Hello and happy 2022!
I stopped making New Yearโs resolutions years ago. It turns out no matter how many years in a row I would resolve to stretch every day, sleep eight hours a night, drink eight glasses of water a day, moisturize after every shower (lol), and exercise daily (bigger lol) Iโฆnever really ended up doing any of it. (I abhor being told what to do, and apparently that includes when I tell myself what to do.)
While I donโt believe in New Yearโs resolutions, I do believe in eating well all year round. And come January, after weeks of holiday sugar, salt, and booze, Iโm ready, to borrow a phrase we often use at BA, to โcook how I want to feel.โ This simple philosophy inspired the seven new recipes I developed for the February issue of Bon Appรฉtit, which is out now. I love seeing so many of you already making these Saucy Tofu Noodles With Cucumbers and Chili Crisp, which I developed while combating tofu fatigue, a thing I didnโt know was possible for me. I donโt love roasted cauliflower or cauliflower rice, but Iโve discovered I absolutely love it when lightly battered and baked until the florets come out crackly and, when tossed in a gochujang glaze, just rich enough. These recipes define what it means for me to eat wellโto cook the way I want to feelโand I hope youโll try them at home. Also, since getting Covid-19 now feels inevitable in this Omicron world, Iโd go ahead and bookmark this comforting chicken soup now.
I also like using the new year as a totally arbitrary time to shake up my grocery shopping and fill my cart with produce I associate with the โdeep winter,โ like juicy satsumas, collard greens, turnips, and sunchokes. Iโm poring over old and new favorite cookbooks and flagging all the recipes that will be bright spots during the darkest, coldest months of the year. On my reading list now:
If you have a favorite comforting cookbook you like to revisit at the start of the new year, send it my way!
