'23 and me

Kind of an odd year, this. The first 25% was objectively awful, blending professional and interpersonal angst in a way I would not recommend. And yet, that's when I started this silly ol' newsletter, and committed to the bit. The first edition of The Haul came out on January 30 during a snowstorm, and I haven't skipped a week since!

(What about last week, Jesse? A bing bong to you.)

Anyway, I still love writing this newsletter each week, a light creative supplement to my day-to-day professional duties. The subject matter is arguably niche, yet I maintain a list of possible weekly topics that could keep me going for like 6 months. You shall not want for content!

Here's a little teaser of what's to come in 2023:

• Something weird from Pearse, The Haul's roving Chicago correspondent, who texted me something about buying surplus groceries in Amish country. I can't remember everything he wrote — there were like 5 texts — but it seemed cool.

• Grocery boot camp with the august Dr. Bernstein. I don't want to give too much away, but the two of us are planning a zany road trip to Denver, Pennsylvania, a surplus grocer wholesale hub.

• Examinations of privilege. If you look at my daily hauls in a particular light, it can read an awful lot like "White gentrifier nabs all the top-shelf items from a store that serves as a resource for low-income local shoppers." Also, Jesse, are you filling up your local mutual aid fridge? Let's discuss.

• Rural vs. urban. I've read up on these stores extensively in the past year, and gotten enough reader feedback, to realize that salvage grocers in urban areas are a whole different beast than the ones in much of the U.S.

• The Spindrift Debacle. I'll tease it with a photo:

Okay that's it for the year. Thanks, as always, for being such a great and supportive audience — I'd smooch you all but that's illegal. Last thing: Don't forget to sign up for my work newsletter! (Here's a sample issue.)

xo,

Jesse

P.S. I stole the cheeky subject of this week's newsletter from Twitter:

'23 and me

— eric rivera (@ericriveracooks) December 27, 2022

By what circuitous commerce routes do paper towels from Big Lots — itself a surplus retailer — end up at another surplus grocer, farther down the supply chain? Mysteries abound, but these towels are cheap AF.

Exactly what it looks like: a solid frozen rectangle of guava pulp. I bought them for Abby's smoothies but also it's just a compelling object to look at.

I did not buy this! But I'm curious — and they still have some in stock — what would you all use this product for?

I learned today that Stefano's is "the nation's leading supplier of deli calzones." If that is in fact the case, ye grab-and-go purveyor, then why was there so much empty space inside your 'zone?! I felt cheated, sad, and weighted down by bread and preservatives.

For Christmas dinner I made sautéed scallops on a bed of sweet potato puree, with warm dinner rolls served on the side. They tasted just like the ones you get at old-school supper clubs, wrapped with a cloth napkin in a wicker basket. Delightful. (If you'd care to meet Sister Schubert herself, watch this video which made Abby scream and leave the room.)