Hello and welcome to our weekly meetup. It’s technically the last summer weekend of the year and the conditions are looking perfect for some outdoor time (I need it! Waaaay too much scrolling this week). I think we’re going to get some mums/other stuff for planters, head to a fall market at a local winery, and complete some odd jobs around the house. Nothing too wild, which is just the thing.

Please take care out there!

5 Things I’m Reading:

1. Setting Boundaries Doesn’t Mean What You Think via The New York Times (gift link)
2. The Last Days Of Social Media via Noēma Mag
3. ‘I’m a modern-day luddite’: Meet the students who don’t use laptops via Dazed
4. A Deep Look Into the Wild and Not-So-Wild World of Bumblebees via Smithsonian Magazine
5. Until I was diagnosed last year, I had never met anyone with colon cancer via The Cut

5 Things I’m Enjoying:

1. On Instagram: 4 o’clock apple + you have to stay good and decent
2. Trying some new (Canadian!) hand care ahead of the dry season with Paume
3. The Way Out Is In podcast: Joanna Macy’s Message of Hope
4. Lighting candles around the house in the evening, and just certified Fall Freak™️ behavior in general
5. Cancelling Disney+ even though I really wanted to start watching Abbott Elementary. Happy to withhold money from cowards that bend the knee and that’s all I’ve got to say about that.

5 Questions:

1. Any hints on what’s coming up for holiday recipes?
   I’ve been testing my version of vegan meatloaf/lentil loaf for a while. I can always get the flavor right, but the texture/ability to hold clean slices has been elusive. I think I’ve settled on a cooking method/equipment setup that solves my issues. So that’s coming up! I am also working on a sweet galette recipe, which is new and exciting for me. My selection of savory holiday recipes is huge, so I’m focusing a bit more on sweet things this year.
2. Are there any vegetables that you don’t like? How do you make them more palatable?
   I don’t particularly love rutabaga, turnips or parsnips. My solution with those is to always combine them with other vegetables (with similar cook times) that I do like–like potatoes, carrots, beets etc. Chop everything up and roast it in a 400 oven with a bunch of delicious seasonings, and I usually end up enjoying it. Roasting and blending them up in a mixed root vegetable soup with onions, vegetable stock etc also does the trick. One application that I truly enjoyed parsnips in was a cake done in the style of carrot cake with lots of warm spices. It’s hard to resist cake though ;)
3. What are the kitchen appliances/tools that you use the least, but still keep around for certain occasions?
   Waffle iron, bread machine, and our slow cooker. It is my mission to use the slow cooker more this fall and winter though!
4. Do you use nonstick cookware? I need to replace some pots and there’s so much conflicting information.
   I am using my stainless pans more often lately purely because I just like using them, especially when it comes to getting a hard sear and making pan sauces. The thing about good quality stainless pans is that they should last for your entire cooking life. The coating on nonstick pans degrades in 4-5 years. If you can familiarize yourself with stainless steel cooking techniques, I would go with those purely from an investment perspective. Sometimes you do just need a nonstick pan for certain jobs though! I always have one in the mix that I accept I’ll have to replace eventually. I also never take nonstick over medium heat and only use silicone tools with it–both of these practices help it to last longer.
5. Are you still into bread making as a hobby?
   Not as much lately! Probably the hot weather has something to do with it, but I’ve also been trying to cut out gluten as much as possible. It seems to help with some of the inflammatory skin stuff that I get sometimes. I have pre-ordered The Art of Gluten-Free Bread, so perhaps this will rekindle that hobby!

5 Seasonal Recipes:

1. Miso Pasta with Brussels Sprouts
2. Butternut Squash Zuppa Toscana
3. Kale Sweet Potato Salad with Crispy Chickpeas, Pickled Red Onion & Spicy Tahini Ranch
4. Teriyaki Tofu in the Air Fryer
5. Pear Vanilla Chip Smoothie