We’re a quarter of the way through the year. Gasp. Blink and that’ll be half.
I know. This is annoying, and it’s annoying to be reminded of it. Sorry, but I had to.
At the beginning of the year, I mentioned a few new things my family was gonna try in 2024. It went like this:
OCB, R&D, BFB
Operation Cook (from) the Books. Each week, we’ll make one recipe from the sizeable stash of cookbooks I amassed over seven years of writing a column that included cookbooks.
READ & DISCUSS. Once a week, either Todd or I will pick a piece for all three of us to read, and we’ll discuss it over dinner.
BUT FIRST, BRUNCH. Once a month, we’ll go out for Sunday brunch.
So, I know you’ve been wondering how it’s going. It’s been keeping you up at night, hasn’t it? You’ve been thinking of checking in just to ease your mind?
Fret no more. I am here with a report.
Honestly, these projects (? - that’s not the right word. Challenges? Attempts? Life prompts?) have delivered legit joy these first three months of 2024. I sort of expected more foot-dragging, particularly about the assigned readings, but everybody seems pretty into it. We’ve had some great, winding conversations around our “Discuss It!” pieces. (“R&D” failed to catch on; instead, we’ve adopted the above Landon-inspired phrase.) I’ve had Thalia select pieces for the rotation, too, and while I’ve had to nudge/assist a bit, I think she has appreciated pitching in. I give our collective effort so far a solid A.
Here’s what we’ve read and discussed amongst the three of us so far:
The TIME Magazine Person of the Year profile of Taylor Swift
An incredible story of a rancher who lives on the border and regularly finds immigrants passing through his land; I feel like this piece should win an award. So thankful Todd put it in front of us!
This personal narrative by Mitchell S. Jackson: “He Was My Role Model. My Mentor. My Supplier.”
Zadie Smith’s essay, “The Fall of My Teen-Age Self”
An edition of Dacy Gillepsie’s Substack, Unflattering, about fatphobia and Queer Eye (We’ve been watching Queer Eye again, too, after a pause.)
A WNXP interview with Adrianne Lenker, when Bright Future was their Record of the Week
A terrible, awful, no good very bad Pitchfork review of Elliott Smith’s (masterpiece) Figure 8 (Such a good hate read for huge Elliott fans like me and Thal)
A feature on Cat Power and her Dylan covers project
A NYT piece about Paris’s commitment to affordable housing
Here’s what we’ve cooked from the books. There’s no rule that the recipes have to be ones we’ve never before tried. We’re free to return to standbys:
Beef Bulgogi Tacos, from Smitten Kitchen Keepers by Deb Perelman
Chamomile Tea Cake, from Wild Sweetness by Thalia Ho
Lemon Fusilli with Arugula, from Barefoot Contessa (I forget which one)
Citrus Cake, from Wild Sweetness
BLT Salad, from Little Cooks
Bibimbap, from The Wok by J. Kenji López-Alt
Miso soup, from The Wok
Chicken Enchilada Nacho Bowls, from Camp Sunset (This has long been a camping fave!)
Skillet Shrimp and Grits, from Skillet Love
Chicken Shawarma, from The Kitchen Without Borders
If you’re a paying subscriber and want any of these recipes, email me!
And brunch?
We’ve done Flora + Fauna, Bagelshop, and Cafe Roze.
I really hope we keep all of this up. It’s been a super-sweet addition to family life.
I love this so much!