Winter Recipe Roundup (Issue #37)
This week’s theme is, once again, food!
Hi friends!
A few months ago on Instagram, I stumbled upon this story. Beyond it being ridiculously adorable, I loved the way it so clearly illustrates one of my favorite things about a good meal – how the mere act of sharing food connects us in the smallest but most precious of ways. Many of my favorite memories involve food – making Pernil with my mom, sipping espresso in Italy with my husband Andrew, and making pasta from scratch with my best friends.
Recently, I was struck by this line in Beth Dooley’s book In Winter’s Kitchen:
“Recipes are stories with happy endings, of being sated and cared for in a way that feels gentle. I’d even suggest that the intentions of a cookbook author are the same as those of a novelist: to use both creativity and format to transmit an experience to the reader.”
So today, fresh into the new year, I want to dedicate another issue to the joys of cooking and being cooked for – to the meals that bring us together. Enjoy!
A round-up of things to watch, read, and listen to as you head into the weekend.
Recipe: Lemony Chicken Thighs and Rice Bake
I tried this recipe and it’s the perfect simple mid-week meal. I first made it on one of those days when I was ready to just call it and order DoorDash. Luckily, this meal came together fast, and was worth waiting for!
Recipe: Crispy Sriracha Salmon
I love a good air fryer recipe, and this one fits the bill. There are also oven instructions if that’s more your style!
Recipe: Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread
I’m really excited to try these cookies as a twist on the classic chocolate chip. Plus if you’re not in the mood for two dozen treats all at once, the dough can be made ahead, and stored in tightly wrapped plastic for up to one week in the refrigerator, or one month in the freezer!
Recipe: Sweet Lemon Iced Tea
Iced tea is one of my favorite drinks year-round, and I love this recipe for a make-at-home option! You can adjust the sugar to your taste, and there are a handful of flavor variations at the bottom to throw a personal spin on this tried and true classic.
In an issue all about food, I want to highlight a few stand-out, food-centric organizations worth supporting this week!
Based in Minnesota and shipping cookies nationwide, Cookie Cart provides vital job experience and leadership training to teens in the Twin Cities Metro! Their cookies not only do good but are good, and make the perfect tasty gift. I mean who doesn’t appreciate cookies arriving on their doorstep??
This organization works to increase access to healthful, affordable, and culturally relevant foods through K-8 classroom education. Read more and donate to support their work here.
Working directly with incarcerated folks, Insight Garden Program provides “an innovative curriculum combined with vocational gardening and landscaping training so that people in prison can reconnect to self, community, and the natural world.” You can learn more, get involved, and donate here.
Things to try + share in the group chat.
Note: Links preceded by an asterisk (*) are affiliate links that allow me to collect a small commission when you purchase something I’ve recommended. That said, I can promise I’ll only ever share items I love. Buying through these links is one way to support me and my small biz. ❤️
I was looking for a more useful box grater and *this one did the trick! I love how it minimizes mess, collecting as you grate, and that the container can be stored directly in the fridge. Pre-shredded cheese often has preservatives that keep it from melting properly, so I love buying blocks of cheese to shred on my own and store for recipes throughout the week!
Another tool I’m looking to add to my kitchen setup is *this pair of kitchen scissors that come apart for easy cleaning!
I invested in this apron and love it! I bought the golden yellow color, but I also love the Jadeite Green option!!
Did you catch this past Monday’s bonus issue? In it, I collected a variety of things to watch, read, and listen to in honor of MLK Day. Check it out here.
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I just made the Alison Roman chocolate chunk shortbread cookies and they were so so good! All gone within 2 days 🥰