Recipes, ideas, and inspiration for seasonal eating
Welcome to Susanality. I’m glad you’re here!
Susanality is a reader-supported food newsletter written by me, Susan Spungen. It’s packed with recipes, ideas, and tutorials, all inspired by what’s in season at the farmer’s market (or sometimes just the supermarket).
As a cook, food stylist, recipe developer, and cookbook author, I’ve spent decades working at lifestyle magazines and hanging out on food-centric movie sets. (I was the founding food editor at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and a culinary consultant and food stylist on films like Eat, Pray, Love and Julie & Julia, among other projects.)
Through those experiences, I’ve gotten really good at developing recipes that both taste great and look beautiful on the plate. I’m excited to share some of what I’ve learned along the way with you. Aside from recipes that you won’t find anywhere else, I’ll also be exploring my memories about food and life and how they made me the cook I am today.
So, what kind of food can you expect to find here? My latest book, Veg Forward, offers more than 100 beautiful, practical recipes that put vegetables first. Think hearty salads, riffable grain bowls, and simple yet sophisticated sheet-pan meals, like this fresh take on ratatouille. If you subscribe to my newsletter, you’ll get exclusive recipes in a similar vein, as well as sweets and treats, which I share regularly.
What do I get with a subscription?
Paid subscribers receive all of the following:
An exclusive new seasonal recipe every Friday, served up in a newsletter that’s loaded with ideas and inspiration for what to cook right now. With a full-access subscription, you won’t miss a single post, including new installments of my popular In the Rotation and Love Thy Larder series. Plus, you can expect occasional cookbook round-ups, travel notes, video tutorials, giveaways, and a look behind the scenes of projects past and present (like this fun shoot with Bobby Flay)
Full access to the Susanality archives, which is home to 100+ recipes including The Cookie Index
Helpful comment threads, where readers ask me questions and share tips, substitutions, and other ideas, plus occasional live chats, like the Thanksgiving Hotline
Free subscribers get one free recipe a month, plus previews of the recipes I share with paid subscribers.
A look back at the archives
I develop each week’s Susanality around what I’m cooking and eating at home, so there’s an authentic of-the-moment quality to the newsletter. If you look back through the archives, you’ll find inspiring recipes both for every day and special occasions and gatherings, with plenty of recipes for delicious desserts sprinkled in. I cook with the seasons, so there’s also an occasional geeking out over a particular of-the-moment ingredient. Here’s a season-by-season highlight reel:
Spring
Crustless Asparagus Quiche
I really love asparagus. When they’re local and in season, there is nothing like them. The fact that they are so ephemeral is part of their appeal. Here, they’re shaved into lovely ribbons and paired with fresh herbs to make a quiche that’s perfect for an Easter brunch, or any spring brunch, or even dinner.
Summer
Watermelon Gazpacho with Feta Crema
This refreshing chilled soup — made with tomato, cucumber, and watermelon and topped with feta cream and toasted almonds — is just like summer in a bowl.
Fall
Baked Farro with Cauliflower, Sausage, and Kale
This autumnal one-pot wonder is the perfect thing to make on a chilly day when you want delicious aromas wafting through the house and warmth radiating from the oven.
Winter
Root Veggie Waffles
Here, you can use any winter root vegetable that can be grated: celeriac, carrot, beet, parsnip, kohlrabi, sweet potato, or turnips all work well.
Don’t forget dessert!
The Susanality Cookie Index
Desserts and cookies are a specialty of mine. You’ll find some 30 recipes in my cookie index, plus tips, techniques, tutorials, and more.
