Ready?

Busy brain tip of the week: Turn off the big light!
While fall is my favorite season, my nervous system is turnt trying to get back on a schedule, and manage all the new routines. I know how important it is to have some decompression time at the end of a busy day so I can actually sleep once I get into bed — but getting my mind to settle down is tricky. Marking the end of the productive part of the day by dimming lights, or just making sure I only have soft lamps on, makes a surprisingly big difference in my ability to start to wind down.

Do you have your own busy brain tip to share? Tell us about it here.

What we’re using in our kitchens/home right now: True story, this Havie lamp is the first thing I’ve ever bought on Instagram, and I’m obsessed with it. I feel like a Victorian woman gripping a gas lantern as I bring this silly little lamp from the living room where I’m reading a cookbook, to the bathroom where I’m soaking in the tub. Pete loves this thing, too — Jack is a little skeptical, or maybe just embarrassed that his mom suddenly has an emotional support lamp. It also changes color with a tap on the front, has a white noise machine inside, and has a Bluetooth speaker that connects to your phone (sound quality is just OK) but that’s fine because I’m here for the quiet, soothing, swirly light.

I loved chatting with Noah about his new book, his Substack, I’m Legally Required to Feed You, and why grocery store smoked turkey is kind of gross. If you love to grill and/or you’re hanging on by a thread trying to get your kids to eat dinner, this episode is for you!

Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.

 Do you love Not From Concentrate? Leave us a review or give us a star rating on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.To write a review on Apple Podcasts, scroll to the bottom of all episodes on our show’s page and click “Write a Review.” Thanks for listening and supporting our show!

Charred Garlic-Butter Sriracha Shrimp

I love the char of a grilled shrimp, but I also firmly believe that shrimp-served-hot loves to be in a sauce. This recipe marries these two ideas, with the shrimp tossed in a Sriracha- mayo to add flavor and that nonstick mayo effect on the grill, while also adding some delightful little char marks. But what really takes it over the top is tossing the cooked shrimp in a bowl of melted butter, simmered with lots of garlic and soy sauce. These shrimp are saucy, fatty, lightly spiced, and versatile enough to go with pretty much anything else in the book. But I really enjoy them alongside some steamed rice, Bonus Shrimp Stock Rice (see Dad Hack, below), or “Kebab Plate” Rice (page 76), along with any of the grilled veggie sides.

Serves 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons soy sauce or gluten-free tamari

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Sriracha

1 ¾ pounds peeled large shrimp, tails removed, or 2 pounds shell-on shrimp, peeled and tails removed

1 lime

METHOD

Preheat the grill to high heat, then clean and oil the grates well.

In a large metal bowl that can go on the grill (no rubber grippers on the bottom), combine the garlic, butter, and soy sauce. (Alternatively, if you don’t have a bowl for this, combine these ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer them over medium-high heat until the garlic is wilted, about 3 minutes. Then transfer to a large bowl.)

In a medium bowl, combine the mayo and Sriracha and stir until well combined. Add the shrimp and mix thoroughly, so that all of the shrimp are coated.

Place the bowl with the garlic mixture directly on the grill and allow the butter to melt and the garlic to wilt and soften a bit. Once the butter is melted and the garlic is sizzling, about 3 minutes, remove it from the heat with a kitchen towel and set it aside.

Working in two batches, lay half of the shrimp directly on the grill, keeping track of the order in which you laid them down. Allow them to grill until they have blackened grill marks on the bottom side, 60 to 90 seconds. Flip them over and repeat with the other side, another 60 to 90 seconds. Once cooked, transfer them to the bowl of garlic/soy sauce/butter and repeat with the remaining shrimp. If your grill has residue on it from the first round, give it a quick clean and another layer of oil, then repeat with the remaining shrimp.

Once they are all in the bowl, give it a squeeze of lime and then toss the shrimp thoroughly and serve immediately.

DAD HACK: Bonus Shrimp Stock Rice

To add flavor to a side of rice, place all of your shrimp shells in a medium saucepot along with 2 onion quarters. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to sit for 5 more minutes. Strain the shrimp stock (discard the solids) and use it to cook a batch of rice, substituting the stock for water. (If you don’t have enough shrimp stock, just make up the difference with more water.)

