H E A R T F U L L . N E W S L E T T E R
NO. 2
how’s your heart?:
i know, i know. a pretty deep question to start off with, but hear me out for two seconds.
I promise the entire newsletter isn’t so heavy but this question is the catalyst to it.
Why does self care or even self reflection have to feel so daunting. We only gravitate to these concepts during pivotal moments in life; changing careers, change in relationship status, loss/grief, etc. unexpected life event.
Sometimes, if we’re really honest, our heart is fine but our brain is telling us we should care more about things we don’t. Thanks social media! Think about it. Have you ever had an amazing day, but as soon as you login to social media all you see is nothing but bad news, which then stops you from posting something good that happened to you. Then, you start to feel guilty for being happy?
Everyday, we’re fed messages that if we aren’t going with “everyone” around us, then something is wrong with us. Well, I say screw that! What if you don’t care about the latest hot topic? Is your world truly going to end because you decided that the newest polarizing world issue isn’t your priority that day? No. It won’t. We are human. We aren’t and shouldn’t be expected to have all the answers or even have a concrete opinion on things we’re not well versed in.
If I ask you your opinion on music, are you going to give me a dissertation on the theology of music and how it impacts societal norms? No. So, why should anyone expect you to have an expert thesis on the miscellaneous current social issue. Please save your heart and mind the trouble of getting life right all the time. Find the calm within the chaos. The beauty in the simple things. And if all else fails, I give you comfort within this newsletter, which not only includes a comfort food recipe but also a playlist to get lost in while you’re cooking.
A background to my thought process - or lack thereof:
cooking is my escape & getting lost in preparing a meal is the way I find comfort.
I could be completely drained and exhausted, but I will still cook a full meal. At times, I’m not even hungry, but the process of making it grounds me. For that moment in time, it turns off the running to do list in my mind and I allow it to fully submerge me.
If you want to know how I create what I do, it’s in these moments. There’s some sort of internal instinct that takes over and at the end, a beautiful dinner is being placed on the table.
There’s not much thought behind what I’m creating. The best I can describe this feeling is that my mind can taste what it is before I even begin cooking and I follow that instinct.
So, I put together this playlist and recipe to experience a piece of my thought process. You may not feel exactly what I’m feeling but you may begin to understand how this could bring me comfort.
you are now entering the danger zone:
before you enter, there are a few things you must do.
First, you must prepare a proper cocktail. My current go to is a dirty martini.
- 2.5 oz Tanqueray ten
- .25 oz dry vermouth
- 1 oz Boscoli dirty martini olive juice
stirred not shaken. served in a chilled coupe glass and garnished with a cocktail skewer of two anchovy stuffed olives
Or, open a nice bottle of red wine. Might I suggest a bottle of le Paradou Grenache which is a favorite of mine, especially in the summer. It’s bright and fruity with a nice peppery spice to finish.
Now, take a few deep breaths as you take your first few sips. Allow your body to relax, release your mind, press play and let the sounds begin to take you away.
This is an eclectic mix. Some artists you may have heard of, others maybe not. If you’re expecting hip hop, you won’t be getting that. That’s my husbands lane and a side of me that only comes out when I’m in a really hype mood. However, mostly, I’m quite mellow. I’m more of a R&B, neo soul, jazz, funk, pop, electronic/dance music kind of girl. So, there’s a little of it all in this mix. Something to make you zone out to, be immersed in sound, groove and dance to. But, every song selected has a melodic undertone.
Think synth heavy, groovy baselines with live instrumentation in the form of drums, piano, guitar, some horns and soothing soulful vocals. Ok, so maybe you can’t picture that right now, but you’ll get it when you listen.
Fun fact: I don’t actually listen to music often while I’m cooking, but this playlist the vibe I generally go for.
I spared you and didn’t include the oldies aka music from the 70’s/early 80’s. That’s where my soul lies and that’s a big rabbit hole that we will venture down at a later date…maybe. For now, we’ll keep it a bit more modern. My goal for this playlist was to give you a tiny glimpse into my mind and what it responds to sonically and hopefully you find a new artist you resonate with.
now that the mood is set, let’s cook:
stove top beef stew - the ultimate comfort food.
disclaimer: this recipe doesn’t contain exact measurements for every ingredient. this is a feel good dish, so add until your heart tells you it’s enough. you may also add more vegetables like potatoes, carrots, peas or whatever you like. I like to keep my stew simple and make additional vegetables as a side.
ingredients:
3 lb top sirloin butt roast (cut into chunks)
1 cup tomato sauce
9.5 oz. beef bone broth
1 tbsp bacon fat *
8 oz portabello mushrooms (sliced)
2 tsp herbs de Provence *
1-2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 cup fresh parsley
2 tbsp cornstarch *
salt & pepper
beef marinade ingredients:
1 small yellow onion (sliced)
3 garlic cloves (smashed)
a few dashes Maggi seasoning *
some dashes of worcestershire sauce
a splash of red wine vinegar
a heavy drizzle of vegetable oil
salt & pepper
chili powder
*if you don’t have bacon fat, use a cooking oil with a high smoke point.
dried thyme and rosemary can be used instead of herbs de Provence.
use more or less cornstarch depending on how thick you like your gravy.
you can sub Maggi seasoning with soy sauce.
instructions:
In a large plastic bag marinade the beef in the marinade ingredients mentioned above.
Note: The meat shouldn't be bathing in marinade. It should generously coat the beef, but there shouldn't be much liquid sitting in the bag.After marinating the meat in the fridge for at least two hours or up to 48 hours, bring meat to room temperature before cooking. Save the onions and garlic.
In a dutch oven or heavy bottom pot, set to medium high heat, sear all sides of the beef in bacon fat. Once the meat is browned on all sides, remove it from the pot and set aside.
Note: Don’t over crowd the pot, so you may need to cook the meat in batches.Next, sauté the mushrooms with a pinch of salt and a splash of red wine vinegar to deglaze the pot. Then, add the onions and garlic that was saved from the marinade. Cook all these ingredients for about 5 minutes or until the mushrooms and onions begin to soften.
Add the tomato sauce, bone broth and return the meat to the pot. Make sure the meat is mostly submerged in the liquid. If it is not, add enough water to finish almost covering. Add a heavy pinch of salt, herbs de Provence, chili powder and pepper.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1.5 - 2 hours, before adding fresh parsley and cornstarch. Continue to simmer for another 30 minutes to 1 hour until the meat is fork tender.
Taste for salt and acidity. If you desire more acid, add a teeny tiny splash of the vinegar.
You have now made a delicious pot of stop top beef stew. Now go stuff your face with it. Enjoy!
let’s wrap this up:
if you’ve made it this far, you are my people.
I truly appreciate you taking time out of your day to read my thoughts. I hope this brought you some joy in this wild and unpredictable world.
The next newsletter installment will be in November, but if you miss me too much before then, or have suggestions for the next one, hit the button below and let’s chat!