Recipes & Reviews

February 2023

Mar 01, 2023

Welcome to Recipes & Reviews, a monthly feature in which I share my favorite foodie moments and memorable reads.

February found me not quite over the hump of seasonal affective disorder but nonetheless inspired by short glimpses of spring. Returning to this newsletter had no small part in pulling me up from the winter blahs; I’m glad to be back in your inboxes sharing little joys and lots of book recommendations.

Before we get to the recipes and reviews, let’s recap a month full of romance novels! In case you missed it, I shared two printable romance starter packs: contemporary and historical. On Instagram, I defined romcoms and created four reels full of romance recommendations based on subgenre and tone.

For the next few months, I’m taking a break from the romance-centric content here in the newsletter, but I’m still reading romance (especially new releases) for a special project. In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you if you picked up a book from my starter packs or if you need a romance recommendation.

Recipes

A conundrum: I am terrible at saving recipes, but I love sharing them. I endeavor to implement some recipe-saving strategies, but for now this section will include recipes and general food or kitchen items we loved in the last month.

Remember cottage cheese? Apparently it’s having a moment in health food circles, but I’ve been buying it as a nostalgic side dish. My family always had cottage cheese in the fridge, and we often ate it with a simple meat and veggie meal. I also like it with berries for a quick and filling breakfast.
Souper Cubes are still a beloved staple in my food storage cupboard. Pasta sauce, tortellini soup, and even shredded meat stayed fresh and square-shaped in the freezer for easy leftover meals throughout the month.
I forgot about this easy pizza dough recipe until February 14th called for heart-shaped pizzas. As soon as the weather warms up, I want to try baking it on the grill!
Speaking of dough, this was a banner month for bread-baking (the recipe). Every loaf turned out crispy, fragrant, and delicious.
Our Costco doesn’t carry my favorite jam anymore, but my dad came to the rescue and brought some for me last weekend.

Reviews

Shop my book lists: Bookshop | Amazon

Finally Seen by Kelly Yang I listened to this heartfelt middle grade novel and adored every minute. Middle grade authors balance coming of age themes, page-turning plots, and tough topics with a light touch that I so appreciate in my current reading phase. Kelly Yang is one of the best, and her newest release incorporates immigration, the pandemic rent crisis, worker exploitation, learning English as a second language, school bullying, and book banning. Yes, it’s a whole lot to squeeze into one short novel, but Yang manages to weave it all through a compelling family story somewhat based on her own experience. If you or your elementary reader are looking for a way to process your feelings and plan next steps around current book bans through fiction, this is the perfect place to start.

A Little Devil in America by Hanif Abdurraqib I could dedicate a whole shelf to my favorite pop culture essay collections. It’s a niche favorite of mine, and this collection by a talented poet, essayist, and critic is a stand out example of the subgenre. Weaving his personal experiences with iconic Black performance moments and cultural context, along with poetic interludes, Abdurraqib reveals how Black performance underpins all of American culture. Most readers will recognize figures like Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, and Dave Chappelle, but Abdurraqib also reaches back and writes about minstrel shows and the earliest Black performers. He writes with reverence, but no diva, dancer, or star is above critique. I paired this collection with Not Without Laughter by Langston Hughes in Novel Pairings Episode 110.

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman I read this dark academic fantasy series as a kid but hardly remembered it when I picked it up again for Novel Pairings. I could not put it down! Listen to Episode 113 to hear Sara and me discuss what this book has to say about growing up, philosophy, and religion—and how it’s in conversation with C.S. Lewis.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis This was one of my favorite books around fourth or fifth grade. I watched the 1988 BBC mini series more times than I can count, and returning to the book felt perfectly British-ly cozy. The language is dated, the allegory is quite on-the-nose, but I felt like a kid again while reading, and isn’t that the hallmark of an ideal rereading experience?

Did you cook or read anything wonderful in February? I would love to see your recipes and reviews in the comments.

Have a lovely week, readers!

Chelsey

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