A reintroduction and a really good Tgiving side dish

roasted pumpkin/squash with spiced labneh, brown butter, sage & pomegranate looks good with turkey

Nov 20, 2025

Hello friends (new & old)! I wanted to take a quick moment to reintroduce myself as a number of you are recently new here. If you’ve found yourself here not directly through the Substack app, you have likely subscribed to one of my email lists/newsletters from years past (Nourish Nutrition, Nourish Kitchen + Table or Nourish Baby). Welcome back! I am working to bring all my past endeavors under one streamlined-ish roof here, a source for announcements, vibrantly fresh recipes, seasonal wellness information and more. If you’ve recently joined through Substack and don’t know much about my background, here’s the Cliff Notes version:

I’m Marissa Lippert, a chef, registered dietitian and writer based (mostly) in Brooklyn, NY and (a lil bit) in Copenhagen, Denmark. For over two decades, I’ve been exploring the intersection between food and seasonal wellness—counseling nutrition clients; juggling hot pans in restaurant kitchens; catering events, weddings and yoga/dance retreats all over the globe; providing new mothers and new infant eaters with integral, nourishing meals and support; and hosting workshops, classes and more. Having moving back to NYC this past January after a few years cooking overseas, I am re-finding my footing in our (generally) beloved city and as we close out 2025, I’m looking ahead to how I can best provide information/recipes and intentional food to the community around me (that’s y’all!). So stay tuned for more recipes and juicy tidbits here via this Well Fed newsletter. In the offline world, I spend most of my day cooking for and working with clients. Feel free to contact me if you’re seeking:

intimate catering for an event or memorable private dinner
if your fridge/pantry needs a little helpful overhaul of love
if you’re interested in group wellness x nutrition x culinary counseling and workshops targeted towards females for fertility, postpartum and perimenopause
or if you simply want to say “hey” or request a particular recipe up on this trusty platform.
No matter what I’m doing or writing about, my aim and ethos is always to help create connections between our bodies, our community and nature’s energy and ecosystem around us.

And now, THANKSGIVING…!

I’m not sure if anyone else noticed, but it feels like there’s a been a visceral energy shift overnight (maybe it was yesterday’s new moon?) and we are full throttle in holiday mode as of this morning. (Yes? No?). I just ordered my turkey (10-15# for all 3 of us…I love a leftover situation) and from now until next Thursday, most of my thoughts will likely be consumed by dancing turkeys, tangy cranberry sauce, my grandmother’s clutch stuffing that I can’t live without, my “Thanksgiving salad” as my cousin lovingly termed it almost 20 years ago, and all the other bits that make our Thanksgiving tables, well, Thanksgiving. Oh, duh, and PIES! One dish I will not be thinking about, because it’s already locked in on the roster, is the roast veg side — yes, we need one. We also need mashed potatoes and mac & cheese (depending on where you hail from), but it’s really nice (to both your tastebuds and your digestive system) to have a tasty seasonal veg thrown in the mix. A bit of texture, color (NOT beige) and wait for it…FIBER. :)

I’ve been making this dish (typically with butternut or honeynut squash or pumpkin) for over 5 years now. It’s a winner hands-down every time. Don’t let all the little garnishes / extra chef’s kiss components scare you off (brown butter, fried sage, pomegranate), invest time and energy in all or some or just 1, the baseline roasted veg and labneh will still be ultra luxe and crowd pleasing. If there’s ever a holiday to come with your game ON point, this is it. Recipe is just below..scroll all the way down.

But first, as for the rest of the meal ****

Turkey: If you’re looking for an extra boost of turkey confidence / still figuring out your brining situation (dry or wet?…DRY!), here’s a solid tutorial from last year.

Stuffing & other sides: My grandmother’s stuffing, my ride-or-die stuffing, along with my favorite Tgiving chicory salad and the week’s prep guide /other side dishes is here.