Hello friends!
In a normal world it would be the big Mardi Gras weekend and gosh what I wouldn’t give to dance in the streets with the entire city! Will and I rode bikes around town this afternoon (cold… toooooo cold) to look at the houses decorated as floats. I have glitter on my face and Baileys in my coffee thermos and we’ve still got the spirit!
How are you this Sunday? Cold? I feel like the entire country is cold. Please do something cozy today. Make soup? A batch of cookies? A cup of tea? It’s the little things these days. Oh! Happy Valentine’s Day, too!
The offering this week is below. As always, take only what you need.
• This read broke my heart this week. The ripples of the pandemic reach all of us differently, deeply. The loneliness of an interrupted adolescence. (The Washington Post)
• This week’s long read: A Kingdom From Dust. I haven’t finished yet but it’s a wild ride of nuts, land, water and wealth. (The California Sunday Magazine)
• Your Husband Cheated. Should You Be Able To Sue His Mistress? My jaw dropped open. You have to read this one. (Elle)
• I loved these words from Krystal Mack, “It was Ntozake Shange who said, “It is possible to begin a phrase with a word and end with a gesture.” Cooking and baking are my gestures. We can use our cooking and baking skills to share the story of our interconnectedness as Black people of the African diaspora, and we can do this in a way that is endlessly nourishing on a physical, spiritual, and emotional level.” Reclaiming my joy of baking thanks to black women. (King Arthur Flour)
• How Dale Johnson – Tech Worker by Day, Polo Player by Night – Eats for a Week. This is so unique and I LOVE Sunny. I love her. (The Kitchn)
• This week I spoke at the Cherry Bombe membership meeting and I’m so thankful. Every time I do a Cherry Bombe event I’m introduced to the most lovely and inspiring fellow food ladies. I highly recommend a Cherry Bombe membership if you’re a lady trying to connect with other food ladies. At this month’s membership meeting I was introduced to LA’s Lady and Larder, a bodega and cheese counter that also ships really lovely curated food gifts.
• Pass the pimento cheese for these Pecan Cheese Wafers ( Saveur)
• I very much wish to eat Vanilla Sugar Coated Peanuts. (Food 52)
• Strangely enough, I’m not suggest that we make this cake because after a scroll of the ingredients list it seems like it might take a day and a half to assemble. BUT I do suggest you put your eyes upon this picture of this Heaven and Hell Cake. Just that might be enough. (Saveur)
• I have my eye on this book: How Wild Things Are by Analiese Gregory (Book Larder)
Have a wonderful Sunday!
My love to you!
xo Joy
samantha campanini
Even if I’m quite late, I’ve enjoyed so much these reads!
Melissa
Love your collections of “things we read”…as a mom of a teen who’s life has been totally upended by the pandemic…I loved The Washington Post article, ANYONE that loves a teen, please read it.
Thanks for sharing that joy, I wouldn’t have read it without your suggestion.
Christy
The house floats were such a wonderful idea! Did you do the Bakehouse?
https://apple.news/A-iWuKHp9R16Ocn790xQI_g
Rachael
Cold here in Connecticut but think it was even colder in our favorite town (the one where you live). Still managed to share some sazeracs outdoors with a couple of friends who dropped by for a socially distanced Happy Mardi Gras, and I want to thank you for the recipe for my very first homemade king cake (yours from 2015). AMAZING.
Sarah
Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Thank you for sharing the picture of that lovely home with its Alphonse Mucha decorations. The normal celebrating of Mardi Gras feels far away with extreme cold, limiting of electricity, and just the overall vibe of 2021….but appreciate you bringing some light and fun into our day!
Jace
Two words; THAT. HOUSE. <3
Kari T.
The idea of suing your spouses lover made my jaw drop as well. Thank goodness it’s legislation that’s been revoked in most states. It implies ownership of another person, it’s disgusting.
Sina
Joy, I feel the vibes of missing mardi gras – it’s so strange over here in Cologne, Germany too. We normally have the biggest of all parades today. And now, it is mostly a workday and only a few people wear any sort of costume or face paint to remember the occasion. I’ll be wearing glitter and face paint for sure today and I’ll be making a king cake tomorrow to celebrate.
Kendall
Joy thanks so much! You inspired me to make both the after school cookies and the carrot curry soup today (delicious!) – after I collected myself from reading the INSANE article about suing mistresses In North Carolina (definitely not a sentence I ever thought I’d type). Thanks for always making me smile on Sundays. : )
Julie M
Happy Valentines Day & Happy Mardi Gras! Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Thanks for all these goodies. I’ve had the Savuer Heaven and Hell Cake open in a tab for many, many moons now. Maybe this is a nudge to try it! It does seem like it requires forethought & commitment, however. Maybe for our next rainy weekend. :-)
Tara Gutman
Happy Valentine’s Day!! Today I made my family your chocolate cake with peanut butter buttercream frosting..what a hit! They all said they love to have cake for no reason but I pointed out love…love is the reason.
Thank you Joy..Gosh I can’t wait to get back down to New Orleans.
Stuart Taylor
Take a listen to Hannah Gadsby for another perspective on Tasmania and deep intolerance therein. And, get a laugh while doing so!
Stella
In a normal world…woke up feeling this is a far and distant dream. Thanks for trying though.
Caitlyn
Happy Valentine’s day! I spent the morning baking a lemon roll cake for the roommates. Those cheese wafers look delicious and I’ll have to try making those soon. The Elle article about suing your husband’s mistress blew my mind! I don’t even know what to think!
Dottie Taylor
Happy Valentine’s Day to you and Will! Thank you so much for the Pasta Making class on Friday. Trent and I enjoyed it and the pasta was perfetto?. Grazie
Raina
Love you, Joy! Happy Valentine’s Day!
Darla
I feel this, too, is my mantra…baking is my gesture. I need to have this in calligraphy and framed. In my kitchen will be its place of honor.
I’m wanting to making sugared peanuts! Yum.
My Valentines Day gift to my husband (we’ve been together since 1987) is a garlic press. He chops garlic every morning for his scrambled eggs. This is my love gesture ??
Happy Mardi Gras!