From Grill Time! © 2026 by Noah Galuten. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.”

Are you a chef, author, creator, or entrepreneur with some expertise to share with a community of food lovers with busy brains? You should be a guest on the Not From Concentrate podcast! Fill out our new guest form and tell us know more about you.

*This newsletter sometimes contains affiliate links and we may earn a small commission if you purchase through the link. We only link to products we’ve tried, tested, and whole-heartedly recommend.

One of my favorite realizations in reaching some semblance of maturity is accepting, even relishing in, maintenance of all kinds. We live in a time and place that pushes maintenance-free — from composite decking, to dishwasher-safe everything, to practically disposable fast fashion — and I’m not sold. I’m sure some of my aversion to all this is in my waste-not New England upbringing. There’s also my obsession with anything rocking a patina. But I know that some not-so-small part of this trait, or preference, or whatever you want to call it, is that maintenance is good for my busy brain.

Moving my body to maintain some level of fitness, fluffing the pillows on the couch out of their sad-looking compression, oiling the heavy cutting board or the Mahogany deck that I insisted on (in my defense the warm wood feels glorious on my feet in the morning sun). All of these little acts of labor set my mind humming in the most pleasant way. Especially if I’m supposed to be doing something else that I’m really not interested in tackling.

I’m not sure when I realized physically taking care of things made me feel less frantic, because for the longest time my looping, relentless mind thought that if I could just get things “set” I could really relax. The promise of one less thing that requires care holds a rational appeal, but don’t you think it’s often a racket? When was the last time something made of vinyl sparked joy? Your favorite records don’t count!

Four years ago, I realized a long-held dream of buying a home in Somerville, Mass., where Artie I have lived for 19 years. The fantasy was specific and unchanged over nearly two decades: it had to have a yard, be in the vicinity of Union Square, have good bones, and a never ending supply of nooks and crannies in need of restoration.

We are immensely fortunate for having achieved this milestone, and also, we are met with friction at every turn. Financial mostly, but also the creative/strategic/bandwidth puzzle of preserving the beauty and integrity of a structure that’s been here since 1880, while making it fit our family life in 2026.

Nightmare. Money pit. Disaster. These are all descriptors I know some would use to describe this palace of horsehair plaster, lead paint, and a staircase so steep (and elegant, I might add) that more than one child has scooted down on their bum rather than walk. But what I see — beyond the Boston views and stunning original mouldings which have had me in a chokehold since I first stepped onto the creaky floorboards—are a million productive places to put my dopamine seeking behavior.

We talk a lot about creative constraints on the Not From Concentrate podcast, and to that end I’ve found that two realities/boundaries have helped me stay creative in my home restoration and kitchen life while (mostly) avoiding mental breakdowns:

1. Work piecemeal, while accepting my budget

2. Preserve anything original and salvageable

I was at church yesterday, and by church I mean cooking just for fun, while listening to Amy Poehler’s Working it Out podcast. She said something along the lines of, “Sometimes people who live in our brains can forget we have a body and we need something to bring us back into it.” For me, that thing is often pulling a weed, or cleaning out the produce drawer, or sanding a butcher block countertop, or striking fear into the heart of my husband by pulling out a tape measure.

All of it is maintenance. All of it is full of challenge, and chafe, and a big creative problem in need of solving.

Do I get overwhelmed because there is never enough time, or attention, or money to get everything done? Almost always!

But I also believe that no matter what, I would find a way to spend it — probably in a social media scroll hole, or by impulsively adding things to cart. And I certainly wouldn’t have the muscle, or the pride, or the satisfaction of bringing something worth saving back to life.

Now, I’m not suggesting you go find yourself a fixer upper. It’s not for everyone. Honestly, it almost certainly wouldn’t be for my husband if it wasn’t written into some unspoken marriage contract. But my unsolicited advice is to find something worth preserving and maintain it. Devote yourself to it with some kind of consistency and I promise your busy brain will thank you for it.

