Sunday Paper Recommends—Week of September 8, 2024
This week at The Sunday Paper, we're sharing a series, a playlist, an insightful book, and a recipe that move the needle and spark inspiring change. We hope these suggestions open your heart and mind and encourage you to come together for meaningful conversations!
What We’re Reading
The revered late therapist Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer, widely known as "Dr. Ruth, has given the world a gorgeous, wide-reaching, warm perspective on so many things that make us human, perhaps most notably for challenging old stories and stigmas around sex. Now, in her last book, The Joy of Connections, she offers us creative ways to move through loneliness, build community, and lean into intimacy. Journalist Allison Gilbert and Dr. Ruth's longtime collaborator Pierre Lehu join forces for its pages. This is a book to give yourself and a loved one, as connection is what the world needs more than anything. We will forever miss Dr. Ruth, but this book and her immense body of work will continue to deliver hope to the world posthumously.
What We’re Watching
Often, the shows that slide under the radar for a while (hello, Slow Horses!) pack the biggest punch. Case in point: The new Apple TV+ dramedy Sunny starring the amazing Rashida Jones. Where do we start? Well, this series is unique, that's for sure. It's also stylish and oozing with talent. Jones plays an American woman living in Japan who is married to a Japanese man. Her life unravels when her husband and son disappear in a plane crash, leaving her to face grief, isolation, and confusion in an unknown country. When a work colleague of her husband gifts Jones' character a robot, things get really weird. This series is an unexpected delight that covers a wide ground, including sadness, loneliness, and humanity.
What We’re Listening to
What we appreciate most about Aliza Pressman, PhD, the developmental psychologist, is how accessible her advice is. Yes, she is whip smart and holds many credentials in the fields of child wellness, including co-founder of Mount Sinai Parenting Center and SeedlingsGroup. Still, Pressman is in the trenches as a mom, trying to raise empathetic, kind, resilient young humans, like so many of us. Her raw curiosity makes her podcast "Raising Good Humans" so compelling. She unpacks science and practical parenting approaches each week. Every episode is compelling, yet her recent conversation with US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy is a must-listen for everyone. Dr. Murthy dives deep into the modern hardships parents today face, from being overwhelmed to lonely to under sheer stress. The episode is aptly named "Parenting is a Team Sport" because Dr. Murthy reveals to Pressman the need for deeper connection in the giant job of raising kids.
Our Sunday Dinner Recipe
Adult Grilled Cheese with Chili Crisp
Makes 4 mega grilled cheeses
Grilled cheese may not be conventional dinner fare, but these are so unreasonably good—and a serious upgrade on the classic lunch staple—that I had to include them. They feature my two possibly all-time favorite condiments—fermented cashew cheese and chili crisp—in a melty grilled cheese designed for adult palates.
Sticky, spicy caramelized bits slice through the one-note richness of a standard grilled cheese, while the double hit of umami leaves this version lingering on your taste buds in the best way possible. If that hasn’t sold you, multiple omnivores have told me this is the best thing they’ve ever eaten.
Tips: Both condiments take some time to prepare, but they last weeks to months, so bookmark this recipe for when you’ve got both in your fridge.
Use the chart to choose your grilled cheese adventure, or pick several toppings and host the world’s finest grilled cheese bar.
I use shredded vegan cheese instead of sliced cheese because it melts easier (I like Chao Creamery shredded cheese). If you don’t have access to a good variety, skip it and use 4 tablespoons of fermented cashew cheese per sandwich.
3 tablespoons vegan butter, softened at room temperature
8 slices sourdough sandwich bread (or soft sandwich bread of choice)
12 to 16 tablespoons Fermented Cashew Cheese (page 210; see Tips)
4 tablespoons Life-Changing Homemade Chili Crisp (page 187) or store-bought, or to taste Mix-and-Match Toppings (see chart on page 518)
1 cup (85 g) shredded vegan cheese, more as desired (optional; see Tips)
1. Butter one side of each slice of bread, a generous teaspoon per slice.
2. On half of the bread slices, on the unbuttered side, spread a generous amount of fermented cashew cheese, 3 to 4 tablespoons (enough to generously cover each slice).
3. Add 1 tablespoon chili crisp (less for mild heat) on top, but strain it first so you get the crispy stuff and minimal oil; use a clean spoon each time you dig in so you don’t contaminate it. Add your toppings of choice, followed by the shredded cheese (if using), about 1/4 cup (21 g) per slice.
4. Top with the remaining slices of bread, buttered side facing up. Flip the sandwich over so that the side with the shredded cheese faces down.
5. Add one sandwich to a cold medium skillet, or two sandwiches to a cold large skillet (starting with a cold pan helps with slow, even cooking so your bread doesn’t burn before the cheese melts). Turn the heat to medium, cover with a lid, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes (the steam helps the cheese melt better, but check the bottom occasionally—if the bread is browning but the shredded cheese isn’t near melting, reduce the heat). Flip, cover, and continue to cook until the other side is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. If not done yet, flip again, and cook, uncovered, until the second slice of bread is golden brown on the bottom, 1 to 2 minutes.
6. For the next sandwiches, wipe out the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low to prevent burning and cook for about 3 minutes per side.
7. Transfer the grilled cheeses to a sheet of parchment paper to prevent sogginess. Serve warm.
Adult Grilled Cheese—Mix & Match Toppings
flavor profile/texture & add-ins
Sweet and savory (my favorite)
Chopped Medjool dates (1 large date per sandwich) or Fig jam (a thin layer per sandwich)
Salty, tangy, and crisp
2 to 4 tablespoons pickled red onions (page 168), drained, or sauerkraut
Spicy, tangy, and crisp
1 to 2 tablespoons pickled chiles (page 168), drained, or store-bought pickled jalapeños
Fresh, sharp, and oniony
2 to 3 scallions, thinly sliced
Spicy, tangy, and funky
Spread 1 teaspoon gochujang (per sandwich) on top of the cashew cheese
