Issue #99: How to Cook Almost Entirely from Farmers' Market Vegetables This Summer
Budget-friendly recipes and tips.
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📚 The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue: “It was never my plan to write about any of this,” O’Donoghue’s novel begins. Told as a flashback, Rachel (now a happily married, pregnant journalist) comes across a surprise piece of news that inspires her to recount her past when she worked at a bookstore alongside her friend James, who fell in love with Rachel’s married college professor, Fred. A story of entangled fates and unrequited love, I could barely put it down this weekend. P.S., I’m giving away a copy of this book! Details at the end of the email.
📺 “Survival of the Thickest” on Netflix: Finally! Someone gave Michelle Buteau—once eternally stuck in the best friend role—her own series. Her new show on Netflix is based loosely on her memoir of the same name, but in this version, she plays Mavis, who at 38-years-old walks in on her boyfriend cheating with a model. The discovery throws her world and self-concept upside-down as she has to effectively start from scratch, moving in with a roommate, dating, and rebuilding her career, which had been intertwined with her ex. Formulaic, but fun enough for an easy summer watch. Same goes for Kaley Cuoco’s new show on Peacock, “Based on a True Story.”
🎧 “Never Told” Podcast: In this new eight-episode English podcast, writers, actors, and filmmakers tell original stories then talk to the producer about their inspiration and experience as artists. Emma Jane Unsworth talks about the “fantasy woman” who lives her head, Joanne Lau explores what it means to have a good death, and director Deborah Haywood tells the story of a young girl faced with the shame and challenges of securing an abortion. Some episodes are better than others, but a nice break from the news and personal growth podcasts I generally gravitate toward.
Despite my SoCal roots, I’ve always preferred living in places that have all four seasons. The short, rainy days typical of Portland winters help me to appreciate the sun-drenched summers, which I’ve made my personal mission to embrace this year. Recently, I’ve been spending at least as many hours outside as inside (I’m currently in the process of outfitting my car for easier/safer/better solo car camping, which I’ll share more on soon!) and I’ve been cooking almost exclusively from seasonal, local vegetables—I rarely step into a grocery store. As a result, I eat more whole foods and spend far less on groceries in the summer (around $60/week) than any other season (closer to $100/week) and feel inspired to cook a wider variety of recipes. Here’s how…
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