We're Throwing It Deep
It's almost halftime, but the Friday Newsletter is taking one more shot downfield.
You know what I hate in football? Taking a knee.
No, no—not in the Fox News sense. I mean, literally, taking a knee to run out the clock before halftime. It drives me nuts! A team will have the ball and 30 seconds left before the half, and instead of taking one more shot downfield, they’ll just say “okay, you know what? We’ll just stop here” and shuffle off to the locker room, while I scream BOO YOU COWARDS at the television.
I get there are reasons why coaches do this—avoiding injury, or the risk of a costly turnover—but I don’t agree with those reasons. Frankly, I expect every coach to approach game management the same way I would in NCAA Football 2003. There’s time left for one play? Send everyone deep, because I’m airing it out.
Anyways, we’re almost to halftime ourselves.
This Sunday—July 2nd—is the 183rd day of 2023, the exact midpoint in the calendar year. That means that this weekend is basically those last few seconds before the half. You’ve got the ball, and you’ve got a little time on the clock. You could take a knee and jog off the field, but why not throw caution to the wind?
Whether you’re up big or down big, this is a chance to put some points on the board.
Friends, it’s Friday again at The Action Cookbook Newsletter.
This week started with me losing power in a thunderstorm, saw me slog through business travel delays, and ended in a cloud of wildfire smoke. I want to head into halftime with momentum, though, and I want you to do the same.
As always, I’ve got Seven Good Things lined up for you today.
Today’s slate includes an easy-but-delightful recipe for entertaining, a smooth-and-easy cocktail that’s just right for this stormy, smoky summer, some hot-and-fresh media recommendations, reader pets, and—of course—The Internet’s Best Comment Section.
Get open. I’m throwing deep.
7) Evocation, with olives
After returning from my European vacation earlier this month, I did a big write-up on some of the culinary experiences we had along the way, ranging from continental breakfasts to moules frites to Parisian fine dining.
It’s a good read, worth your time if only so you can see how many times I can talk about hot dogs in the context of a travelogue:
I truly believe that food is a great vector for remembering a broader experience: if you can conjure a food, you can conjure the place you were in when you had it. Even the simplest dish can have this effect—such as the one I’m making today.
On the fourth day of our trip, we landed in Brussels, Belgium, having flown in from Copenhagen. We arrived at our hotel tired and hungry, but also at an odd hour to eat a full meal. We grabbed a table at the hotel’s small restaurant, planning to order some drinks and snacks to hold us over until a dinner reservation a few hours later. The waiter arrived with a complimentary basket of bread and a tray of spreads, including several lovely house-made tapenades—I especially enjoyed a mushroom-based one.
Of course, I don’t know exactly what was in it, and I didn’t bother to push my limited French or the waiter’s limited English to ask. I’m pretty good at guessing, though, and after we got home, I took a stab at it.
What I came up with wasn’t exactly the same thing, but it was delicious—and with the first bite, I was back on the road, if only in my mind.