Post-breakfast light

August is the month in Phoenix where summer sinks its teeth in and shakes. Just get through it, is the mantra. And getting through it I am, one day at a time. 

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Keep reading for my monthly review of August – the books I read, writing I did, and everything I ate, with links to the recipes, books, and more.

Reading

I started Coventry by Rachel Cusk and the first essay, Driving as Metaphor, made me cackle with laughter at the start, but I know it will end in tragedy. Since finishing Jane Austen’s Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney, I checked out The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe and Voices of Ireland by Malachy McCourt, to read Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth, from my library. In Jane Austen’s Bookshelf there are two stories – the mini-biographies of authors Jane Austen read and admired, and the story of Romney collecting hard-to-find books by the same authors. Jane Austen was an early favorite author of mine, and remains so, and she often is talked about as the first woman novelist to exist, which is absurd. Reading Udolpho is a pleasure – the pace is luxuriously slow, and the prose is interspersed with Radcliffe’s sonnets and poems by others. And it’s sneakily creepy! I’m only 70 pages in, but I know shit is going to get weird. 

A book from 1794 telling me to regulate my emotions!

Writing

For The Good Enough Weekly in August, I wrote: 

• The Work of Changing My Mind about moving my newsletter to Beehiiv.

• A Missing Article about returning to an old essay and finding a source has disappeared into the ether.

• Texts From My CSA about eating more regional produce and chatting while I shop.

• The Joy of Frozen Lemon Peel about preserving food as a way to make life more pleasurable, and live more sustainably.

I’ve also spent time at Rocking S Art Ranch working on an essay. I pretend there’s no Wi-Fi and keep hammering away at this very lengthy Word document. I believe I’m close to unearthing enough scenes to shape the essay and I hope to finish it over the next month. 

My roster of newsletter clients is up to three now – Wasted Ink Zine Distro, Paper by Amy Silverman, and a new one coming from Ida Rose Florez. I interviewed Ida Rose at her book launch back in February and am excited for her newsletter to launch. To be entirely honest, this wasn’t a line of work I set out to revive (I’ve edited newsletters for others in the past) but it’s been a great fit and I’m enjoying getting work on a variety of platforms (Substack, Weebly, Kit, plus Beehiiv for myself.) I’m deep in thought about reactivation campaigns and welcome sequences, trying to see what advice from the business bros I can use to help newsletters run by women and queer folks about their art and projects thrive. If you or anyone you know is interested in a newsletter editor, don’t hesitate to reach out. Editing can look like me writing and/or assembling the newsletter, writing landing pages and welcome emails, or simply talking through things with you.  

Eating

Spiced Bulgur Pilaf

I made the Spiced Bulgur Pilaf from Mark Bittman’s Vegan Before 6 cookbook (pg 65) and enjoyed it reheated for a few breakfasts. Here’s a very similar recipe inspired by the Bittman one. Otherwise, I’ve been eating yogurt, with some oatmeal, and fruit for breakfast. I really enjoyed the Moroccan potato salad and broccoli and zucchini pasta that I wrote about last week. For a few lunches, I spread a spoonful of yogurt on a whole grain tortilla, spooned on the potato salad and ate it as a wrap.

I am happier when I have pickled onions at the ready

Our CSA has been including eggs more regularly and I’m frying or scrambling them with CSA produce: diced pattypan squash, shishito peppers, green onion, and spinach. Eaten with a slice of Super Seed Whole Wheat from Barrio Bread.

This loaf is a menace to slice — seeds everywhere — but worth it

About once a week I eat a tin of oysters or mussels on rice crackers. After opening the tin, I shake on some hot sauce or add a small pile of pickled onions. Plums and peaches, honeydew and watermelon were in season (and on sale) so I ate those with abandon. And the month’s snacking cake was made to use up ripe bananas and serve as a sprinkle-topped distraction for my kids (and me.) 

Since my oldest started school in early August, a big transition for us as Michael and I had been homeschooling him so far, we started making breakfast for dinner once a week (Wednesday or Thursday) as a meal to look forward to. It’s so fun. The menu is French toast made with cinnamon swirl brioche and leftover sourdough, breakfast sausage, apple or orange juice, and plenty of maple syrup. We all look forward to it and the kids are well on their way to making the whole meal. This also came to be partly because we were given an electric griddle for Christmas, and a few weeks ago I declared we needed to start using it weekly or I was going to give it away. 

Damn good tacos (and vegan!)

One Saturday after working at Rocking S, I finally tried Tacos Veganos. Vegetarian friends have recommended it for years and it held up to the hype. I ordered the Taco Plate Special with Al Pastor, Birria, and Carne Asada, which came with rice and beans, and a horchata. 100% vegan and some of the best tacos, period. The fake was well flavored and texturally correct. The corn tortillas were the good ones, pliable and soft, but didn’t fall apart, and the rice, beans, and avocado salsa were all exceptional. The horchata, too. Can’t say enough good things about the place – next time I want to try the tacos papas.

The appropriate amount of cheese to tomato

And then last night I met friends at Myke’s Pizza and we ordered the peach pizza (with gouda, sage, and pistachios) and burrata pizza (red sauce, garlic, and burrata.) Consumed with a cider snake bite and excellent conversation. The pizza reminded me of Pizzeria Bianco and Mykes had a display of Bianco DiNapoli tomatoes on their counter, so I’m sure there’s some inspiration/emulation at work. I can't wait to go back.

What did you enjoy in August?

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The Good Enough Weekly comes out on Fridays with new writing about eating regionally, with a focus on climate and labor justice. Rooted in the Sonoran Desert.