has felt healing for you—emotionally or physically?
My ramen with seared maitake mushrooms, bok choy, and silken tofu is one of the most healing dishes in Forage & Feast, and not just emotionally. It’s physically nourishing too. The broth is rich in minerals from the seaweed, loaded with umami from miso and garlic, and packed with vegetables and tofu for protein and balance.
What really brings it full circle for me, though, is the heat—from the chili crisp and, sometimes, a little Scotch bonnet. That’s a nod to my Jamaican roots, where we use Scotch bonnet peppers in everything from stews to sauces. But It’s not just for the flavor...spiciness can support digestion, boost circulation, and even uplift your mood. To me, this ramen is a perfect harmony of nourishment and fire. It’s comfort food that gives your body what it needs to thrive.
Recipe: Farfalle with White Wine, Garlic, Lemon Zest
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter (such as Country Crock avocado oil) or dairy butter
1 head garlic, minced
Zest of 3 lemons
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more for garnishing
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup fiddleheads, papery skins removed and fiddleheads blanched
1 cup sugar snap peas, strings removed
½ cup frozen peas (do not thaw)
⅓ cup dry white wine
1 pound farfalle or fettuccini
Flaky sea salt
Method:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil over high heat.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and kosher salt, and turn the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring often, until the garlic is fragrant and golden, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the fiddleheads, snap peas, and frozen peas to the pan, stirring to combine. Add the wine, turn the heat to medium-low, cover, and let simmer until the vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
4. While the sauce simmers, add the pasta in the boiling water and cook until al dente, usually 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the cooking water. Add the pasta and cooking water to the sauce and toss to combine.
5. Serve the pasta immediately, garnishing each plate with flaky sea salt and red pepper flakes.
Sammi Katz is a renowned cocktail creator, writer, and consultant whose latest work, Spirited Women, which she co-authored with illustrator Olivia McGiff, celebrates the significant yet often overlooked contributions of 55 women in the spirits industry, spanning roles from distillers and blenders to bar owners and educators. Each profile is thoughtfully paired with a unique cocktail recipe that embodies the essence of these trailblazing women.
What inspired you to write Spirited Women, and when did you know this book needed to exist?
SK: Alcohol and spirits have long been thought of as the dominion of men, and there are real, historical reasons as to why that notion exists and continues to exist. Unfortunately, we’re still living in a world that undervalues women and women’s achievements, across all fields really, but especially in spirits. The truth is that there are so many amazing women all around the world making waves in and shaking up the industry, so my creative partner, Olivia, and I wanted to write a book that celebrates some of these badasses by telling their stories through profiles, illustrations, and of course, cocktails. Once we started doing research into other books that might be like this, we realized that there were some focusing on the history, but none profiling living women! So that’s when we knew we had to do it.
How did your own identity—as a woman, and possibly as part of the queer community—shape your perspective on the cocktail world?
Personally, I’ve been in the industry for over ten years, and one of my formative experiences early on in my career was when I worked at this trendy cocktail bar in Manhattan, when I discovered that I was the very first female bartender they ever had, and the bar had already been open for five years. I had to wear a vest and tie, and the cocktail servers, all of whom were women, wore little black dresses. The uniforms alone signal an idea that society has about cocktails and spirits, right? Men make them, women serve them. That’s fucked up.
As a bartender too, I always look out for the solo ladies on the other side of the bar. I’m someone who loves going out by myself (hell, I have a whole blog about it!), so when I’m at work, I clock the ladies going stag and make sure they’re comfortable and having a good time. Men tend to have a much easier time going out alone for so many reasons, so I’m not sure if a male bartender would be as atuned to them as I am.
What was the most surprising or personally moving story you uncovered while researching the book?
I was surprised over and over again by every woman I spoke with, since everyone has a vastly different story. But one that springs to mind now is my interview with Romina Scheufele, the CEO and head distiller of Capurro Pisco. Her grandfather had been making this pisco in Peru, and even as a kid, she knew she wanted to bring her family’s delicious spirit to a wider audience. Which is exactly what she did, by expanding the company and founding the Craft Spirits Cooperative to create more opportunities for small producers like her grandfather.
Recently, I heard from Romina when she received her copy, and she said how incredible it was to watch her son hold the book in his hands and see his mom in it. That truly moved me to tears.
