Sunday Paper Recommends — Week of June 19, 2022
At The Sunday Paper, we want to inspire you to gather at your table—virtually or with friends and family—and open your heart and mind to conversations that will move the needle. After all, the dinner table is where we connect on topics and map out the changes we can all make that’ll really move the needle.
This week, to encourage your conversations, we recommend checking out the following:
What We're Listening To:
The mega-popular, uber-hilarious podcast Smartless is hosted by Hollywood favorites Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett and every week, the three friends invite guests on to discuss their careers, answer honest questions, and joke around. This past week, Oscar-nominated Bradley Cooper joined the trio to discuss his work and also shared the important role that host Will Arnett has played in his sobriety. The moving conversation made us reflect on the power of friendship and support, and we certainly recommend you checking out his episode here.
This coming week, we also recommend checking out the forthcoming Chris Pratt episode here.
What We're Watching:
This Father's Day, we recommend checking out the 2020 documentary film Dads, directed by Bryce Dallas Howard in her feature film directorial debut. The daughter of legendary director Ron Howard features interviews with well-known figures like Jimmy Fallon, Kenan Thompson, and Jimmy Kimmel, amongst others. The heartwarming film highlights the important roles fathers play in our lives, and how that might look different depending on where you're from.
Check out this incredible documentary on Apple TV+ here.
And check out this Sunday Paper Original piece with Bryce Dallas Howard below:
Cydney Weiner
What We're Reading and Eating:
Edith Eger's The Gift: 14 Lessons to Save Your Life is a beloved book that "provides a hands-on guide that gently encourages readers to change the thoughts and behaviors that may be keeping them imprisoned in the past." Eger, popular for her first book The Choice which details her survival in concentration camps, is a psychologist and advocate for living life in the here and now.
This updated version of The Gift now includes tools and practices to manage our emotions from the coronavirus pandemic, and also includes a few delicious recipes (see below for one of them!). We recommend checking out Eger's incredible book and also trying out this delicious recipe that is perfect for summer.
Buy The Gift: 14 Lessons to Save Your Life here.
Gloria's Texas Two-Step Baby Backs
When I moved to El Paso, I learned to love everything barbecued, especially my friend Gloria’s Tex-Mex food. The trick to Gloria’s recipe for ribs is the two steps in the title: First get the ribs in the oven and then grill or broil them. Serve the ribs with fresh corn—if it’s the right season—or with salad and baked potatoes.
Ingredients:
2 racks baby back ribs
For the rub:
6 tbsp hoisin sauce
4 tbsp brown sugar
4 tbsp dry sherry or white wine (optional)
3 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp garlic powder or 3 cloves garlic, smashed Paprika (optional)
1 cup water
For the barbecue sauce:
1 (18-oz) bottle Original Bull’s-Eye BBQ sauce (or your favorite barbecue sauce)
Half of a 25-oz jar of tomato sauce
1⁄2 cup Dijon mustard
1⁄4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp Mexican hot sauce
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1⁄3 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tbsp honey
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Put the ribs in a 9-x-13-inch or 11-x-17 glass Pyrex baking dish.
2. Make the rub: In a medium bowl, combine the hoisin, brown sugar, sherry, ketchup, honey, and garlic powder. Add paprika for spice if you like.
3. Coat the ribs, top and bottom with a thick layer of the mixture and let them sit for at least 1 hour. (They can also be refrigerated overnight.)
4. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
5. Add the water to the baking dish. Cover with foil and bake until the ribs are tender, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Baste occasionally and make sure that the ribs are not drying out. Add a bit more water if necessary.
6. Meanwhile, make the barbecue sauce: In a blender, combine the bottled sauce, tomato sauce, mustard, Worcestershire, hot sauce, hoisin, brown sugar, honey, and garlic. Puree, transfer to a large skillet, and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust the flavors as needed. (Marianne usually adds more spicy notes, but I prefer the sauce a little sweeter.) Set aside the sauce. (You can make the sauce ahead and refrigerate. I usually make this in a huge batch and keep it for a month. It disappears quickly.)
7. Just before the ribs are done, heat up your grill or set your oven to broil.
8. Uncover the ribs and put them on the grill or under the broiler to char on both sides. Do not walk away! This happens quickly—5 minutes or less per side. Move the ribs to a cutting board. Cut the racks into individual ribs with a sharp knife and serve with the barbecue sauce.
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