Some announcements

I wanted to mention a couple of things before I get to the meat of the newsletter this month. Firstly, Beehiiv (the platform that supports my newsletter) has come up with one of their “cool new features” that is actually kind of cool. They have set up a way for you to download an app to your device for my newsletter. I’m not someone who wants a huge number of apps on my phone. (But I think I may be unusual in this regard.) In any case, as a friend recently pointed out, having an app on your device, where you can with one click access all of the newsletter content, will make it possible for you to conveniently read any time, any place…whether you’re stuck in a line, waiting for an appointment, on public transit, etc.

This feature was rolled out on July 22. It was set up so that the first time someone logged in after that date that they would see a pop up that offered the download. If you didn’t (or don’t) see that pop up, and you want to download the app, you can always download it whenever you like through the drop down navigation menu. Having the app will not link you to any of Beehiiv’s other publications…or any kinds of advertisements.

Other new features are the “like” and “comment” icons up at the top left. Clicking on one of these will automatically log you in (or so I’m told!). The “comment” icon should take you directly to the comment section. The “like” button just lets me know you liked this issue of the newsletter!

Secondly, I wanted to take a minute to mention something I usually save for the end. I don’t like to do a lot of asking…or self promotion…but I do want to take a moment to emphasize something I shared when I launched the newsletter. And that is that I am trying to use this newsletter as a way to provide an income for myself so that I can keep on writing, developing recipes, etc. When I set the price, I set it low so that it would be accessible to most. But at such a low price, I need more subscribers. All that to say, if you enjoy what you read…if you find the recipes and the ideas I write about to be useful…please consider telling your friends about it. I have recently added a monthly option ($5/month). This is more expensive in the long run…but it will give people who know nothing about me a chance to try out the newsletter with a very small monetary commitment. And if you are so inclined, you can also give an annual gift subscription to a friend you think might enjoy it.

And now…on to the things I (and hopefully you!) really enjoy…

Extemporaneous cooking

When I started this newsletter, I hoped that I would feel less constrained to publish specific recipes…and freer to simply talk about how I actually go about putting food on the table day in and day out. But this process is a difficult thing to put into words. Much of what I do daily is the outgrowth of years of cooking professionally…thinking about food almost all the time…as well as experimentation. Recipes are of course the way the successful experiments are consolidated and funneled to others who don’t spend all their time with food. It’s sort of an “I eat the failures so you don’t have to” model.

But I think home cooks can (and should) practice this kind of extemporaneous cooking on a smaller scale. My failures are not awful or inedible. I don’t remember the last time I threw away something I had made for dinner. The reality is that if you are purchasing good ingredients that you love to eat…you will likely produce something that’s certainly edible…and probably pretty good. Especially if you treat your ingredients with respect and apply good cooking techniques (which is why I like to talk about technique so much in my writing and teaching).

I particularly think that learning how to thoughtfully combine ingredients is valuable for the cook who is preparing food for one or two. Learning to make a meal of odds and ends (that doesn’t look like it is a meal of odds and ends) is the only way to forestall a lot of waste in the small household kitchen.

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