Maybe it’s a garden plot, or a yoga practice, or an antique car, or a lifetime list of all the birds you’ve watched (the admin is daunting, personally, but my parents are all in on that last one). It doesn’t actually matter what it is, as long as doing it makes your brain feel like it’s gotten a good scrub. You’ll know it when you feel it, and the trick is to remember how good it makes you feel, so you can keep it up.

Another trick? Feeling the first kiss of crisp fall air and remembering your windows are so drafty that last December you found snowflakes in your living room. There really is nothing more motivating than a deadline

.

Hello! I’m excited to share that this newsletter is going to look a little bit different going forward. I don’t know about you, but I am so overwhelmed by the internet, and exhausted from the firehouse of content, yet I often find myself totally unsatisfied by all that I am consuming. My goal is to make this newsletter and this Substack community a place you can trust to find media, recipes, products, and tips that truly spark creativity and calm chaos in the kitchen, and beyond. If you are a food lover with a busy brain, this newsletter is for you!

So, here’s what you can expect every week, in addition to a teaser about the week’s podcast episode:

• A busy brain tip to help you in the kitchen/home - from me, a podcast guest, or someone in this community

• A piece of media worth consuming - it might be an essay I write, a link to a (not paywalled) article that we think is worth reading/watching, or a podcast episode (not ours!) that’s putting us in the right head space

• A recipe or easy meal idea - from the week’s podcast guest, or my own kitchen. Sometimes it will be in the style of Smart Cooks. Sometimes it’s a peek into what is working for feeding my family and friends right now

• A product to make kitchen/home life with a busy brain easier - I’m notoriously not a gadget person, and my home has very little storage, so you can rest assured that whether it’s a book, a kitchen tool, or an ingredient to try, it’s something really special and useful

And with that, let’s get into this week’s newsletter!

Utilize open-concept shelving and organizers.

Out of sight, out of mind is, unfortunately, a very real phenomenon. If we can’t see it, we forget about it. By using small shelves for your cupboards or counters or large shelving units for non perishable items, you can save yourself both time and money by spending less time searching your kitchen and by not buying duplicates of the things you can’t remember you have because they’ve been buried deep in the cupboard of abyss (you know the cupboard we’re talking about).

Do you have your own busy brain tip to share? Tell us about it here.

What we’re using in our kitchens right now: 3-tier expanding shelf organizers in our cupboards and on our counters, and mini Lazy Susans or, as my mom calls them, “whirly-gigs.” These inexpensive organizers allow for a full line of sight and a much better grasp on what you actually need to add to your grocery list.

“How to Tackle Your To-Do List if You Struggle With Executive Functioning” by Christina Caron in The New York Times. Read on for tips on staying on top of your — existent or nonexistent — to-do list when your brain doesn’t know where to start.

Our guest on the pod this week is . She is a food writer, a mother, and the author of the Substack, “What Are We Having?” and she is the first second-time guest on the podcast.

We get into how we’re preparing for back-to-school — from school lunch tips (freezer sandwiches!) to the anatomy of sheet-pan meals — tune in to start the year off right!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. And if you missed Hillary’s first appearance on Not From Concentrate, “Parents Deserve to Enjoy Dinner, Too,” you can find it here.

 Do you love Not From Concentrate? Leave us a review or give us a star rating on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.To write a review on Apple Podcasts, scroll to the bottom of all episodes on our show’s page and click “Write a Review.” Thanks for listening and supporting our show!

What Are We Having?

Make easy salmon bowls. Have friends over. Stash mosquito wipes in your tote.

This is Cook, Read, Shop, a monthly-ish round up of recommendations for things to cook…read…and buy. In this month’s installment, we’re talking about easy, won’t-heat-up-the-kitchen weeknight dinners, how to have more social weekends, and what to pack in your tote to make it all easier. Let’s get into it…

Read more

2 months ago · 26 likes · 17 comments · Hillary Dixler Canavan

Are you a chef, author, creator, or entrepreneur with some expertise to share with a community of food lovers with busy brains? You should be a guest on the Not From Concentrate podcast! Fill out our new guest form and tell us know more about you.

*This newsletter sometimes contains affiliate links and we may earn a small commission if you purchase through the link. We only link to products we’ve tried, tested, and whole-heartedly recommend.

