Hello my dears,
Yesterday’s knife skills class was SO MUCH FUN. It was wonderful to see so many names that I recognize, as well as a ton of new people (welcome!!). You can watch the full class replay above, and I’ve also attached the no-recipe potage soup (and class shopping list) below, in case you’d like to chop and cook along with the class. Also, we didn’t have time to chop the bell pepper in the class, but I filmed a video to show you how to do that here. (p.s. In the class I dropped title of my new book for the first time!! Hint hint, it might look familiar…)
Spring Sale! This week I’m offering 20% off paid subscriptions in celebration of spring. Paid subscribers receive all of the recipes and have access to the full recipe archive (featuring over 100 gluten-free recipes!), as well as bonus content, free cooking classes, discounts on one-on-one sessions, and more. Thank you so much, and big hugs! ❤️
This week’s podcast
Get more tips for finding ease and confidence in my podcast conversation this week with New York Times bestselling cookbook author . I’m giving a way a free copy of her fabulous new book, What Goes with What—to enter to win, simply leave a comment in this post naming a thing/ingredient/piece of equipment that helps you find more ease in the kitchen (while you’re there, check out the other comments for some great tips!).
Small Joys
I’ve been immersed in the final round of editing the designed pages of my new book this week—it’s the last time I’ll be able to make changes before the book lands in your hands. The design turned out so beautiful and I’m dying to share it with you, but the book doesn’t come out until January (I know, it feels like forever!). Until then we’ll stay cozied up together right here in the newsletter… but stay tuned for a cover reveal soon!
I’ve been swimming in details all week—going over every single ingredient, measurement, sentence and punctuation mark in the book. It’s pretty satisfying work at this stage since there are no more major edits, just minuscule changes. That being said, it’s mental work (that can easily tip towards perfectionism), and I’ve had to take repeated breaks to get out of my head and back into my body. Something that has helped me was inspired by this newsletter by (who, in turn, was inspired by this newsletter by —don’t you love it when the spark of inspiration spreads, lighting up different corners of the world?). In Giulia’s newsletter, she talks about the “small, joyful moments that add glimmer” to her days, sharing the food treats that brighten her life.
It reminded me to pay attention to—and to intentionally cultivate—little glimmers each day. I lit a candle on my desk before opening my computer every morning, I took walks at sunset after dinner (the first of the season thanks to these longer days), I snuggled on the couch and watched the Great British Baking Show with my ten-year-old (her favorite), and, of course, I cooked. Nothing gets me out of my head better than moving my body around the kitchen—chopping, sautéing, simmering, smelling, tasting and touching. Most of the things I cooked were simple—a no-recipe potato and broccoli soup, simple shrimp tacos with this red cabbage and sweet corn slaw, the falafel bowls below… The point was the process, not the end result.
The meals and snacks below—three of which were leftovers and required no cooking at all—were also instigators of joy this week, providing me moments of comfort and delight. I thought perhaps they might spark some inspiration for you too. Open yourself up to the small joys in your life this week, my loves. Share them with others. Keep the sparks flying.
A quick favor! If you enjoy today’s class or newsletter would you mind clicking the heart in the upper left corner (or bottom left corner, if you’re on mobile)? It helps others find this newsletter, but more importantly, it lets me know you’re there, a real human on the other side, forging a web of connection. ❤️
Chicken Noodle Soup with Buttered Crackers
Last week I made a batch of Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup from my book, Fresh Flavors for the Slow Cooker, which made for cozy leftovers this week. My favorite way to eat chicken noodle soup (which I learned from my friend Emily in sixth grade) is with a side of buttered crackers. Does anybody else do this? I slather the best butter I’ve got over crackers (these are my current favorite), and eating the soup becomes an all-hands-on-deck affair (my favorite way to eat). I take take a bite of hot soup followed by a bite of the crunchy cracker with that smooth smear of butter… Oh, my friends, it’s pure joy.
Cake in the freezer
I found a stash of blueberry yogurt cake in the freezer, which an older version of Nicki had the wisdom to cut into wedges, wrap in parchment paper and freeze in a resealable bag, so that future Nicki (ahem, me) could one day discover the bag like a secret treasure amidst the loaves of bread piling the shelves. Surprise cake is the best kind, my friends. Especially when it’s heated until warm in the center and topped with a cool dollop of coconut yogurt, nibbled with the cutest spoon you own (you know you have one) in your pajamas on the couch.
Falafel Bowl/Salad Mash-Up
On Monday temperatures rose into the mid-sixties for the first time and, with the later sunset, the evening felt positively springlike (joy bubbled forth while watching my 10-year-old jumping on the trampoline outside, in a t-shirt and shorts, while I prepped dinner). We were going to make clean-out-the-fridge falafel bowls (our Monday standby), but I found some leftover cooked beets in the freezer and a package of halloumi in the fridge so ended up doing a mash-up of these frozen falafel bowls with this beet and halloumi salad. With a shower of fresh mint (leftover from Sunday night’s shepherd’s pie) and the glow of the evening light, it was a meal that tasted like hope.
Candied Maple Pecans
Last Sunday (when we made that shepherd’s pie I mentioned above) I baked up a batch of these quick maple pecans in our toaster oven to scatter over a shaved fennel and greens salad. I stored the leftover candied pecans in a jar, which I nibbled on all week whenever I needed brain fuel. My favorite way to eat them is with a chunk of dark chocolate, standing in a sunny splash by a window, emptying all thoughts to sink into the sensations of sweet, salty, crunchy and rich. Here I Am.
What about you? What has been bringing you joy this week, in the kitchen or out?
Wishing you a wonderful weekend, and remember to nourish yourself with intention and love.
xo, Nicki
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