January '22 Newsletter
after a snow storm in our neighborhood
Hello and Happy January! Happy 2022!
I hope that you had a wonderful holiday season. As I write this at the very end of December, we are getting ready to drive to Maine, to bring in the New Year with family, in the midst of the pines and majestic, natural beauty. I love January for its quietness, which seems extra apparent after the bustle of November and December. To me, things always appear new and sparkly, and full of possibility during this month, maybe because I’m a January baby.
I had so much fun filming this month’s cooking class, which is all about the intuitive pantry. The pantry is a part of the kitchen that can hold so much power, and I loved breaking it down. In the class, I also demo two of my favorite pantry meals that I make frequently when ‘there’s nothing to eat’ - Staple Red Lentils and Pantry Pasta. This month’s recipes are a mixture of cozy and vibrant. We’ve got a Rainbow Salad with Almond Butter Dressing, Fondant Potatoes and Leeks, and a Coconut Rice Pudding with Orange and Cardamom that’s out of this world…
our New Years table from last year: vegan Olivier salad, blini, blini fillings: beet caviar, caramelized onions and mushrooms, sour cherries, plus an upside down citrus cake
Seasonal Pleasures
⁕ I’m making fire cider this month! Fire cider is a natural remedy immunity tonic, where a bunch of powerful plant ingredients get infused into apple cider vinegar. Here’s how I make it: in a clean, half gallon glass jar, combine 1 sliced red onion, 2” sliced piece of ginger, 2” sliced piece of fresh turmeric, a head of garlic, chopped, 1 sliced orange, 1 sliced lemon, 2 teaspoons black peppercorns, 2 sliced red chiles, a handful of rosehips, and a pinch of sea salt. Cover completely with apple cider vinegar. If your jar has a metal lid, line it with some parchment paper to avoid corrosion from the vinegar. Seal the lid and let the jar sit in a cool, dry, and dim place for about 1 month. Strain out the solids. To take the fire cider, pour a tiny bit into a shot glass and take as is or mix some raw honey in, to taste, and enjoy.
⁕ The depth of winter always has me inspired to make sourdough bread, there’s just no better time for it. Last year, I made a very in-depth video on how I make sourdough - everything from how I make and maintain the starter, to how I mix the dough, to how I bake the bread. You can watch it here.
⁕ And since I measure every season in fruit, I can’t help but talk about citrus season. We are so lucky that the darkness of winter also brings with it an abundance of citrus from warmer places. It’s the best kind of cheering up. The stores right now are overflowing with every kind of citrus imaginable. Blood oranges and mandarines are my current favorites, and I’m very excited to try preserving Meyer lemons this winter (so far I’ve only preserved regular ones). I have a video on how I preserve lemons here.
Wishing you a lovely and peaceful January :)