 When I first graduated college and started working in food, I was deep in the local food movement. I loved perusing the farmer’s markets and chatting with vendors. I tried my hand at a community garden plot (not my biggest success), and I was even a Slow Food movement delegate.

But as life has gotten more complicated, I’ve found myself making less time to participate in the local food economy. Admittedly, I have gasped at the price of an organic farmer’s market melon, and then paid for delivery fees for some subpar strawberries from Instacart. Matching our desires and our ideals with our capacity is a constant challenge and a balancing act.

But one thing that has helped me is Family Dinner, a local service that delivers a bundle of fish, produce, bread, and a treat every week. Now don’t worry, this is not a sponsored episode. And while I’d love to introduce my Boston-area people to Family Dinner my chat today with founder Erin Baumgartner is about so much more than her business.

It’s about local food, local economies, and working every day to build something you’re passionate about and proud of — even when it’s hard, and when shiny objects everywhere are threatening to distract you. So whether you’re someone who looks forward to farmer’s market tomatoes all year long, or you’re working on a small business or other big dream of your own, this episode is for you.

Erin Baumgartner makes it her mission to shop locally and sustainably, and to help others do it, too. Though she champions local businesses, she’s well aware that families can’t always afford the extra dollars to shop locally, including her own household.

“ It’s a really difficult argument to make to people in this moment that local food should matter as part of their budgets,” Erin said. “It’s a hard argument and I absolutely understand that. And it’s not our job as people who work in local food to ever make people feel any shame around the food that they can afford and the food that they can put on their table.”

One of Erin’s favorite recipes is “Pasta With Tuna, Capers and Scallions” from Melissa Clark, published in NYT Cooking ( this is a gift link!)

Tune in to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.

Not From Concentrate team:

Catherine Smart, Host/Executive Producer

Kevin O’Connell, Audio and Video Production

Allie Miller, Associate Producer

 How do you feel about soaking beans? Shopping at the farmer’s market? Taking a lunch break? These are all things that I theoretically (spiritually, even) want to do. They are the very essence of why I was hellbent on making a career in food in my early 20s. But over the last two decades, as work, family life, and productivity culture have all ramped up — as I rush around trying not to be crushed by a literal pile of laundry and a metaphorical pile of grownup responsibilities — I’ve found myself bristling at the suggestion to make time and space for some of these rituals that I once found fundamental.

And honestly, it’s left me feeling conflicted, confronted even. How do I get back time and space for slowing down in the kitchen? How do any of us?

My guest today , digs into all of it with me in a delightfully refreshing and straightforward way. She’s an entrepreneur, the founder and CEO of wellness brand Golde, she’s a mother, and she’s the author of the cookbook, “Eating at Home.”

In this episode, we peel back the layers of home cooking, exploring how to experience feeding ourselves and our families as a ritual. And she makes a compelling argument about why it’s more economical, more nourishing, and worthy of our precious time to sometimes (at least sometimes) do the hard thing. Do it the hard, slow way, and just let it be full of friction.

So no matter your budget, your ambition, your politics, or your food preferences, Trinity’s cookbook and philosophy will challenge you to shift to a simpler, more intentional mode in the kitchen. I loved our conversation and I hope you do, too.

SKILLET JAM

Makes about 2 cups

Jam is beyond easy to make at home. My recipe is stored in the fridge instead of canned for a long shelf life. This way you can use much less sugar and don’t need to worry about precision in the recipe ratios or a complex preservation technique. It’s an especially great use for fruit that’s gone a little soft. (The recipe is easily multiplied for whatever quantity of fruit you have.) Any berries or stone fruit like peaches, plums, and cherries will work well here. In the wintertime, I use mixed frozen berries with beautiful results. It’s cooked hot and fast: Don’t be afraid to turn up your burner, but keep stirring as it thickens to prevent the sugars from burning.

Gluten-free, vegan

• ⅔ cup cane sugar

• 2 to 3 tablespoons grated lemon, grapefruit, or orange zest

• 6 cups fresh or frozen berries, or chopped very ripe stone fruit

• ¼ cup fresh lemon, grapefruit, or orange juice

• ½ teaspoon sea salt

In a stainless steel or cast-iron skillet, combine the sugar and citrus zest. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers until it’s slightly moistened and fragrant. Stir in the fruit, citrus juice, and salt.

