Friday Recs: Charging my joy batteries, cozy recipe charts for fall, and good matcha
Featuring a Q&A with bestselling cookbook author Julia Turshen. Plus a special holiday gift guide announcement! This is Friday Recs #68.
This is the Friday post at Downtime, a feel-good weekly roundup of recommendations and delightful distractions. If the email cuts off, you can view it on the web.
Hello everyone,
How was your Halloween? How has your week been? I’m writing this on Thursday morning, buzzing with excitement for pumpkin carving, pizza, and candy with the family tonight.
This week’s letter is short and comforting because, in the words of a TikTok I was recently served, “It has been Halloween and the week before the election for five years now.” Reader, I felt that.
I’m finding little sparks of hope to carry me through, though. Early voting felt so satisfying (and it was soooo easy). My family and I had the honor of attending the White House’s “Hallo-READ” celebration, in which we had a blast (and Lily met her celebrity crush, Corduroy).
It was a great reminder to celebrate the little moments of joy right now. To remember the wholesome feeling that is gathering with community. This weekend, there will be a beautiful baby shower and a sparkling Diwali celebration. These spots of joy and connection are powering me through, despite my fatigue. I RSVP “yes” through the exhaustion because I know that in the end, there’s nothing more energizing than getting together with people I love. In my mind, I’m charging my joy batteries for what will be a stressful Tuesday. I need all the happy reserves I can get.
—Alisha
P.S. An announcement! I’m taking your trickiest gift-giving questions again this year. ✨ You can submit who you’re shopping for here in our chat thread or via this form. I’ll select a few to answer in this year’s holiday gift guide Q&A.
Before we dive in, a quick shoutout for a versatile, lightweight down jacket:
I just got this Wanderweight Packable Down Jacket in navy blue from Land’s End, and it’s already my go-to for everyday errands like daycare pickup, dog walks, and even taking food scraps out to our compost bin after dinner.
Since it folds into a compact little square, I can toss it in my tote without worrying about it taking up space. With cooler temps on the way, I know I’ll be reaching for it constantly—it’s cozy enough to keep out the chill yet light enough not to weigh me down. As a bonus, I love that the navy color goes with everything, and the electric blue lining adds a little *pop* of personality—a needed touch of fun during the gray days.
Here are some of my other cozy staple picks: the fleece-lined leggings, flannel PJ’s, and a packable down tote bag. And good news: everything is 50% off sitewide on Land’s End until November 6, 2024!
*Sponsored mention. Thank’s to Land’s End for unlocking this issue for everyone today - and to you for supporting the brands that help support Downtime.
I’m a little light on recommendations this week because honestly, my brain just feels a bit fried. I’m allowing myself to rest and recover, and I hope you will, too. I’ll be back next week with many more fun finds that I’ve stockpiled—I just want to spend a little more time with them to write something cohesive and useful for you. x
WATCH: The Franchise, a new comedy on HBO that satirizes the on-set production drama of a Marvel-like superhero movie. If you’re into absurd humor and are okay with characters staying within their archetypal roles throughout the season (though I’m only on episode 2…), this is a fun watch.
LISTEN: Reader Abbie shared her cozy fall playlist, and you guys, it’s so good and gives the perfect cozy vibes. Thank you, Abbie!
GIFT IDEA: A new coffee table book for your favorite Nora Ephron fangirl.
A COZY TEA REC: I forgot to include my friend
’s tea recommendation in last week’s issue about the best teas. It’s a really good one:
“Making a matcha latte is my favorite morning ritual! I love this smooth and medium-bodied matcha from Ippodo Tea Co. out of Kyoto. It's perfect for lattes—sweet enough without additional sweetener and bold enough in flavor that the milk doesn't overpower the matcha. (Recipes included on the Ippodo site!) “
💬 Psst: Give a rec, get a rec in our subscriber chat. As a paid subscriber, you can start your own thread!
