we're already halfway through 2020!! we're JUST halfway through 2020?!?

Hi friends,

Since I sent the last newsletter, many, many things have happened in the world. It felt that the best thing to do, given the gravity of what was happening and continues to happen, was to shut up, let other voices be heard, read, think, and listen.

We’re in day one-hundred-and-who-is-even-counting-anymore of this quarantine, and it’s not just the wheels that are coming off the bus. I oscillate between wanting to take on complex cooking projects -- miche, anyone? -- to wanting to make the same three dishes over and over again and just not think about cooking anymore.

It’s also so hot outside that I want to make many cold, crunchy things that don’t require heating up my kitchen much. Cold soba noodles in shiitake-infused dashi; crisp, cold salads with tomatoes, watermelon, and feta; lemonade, lightly flavored seltzer, and granita for days.

stuff to cook: Speaking of granita, I am lucky to edit (and test) Ellie Krieger’s WaPo wonderful recipes for her Nourish column. And the almond granita we just published may become your new favorite summer thing — the kind of low-maintenance, unfussy addition to your cooking repertoire requiring three ingredients, plus a dish and a fork (no fancy gadgets needed).

stuff i wrote: My boss also assigned me a two-part story exploring some things you can do with your sourdough starter discard. Last month, I published a piece on sourdough discard as flavoring, sharing recipes on crumpets and Gruyere popovers. On Monday, I have a piece coming out on a low-maintenance pizza dough that will work with your schedule. And, because I’m perennially terrible at managing my time and feel like I’m always trying to stay on top of stuff, these “lazy” recipes that work for you (and not in reverse) are kind of my credo.

stuff to read: And, in case you’re looking for more newsletters in your inbox, may I suggest my colleague Ron Charles’ "Book Club" a weekly book review newsletter on top and SO much more inside. I say “colleague” but that’s like comparing a crow to a nightingale; if I had a quarter of the wit and nuance of Charles, I’d be grateful. If you’ve longed for succinct, witty commentary on, say Don Jr.’s new self-published book (misplaced apostrophes compliments of the author!); mentions of the soon-to-be-released Brave New World movie (if anyone has a soma to spare, I’ll happily take one right about now); lessons from the Magic School Bus (where I learned that an octopus has 8 tentacles, but a squid has 10!); or just a pithy overview of the world at large (spoiler alert: it’s bad), Ron’s your man. Come for the newsletter, stay for the Monty Pythonesque videos!

Also, my friend Deb Perelman of the Smitten Kitchen fame wrote a smart, painfully accurate essay about parenting and homeschooling in the age of the coronavirus — and what this means for working parents. Her argument, you can have a job, you can have a kid — but you can't have both — hits so close to home for so many families I know as we all try to grapple with what school will look like for our kids and how on earth we're supposed to remain productive and sane.

stuff you can wear: I can’t remember where I read about these Amazon pants, but I purchased a pair last summer and basically lived in them. This year, since we’re exploring all facets of quarantine fashion, I indulged myself in another pair. I also convinced a colleague to buy herself a pair (or two), as well as my mom and mom-in-law bought them as well. For less than $30, including shipping, these are a steal.

stuff to drink: In the efforts of making myself more of a sophisticate (or a degenerate, depending on how you look at it), I’ve been making cocktails this summer. Simple things. A negroni here, a boulevardier there. Taking a page from Julia Turshen’s excellent “Small Victories” cookbook, a maple whiskey sour always hits the spot. But lately, it’s been a drink I concocted out of sheer chance.

A neighbor gifted me a mango-habanero-infused vodka that he and his wife found too spicy, and so I played around and feel like I struck libation gold here. If you like all things spicy (it me), this is a drink for you, otherwise, I can point you in the direction of a milder, summer-appropriate tipples. We’ve been loving this cocktail so much, it’s become our official 2020 summer sip. I don’t need to tell any of you this year has felt like ten in my book. Anyone else finding lots of gray hairs were there weren’t any?

So, since this drink is my invention, I get to name it! As this has been downright medicinal in the current environment, I felt the name Panacea was appropriate, only to realize a cocktail with that name already exists. And so, because we’ve all been through the ringer this year and because we’ve about 5 ½ months left to go (fingers crossed the world doesn’t spontaneously combust), we need an appropriately named cocktail. And so, I present to you…. Panacea 2020.

Panacea 2020
(makes 1 drink)

2 ounces mango-and-habanero-infused vodka
1 ounce 1:1 honey syrup (recipe below)
¾ to 1 ounce fresh lime juice
Seltzer to top

In a rocks glass filled with ice, combine the vodka, syrup, lime juice and stir to blend. Top with seltzer and serve.
honey syrup: to make 1:1 honey syrup, combine equal amounts of honey and water and shake really hard to combine. set aside for about 1 hour and shake again so the honey is fully dissolved. you can also do this with hot water to dissolve the honey faster but make sure it's at room temperature before use. use immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 month.

Be well and healthy. And if you need a pick-me-up, here's a video of Latke giving me nose boops.
I hope to write soon.

xo,

olga

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