I love talking about food and eating food. I’ve written about this topic before here, and after re-reading it this last week, I suggest that you go back and read it too. It’s a great summation of the struggle of being in a fat body and what joy can do for digestion (science!). I stand by everything I said last year, and have some more thoughts about how fun eating can be below.
Not only do I love to eat, I love to cook. I think loving to cook is a part of loving to eat. Cooks who do not savor the perfect bite are a walking red flag! What do you mean you don’t love meticulously arranging every piece of the meal on the tines of a fork so that your taste buds are awakened with the exact right components?! What do you mean you don’t sprinkle a tiny bit of flaky salt on your bread and butter? What do you mean you don’t revel in the perfect layers of a club sandwich?
I’ve always believed that these small moments add up to a big, happy, fulfilling life. I cannot imagine enjoying most meals, or eating whatever I have on hand without at least a little intentionality. Sure there are busy moments in a week or a month, or as is my case, a busy last couple of months, but I’m always so grateful to be able to make a meal at the end of it. I just think it’s worth it to do a little something extra!
Food & Joy Inspo
Here are some of the best moments in the last few months that have brought me lots of food joy. I always take a moment to do even the littlest zhuzh:
Spreading butter on a muffin
Eating a cupcake with the icing sandwiched in the middle of the top and bottom
Lining up all the tater tots on top of a hotdish perfectly
Drizzling olive oil on vanilla ice cream
Smothering cinnamon rolls with brown butter glaze from Bogart’s Doughnuts
Eating the foam of a really good cappuccino off of a tiny spoon
An Arnold Palmer on a patio with pebble ice
A s’more with the fancy chocolate (or Reese’s!)
Warming up a baked good, especially pie, muffins, scones, and brownies
Making an afternoon half caff espresso
Garnishing dinner with a sprinkling of fresh herbs
I invite you to also take an extra moment to make your meals or snacks shine! It will lift your spirits, and might even give you the (emotional) strength you need to make it through a hard day.
Things I Like
I got to see the Northern Lights last weekend! It was so magical and worth the little bit of discomfort, routine change, and sacrificed sleep.
Neighborhood gossip! I recently joined a neighborhood group and everyone has been so warm and welcoming. I haven’t felt super connected to our neighborhood since moving here despite going to some events and insisting on waving to every neighbor I see when I’m driving or walking. So I’m eager to find some connections with others who live or work nearby.
Gastropod is a podcast that looks at food through history and science, and it’s consistently one of my favorite listens every week. This week’s episode was all about restaurant playlists and asking the question: Why are restaurants so loud lately?
My husband and I have started our summer bucket list that we like to do seasonally. Some things got carried over from the winter list (make a bee sting cake, go to a new-to-us museum, do a pottery painting date), and others are summer-specific (go to the pool and beach, go up North, plant some wildflowers).
Summer of Sandwiches™ is happening for this summer and my Pinterest board is in need of ideas. I’m already planning on making lots of sourdough focaccia and various sourdough sandwich breads.
Comment with the best sandwich you’ve had that you can’t get out of your head!
May your week be gentle and may you eat well. 🌲🥣
I had a Chickpea Banh Mi sandwich last summer from the market inside the Disney Dolphin Hotel that was so good I ate it 3 times during my 1-week stay. I keep meaning to figure out how to make it myself, but just haven't done it yet. A quick Google has this description of it "Grab 'n Go- smashed chickpea salad, cucumber, pickled carrots, jalapeno, cilantro, sriracha aioli on French bread". Its vegan, but I'm not vegan. I just really liked it.