Susan Spungen

New York

Writer at Freelance

Contributor at The New York Times

Writer at Susanality

Author of "Open Kitchen: Inspired Food for Casual Gatherings”

Articles

Sesame Soba Salad with Toasted Buckwheat

3 weeks ago | susanality.substack.com | Susan Spungen

Hello Susanality readers!I’m so glad you’re here! Fresh off of last week's post about Rachel Simons’ new book Sesame, I’ve got another sesame recipe for you. As much as I try to plan my posts out to ensure variety, sometimes I slip up—so here we go. But as far as I can tell, most of you are really excited about incorporating tahini into your cooking repertoire, and this salad is a really great vehicle for doing that.
Sesame & Miso Peach Crumble

4 weeks ago | susanality.substack.com | Susan Spungen

I learned to love halva at an early age, at first with nibbles of the standard wrapped bar, sometimes chocolate-coated. Later, while I was in art school, my friends and I would walk down to a little falafel stand called Layla—which was quite exotic at the time—on Spruce Street in Philadelphia. Sitting on the counter under a cake cover was a giant block of pistachio halva. I would buy a chunk and savor it.
Buttermilk Grilled Chicken

1 month ago | susanality.substack.com | Susan Spungen

First of all, I want to congratulate Susannah Patton for winning the copy of French at Heart. I hope some of you will purchase this book, or buy it as a gift, because it’s a good one! We have another fun cookbook giveaway in a few weeks, so stay tuned for that. If I’m being honest, I eat a lot of chicken! It’s one of our main proteins, even though we eat plenty of fish and shellfish, lean pork (sometimes fatty pork), and actual red meat like steak just once in a while.
French at Heart

1 month ago | susanality.substack.com | Susan Spungen

When I logged today’s post into my publishing schedule, I wasn’t at all thinking about the fact that it was going to land just before Mother’s Day. This is my first year without a mom, so I was going to give the day a pass. But as it turns out, aside from being a sumptuous book about life in France, French at Heartis very much a mother/daughter story, and a very tender one too.
All About Asparagus

1 month ago | susanality.substack.com | Susan Spungen

I get very excited this time of year when the first verdant asparagus come bolting out of the ground and everything is absolutely exploding with life after a long, cold winter. I am not a person who gets excited about ramps. I know it’s very fashionable to love ramps, but I just don’t like them that much.
The Ultimate Corn Muffin

2 months ago | susanality.substack.com | Susan Spungen

Hi all! Before we get into today’s post, I wanted to remind you that this is the last week to enjoy 20% off first-time annual subscriptions to Susanality. If you’ve been enjoying this newsletter, which I lovingly put together for you each week, why not treat yourself to full access to the deep archive (hundreds of recipes!) of quality content, and a new recipe each and every week? Or treat someone else (Mom maybe?) with a gift subscription. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Easter Pie From Mother Sauce

2 months ago | susanality.substack.com | Susan Spungen

Welcome to all the new subscribers! I’m so glad you’re here. If you’re a free subscriber and you haven’t taken advantage of the spring sale yet, now is the time! 20% off of annual subscriptions for first-time subscribers continues until the end of the month. If you’re a free subscriber, you might want to consider joining the paid community so you can take advantage of things like today’s cookbook giveaway.
Pistachio-Olive Oil Passover Cake

2 months ago | susanality.substack.com | Susan Spungen

Hi all! I’m doing a little spring sale in honor of the weather (finally) starting to warm up, and to give you a chance to get in on the cookbook giveaway I’m doing in next week’s paid subscriber-only post. There will be a few of those in the coming weeks. I’m offering 20% off annual subscriptions for first-time subscribers today through the end of April. Paid subscribers get access to weekly posts that include recipes, technique video tutorials, gear round ups, and more.
A byline correction

2 months ago | susanality.substack.com | Susan Spungen

Hello again, and I hope you’re enjoying today’s post! In case you didn’t recognize today’s email sender, it’s because I erroneously added a past admin in the contributor field—sorry about that, and happy fish frying!
IN THE ROTATION: Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Mar 21, 2025 | susanality.substack.com | Susan Spungen

I’m not sure why, but I’ve always really enjoyed eating a vegetable out of its natural container. I remember my mother making stuffed eggplants after one of our trips to the Jersey Shore, where inevitably, there would be a stop at a roadside vegetable stand. In those days, the selection was limited to corn, tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplant, but they were all very good—and I was a kid that actually liked eggplant. I guess those memories make the dish I’m sharing with you today a comfort food for me.