From your perspective, what are some of the biggest barriers women still face in the spirits industry?
Financing. Basically every woman I spoke to who had started her own company had, and is still having, trouble getting funding. Currently in America, businesses founded solely by women receive less than 3% of venture capital investments, and the numbers get even more dismal when it comes to companies owned by women of color. And unfortunately a lot of women-founded companies fold due to lack of consistent funding. So if there are any venture capitalists out there reading this newsletter, give your money to women!!
Did you notice any common traits or philosophies among the women you profiled in the book?
A lot of the women who now run their family’s spirit company (like Romina who I mentioned above) took over from a patriarch, and it was fascinating to hear the similarities and differences in that transition. There were also plenty of women who never ever thought they would get into spirits and found their way through another channel–but there were also several who always knew this was what they wanted to do!
Also because I created cocktails for most of the profiles, I asked every interviewee if there was any ingredient or flavor she really hated, and the most common answer was anise. So take that as you will.
What 4-6 women-made bottles could we find on your bar cart?
Most of the bottles on my cart are women-made! I usually have an Appleton rum of some sort, as legend Dr. Joy Spence is their longtime master blender. George Dickel bourbon is one of my go-to bourbons now, and that company is run by Nicole Austin. Most people don’t know that Hendrick’s gin was created by a woman! Her name is Lesley Gracie, and she’s this amazing Scottish woman with hair down to her ass who gets inspiration by walking her dog in scenic areas (no joke). I’ll happily throw Hendrick’s in a gimlet any day. Pueblo Viejo tequila is super affordable and reliable, a great margarita tequila. The larger company, Casa San Matias, is owned and run by Carmen Villarreal, plus their master distiller is Rocio Rodriguez, and those two ladies together kick serious ass in the tequila biz. As a lower-ABV option, I have Yobo Soju, a beautiful craft soju made by Carolyn Kim, perfect for a nightcap that won’t knock you out. And on the opposite spectrum is Saint Luna Moonshine, co-owned by Aubrey Slater, a 100-proof spirit that doesn’t feel like one, hence the name for her cocktail, “Pretty Little Poison.”
Recipe: Pretty Little Poison
1 ½ ounces Saint Luna Moonshine
¾ ounce coconut liqueur, preferably Kalani
¼ ounce fresh lemon juice
4 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
Champagne, to top
1 grapefruit twist, for garnish
Method: Combine all the ingredients, except the Champagne and garnish, in a flute glass. Top with Champagne and stir gently. Garnish with the grapefruit twist and serve.
Jessie YuChen is a Taiwanese chef, photographer, and food stylist based in New York City, known for their work with publications such as Bon Appétit and Epicurious. Their diverse experience across restaurants, photo studios, and test kitchens informs their storytelling—blending food, photography, and culture. Jessie’s upcoming cookbook, For the Love of Kewpie, is a celebration of the iconic Japanese mayonnaise, featuring 55 inventive recipes that showcase its versatility and is scheduled for release on October 21st.
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind The Kewpie Cookbook—what story are you telling through these recipes?
JY: "For the Love of Kewpie: A Cookbook and Celebration" celebrates 100 years of Kewpie, the beloved Japanese mayonnaise enjoyed around the world. This cookbook tells the story of how Kewpie mayonnaise, a beloved staple in Japanese kitchens, has captured hearts and taste buds worldwide. Through these recipes, I wanted to celebrate Kewpie’s versatility, highlighting how it improves everyday cooking and elevates special occasions.
How has your Taiwanese-American identity—and your queer identity—influenced your voice as a chef and writer?
My Taiwanese-American and queer identities are at the core of my voice as both a chef and a writer. Growing up within a culture that isn’t mainstream has shaped my open-mindedness and my commitment to sharing underrepresented stories through food. Being a minority queer has deepened my empathy and inspired me to build connections through culinary expression. I strive to create dishes and stories that honor my heritage while also celebrating the diverse cultures and perspectives that shape who I am.
What has your experience been like navigating the culinary world as a queer, nonbinary creator?
Navigating the culinary world as a queer, nonbinary creator has been a mostly positive experience for me, even though the food and media industries still have a long way to go in supporting minorities. I rarely feel singled out or treated differently because of my identity, and I’m grateful to find pockets of queer communities through food. Occasionally, there’s some uncertainty when people aren’t familiar with interacting with nonbinary individuals.
