paczki day pause

with food and fashion on the horizon.

Today was scheduled to be the start of a four part series on food and fashion trend cycles. How cows and cow prints cycle on all our buns, the resurgence of Bottega and Bolognese and more. However, in light of events in Ukraine, I’m taking a pause this issue. Not to become a war correspondent or geopolitical analyst, but to acknowledge that this is a global crisis and unlike foreign aid to Ukraine, our frivolity can wait two weeks.

I’ll use today to share a photo from this morning’s Paczki Day haul. Paczki Day is the Polish-American tradition of eating something strikingly similar to a jelly donut in honor of Fat Tuesday, the last day before Lent. We’re lucky to have Sophia’s Place in Baltimore to supply us with raisin and raspberry filled wonders.

I’m also using this abbreviated letter to clean out the last of my recipe requests. Help refill my coffers by sending in 5 recipes you’ve enjoyed, your name and current hometown.

Betsy S. in Waukegan, IL is a dairy-free pescatarian who has been making:

1. Salmon piccata

2. Chili (vegetarian)

3. Roasted vegetables with crispy brown rice

4. Salmon patties

5. Zucchini and carrot fritters

Since I’m working blind on what might be in your spice cabinet, I’ll try to spread your options around the spectrum. If warm, savory spices help you through the Illinois winter, try Food and Wine’s North African fish stew. If dreaming of warmer weather helps you over the winter hump, then Mark Bittman’s soba noodle salad or this shrimp, grapefruit and olive salad might be more your style.

Finally, if you can get your hands on salt cod, dried and available at many big-box seafood counters, this warm salad from the 1970s Time-Life Foods of the World - Spain and Portugal cookbook has a shocking payoff for the simplicity of preparation. Swap firm tofu for the eggs if those are off your dietary list.

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Betsy tries to make her own bread and rolls and asked for more recipe ideas. Can you share your favorite bread baking recipes with her in the comments?

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MaryLou T from Adelaide, South Australia prefers salads for hot Australian summers, but is working with what she can find during lockdown shopping trips:

1. Homemade farfalle pasta with ragu and gifted ricotta salata

2. Pork and Fennell Sausage with Lentils and tomato sugo

3. Spaghetti with fresh pesto Genovese and grilled chicken

4. Buckwheat salad with peas, bell peppers, shallot, carrot, almonds and mint

5. Lemon and oregano grilled chicken breast with roasted broccoli, diced sweet potatoes and potatoes

Love & Lemons is a reliable source for all things salad and includes a search index by ingredient which helps when trying to cook with what’s on hand. Try the broccoli salad or riff with what you’ve got for something close to this chickpea, corn & farro salad.

For something heartier, David Lebovitz has a lentil salad with goat cheese and walnuts that pleases at any temperature. And if you can bare to keep your oven on for 30-45 minutes, then a mixed greens crustless quiche is also a good way to work with an unpredictable ingredient list.

• Reading - the archive of Vanessa Price’s Wine Pairing of the Week features from Grubstreet (2018) which I recently discovered went on to become Big Macs & Burgundy: Wine Pairings for the Real World (2020)!

• Listening - Texas Moon by Khruangbin & Leon Bridges (2022)

• Watching - Shiva Baby by Emma Seligman (2020) which proved more claustrophobic than humorous.

• Smelling - yellow and violet grocery store flowers that seem to outlive more extravagant bouquets.