Chopped Cheese

Recreating a New York City bodega staple.

Before I start, a note: It was great fun to speak with Dr. Sarah Duignan on her podcast, Anthrodish — check it out! I spoke about the urgent need for and new joys that can be found in crops overlooked by the industrial food system. Sarah gets amazing guests on her podcast — it’s an honor to be featured!

I love bodegas. They're an equalizing space, of which there are vanishingly few now in New York (though we have the power to change this, and we must!)

Recently I got something at a bodega, said thank you and then the lady working said, "Ok, bye mami!" What? Bluuuush!

One bodega staple is the chopped cheese — ground beef, grilled onions, cheese sauce on a white roll. I had it one time. Yes, I committed this climate sin. I’m glad I did though, because it made me think of easily swappable foods — low-hanging fruit for better bodily and planetary health.

Ground beef is ground zero for food swaps. Beef is an over-consumed food that wreaks havoc on both the environment and our bodies.

My homemade chopped cheese

This chopped cheese is made with cauliflower and walnuts, both of which are “underutilized” and certainly climate-smart compared to beef, though TBH it’s a low bar.

It’s not healthy (though it is healthier)! And it won’t make you forget that you’re not eating meat. But I think it could be a nice treat when you come home from drinks with friends, the idea of eating leftovers repulses you, and you want something cheesy while you watch your shows. Also I feel like it could be great for kids!

Recipe breakdown

This cauliflower-walnut mix would also make a delicious topping for mac and cheese, or a casserole or gratin. I’d say leave in oven for a few minutes longer than the recipe calls for to use as a topping.

1. For the base, here’s an effective recipe for substitute taco meat: a mixture of cauliflower and walnuts from Pinch of Yum, which I followed almost exactly. Since I didn’t use this recipe for a taco filling, I swapped the chipotles in adobo with generous dashes of worcestershire sauce and soy sauce.

2. You may recall your girl loves caramelized onions.

3. For the cheese sauce, I followed this recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction almost exactly, but sub’d oat milk for whole milk and it worked nicely.

4. Plus bread rolls.

Cheese sauce is delightfully simple to make at home.

New York Newsfeed:

‘Bird Flu Bailout’ Sandwiches Are All the Rage at NY Delis, Eater.

I’m not the only one re-envisioning bodega staples! Just Egg, which makes an egg product from mung beans, is partnering with bodegas to make an egg-free breakfast sandwich. I haven’t tried Just Egg before, so this blurb is neither an endorsement nor a criticism. This campaign is a nice little reminder, though, of the power of beans to tackle many of our modern food industry issues — rapid, frequent, unchecked spread of disease in industrial agriculture, fluctuating prices of overused foods and environmental destruction.

The campaign in the flesh in my neighborhood.

Now it’s time for me to complain about Eric Adams.

I mean. I could share a lot of links here, but the bottom line is Adams should have resigned a long time ago. I take his actions as a personal betrayal. The New York City mayoral primary is June 24. I’m ready. But please, no Cuomo. We all collectively need a permanent break from these blustering male egos.

And unfortunately, I think Hochul and Schumer need to leave too.

Man. The lack of political leadership we face right now makes my head spin. It’s sad because I met Brooklyn’s own Chuck Schumer a few years ago!

Chuck and I in 2021 at Smorgasburg. He spotted my bike, and said, “nice bike. I like biking around town too.” I said, “I know, I’ve seen pictures!” A lot has changed for both of us since then.

Li’l nubs

Scenes from around town:

Thank you for reading my little love letter to my favorite city in the whole wide world! Stay tuned for more soon. Next, I’ll return to my series of 10 recipes inspired by 10 Hindu goddesses.