New Year, New Beginnings
Sandwiches + Still Life Art
Happy 2025 friends! Hope you had a great holiday week full of rest, tasty food and joyful time with friends and fam. My holiday season flew by as I finally said farewell to my NYC apartment. It was bittersweet leaving a neighborhood that I’ve lived in for almost a decade, but now I’m officially a full-time upstater! If you told me this a year ago, I wouldn’t have believed you. It’s wild how so many things can change in such a short period of time. I’m so thankful for the transition over these past three months though, easing into my new home at a slower pace gave me the space to adjust. Now that everything is under one roof, I finally feel a sense of calm.
It’s hibernation season after all, and with it comes the perfect time to dive headfirst into finishing my third cookbook manuscript (!!!) I have a few deadlines I’m working against but can’t wait to see this book come to life. It’s tough to keep surprises under wraps during the limbo phase, but I promise It’ll be worth the wait. I have a feeling this one will become a new staple in your kitchen.
January is for Sandwiches
Every January, I hit the inevitable post-holiday slump. After weeks of hosting, planning, and endless party food, I’m pretty burnt out on cooking. This is where sandwiches come into play. There’s something magical about a sandwich. It’s low effort, easy to clean up, and endlessly versatile. Honestly when I think about it, a sandwich does have similar components to a cheese plate, which is probably why I love them so much.
TUNA PICKLE MELT
I love tuna, and if you’re one of those people who openly hate on tuna, I’m sorry. This sandwich is full of briny, tangy and creamy notes, loaded with pickles, herbs and melted sharp cheddar.
Bread: Wheat
Condiments: Grainy Mustard
Protein: Tuna Salad (Recipe Here)
Cheese: Aged Cheddar
Produce: Caper Berries, Cornichons, Arugula with Lemon and Olive Oil,
Garnish: Garlic Dill Pickle
SALAMI + MOZZ
An Italian classic, salami and mozzarella are always a great pairing. I added pesto, balsamic glaze and mayo to this one for a condiment trio. Arugula tip: season with lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil before adding to your sandwich to cut through the peppery notes of the greens!
Bread: Ciabatta
Condiments: Basil Pesto, Mayo, Balsamic Glaze
Protein: Applewood Smoked Salami, Rosette De Lyon Salami
Cheese: Fresh Mozzarella
Produce: Sweet Mini Peppers, Pepperoncini, Arugula with Lemon and Olive Oil
Garnish: Sweet Mini Pepper
TURKEY + BRIE
Turkey and brie are one of my favorite sandwich pairings. Add in a crisp green apple for some sweet and sour notes to cut through the fat and salt from the cheese and deli meat. I also love pickled red onions on all sandwiches, it’s an addiction.
Bread: Toasted Sourdough
Condiments: Mayo, Honey Dijon
Protein: Sliced Turkey
Cheese: Brie
Produce: Green Apples, Pickled Red Onions, Spinach
Garnish: Green Apple, Brie
Still Here Still Life - Art Prompt!
Still Here Still Life has been a favorite follow of mine since 2021, and I finally was featured on their account (after sliding into their DMs multiple times lol.) Every week they post a new prompt, aka a image that resembles a still life. Artists create their interpretation of the photo and share on Instagram. Sounds simple, but it’s so incredible to see the creativity and mediums people work with. I’ve been loving the submissions so far — I might commission a few for prints in my merch store, let me know if you’d want to see that!
The original photo is from our cheese class at Callisto Hudson Valley this past fall:
Here are some submissions that I love so far, there’s too many to choose from!
Order of artists from left to right: @colorsandcritters, @nancy_ferrand_hirsch, @nullsie, @frogwavy, @pamrounis, @larkaboglarka
I’ll keep posting more as they come in!
A Big Thank You
Lastly, I wanted to share my gratitude to all of the paid subscribers here at Extra Sharp! I’m planning a lot of fun exclusive content for you like travel guides, virtual classes, early merch drops, new recipes and more. Stay tuned!
Have a great week back to reality. You got this xx