Place the skillet over high heat and cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the juices come to a simmer, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring often and mashing the fruit with the back of a spoon until it’s thick enough that you can drag the spoon across the pot and no liquid immediately rushes in to fill the bare spot, 10 to 15 minutes.

Turn off the heat and continue stirring for another minute or so to encourage the jam to cool a bit. You can eat it warm now, or transfer to a heatproof jar or container and let cool to warm room temperature. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Reprinted with permission from Eating at Home by Trinity Mouzon Wofford, copyright © 2026.

Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC.

Photography © 2026 by Dane Tashima

Illustrations © 2026 by Issey Kobori”

Tune in to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.

Not From Concentrate team:

Catherine Smart, Host/Executive Producer

Kevin O’Connell, Audio and Video Production

Allie Miller, Associate Producer

This newsletter sometimes contains affiliate links and I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase. Thank you for supporting Not From Concentrate!

In 2007, my now husband, Artie and I moved to Somerville, Massachusetts, to go to grad school, and our date spot was this perfect subterranean space between Central and Harvard Square called Garden at the Cellar. It was helmed by Will Gilson, a chef about our age, who was basically single-handedly running a farm-to-table pop-up out of a small bar.

These days, he’s the chef and owner of several successful restaurants under his Cambridge Street Hospitality Group, including Puritan, which was the first restaurant — like, actually going in and sitting down and having a meal restaurant — that my family and I went to after things opened back up after the pandemic. He also owns Geppetto, which is where I spent my 40th birthday.

I’ve interviewed Will a handful of times over the years about business and restaurants, but this time, we’re spending a good amount of the conversation on our busy brains. The good, the challenging, the chaotic. We’re elder millennials (and New Englanders, remember?), so this kind of public, personal dissection doesn’t always come easily.

But I hope the conversation brings you some fresh perspective, and maybe it resonates with your own experience of throwing yourself into a lot of things and learning some important lessons while keeping the plate spinning. And don’t forget to grab Will’s recipe for chicken shawarma below!

Check out Will’s recipe for Chicken Shawarma below!

Chicken Shawarma

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken thighs

• Shawarma spice (recipe follows)

• 1 garlic clove grated

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• ½ cup hummus

• ½ a red red cabbage, sliced thinly and salted

• Farmers Salad (diced cucumber, tomato, red onion, pickles)

• ¼ cup pickled pepperoncini peppers

• ¼ cup Shawarma sauce (recipe follows)

• ¼ cup mixed herbs such as dill, mint, parsley, roughly chopped

• 4 Pitas

Directions:

• Marinate the chicken thighs with the spice mix, garlic, lemon juice and tomato paste for at least 2 hours or ideally overnight

• Grill the thighs on a hot grill until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees

• Once they have rested for about 10 minutes slice the thighs and reserve

• Open the pitas ¾ of the way so that the inside is visible on the top and bottom of the pita

• Spread hummus on one side of each pita

• Top the hummus side with shredded cabbage, then farmers salad, then chicken, then herbs then pepperoncini and finally herbs and shawarma sauce

• Fold the other half of the pita back over and serve

Shawarma Spice:

• 1 tablespoon ground coriander

• 1 tablespoon ground cumin

• 1 tablespoon ground cardamom

• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne or chili powder

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined

Shawarma Sauce:
Makes 1 quart

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sour cream

• 1 cup mayo

• 1 cup greek yogurt

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1 medium clove garlic raw

• 4 medium garlic cloves confit

• 2 tablespoons banana pepper liquid

• ¼ cup banana peppers

• 1 tablespoon fresh dill (diced)

• 1 bunch scallions

• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (depending on taste preference)

Puree in blender

Tune in to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.

Not From Concentrate team:

Catherine Smart, Host/Executive Producer

Kevin O’Connell, Audio and Video Production

Allie Miller, Associate Producer

 If you have a busy brain, you know that cooking can require a lot of executive function, but it’s also a great way to build executive function. And those skills — time management, prioritization, task initiation, you can bring them out of the kitchen and into every other aspect of your life, work, parenting, hobbies.

