Friday Favorites
Raspberry Cosmos with homemade raspberry purée, new books and shows, and Antwerp fashion finds. Plus, a giveaway of my "essential three" knives!
Welcome to Friday Favorites! This quick glimpse of my week goes out to all subscribers (free and paid). I include a fan-favorite recipe, something I’m watching, reading or listening to, a recent find, and a weekly win.
What I’m Cooking
It's Friday (is that what day it is?). I'm jet-lagged and behind on life and work. I won’t have much of a weekend since I’ll be busy prepping for my retreat at Kitchenette Farm next week. But if you’re entertaining, I highly recommend Raspberry Cosmos, made with homemade raspberry puree. They’re fresh, tart and bright with flavor. And they’re the perfect cocktail to kick off your weekend.
You can find all the SITK recipes I’ve shared on Substack in my Recipe Index.
What I’m Reading
I can't wait to catch up on White Lotus (I couldn't stream it when I was in Europe last weekend). I did start watching the first episode of The Righteous Gemstones (which is wacky and laugh-out-loud funny in spots) and a random South African series on Netflix about a single mom, but I'm not necessarily recommending either of those. I also downloaded two books for my plane ride home: The Tell, by Amy Griffin, and The Through Line, by Sara Fay Egan. I saw a photo of the latter on The Nat Note's Instagram stories and immediately zoomed in when I saw the tag line: "Finding Happiness Through the Curveballs of Life, Family and Business." Seems like a good idea.
What I’m Coveting
Last week, I had a super quick visit to Amsterdam, Antwerp and Cologne. I’m finishing up a travel guide that will go out to paid subscribers very soon. I already wrote most of it on my very long plane ride home from Munich. I can not wait to return to Antwerp one day. Our hotel was next-level beautiful and serene: Cozy buildings tucked between an old Monastery and a public park blooming with spring flowers. One afternoon, I ducked into Essentiel Antwerp at the suggestion of my friend, Elaine Turner. I fell in love with this jacket and got it in navy (which looks like it’s sold out online). The creamy white was also lovely and would be perfect for cool spring weather, and it hits at the waist and would be perfect over a dress. It's a splurge, but I was shopping with my new friend Jeremy, who also attended the Zwilling trip to Europe, and he was the best kind of enabler.
This Week’s Win
Beyond a doubt, this week's focus of gratitude is all about the opportunity I had to join the team from Zwilling, fellow food writers and cookbook authors on a tour of the Zwilling factory in Germany and the Demeyere factory in Belgium. It really was a “pinch me” moment to be included in this group of highly successful, talented and inspiring people. I miss them already! We started the trip in Amsterdam, traveled by bus to Antwerp, Belgium, and then on to Cologne, Germany, to end the trip with a tour at the Zwilling factory. Be sure to comment on this post to be entered into a giveaway for my “essential three” knives: an 8-inch chef’s knife, a serrated bread knife, and a paring knife! The winner will be announced next Thursday, April 10.
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GIFT CARD
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That jacket is so cute! Can't wait to hear more about the trip!
You are a lady on the go! I hear the enthusiasm for life, work, and family come through in your writing and enjoy it very much much! Keep it up 😀