Field Notes
news, notes & inspiration for the week ahead, 3.21.22
Throughout the week I find myself jotting notes of things I want to share with all of you, so I decided to start a somewhat regular post called Field Notes. Think of these notes as a space where I can share things that inspire me, bring a little joy and make me think deeper about subjects I love (and think you will, too). This may also be a good place to share housekeeping notes for the site, so consider Field Notes a constantly evolving work in progress.
Regarding housekeeping notes—have you popped over to the main page recently? If not, then you’ll hopefully be pleasantly surprised to see we’ve got drop down menus with categories. Technically Substack calls these newsletters with the main newsletter, but I’m just excited I figured out a way to make navigating the collection of recipes here a tad easier. I’m also planning to add printer-friendly links to recipes, so be patient as I work my way through updating older posts (new posts will have them moving forward).
On the topic of older posts, you’ll see more of my favorite recipes from In Jennie’s Kitchen are making their way over here. Even when it seems I’m quiet here, please know I’m spending lots of time invisible to you, moving over recipes from a catalog of almost 1,000 from 12 years of archives. Once the work is done, which by the way feels like it’ll take forever, I don’t know what exactly will become of In Jennie’s Kitchen. It feels a little weird to detach myself more and more from that site but the further I step away from being there, the more at peace I feel, like shedding an old skin. I had many offers last year to buy the site but long time readers know it’s not just another food blog, and my life wasn’t up for sale.
Now that we’ve more daylight to cherish after 5:00pm, I’ve also been trying to get back into walking routines. That photo above is from the Ashokan Reservoir near my house. I always feel stressed pulling the plug from work but the moment I’m there, surrounded by the water and mountains, everything feels lighter, more manageable, even if for just a few minutes.
I hope your week is filled with pockets of peace, and remember to be kind. –xo, j.
Coming this week: recipe for Salted Peanut Butter Frosting.
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Learn how to bake this cake on April 10th with Zoë François. I stopped in my tracks when I saw her gorgeous cake while thumbing through my Instagram feed, and was delighted to see Zoë teaching a LIVE class on how to bake a Ukranian Honey Cake as a fundraiser for Ukraine, with all proceeds going to World Central Kitchen. There’s a variety of ways to participate and show your support, including in-person tickets for the class, watching it LIVE on Zoom or purchasing a ticket for a link to the recording afterwards. Click here for more details.
People constantly ask me when I’m going to write another cookbook, and I always laugh because if only it was that easy. A new podcast launched last week that digs into the process of what it takes to bring a cookbook idea to life (spoiler: it takes so much more than you may imagine!). Whether you’ve been thinking of writing your own book, or just curious about how it all happens, this new podcast hosted by cookbook and food writing industry writing veterans Andrea Nguyen, Kate Leahy, Molly Stevens and Kristen Donnelly is a must-listen. More details can be found here.
Speaking of cookbooks, I am increasingly picky about what I choose to buy, partly due to space but mostly due to not being particularly inspired by a lot of what’s being published. There are a few trusted authors, though, who always leave me eagerly awaiting their new arrivals, and Emiko Davies is one of them. Emiko’s writing reads like a friend sharing stories, every headnote a mini memoir of a moment in time. I feel especially excited about her new book Cinnamon and Salt because it’s about cicchetti, bite-sized snacks served at bars all across Venice. Some of my most treasured memories are from a four day trip Mikey and I took to Venice back in May of 2007 on a very belated honeymoon. I’ve been trying to get back there ever since, and hope to make it a reality soon. The European release of Cinnamon and Salt is due out in a few weeks, and available for pre-order from Book Depository. If you prefer to purchase it from your favorite local bookstore, ask them to pre-order it for the US release at the end of May.