Sunday Paper Recommends—Week of March 10, 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 Reading

Mildred Kirschenbaum, a fiery, vibrant centenarian, offers her stunning advice for how to live a life of fullness, worth, and joy in Mildred's Mindset. Age has never stopped Kirschenbaum, only fueled her, and the pages of this book prove that just. Co-written with her daughter, Gayle, this beautiful book offers us a look how we can all stretch every minute of this life, no matter our age. Mildred's Mindset is more than book to gift yourself—it's a way to live.  

What We’re Watching

The new National Geographic series, Queens, turned everything we thought about the natural world on its head. This fierce, provocative, and beautifully shot seven-part series tells of nature's matriarchs on land and in water worldwide. Narrated by actress Angela Bassett, Queens took four to make, using cutting-edge filming technology. It's a progressive look at the real leaders in nature. "We don't call her Mother Nature for nothing," says Basset in the series. "All hail the Queens."

And... We'll be watching the Academy Awards tonight! Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and featuring some of the most incredible films we've seen, tonight's awards are brimming with talent. The ceremony will start at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET on ABC.

What We’re Listening to

Marc Brackett, Ph.D., revered psychologist and dear friend of The Sunday Paper's, has launched his new webcast "Dealing With Feelings" to huge anticipation. On par with his pioneering work on emotional intelligence, the webcast features a wide range of people, from experts to healers to celebrities to athletes, who openly talk about learning to care for their mental and emotional well-being, facing adversity, and growth. Brackett is always so accessible; his webcast makes for a healing and informative listen.

What We’re Loving

Whether you use it for work, market runs, park visits, or running errands, our new reusable Sunday Paper cotton tote is meant to go everywhere with you. We made the strap black to keep it from collecting dirt, and the body is a signature bright white with our logo. It's perfectly sized to hold all your essentials and purchases and easily folds to put away.

Our Sunday Dinner Recipe

Orecchiette with Sausage, Balsamic Grapes, Kale and Goat Cheese

This recipe comes together super easily and contains an unexpected combination of ingredients you would find in your home kitchen, like grapes, and transforms them into an elevated pasta dish you can make during the week or when you’re hosting friends. Start by roasting grapes in the oven with balsamic vinegar and thyme. Meanwhile, sauté kale with garlic and cook the pasta. Add the pasta to the kale alongside some butter and toss to coat. Meanwhile, mix a touch of pasta water with the goat cheese and set aside. To plate, top with balsamic-roasted grapes, fresh thyme leaves, and a dollop of creamy goat cheese.

GET INGREDIENTS: If you don’t have everything you need on hand, you can easily purchase all of the ingredients (just click the orange button below that says ‘Get Ingredients’). You can pick and choose exactly what ingredients you need based on what’s in your pantry and they’ll be on your doorstep before you know it. Technique Tip: To quickly grate a lot of fresh Parmesan cheese, cut the Parmesan into chunks and grind in a food processor. Swap Option: Spinach instead of kale or turkey sausage instead of pork sausage.

• 3cups stemmed, seedless grapes 
• 5tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• kosher salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 6thyme sprigs, divided
• 1tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1bunch dinosaur kale, ribs removed and roughly chopped (about 3 cups) 
• 1pound orecchiette
• 1pound Italian sausage (preferably hot), casings removed
• 1medium shallot, thinly sliced
• 3cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 4ounces goat cheese

Preparation

1.

Preheat the oven to 450 F and bring a large pot of water to a boil.

2.

Toss the grapes and 3 tablespoon of olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Top with sprigs of thyme. Roast until the grapes blister, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and discard the thyme sprigs. Then, toss with balsamic vinegar and set aside.

3.

Salt the water with 1/4 cup salt. Blanch kale for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool, squeezing out any excess water. Add the pasta and cook 1 minute shy of the package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water and drain.

4.

While the pasta is cooking, add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add sausage and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon or potato masher until golden brown and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl.

5.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the shallots. Cook the shallots for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the garlic and chopped kale. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is fragrant, the garlic has softened and the kale is even more tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add a splash of pasta water to lift up any flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan.

6.

Add pasta into the Dutch oven and, alternating back and forth, add 1/4 cup of pasta water followed by a handful of Parmesan cheese. Toss together to coat until the sauce coats the pasta noodles. Finally, add half the grapes and their roasting juices to the pan, reserving the rest for garnish. Add the sausage to the pan and toss to coat again.

7.

In a mixing bowl, combine goat cheese and 1/3 cup of warm water and mix until smooth.

8.

To finish, divide the pasta among bowls, top with reserved grapes, a dollop of goat cheese, thyme leaves and freshly cracked black pepper.