Three Things

Super Bowl eats, toddler food I'd serve to dinner guests, a Swedish expression that might become your new mantra

Greetings eaters and readers! Here is your daily reminder that those braised beans I talk about so much go next-level when you add Romesco* and burrata on top, as I did last Thursday night, and then again on Friday with the leftovers. In other news, there are already two things making me extraordinarily happy this week (and it’s only Tuesday!): My new coffee mug warmer (say goodbye to sad, room temp coffee), which I bought for Andy as a Valentine’s Day gift but then stole for myself immediately upon delivery. Next: Readers! Please explain to me why I resisted Demon Copperhead for so long!? I only started it the other night and now I just want to crash all of today’s work so I can park myself on the couch and finish it. (As you probably already know, the novel is Barbara Kingsolver’s answer to David Copperfield, and told by one of the most witty, most likable narrators in recent memory.) Lastly, some housekeeping: I have rearranged my home page for you so it’s easier to find popular recipes and harder for you to just let my emails disappear into that decidedly non-zero inbox of yours! (Do you actually know anyone with a zero inbox? Are they, like, ok?) Let me know what you think. Now, sound the trumpets, your Three Things…

Romesco how-to: Blend 1 drained 12-ounce jar roasted sweet red peppers, 1 garlic clove, 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup blanched almonds, 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil.

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1. What to Make for the Super Bowl

For a holiday gift this past year, our friend Mark shipped us a Texas-style brisket (with sauce) from the legendary Salt Lick BBQ, and we’ve decided to finally thaw it out for the Super Bowl on Sunday. We’ll serve with Mac and Cheese and slaw and Baked Beans to have all our eaters — the carnivores, the vegetarians, the weekday vegetarians — covered. Other options for those of you who don’t feel like expediting a large piece of meat via FedEx: Last year’s Lasagna (veg or not), meatball sandwiches with Great Grandma Turano’s Meatballs, Tofu Bánh Mì, Beef and Black Bean Chili, Stromboli!

2. Why am I craving chicken nuggets for dinner?

Chances are, if you’ve made anything from my book, The Weekday Vegetarians, my friend Olivia McCool, who I’ve written about before, was the reason. She was the food stylist, which means she’s the one who made all that tofu look camera-ready (not a small feat) but she’s also a Le Cordon Bleu-trained substack writer and mother of a one-year-old and a three-year-old. And how lucky those two sweet little peanuts are! I’m not kidding, last week I actually considered making the homemade chicken nuggets she posted on instagram. Do I need to remind you that I have no children currently living in my house? For those of you who do, though, she was gracious enough to let me share the recipe:

From Olivia: Cooking method: You can cook these in an air fryer (my favorite option), pan fry them or bake them in the oven. For oven baking, I recommend you line a baking sheet with foil and spray the nuggets with cooking spray. I like to use a spray olive or avocado oil. For the air fryer you don’t necessarily need any additional oil but a light spritz of a cooking spray makes the nuggets extra crunchy. For pan frying you’ll need about ¼ - ½ cup oil. This can be a neutral oil (canola, avocado or vegetable) or olive oil or a mix of the two. 

Makes about 24-26 nuggets

• 1 pound ground chicken

• 1 cup almond flour

• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese

• 2 eggs

• ½ teaspoon salt, plus more

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• ½ teaspoon onion powder

• 1 cup plain or panko breadcrumbs

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• Cooking spray or additional oil, depending on your cooking method

1. Heat the oven to 425° or heat your air fryer to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. 

2. In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, almond flour, grated parm, eggs, salt, garlic powder and onion powder. Mix well until combined. You could do this up to 12 hours ahead and refrigerate. 

3. In a shallow bowl, combine breadcrumbs, olive oil and a pinch of salt. Mix it together using a fork until it is combined and resembles wet sand.

4. Make “nuggets” out of the chicken mixture: Scoop a heaping tablespoon of mix into your hands, roll into a ball, place the ball in the breadcrumbs and while coating in crumbs, pat into a “nugget” shape. Place on a baking sheet lined with foil. Repeat until all your mixture is gone. Spray the top lightly with cooking spray if using the air fryer or baking. 

Baking in the oven: Bake at 425° for 18-20 minutes, flipping halfway through. 

Air frying: heat your air fryer to 400° and fry for 10 minutes, working in batches. 

Pan Frying: Pour enough oil into a medium skillet to generously coat the bottom and heat over medium high heat. Working in batches, pan fry the nuggets for 4-5 minutes on each side, until golden brown. 

P.S. Olivia is not just about toddler finger food — I’m pretty sure all three members of my family forwarded these pork and bean burritos to me with some version of the instruction MAKE THESE FOR ME NOW. (No paywall here, but you’ll have to sign up for her newsletter to access.) These might be just the thing for my Super Bowl, come to think of it.

Joy and Sadness, from the miraculous Inside Out. Can’t have one without the other.

3. Today in Gratitude, or Kärt Besvär

I haven’t yet read Margareta Magnusson’s The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly: Life Wisdom from Someone Who Will (Probably) Die Before You, but I did read the Times newsletter about it last week, and I find I can’t stop thinking about the concept of kärt besvär, an emotion that describes the blending of “dear and cherished” (kärt) with “pain” (besvär). As the reporter, Jancee Dunn, explains it, “One kärt besvär might be paying your bills — an annoying obligation, but you’re still grateful that you have the money to pay.” Another example is acknowledging a certain gratitude when you’re taking care of someone who is sick — gratitude that you are strong and healthy enough yourself to do it, and gratitude for the depth and closeness of a relationship that brings you that moment, something I touched on last year when Andy’s father was dying. Obviously, the concept glosses over a lot of messiness when it comes to big issues like this, and I don’t mean to suggest that taking care of an ailing loved one can be solved by reading one pop science item in a newsletter usually devoted to tofu. But I do find that this perspective helps with the most basic functions of everyday living. Going for a run or any kind of exercise. (I can’t believe my body can do this.) Thinking about a new phase of life, like empty nesting or moving to a new town. (If I’m missing something, it means it was special. Here, of course, it’s hard not to think of Sadness touching one of Joy’s Core memories in Inside Out.) Even parenting. Recently, one of our daughters was about to have a meeting with a professor and was feeling anxious about it. Not catastrophically anxious, but we could tell that she was dreading the appointment and kept texting us things like “I just wish it was over.” At some point we brought up the concept of kärt besvär, suggesting she reframe her thoughts from “I am dreading this,” to “I’m excited to learn from this.” The meeting went well, and who knows if that was why, but as usual with this whole parenting thing, it just felt good to say something. Try out kärt besvär this week, and cognitive behavioral therapists, feel free to weigh in with actual science.

Have a great (grateful?) week,
Jenny

P.S. This Week’s Bonus Recipe

Attn: Busy cooks! Look out for this week’s decidedly delicious subscriber perk: A hearty, healthy, accientally vegan stew that I’ve been making all winter and finally perfected. It will arrive in your inbox by Friday.