16 Comments
May 2, 2023Liked by illyanna Maisonet

So I'm stupid and didn't notice the video was at the top of the email. Oof. The verbal reminder was helpful for me! Now I know to look for it lol

Expand full comment
author

Is it easy to just surpass?! When you open it on your phone, it’ll automatically start playing.

Expand full comment
May 2, 2023Liked by illyanna Maisonet

I'm primarily a desktop reader and it didn't autoplay for me within Gmail. But it did have a giant green arrow on it to play (which I missed somehow lol)

Expand full comment
author

Good to know what it looks like on desktop though. LOL!

Expand full comment
May 3, 2023Liked by illyanna Maisonet

I feel like I probably have never had good fresh asparagus? Whenever we buy asparagus it is always very bitter, but I am a bitter person and I have a preference for bitter food and drink lol. Your newsletters about asparagus make me want to go to California just to get some fresh grown asparagus. Ours are also tiny and not the nice big ones you show. I honestly really never had a desire to go to Cali other than to see giant sequoias, but you talk about Cali the way that I talk about NYS (not city hehe).

I watch the videos! but I guess I am 1 of 13 so if it is more work for you, I will just read.

Expand full comment
author

We do have different sizes of asparagus: the pencils (super thin), the standards and the jumbos! When I go to purchase the Delta Queen asparagus from the farm, they have more options to purchase whatever you prefer. I prefer the standards, but my neighbor loves jumbo. All of them are sweet and grassy. I don't know where the asparagus that's sold in NYS is coming from, but I'm sure they have a label of origin either on the asparagus itself or on listed inside the store next to the price? You could also just ask the produce department. Maybe if you tell me which store you're buying them from, I can help. The only three states that grow asparagus for commercial consumption are California, Michigan, and Washington. The rest of the asparagus that's in the US comes from Mexico and Peru.

Expand full comment

Your stories about CA grown asparagus have me longing for it. So when I went to my farmers market today I was able to find a few NY farms that grow asparagus! They are the larger ones so maybe similar to the standard or jumbos you mention. They also told me theirs aren't bitter like the pencil thin ones we get from Peru. I'm super stoked!

Expand full comment

I will have to check next time I go to the store. (I shop Tops and Price Chopper, farmers market and asian markets, we also have Wegmans which I know isn't out west) I swear sometimes they don't even label our produce and when I ask the grocery store workers they seem to have no idea where the stuff comes from. We do have a lot of agriculture in NY but it is cold as hell haha so they grow totally different stuff, and from what I know most of our stuff comes from California. Ya'll be supplying the whole country haha. Even our farmers market has sellers that don't source all produce locally. As someone who LOVES tropical fruit... NY is a horrible state for that.

Expand full comment

Ok so when I went today the asparagus said produce of Peru. Wow! such a long way to travel.

Expand full comment

This looks SO delicious and I loved watching your video! Lovely and illuminating. Freed from the should/must rice rule! I love knowing that. What else do I do that is one of some options vs. a do or die commandment? You always share so much more in your work than the words and pix alone.

Expand full comment
founding
May 3, 2023Liked by illyanna Maisonet

hahahaha I own this book! I bought it new, in 1987. (Elder Gen X here). I cannot wait to make your recipe-- have never made the one in the book. How freeing to just use whatever rice I have in the shelf. Thank you!

Expand full comment
author

OMG! That's so wild that you have this book. LOL.

Expand full comment
May 2, 2023Liked by illyanna Maisonet

I love how you Make this process look totally approachable and so doable! I may even have to nudge Robert out of the way to try this out in the kitchen myself... Nah not going to happen but I think we need to add this to our menu. 🙂🙋🏿‍♂️

Expand full comment
author

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!! You're horrible

Expand full comment

I appreciate the videos - just overlooked it. Btw, would it be possible to get - “List of places to eat in Puerto Rico”? My Instagram is @ShawnTheo63. I think I became a paying subscriber the end of March.

Expand full comment