My guest today, , is an educator, a learning designer, and an executive function coach who is pouring her knowledge into her substack newsletter called Nibblings. She shares easy to follow recipes in her uniquely accessible format to get kids and adults flexing those executive function muscles and having fun in the kitchen.

So if you’ve ever struggled to read through a recipe, or you have a little one who wants to whip up their own chocolate cake, you are not going to want to miss this one.

Task avoidance, time blindness, and executive dysfunction — when it comes to helping others address those things, Sophie is a pro.

As an educator, executive function coach, and mom, she helps people like us get to the root of our task- and time-related struggles, and offers solutions that can keep us on track.

1. Feeling task avoidant and struggling to get started? Identify the very first step of completing the task. If the task is sending an email, the first step is not writing the email. The first step is opening your computer and starting a blank one. Rather than looking at sending an email as one big, scary task, break it up into smaller parts. This “will help build momentum to the next step,” Sophie said.

2. Next, ask yourself: How long is this going to take?  “If you thought about that email and you said to yourself, ‘okay, how long is it gonna take? Okay, it’s gonna take two minutes,’” she explained, “that might have made it feel a little bit less scary because like you’re like, I can do something for two minutes.”

3. Have a conversation with yourself : Why am I not doing what needs to be? What do I need? What will get me through it? Sophie said this can help you build self-awareness and implement strategies to get through daunting tasks.

4. Give yourself “contingent reinforcement,” AKA a reward. After you’ve completed your task and defeated distractions, reward yourself with what you’d be doing if you weren’t working. For example: scrolling time on your phone, eating a snack, or taking a walk.

Check out Sophie’s kid recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies from her Nibblings Substack post below!

Nibblings

Kid Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookies

When I ask kids what they like to bake, the answer is almost always the same: Chocolate chip cookies…

Read more

6 months ago · 5 likes · 6 comments · Sophie Mortner

Tune in to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.

Not From Concentrate team:

Catherine Smart, Host/Executive Producer

Kevin O’Connell, Audio and Video Production

Allie Miller, Associate Producer

Happy Friday friends! I’m back with the most mouth-watering and easy to pull off marinated grilled or broiled chicken, with a dreamy scallion-yogurt-mayo-schmear that you can tuck into a pita, or put on a salad, or eat cold for second-breakfast while you one-handed type a newsletter (true story).

My current hyper-fixation is the boneless, skinless chicken thigh. They are so juicy, so quick to take on the flavor of a yummy marinade, and so forgiving. Which is important when you’re easily distracted, or getting back into the groove with your grill, or have a finicky broiler.

SIDENOTE: I’ve given basic instructions for grilling or broiling these guys, but if you’re rocking the grill (I cooked these over charcoal, direct heat for about 5 minutes per side with the lid in various degrees of covered) it’s not a bad idea to brush up on your grill game. I’m very into the new cookbook Grill Time!

For this recipe you’re going to whip up a simple yogurt/mayo concoction spiked with fresh scallions, apple cider vinegar, and oregano. You put a little bit to the side for slathering your pitas, and reserve the rest as a marinade.

Whether you have 30 minutes while the grill gets going, or you actually pull off getting your meat in the marinade in the morning (you smug little planner), I think you’re going to put this Mediterranean-ish meal on repeat this summer.

Have a great weekend and if you make this, I’d love to hear what you think! Printable PDF recipe below.

Scallion Oregano Chicken Pita Pockets

52.2KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

Miss the show this week? Here’s my mini solo-episode about ADHD masking.

For more conversations with food people check out the podcast archives HERE

I’ve always thought of masking (and by always, I mean the last year or so, since I’ve learned more ADHD terminology) as an acute activity: furrowing an eyebrow to look like you are deep in thought when your spirit has actually left your body during a meeting. Suppressing a tic. Gnawing on your tongue so you don’t interrupt a new acquaintance at a cocktail party.

