Into the Fridge 🦢
Elissa Suh on pesto-ing everything and playing dress up
Elissa Suh 🦢
Elissa is a Brooklyn-based culture writer, film critic, and content strategist. She’s written for Vogue, MUBI, Cultured, Eater, and more. She’s also the creator of
, her newsletter on film and food. I first discovered ’s work through Erika Veurink’s list of people whose taste she admires, and well, the rest is history.
What is your fridge philosophy?
Michael Pollan’s rule for consumption in general: “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.”
To that end, my fridge is 15% jarred fridge-stable things and 85% produce. Summer stone fruits and tomatoes are giving way to beans and brassicas now.
Doing this interview has made me realize my fridge might just be better described as “Italian grandma” or “nonna style.”
Your fridge is always always always stocked with ____.
Lemons. Jarred pepperoncini, Calabrian chilis. Carrots, celery in varying degrees of health. Three types of butter —cheap unsalted, fancy french, and a wild card. Right now it’s Churn basil-pesto flavored.
And then there’s miso, parm, and pecorino. Sourdough starter adopted from my brother.
Opal apples in the cold months. Mangos in the warmer ones. Kiwis year round (technically these end up on the table because I’m always trying to ripen them).
Oh, and two strengths of Vitamin C serum. One for me and one for my husband!
Top 5 condiments, go.
I’m one of those anti-condiment people. The consistency of most of them freaked me out as a child and that means I never willingly put them on my food directly from bottle to plate. Someone must do it for me and hide the evidence to trick me into eating and using them, which I eventually will. Or I must make it (like mayo) from scratch. I do like
Sichuan chili oil. My husband makes a big batch every few months/year c/o the Mission Chinese Cookbook.
Momoya garlic oil. Not spicy, simply garlicky.
Fine, I’ll open it up to pantry too. Let’s hear your favorite snacks / pantry staples:
Chamomile tea. Two kinds of dark chocolate: I only do 80% or higher because it is in part my caffeine replacement. BUT I've heard many have been tainted by high levels of mercury and cadmium so this is sadly on pause while I do more research.
I was a notorious non-snacker until I met my husband. When I do, it’s purely mental so whatever i’m shoving into my mouth should be at least a little nutritious.
Biena chickpeas. Bjorn Corn original flavor. Lesser Evil Paleo Puffs. This is the brand that everyone loves for their popcorn. I am not paleo, nor did I read the nutrition facts. The startup I used to work for stocked these and I was hooked. It’s like white cheddar Pirates booty but healthier and extra sharp because of the nutritional yeast.
Similar to the now widespread chickpea anxiety, we have red sauce anxiety so always on hand in the pantry are:
A medley of canned tomatoes (Bianco and Jersey Fresh)
Plus, Bob’s Red Mill farro, which I buy in bulk.
A meal that’s on heavy rotation these days:
Pesto-ing all my fresh herbs and vegetables to coat farro or pasta. Warmer months was basil, mint, and pistachio. A squeeze of lemon. Lots of olive oil. Transitioning to cauliflower and an unruly amount of garlic.
Let’s go a little deeper…
What’s the mantra you keep coming back to?
Piano, piano. Slowly slowly. In other words, patience.
What products / practices are part of your regular mental wellness habits?
Looking away from the screen.
Reading a poem a day.
Calling a friend or family member on a walk.
Getting out of the city regularly, usually to upstate, where I’m from!
An arsenal of fragrances. Hair, fabric, you name it.
Shopping in person.
And your physical?
Red light therapy mask, do a forced moment of meditation — as much as needed for cell-turnover.
La Roche Posay mineral water spray.
Sulfate free co-wash. (Like Oribe Cleansing Cream or Davine’s Curl Cleanser) I used to straighten my hair every day/week from age 13 on, and this has been saving grace since resurrecting my 3b curls.
CBD balm for aching temples and migraines.
Casey’s Blogilates Youtube channel. I was never athletic or into working out until at one point I needed to strength for some strengths. After googling pilates like ten years ago, this is what came up and it stuck.
Facials with
at Practise. She writes and was recently named one of NYC’s best facialists (author’s note: Jolie recently answered all of my skin barrier questions here!)
What do you think is the most underrated part of wellness?
Clean air!
.…and overrated?
Running.
Picture this: you wake up one morning and feel like shit. What’s your next move:
Pick up one of the many physical books (poetry, anthologies) or magazines that are strewn around me.
Lay in bed a little longer.
Dress up in something out of desire, not routine.
Window shop and play dress up.
Give us your ride or die wellness products:
Migrelief, a migraine supplement my neurologist told me to take. Vitamin B12 and magnesium.
A 28 oz Hydro Flask.
Avène anti-rouge cleansing milk, for my rosacea.
Kiwis. One summer I was extremely bloated from the stress. Nothing could make the giant watermelon I'd felt I'd birthed go away except eating two of these every morning, as recommended by my doctor. I wrote a little bit about why it helps here.
One thing you do everyday that makes you the most YOU version of yourself:
Write down a few observations — and complaints.
Whose taste inspires you?!
Big thank you to Elissa for showing us a taste of her life. I’m notoriously a bad movie watcher, but her Substack,
, makes engaging with film culture fun (with no previous viewing necessary). You can find her fridge favorites + more here.Feel free to leave a comment or respond to this email with questions you want asked, people you want featured, or anything else that’s on your mind. Don’t be shy, I love hearing from you.
Ahh love you Elissa!!! This was so inspiring. Desperate for pesto now!
This was such a good one!