Sunday Paper Recommends—Week of March 16, 2025

This week at The Sunday Paper, we're sharing a new book, a film, and an interview that we believe will add inspiration to your days. We hope these suggestions open your heart and mind and encourage you to come together for meaningful conversations.

What We’re Reading

Martha Stewart’s Gardening Handbook is set to hit bookshelves on March 18, just in time for spring planting. In her 101st book, Stewart has written a guide for both novice and experts to plan and execute a thriving garden. Starting with basic soil science and moving through garden layout and preparation, plant selection, seasonal gardening, and sustainable practices, this book delivers comprehensive and actionable advice in well-organized chapters—that look quite pretty to boot. Filled with timeless tips and beautiful images from Martha’s own gardens, this heirloom, hardback book is designed to be passed down through the generations. Happy gardening!

What We’re Watching

Noah Wyle, star of the critically acclaimed Chicago hospital drama from the 90s, ER, is back in a similar role—this time as a physician overseeing an action-packed trauma unit in Pittsburg. Created by R. Scott Gemmill, a writer and showrunner for JAG, NCIS: Los Angeles, and, most notably, ER (seasons 6-13), The Pitt centers on a single 15-hour shift at a fictional Pittsburg hospital, with each episode focusing on one hour of that shift. Critics and medical experts are lauding the gripping and incredibly realistic portrayal of hospital life. New episodes drop every Thursday at 9 p.m. EST on Max.

What We’re Listening To

Maria’s older brother Bobby interviews former Ohio Governor John Kasich about his new book Heaven Help Us: How Faith Communities Inspire Hope, Strengthen Neighborhoods, and Build the Future, set to hit bookstores on April 8, 2025. Kasich shares the details of his faith journey, starting with the death of his parents in 1987 at the hands of a drunk driver. Through a series of compelling stories, Kasich illuminates how places of worship and faith-based organizations can unite diverse communities in order to address societal challenges.

Sunday Dinner Recipe

HAM, CHEESE, AND CHIVE MUFFINS

Cooking spray
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 rounded teaspoon smoked paprika
1 cup buttermilk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 cups chopped Gruyère cheese 
1 cup chopped ham
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives or 1 scallion, white and green parts, finely chopped

Makes 18 regular or 6 jumbo muffins

These muffins are the perfect thing to make if you have leftover holiday ham. Swap out the Gruyère for another semi hard cheese (like cheddar, cantal, or fontina) if you wish. These are wonderful hot out of the oven at breakfast, split in half with a fried egg sandwiched in the middle. But at other meals, serve these hearty muffins with butter as sidekicks to soup or salad or when you want a savory addition to the table breadbasket. I always make a full batch of these because they freeze like a dream. You will need 18 muffin cups (one 12-cup and one 6 cup pan) for these or use a single pan and bake in batches. Another option is to portion the batter into a 6-cup jumbo muffin tin and bake them for a few minutes longer.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 18 standard muffin cups or one 6-cup jumbo muffin tin with paper liners. (If you are not using a nonstick pan, mist the exposed metal on the top of the pan with cooking spray so the muffin tops come out easily.)

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, baking soda, salt, and smoked paprika. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, egg, and mustard. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour in the wet ingredients, and stir just until barely combined—it should be a little lumpy. Add the Gruyère, ham, and chives and fold them in. Do not over mix. Divide the batter evenly among the cups.

3. Bake until the muffins are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes for the standard muffins or about 30 minutes for the jumbo muffins.

4. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove from the cups. Serve warm. (Cooled muffins can be frozen in a freezer storage bag for up to 2 months. Microwave on high in 15-second increments for about 45 seconds, or until thawed and warm.)

Excerpted from YOU GOT THIS!: Recipes Anyone Can Make and Everyone Will Love. Copyright @ 2025 by Diane Morrisey. Photography Copyright © 2025 by Dane Tashima. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, and imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.

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