March 21st - March 27th
Before creating a public Instagram account and sharing daily food content I was pretty private on social media. I had accounts on all the platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snap Chat, TikTok...the list goes on but all my accounts were (and still are) private. A few years ago I started deleting followers like the kid I had math class with in high school and declining friend requests from girls that I met one time at a birthday party. The opportunity for people to look into the window of my life through social media freaked me out. I was a hardcore lurker, occasional poster, and rarely engaged. Social media was entertainment for me, not my whole life. It was where I would go to "watch" things happen.
At the beginning of the pandemic, I started sharing food stories on my private account. I had 400ish followers, all people that I knew in real life, and the response was positive. A month in I made a new public Instagram account as a way to share my food while keeping everything else behind closed doors. Now I share my food daily, my followers know Marco and all the pets, some home projects, and a glimpse into things we do outside of the house. On top of that, I send out this newsletter telling you guys what is going on in my life every week. I'm now the director of my show. Wait, am I an influencer? Oy.
I think we all forget that Instagram is a fraction of our lives, a filtered version of what happens every day. A live TV show where we tune in to see what celebrities, "influencers," and normal people are doing all the time and because we tune in regularly we think we know the full story. More than ever before we feel connected. In the past year, I have made amazing connections with a multitude of people thanks to my social platforms. I talk to family members more, distant friends from childhood, and tons of "strangers" on the internet. At the same time, my closest friends and family feel like they know what I am up to and don't need to check-in. It's not their fault, it's a direct result of social media but just because you feel like we are connected doesn't mean we are connected. This has been something I have tried to nip in the bud early when it comes up with my close circle but I want to remind everyone that social media is not real life. That's something I forget often and constantly need reminding.
If you are thinking about a friend you haven't heard from in a while, give them a call. If your introverted self prefers isolating and working on projects at home all day like me, start with a text you won't regret it.
Since a matzo ball soup newsletter went out on Monday, I'm switching things up this week. I spent the week wrapping up my monthly cookbook recipes and I decided to add that recap into this newsletter.
I am going to make Broccoli + Ricotta Pasta on my story next week for our Thursday recipe and we will talk more about it then.
Recipes From This Week:
Hot and Hot Fish Club Cookbook
Chris Hastings
In 2018 Marco spent a week in the south driving around Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, Mobile, and Birmingham. He would hop in a car with a US Foods restaurant consultant who would drive him to as many restaurants as they could fit in a 12 hour day to schmooze with restaurant owners until they signed up for ChowNow. This is a skill Marco has naturally. In Birmingham, Alabama he was given a signed copy of Hot and Hot Fish Club Cookbook because his chauffeur for the day had an extra sitting in the back seat. *Edit from Marco - He did not have an extra signed copy, I received a copy of the book because we were boys!* Since then the cookbook has sat in our house and hasn't been used. It was a coffee table book in our old apartment until the cats knocked over a vase and water ruined the cover and spine. It sat in the very back of our bookshelf still untouched here in Kansas City because of its flawed appearance. As soon as I told Marco he could pick a book for my challenge I knew Hot and Hot Fish Club was coming into the kitchen.
Hot and Hot Fish Club was opened in Birmingham in 1995 before farm-to-table was a huge craze. Their menu highlights local goods foraged and caught in the area. The menu rotates seasonally and so does the cookbook. Each chapter focuses on two months and the ingredients that are in their prime during those months. There are menus for events such as crawfish boils, fly-fishing picnics, and Italian Christmas. The end of the book is packed with basic recipes and techniques that every cook should have in their back pocket. There is a heavy focus on ingredient seasonality with details on specific purveyors they use in Birmingham. Most of the recipes I prepared came from the March & April section with a few sprinkled in from the other months.
Recipes:
Creamy Coleslaw (on a sandwich)
I regret neglecting this book for so long! Seasonal cooking is something I focus on in my everyday life and I enjoyed this book thoroughly. The recipes are straightforward and easy to follow and the flavors are wonderfully layered in every dish. I challenged myself with a roasted whole snapper. That's something I will admit I have never done before. I have always been intimidated by a whole fish but the experience was much easier than I imagined and the recipe was wonderful. The desserts I prepared were all way better than I expected. I adapted the pot de crรจme to use goat milk and made the chocolate-black pepper cookies gluten-free. The balance of flavors and spices was inspiring and I have an itch to experiment more with my baking.
I cooked eight recipes from this cookbook and can't wait to try the others throughout the year. This book is perfect for a home cook of any level and would make a fabulous gift. Birmingham has been added to the list of cities to visit so I can taste Chris Hasting's food in person.
Grab a copy, here.
Marcella's Favorite:
Macadamia Nut Biscotti
Marco's Favorite:
Chocolate Pot De Crรจme and Aligator Point Clam Paella
Thing Everybody Needs:
Once a month I get a pint of Ben and Jerry's, that's my self-control, and this month I tried the Milk and Cookies flavor. Almost everyone said I should get Phish Food but I have to be honest, chocolate flavors can be too much sometimes. I'm a fan of a lighter vanilla base with lots of mix-ins that can really shine. Milk and Cookies is up there for me as one of the best flavors.
Animal Cuteness:
Why so grumpy Lola?
Like with Passover I have lagged on sending out any Easter recipes. I might hit you guys with a bonus newsletter including simple recipes I'll be making on Easter and fun meringue Easter "eggs."
See you next week,
Marcella
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