Sunday Paper Recommends—Week of January 21, 2024

At The Sunday Paper, we're always discovering books, podcasts, films, and other works that move the needle and spark inspiring change. We hope these suggestions—plus this this one item we've been turning to lately—open your heart and mind and encourage you to come together for meaningful conversations.

What We’re Watching

You could say the brain is at the top of our minds at The Sunday Paper—and at the Women's Alzheimer's Movement at Cleveland Clinic and MOSH—so we were thrilled to see this segment on 60 Minutes focusing on critical advancements in the field. In the segment, functional neurosurgeon Dr. Ali Rezai explained how new developments in blood testing could help medical doctors identify people at risk for Alzheimer's disease. This is groundbreaking research that could save lives.

What We Can’t Live Without

At The Sunday Paper, we love the small things that add calm and luxury to our everyday moments, like our beautiful Sunday Paper candle. Vanilla and sandalwood weave together, creating a warm, inviting scent. We light ours in the morning to enjoy as we sip our coffee and also mid-day to offer a flicker of comfort as we work. Grab yours (and one for a friend!) to add a bit of coziness to your day. 

What We’re Reading

Nikki Mark has written about the loss of her son, Tommy, with such a humane grip on the subject of grief it rips open a new portal of what it means to live with utter loss and still find purpose and joy. Mark has shared more of her tremendous story in her new memoir, Tommy's Field: Love, Loss, and the Goal of a Lifetime. Her beautifully written book follows her path as a mother, wife, and endless seeker who takes the anguish of her son's loss and turns it into a beautiful project of meaning: creating a state-of-the-art public athletic field in honor of her son and the gift of play. (Mark is donating her proceeds from book sales to the TM23 Foundation to build more athletic fields to brighten the world with the spirit of play.)

What We’re Listening to

We recently learned of The Inner Challenge podcast, hosted by Sunday Paper reader MJ Murray Vachon, and we are thrilled. MJ is a revered social worker with more than 45,000 sessions worth of experience working in mental wellness. Her approach to helping people have more vitality and joy is accessible and warm. Every episode tackles issues critical to humanity, from compassion, healthy eating, and parenting adult children, to loss and grief. MJ's friendly, insightful conversations are a salve in a noisy world.

What We’re Making

SERVES 2 | PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: 35 MINUTES
Recipe courtesy of HelloFresh

INGREDIENTS
1 (16-oz.) can chickpeas, drained
4 tsp. olive oil
3 oz. carrot
1 lemon
4 oz. kale
¼ c. golden raisins
1 tbsp. curry powder, divided
3 tbsp. butter
½ c. basmati rice
2 tsp. vegetable stock concentrate
1 tsp. sugar
3 c. shredded red cabbage
6 tbsp. sour cream

METHOD
1 - Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425°F. Wash and dry produce.

2 - Drain and rinse chickpeas; thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Trim, peel, and quarter carrot lengthwise; cut crosswise into 1⁄4-inch-thick pieces. Zest
and quarter lemon. Remove and discard any large stems from kale; finely chop leaves. Place raisins in a small bowl with enough hot water just to cover.

3 - Toss chickpeas on a baking sheet with a large drizzle of olive oil, half the curry powder (you’ll use more in the next step), salt, and pepper. Roast on top rack until crispy, 18–20 minutes. (It’s natural for chickpeas to pop a bit as they roast.)

4 - While chickpeas roast, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small pot over high heat. Add carrot and 1⁄4 teaspoon curry powder, (you’ll use the rest of the curry powder in step 7). Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1–2 minutes.

5 - Add rice, 1 cup water, stock concentrate, and a big pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a low simmer. Cook until rice is tender, 15–18 minutes. Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.

6 - Meanwhile, in a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine 1 teaspoon sugar and juice from three lemon wedges; stir to dissolve. Add cabbage and 2 tablespoons water, and season with salt and pepper. Microwave for 1 minute. Set aside, tossing occasionally, until ready to serve.

7 - In a second small bowl, combine sour cream, lemon zest, remaining curry powder, and juice from remaining lemon. Season with salt and pepper. Add water one teaspoon at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency.

8 - Heat a large drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add kale and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5–7 minutes.

9 - Stir in 1 tablespoon butter until melted. Remove from heat.

10 - Fluff rice with a fork; stir in 1 tablespoon butter and season with salt and pepper.

11 - Divide rice between bowls. Top with kale, pickled cabbage (draining first), and chickpeas in separate sections. Drain and sprinkle raisins (roughly chopping first if desired) over top. Drizzle with dressing and serve.

From the forthcoming book Cool Food: Erasing Your Carbon Footprint One Bite at a Time, published by Blackstone Publishing. Excerpted by permission, recipe courtesy of Hello Fresh.