Hello, it's me....
I was wondering if after (almost) 2 years, you'd like some recipes?
Hi friends! Long time no see. I promise I’ve had a good reason for being absent; her name is Diana and she’s now 16 months old.
Parenting has had its ups and downs but overall (thankfully) has been an overwhelmingly positive experience. Watching a small human figure out how to navigate the world is by far the coolest thing I’ve ever witnessed - right now we are in a big language development stage, which is especially fun. (Today’s new words: Tunnel! Bunny! Grape!)
I’m sure I will write extensively about pregnancy/birth/parenting in the future, as they’re topics that I now have Very Strong Opinions about, but for now, my goal is to get back in the swing of sharing what I’ve been cooking / reading / finding interesting. I’ll probably kick off with a more concise style that’s easier for me to bang out during nap time, and see how things go from there. If you’ve missed getting these posts, please do tell me what you’d find useful to receive in your inbox!
What we’re eating:
Miso-butter mushrooms, which came together with about 5 minutes of work, had no cleanup due to being cooked in a foil packet, and were enthusiastically received by the toddler - basically everything I want in a recipe these days. Because of said toddler, I subbed the sake for an equal amount of boiling water, which worked fine. I also used exclusively Shimeji mushrooms because that’s what I had.
Garlic braised short ribs with red wine (gift link), but in the instant pot. I followed the recipe as directed, on sauté mode, then cooked on high for 45 minutes, at which point I decided they needed a bit longer and did another 15. I ended up shredding the meat and serving it with pasta, plus microwaved frozen peas with butter because it’s all about the high-low around here.
Pesto turkey meatballs, except just served with tomato sauce and pasta that had a bunch of spinach wilted into it. Very quick and easy, especially if you use a cookie dough scoop to portion out the meatballs — I wish I’d made a double batch! Julia Turshen’s turkey ricotta meatballs are also a freezer staple around here, and are egg free if that matters to you.
Moules marinières were lunch today because I saw mussels on sale at Whole Foods, and I am always shocked at how easy it is to make this dish which I firmly classify under “fancy things.” Diana didn’t eat any mussels but she was brave enough to lick one, so I’m calling that a win.
Roberto, a soup, because when I have Italian sausage and kale in the fridge it’s almost required. Otherwise, it’s just pantry / fridge staples and so comforting. I used mild Italian sausage because I’m still scarred by the time I accidentally gave Diana fully spicy ma po tofu and I’d rather not relive that moment in the near future.
On the meal plan for next week: Chinese braised daikon radish, Turkish chicken and celeriac, bulgur and beet salad, honey or maple roasted carrots and parsnips, or maybe spiced parsnip soup. I am drowning in carrots from our Red Fire Farm CSA, so please share any favorite recipes you’ve got!
What I’m reading
I am only a few chapters into Recoding America and it’s as good as everybody says. If you have ever bemoaned government services or IT infrastructure, give this a shot to understand how “it’s more complicated than you realize” is a massive understatement. If you’d like a sneak preview of some of the core concepts, check out this Odd Lots podcast interview with author Jennifer Pahlka and the ever-insightful Dave Guarino (seriously, if you are interested in public benefits and don’t subscribe to his newsletter, get on it.)
As you might expect given my “read a book to solve a problem” personality, I’m reading a lot of parenting literature these days. On the docket right now is developmental psychology professor Aliza Pressman’s The Five Principles of Parenting, which I was pleasantly surprised to find has a strong “how to thrive as a parent” thread on top of the more-expected “how to raise a kid who’s not a maladjusted jerk” content.
On the fiction side, I finally read Fourth Wing and I’ll paraphrase my friend Dian’s Goodreads review which summed it up perfectly: unbelievably cliché, but somehow still pretty entertaining. I put the sequel on hold at the library.
Also, endless re-reads of The Pigeon Needs a Bath, Octopus Shocktopus, Blinker Blinker Little Car and Let Me Fix You a Plate.
Next up: I finally got Lessons in Chemistry off hold and can’t wait to dive in. And we’re just a month away from the release of my beloved cousin-in-law Josie’s debut, Women Money Power, about women’s fight for financial freedom. It happens to release on my birthday so I’ll be especially tickled if you decide to pre-order yourself a copy, or suggest that your local library buy one.
Other things I’m enjoying:
This interesting take on trust in experts by Adam Mastroianni, who was smart and funny when we were in college and has not lost either quality. He asks: what if instead of trusting experts just because they’re experts, the burden was on experts to convince us to trust them?
This old interview with Bobbie founder Laura Modi on the Second Life podcast. Fun to hear how a brand you personally use came about (we combo fed Diana formula and breast milk) and getting a glimpse into the regulatory & manufacturing process for formula was fascinating.
Diana’s auntie Nina got her a subscription to the Picture Book Club for Christmas and we are loving it so far! Kids receive a curated selection of books that are a little more off the beaten path; they’ve been a wonderful addition to Diana’s ever-growing collection.
One of my friends shared a picture of her daughter wearing this chicken dress from Petit Pilou and I of course had to buy one for Diana (IYKYK.) They’re more expensive than I am usually comfortable with for toddler gear, but it’s worth it - they’re well made, super cute, and hearing her go CLUCK CLUCK when she digs it out of her drawer and asks to put it on is priceless.
That’s all for now, folks! I’d love to hear your thoughts via comments or replies if you’re getting this via email.