I could write the usual intro to this sort of email about how the cooler weather is turning me towards warming foods as well as immune boosting ones (and that’s true). But the truth is the cooler weather has also coincided with a very busy season for me, which is in part why I’m late in sharing recipes with you this month.
I’ve been plugging away at my column for Cook’s Cook, getting ready for teaching Medieval Calligraphy (do you want me to teach this one again? Let me know!), and prepping for my demo at the Cork and Kerry Food Festival.
If you’re nearby, I’ll be crafting half sour and full sour pickles (for my fellow Americans in Ireland, this means the deli-style pickles we love, not sweet and sour pickles).
Speaking of the Cork and Kerry food festival, I have 2 tickets to give away for Saturday October 31, and 2 tickets to give away for Sunday November 1.
The first person who sends me an email asking for them gets them!
I’ve also been doing lots of fun media interviews and other projects (I was on my first kids’ show recently, more details soon!), including a return to Anthrodish, one of my very favorite podcasts.
You can listen to the episode, all about food security, preserving, and community, here.
I’m also gearing up to teach a LOT online next month, including the triumphant return of my build your own writing practice workshop, Bloom, which now also includes everything you need for an optional food writing-focused craft track (if you want to leave the workshop with drafts, as well as the foundations of a consistent practice with clear goals, writing routines, etc.).
I’m also leading my first ever Reiki I training, and we already have such a diverse and interesting group of people lined up! Everyone who joins this round gets Reiki II at a considerable discount when I offer it next year, just FYI.
Paid subscribers and Patreon patrons, remember to use your discount codes, which work for both of these (email me if you’ve forgotten what it is!)! Folks in my existing group programs already got an email about accessing them: If you didn’t, please email me and I’ll fill you in.
And I’ve opened the waitlist for Symbiosis 2027 (yes, already): The waitlist folks get early access and better pricing than anyone else (besides paid subscribers and current Symbiosis folks), so it’s worth signing up even if you aren’t 100% sure.
I’m also writing away at some other projects, and doing various creative explorations, that aren’t quite ready to see daylight yet. But I can’t wait to share them with you when they are.
On to recipes!
These are, as mentioned, good cool weather recipes. I love whole garlic honey. The honey becomes the perfect base for sticky bbq sauces and stir fry, and the lemon adds an extra flavor lift (be sure to attend to the important safety/flavor note here, though). The whole garlic cloves can be used as fresh garlic’s milder cousin in cooking.
The dip/sauce/spread is a real good cool weather all-purpose food. It’s ready quickly, stores well in the fridge, and is a good basis for many meals, using ingredients you probably already have or can easily get. So far I’ve had it with cheese and cracker night, on pasta with feta, with eggs, and on chicken.
Here’s how to make both:
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