A Q&A With Cookbook Author Julia Turshen
Listen up, fellow chart nerds and visual learners. One of our favorite bestselling cookbook authors and overall delight, , is back with us again, this time to share more details on her latest cookbook, What Goes With What: 100 Charts, 20 Recipes, Endless Possibilities. The book is inspired by all of her brilliant charts and soup matrixes that help you whip up dishes with ease and maximum flexibility—and yes, it contains all! the! soups! So perfect for cozy season. And who doesn’t want to whip up a warming Italian Wedding Soup or a dish called “The Fastest Chicken Noodle Soup?” We asked Julia a few q’s, below—and she’s graciously shared a recipe from her cookbook with our subscribers. Enjoy!
What is the inspiration behind What Goes With What?
I started creating cooking charts for my newsletter, and the response was so enthusiastic that I felt like there was a book there. [Ed note: You might remember this handy soup chart we shared in February. ✨]
Why are charts so good at building cooking intuition?
Charts show you the basic infrastructure of a dish, whether it's a salad dressing, soup, meatball, or a great grain bowl. Seeing that these items have a formula within them allows you to see cooking less like millions of recipes and details and more like a few categories that are endlessly riffable. I think the charts make cooking less overwhelming and allow you to feel empowered to understand why certain things go with others. The more empowered we are with information, the more confident we can feel to cook intuitively and make decisions on the fly.
What are three weeknight dinner heroes in your freezer/pantry?
Better Than Bouillon, which I am like a walking billboard for! It just does its job so well.
Flour tortillas because absolutely anything can go inside a quesadilla.
And eggs because when they're on hand, a meal is always within reach.
Also a fourth, if I may, is not an ingredient but a piece of equipment. I'm in love with my air fryer (you can read my love letter to it here!). It's definitely a weeknight dinner hero. [Ed note: This is the first convincing argument I’ve read for buying an air fryer. Do I need one now?!]
What's one way (that's not cooking!) that you like to spend your downtime these days?
Powerlifting!!!
Thank you, Julia! Follow along on Instagram, buy a copy of the cookbook, and check out her upcoming book tour dates in NY and OH.
🎉 We’re giving away a free copy WHAT GOES WITH WHAT, to a paid Downtime subscriber. I’ll select a winner at random next Wednesday. (Oh, you’re not a paid subscriber? You can join us via this link below.)
Edited by .
And here’s a bonus treat for you: A pasta chart from Julia Turshen’s “What Goes With What” —and a full recipe for our paid subscribers.
GET THE EXCLUSIVE RECIPE
Paid subscribers to Downtime can see the recipe for Caesar Spaghetti right here.
Honestly, it’s just this one today. I’ll be back in full force next week!
Hope you have a cozy weekend! x Alisha
I read Julia Turshen's short story/essay on powerlifting on Everand and I was SOLD (on her & powerlifting.) Since reading it, I've slowly progressed in my at-home lifting practice (still too scared to go to the gym, a problem she also once faced) and recently *HAD* to buy 20 pound dumb bells because I maxed out of my combination 10s & 8s. (Which is something I NEVER THOUGHT I'D SAY.)
Off to make caesar spaghetti & put the Christmas decor up because everyone knows the tree goes up early in an election year.
I was resistant to the air fryer hype for a long while but then I got one and discovered that it is life-changing. I had a simple one and last Black Friday upgraded to the Wonder Oven from Our Place which can also toast and bake (and roast and steam I think but I have yet to use those functions) and it's now a staple in my kitchen. The Wonder Oven isn't flawless (there are some hot spots) but I've gotten it down pretty well and also purchased an additional accessories bundle so I can air fry two trays (or bake two trays) at once. Nothing beats air-fried tofu (just EVOO + salt!) and air-fried asparagus (EVOO + salt)-- I make both multiple times a week and we all (kids and husband and myself) just nibble them straight off the tray. A close second is air-fried kale chips with salt + nutritional yeast!