2024 will require focus and strength
Create a sense of peace where you can
The American South < - > Portugal: Loving, Leaving and Recreating Home is written for individuals who are curious about the food and culture of the American South as well as what it takes to explore, move and create a permanent home in another country.
I hope you find peace where you can as 2024 gets underway.
This year will require plenty of focus and energy. I believe this will be true for many of us, even though our circumstances and goals may be different. In 2024, I plan to move to another country and I am preparing for that now. These plans have been in the works for a while. I also expect to grapple with the increasing autocracy in the United States and life in a battleground state during a presidential election year.
When I want to focus, manage stress, and maximize my energy, I pay attention to food, both what I buy and what I eat. I don’t count carbs or follow any complex way of eating. Instead, I just avoid as much processed food as I can and I plan meals, usually one dish meals. Additionally, whenever possible, I avoid buying food that has a barcode.
I shop at a local year-round, outdoor farmers market, often with my greyhound (aka the Epicurean) accompanying me. The market produce is phenomenal and I feel fortunate to have so much variety and good quality food grown nearby.
Just to take one example: beets. They are so incredibly beautiful, particularly the chioggia beets. I love the deep green of the leaves with the maroon colored veins. Sometimes the farmer will ask, “Do you want me to take off the greens?” “No” is always my answer.
I follow Deborah Madison’s recipes in The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, a classic cookbook, which includes both vegan and vegetarian dishes. Deborah Madison knows better than anyone how to bring out the lusciousness of fresh produce using only a few ingredients. Her recipe for Vinegared Beets Nestled in Their Greens makes use of the beet greens and a good quality balsamic vinegar. The taste is naturally sweet and just slightly tart.
I rely heavily on public libraries in order to access cookbooks and I also use online recipe archives. I don’t have the wherewithal to accumulate and use hardcover cookbooks. Since many public libraries have a good selection of cookbooks, this has worked out well.
Public libraries typically have a process where library card holders can request the library buy certain books. I scan reviews for upcoming cookbooks scheduled to be published in the next few months. Then, I request that the library order the ones I find most interesting. When the library receives the cookbook, I’m the first one in the queue to check it out. I try to make use of the library, a vital public square, whenever I can. Libraries circulate books, including digital ones, which is important to me.
One of my favorite one dish meals to make is the vegan spanakopita from Mississippi Vegan by Timothy Pakron. He uses tofu, collards, pine nuts, garlic, lots of fresh dill and several spices for a really crisp, tasty spanakopita. This dish takes a lot of time to prepare, mainly because of all the chopping required, but I love the way it looks and how the flavors blend together. It also freezes and reheats well.
When I’m looking for recipes online, I often use the Washington Post recipe archive. One of the things I love about using the Washington Post recipe archive is that the recipes have been tested and I can rely on cooking them. If I have a question about any part of the recipe, I email the food writers at the Washington Post and someone gets back with me quickly.
I use Minimalist Baker for vegan recipes that are typically quick and not unnecessarily complex.
Recently, I’ve begun watching the New York Times cooking videos. In the videos, the recipe developers demonstrate additional ways to ensure a recipe is successful. Take a look at this video for Gochujang Glazed Eggplant with Fried Scallions (gift link) by Eric Kim. This eggplant accompanied by crispy scallions is next up on my menu of one dish meals.
For me, focusing on food does not mean leaving out desserts. Making a homemade dessert is a wonderful way to bring friends together. Although I typically make vegan desserts, for a change, I really yearned to create a cake with real butter and all the incredible richness butter provides.
I enjoy seeing the cakes Bronwen Wyatt of Bayout Saint Cake posts on Instagram. Earlier this year, I took one of her cake baking classes. I loved the way she broke down the process so that we could make the cake layers in advance and then frost the cake during the class. It was remarkable to see all the different edible flowers, herbs and leaves that fellow cake bakers used.
On my cake, shown above, I used organic dianthus and fresh thyme from a local certified organic farm. The next day I invited several friends over for a slice of cake and everyone made time to stop by. Several folks even told me it was the best cake they had ever had. I owe all that to completing Bronwen Wyatt’s class and following her semolina cake recipe.
Walking in the Forest and Listening for Birds
Right now, my primary way to find peace is by going on a long walk in the woods with my greyhound, listening to birds, and occasionally watching a family of deer make its way through the forest. This is what I did yesterday on the first day of the year.
We heard many birds, more than we have on any previous walk. The red-shouldered hawk was enjoying the morning as well. I made a recording of his call to keep his presence close by as we start this new year.
In the next issue, I’ll cover what to expect from the American South < - > Portugal in 2024.
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Gorgeous photos, Julie!! Everything sounds delicious.