However, as an immigrant, I notice more challenges. Sometimes, people assume I’m from here because I blend into the culture, but I see a clear difference in how I’m treated when I’m with a group of Americans compared to when I’m with other immigrants. That disparity is something I think about often.
Have you found or built queer community through food? If so, what does that look like?
Yes, I’ve definitely found and built queer community through food. For me, food has always been a powerful way to connect with others, and it’s been a bridge to finding like-minded people who share similar values and experiences. Whether it’s cooking together, sharing meals at intimate gatherings, or curating events and pop-ups, food has allowed me to create spaces where we can celebrate our identities and express ourselves openly. It’s about the joy of coming together, honoring each other’s stories, and building something meaningful through the act of cooking and eating.
Dream queer dinner party: who’s coming and what are you cooking?
I love hosting small, intimate dinner parties where everyone can truly connect and share stories. If I could curate the perfect guest list, it would include Billie Eilish, Jolin Tsai, and my friend Eric See.
For the menu, I’d start with a bitter greens salad dressed with a sweet, zesty yuzu vinaigrette. Next, I’d serve Taiwanese noodles coated in a creamy fermented tofu sauce and finished with a crunchy topping of savory nuts. To round out the meal, I’d prepare a comforting, mushroom-forward broth with daikon.
And for dessert, I’d finish the meal with a forbidden rice pudding paired with a scoop of taro ice cream. Or a homemade hot mochi in wintermelon syrup if it’s cold out.
When can we pre-order the book, and what is one recipe from the book that you think is a must-make?
The book is available for pre-order now and will be officially released on October 21, 2025. While I can’t reveal too much about the recipes just yet, one of my favorite ways to use Kewpie is by mixing it with furu and spreading it onto bread to create a crispy, umami-packed crust for grilled cheese sandwiches.
Anne-Marie Pietersma is a bi-coastal actor, writer, and Certified Cheese Professional (yes that is a real thing). Her debut book, I'll Have What Cheese Having, releases later this spring. Growing up in a Southern California dairy family, Anne-Marie has always been at the intersection of food and storytelling. Her book offers 22 curated cheese pairings inspired by iconic romantic comedies, blending her love for both. She’s also the founder of Trust Your Taste, through which she hosts events for cheese lovers.
First things first—what came first: your love of cheese or your love of rom-coms?
AP: I think both have been life-long loves, but as I get older they just keep getting stronger!
What inspired you to marry these two worlds into a book? Was there one pairing that unlocked the concept?
There was an amazing cheese that sadly doesn't exist anymore called Tubby that gave me the idea for literature and cheese pairings- I wanted to do Tubby and honey for Winnie the Pooh. But then I was watching "Something's Gotta Give" with my mom, as we often do. Watching Erica (Diane Keaton) only pick up white stones on the beach and Harry (Jack Nicholson) only pick up the black ones, I immediately thought of an ash-ripened goat cheese called Saint Maure. The stark contrast of the black/grey ash against the bright white paste felt like their relationship, and when you slice the cheese they kind of look like little stones. Originally it was just going to be a series of pairings with Nancy Meyers movies for instagram or my Trust Your Taste newsletter, but over the years it expanded into something much bigger.
Was there a cheese you fell in love with (or re-discovered) while writing the book?
I feel like I re-fall in love with Piave Vecchio every time I taste it. We did a last minute shoot, so I have almost 30 cheeses in my fridge right now, and it's definitely one that I snack on the most. Without giving too much away, I always describe the taste like a caramelized pineapple and Parmigiano Reggiano had a baby.
Which rom-com moment feels like peak sapphic energy to you—and what cheese did you pair with it?
The Parent Trap is one of my favorite movies and pairings in this book by far-- I could write a whole sapphic essay on "the tie-die girl awakening". But the final pairing in the book is inspired by "Bottoms". Morbier is the featured cheese for lots of reasons, but one of the main ones being it has a history of being illegal in the United States, literally because the government doesn't understand it or know how to regulate it. Sounds familiar. It's paired with raspberry jam because pairing something funky with something sweet is always a good idea, and as an ode to how absurd and bloody the finale is.
WHEW! That’s all for now, unless you’re entering the giveaway below! Until next time, babies.