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Hi friends, good Sunday to you!<\/p>\n
We made it through January<\/strong><\/a>\u2014one down, eleven to go. I\u2019ll go ahead and cross it off the list, though I\u2019d like to formally request that the rest of the year ease up just a bit. No need to come in so hot. I didn\u2019t plan on starting the year at a full sprint, but here we are, catching our breath. We don\u2019t always get to choose the pace, do we? That\u2019s why we have soup<\/strong><\/a>, and blankets<\/strong><\/a>, and people who remind us to put a coat on instead of turning the heater up.<\/p>\n January was about small joys, tiny anchors to keep us steady. February, I think, is about slow and simple.<\/strong> The kind of days that ask us to take our time. It\u2019s still dark by 6pm, and I\u2019d be in bed by 7:30 if I could get away with it. The world will pick up soon enough, but we don\u2019t have to rush. This month, I\u2019ll be sharing recipes that let time do the work\u2014an overnight rise, a long roast, a slow simmer.<\/p>\n We\u2019re inching toward brighter days, but right now? Slow and simple and steady. Here\u2019s the Sunday offering. I hope you find a few things you didn\u2019t know you needed.<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0 <\/strong>On January 27th we observed Holocaust Remembrance Day.\u00a0 \u201cRemembrance is only meaningful if it has a purpose. And that purpose must be rooted in an understanding of precisely what we enjoin ourselves to remember and why.<\/p>\n Informally designating<\/a><\/strong> January 27, the date that Auschwitz was liberated in 1945, as an annual international day of commemoration, the United Nations General Assembly reaffirmed that the Holocaust must \u2018forever be a warning to all people of the dangers of hatred, bigotry, racism and prejudice.’\u201d \u00a080 Years On, We Must Keep The Memory of Holocaust Survivors Alive<\/strong><\/a> (TIME)<\/p>\n \u2022<\/strong>\u00a0 Have you ever listened to the Anderson Cooper podcast All There Is<\/strong><\/a>? It\u2019s a podcast about life and loss and grief and growth and it has just wrecked me (in an important way?) this month.\u00a0 This particular episode with David and Amy Sedaris<\/strong><\/a> was incredibly powerful. And as supplemental reading, this is essential: David Sedaris on the death of his father<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 \u00a0(Apple, The Guardian)<\/p>\n \u2022<\/strong>\u00a0 The best podcasts I\u2019ve ever listened to are the 15-20 minute long voice notes from my girlfriends. Ankita Shah on the nuance of this now essential communication tool:\u00a0 In Praise of Voice Notes<\/strong><\/a>. (Substack)<\/p>\n \u2022<\/strong>\u00a0 It\u2019s Mardi Gras season and I\u2019ve eaten nearly enough King Cake.\u00a0 Luckily there\u2019s over a month to get that sorted.\u00a0 I can see a King Cake and kolache taking shape in my mindseye but first I\u2019ll be making this full blown Pull-Apart Mardi Gras King Cake.<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0 If you want to bake along with me, I\u2019m teaching a class with Williams Sonoma Bake Club<\/strong><\/a> at the end of February. The virtual classes are really fun! Come make a cake with me! (Joy the Baker, Williams Sonoma)<\/p>\n \u2022<\/strong>\u00a0 This week on the socials I made Amy Sheppard\u2019s Cheesy Lentil Bake<\/strong><\/a> which is incredibly versatile, economical, and exactly what to make with the bag of red lentils in the back of the pantry.\u00a0 Amy\u2019s food is strictly comfort!\u00a0 She has a new cookbook that\u2019s available for pre-order, too!\u00a0<\/strong><\/a> (Instagram, Amazon)<\/p>\n \u2022<\/strong>\u00a0 I made the executive decision that card games are IN for 2025.\u00a0 Grab a deck<\/strong><\/a>. Pick a game<\/strong><\/a>. Don\u2019t be a sore loser. (Amazon, Board Game Geek)<\/p>\n \u2022<\/strong>\u00a0 It sounds like we need more impromptu Do Nothing hangs with our friends. Do we have space for that in our days?\u00a0 It\u2019s honestly hard to tell. Doing Nothing With Your Favorite People Is Really Really Good For You<\/strong><\/a>. (Self)<\/p>\n \u2022<\/strong>\u00a0 Wait \u2013 have we talked about King Arthur Baking\u2019s Recipe of the Year<\/strong><\/a>?\u00a0 Last year, of course, the recipe of the year was an elaborate Chocolate Chip Cookie that I stacked up against Dad\u2019s cookie recipe<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 This year, KAB has developed a Big and Bubbly Focaccia<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 It\u2019s on deck to make in the next few weeks. Focaccia, to me, is a lot of bread and a minimal amount of effort.\u00a0 It\u2019s an excellent bread to tackle if you don\u2019t necessarily consider yourself a bread baker.\u00a0 (King Arthur Baking, Joy the Baker)<\/p>\n \u2022<\/strong>\u00a0 The Super Bowl is just an excuse to make Dill Pickle Dip<\/strong><\/a>, right? I knew it. (Bon Appetit)<\/p>\n \u2022<\/strong>\u00a0 Are you in your Cod Liver Oil<\/strong><\/a> era too?\u00a0 Maybe it\u2019s just me and my shiny hair.\u00a0 (Amazon)<\/p>\n \u2022<\/strong>\u00a0 If I don\u2019t get to chat with you before Valentine\u2019s Day can you do me a favor?\u00a0 Make this Chocolate Stout Cake<\/strong><\/a> to celebrate. It\u2019s my favorite winter chocolate cake.\u00a0 It\u2019s so unfussy and perfect for a little love moment.\u00a0 Also \u2013 it was the cake I made for our wedding a few months back so it\u2019s just infused with love. Ok thaaaanks!\u00a0 (Joy the Baker)<\/p>\n \u2022<\/strong>\u00a0 Another executive decision I\u2019ve made:\u00a0 we\u2019re celebrating half birthdays this year.\u00a0 Yes. That is in addition top regularly scheduled birthdays.\u00a0 MMKAY?\u00a0 Of course I\u2019m working on a cake about it.<\/p>\n