Hello and welcome to the weekend. From many angles, this month has been a crusher. The temperatures are holding at -15 here, and the snow just keeps coming. There are levels to the cabin fever at this point. The news cycle and constant churn of commentary via social media has been intense and concerning to say the least. I’ve been using Freedom more than ever to avoid non-essential scrolling. It’s one thing to be informed, but it’s another to keep refreshing live updates and read hundreds of takes on Reddit.

We do have to keep going, keep doing our best, and remain hopeful (I linked a piece about separating the idea/feeling of hope from a specific material/gainful outcome below). I will leave it at that and catch you back here next week. Take care of yourselves and keep looking out for each other.

5 Things I’m Reading:

1. The Hope We Need Now via Lion’s Roar
2. Here’s a proven way to slow aging. Any volunteers? via The Washington Post (non-paywalled)
3. Regulating your nervous system is so hot right now via Dazed
4. How Losing My Limbs Turned Me Into a Different Kind of Cook via The New York Times (gift link)
5. There’s no war on protein via From the Desk of Alicia Kennedy

5 Things I’m Enjoying:

1. Two podcast episodes discussing AI that caught my attention recently: Hollywood’s AI Moment & Adam Gallagher of food blog Inspired Taste discusses the dangers of AI-recipe slop
2. LISTERS: A Glimpse Into Extreme Bird Watching
3. A “curry” history lesson from Diaspora Co.
4. Attempting to veganize this Moravian Sugar Cake this weekend.
5. I’ve been using Firefox Focus as my internet browser lately. It has tracking protection so that your data stays private. It also prevents ads from loading, which in turn makes pages load faster.

5 Questions:

1. What are some pantry cooking staples that you always have on hand for when winter weather gets unruly?
   Canned and dried beans/lentils, short grain brown rice, pasta, a handful of different vinegar varieties, canned tomatoes, veggie bouillon paste (like Better Than Bouillon), raw cashews for creamy recipes, and a well-stocked spice drawer. You can do a lot with those!
2. How do you balance work/focus with rest without feeling guilty about it?
   I have been bad at this lately. Just lacking focus/other life things going on, and accepting that I’ll get the bare minimum done (while still feeling rotten about it). Most of the time, I have a very “there’s always something to do” mindset. Even on weekends and vacation periods, I start making lists of tasks to catch up on. The times when I’m not fixated on some task and embracing the moment/not feeling guilt, is when I’m at the gym or spending time with family and friends. If you struggle to turn off work mode and have the time, I highly recommend this strategy as an entry point.
3. What’s your camera setup for Reels? Love the moody vibe.
   I got a Sony vlogging camera during Henry’s boxing week sale, along with a Sigma 16mm f/1.4 lens so that I could shoot in the low light conditions of my kitchen. Along with a little countertop tripod, the setup has been great. The camera is pretty intuitive to use. I’m still learning things, but that’s expected.
4. Are you going to post bread recipes with your new focus on baking? You used to post bread projects a lot on Instagram.
   I am working on a no-knead 100% whole wheat loaf right now. It’s an attempt to get a crusty loaf that doesn’t have a brick-like crumb inside. I think it’s moving in the right direction!
5. Trying to clear my pantry this winter. What can I do with raw buckwheat groats?
   Buckwheat granola (I have a recipe in my book but there’s lots of options online if you Google), hot baked buckwheat with fruit, porridge, and I’ve even made homemade buckwheat cereal “flakes” before (from this book–back when I was super stoked on my dehydrator and before that Netflix documentary came out). It’s a very breakfast-friendly pseudo grain.
   

5 Seasonal Recipes:

1. One-Pot Spinach Artichoke Orzo with Chickpeas
2. Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Warm Olive & Chickpea “Dressing
3. Sautéed Cabbage, Kale & Butter Beans with Mustard Cream
4. Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Cauliflower Rice, Crispy Tofu Bits & Poblano Cream
5. Creamy Cauliflower & Sweet Potato Chowder

One more thing: In the interest of moving away from promotional platforms rooted in algorithms and private data gathering, I am looking to work with an email marketing pro/consultant with experience in food/recipe content. If this is you or you know of anyone, please shoot me an email via the contact menu (go to the upper right of the page and hover over “about” in the menu).