From our community:

Meet Aliza Abarbanel

Each week, we check in with a different member of Thingtesting's community to ask what brands they've spotted, what they're testing, and take a peek into their recent reviews.

This week's feature is Aliza Abarbanel, she's a freelance writer and editor whose work has been featured in New York Magazine, Bon Appetit, Architectural Digest, and more. She's also the author of the newsletter, Amateur Hours. Read on to see the brands in her current rotation.

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COMMUNITY FEATURE

Hi Aliza, please introduce yourself.

I’m a freelance writer and editor based in Brooklyn, NY. My writing on the intersections of food, wellness, and culture has appeared in New York Magazine, Bon Appetit, GQ, Food & Wine, Eater, and Architectural Digest. I also write Amateur Hours, a newsletter focused on hobbies.

What are you currently cooking?

It’s soup season, so you’ll find me standing over my Dutch oven most nights of the week. I’m looking forward to making Andrea Nguyen’s beef pho, Yemisi Awosan’s obe ata, and lots of simple lentil soups.

What's a brand you've recently spotted?

Heirloom Provisions sips like a natural skin-contact wine or Basque cider, but really it’s non-alcoholic kombucha. I recently wrote about this brand for a Food & Wine piece about small-batch kombucha makers putting tea in the spotlight, and I’ve been craving more ever since. Founder Joshua McLeod draws from his Black and Filipino heritage plus a global pantry to make flavors like sweet-tart calamansi and floral rōzu. A must-try for East Coast kombucha lovers.

What are some brands you've recently tested?

Anything else your current rotation?

I’ve been spending a lot of time in the stacks at my local library. Recent faves include: "Utopia Avenue" by David Mitchell, "The City We Became" by N. K. Jemisin, and "Free Food for Millionaires" by Min Jin Lee.

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Thingtesting is a place to discover and talk honestly about new online brands. We're not sponsored or paid by brands we feature. Read more about Thingtesting.

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