Initially, the term—used to describe the effortful practice of trying to “mask” ADHD symptoms in order to present as neurotypical—didn’t really resonate, probably because when you’ve been doing something consistently for over 30 years, the muscles are pretty strong. Also because I’ve spent most of my life trying not to acknowledge my ADHD.

But what do you call it when your masking activities are as second nature as breathing or taking a sip of water when you are thirsty? And what do you do with the realization that—not unlike a lifelong runner whose knees are giving out—these skills, which have served you so well in many ways, have also been taking a toll?

If we’re giving out yearbook superlatives, mine would be “most easily embarrassed,” and I’ve recently had the revelation that my lifelong struggle with intense embarrassment might not just be my personality, but another facet of my ADHD—a product of masking—and I’m probably not alone.

In case it’s not abundantly clear, I am not a scientist, or a physician, or in any way qualified to theorize about ADHD outside of the realm of being a person living with it. And like every woman over the age of 35 with a social media account, I’m bombarded with IS IT PERIMENOPAUSE??? IS IT ADHD??? Mostly by people trying to sell me something. So, as you can imagine, I’m inherently skeptical of throwing every emotional experience into one of those two buckets, but this lifetime-of-feeling-mortified thing got me thinking.

Embarrassment has always been my Achilles’ heel. The first memory I have of overwhelming embarrassment was after a free-for-all sugarfest on Valentine’s Day in first grade. I projectile vomited on the bus ride home, all over my pastel snowsuit, to the horrified shrieks and giggles of older girls. I can still feel the sticky gray pleather seat on my sweaty palms, and every February 14th, the memory haunts me. The second incident that comes to mind was in fifth grade, when my mom, fresh off a trip to Australia, gave a birding talk to my class and imitated the call of the kookaburra. Thirty-three years later, that yodel is still a sore subject for both of us.

But these are ordinary embarrassments. What I’ve never questioned, until now, is why my embarrassment is so easily triggered. Why the feeling is so full-body intense. Why something as benign as a dinner companion talking too loudly (in my opinion) can send me into what feels like a state of emotional anaphylaxis. Drawing negative attention, whether from my own misstep or the behavior of someone in my orbit, has always registered in my brain and body like an animal-level threat to my well-being.

Perhaps the sweaty panic comes because I perceive small indignities as chinks in my “normal person” armor. If I could always be the most polite, the easiest to talk to, the least high-maintenance—it wouldn’t matter so much that I forgot the teacher’s instructions the moment they left his mouth, or that I blanked on my colleague’s name before she could finish introducing herself, or that I sit on the edge of every board game with a magazine because I can never focus long enough to learn the rules, never mind play it. Presenting as perfectly behaved, the most charming guest, the friendliest coworker, is a basic instinct, one that can override my rational brain and best intentions.

There have been many instances where I’ve put my own well-being on the back burner to save myself from the embarrassment of seeming needy: like the time I was babysitting and a kindergartener slammed my head in the door so hard I ended up with a concussion and a blood clot in my eyebrow, and I never told the parents. Or the time I fainted at a Metallica concert in high school because I had heat exhaustion but didn’t want my first boyfriend to be upset if we lost our spot in the front to go find water. The fainting issue (nearly) came up again on a cooking video set a few years ago, while I was ignoring what turned out to be pneumonia and kidney stones wreaking havoc on my postpartum body, because how mortifying would it be to make the whole film crew go home on my behalf?

I’m not the only person who has paid a price for this problem. As a preteen, I alienated my parents for minor offenses like being exuberant about bird-watching and singing grace at the dinner table. As a 20-something, I spent bachelorette parties in a fugue state because I thought our group was too rowdy, attracting too much attention, and worse, I’ve parented out of embarrassment, hissing at my children through gritted teeth at the park more times than I’d like to admit. There have been too many instances when I’ve valued the impression I’m making on a bartender, a distant business connection, or even a total stranger over being present with some of my closest friends and family.

I don’t want to bulldoze conversations or derail an outing by forgetting my wallet, and I’m certainly not proud that I’ve made it to 40 without a firm grasp on long division. But I don’t think that pretending these situations aren’t a struggle helps me or anyone else improve. Plus, I think the highly sensitive emotional antennae that prompts us to mask is the same equipment that makes us caring friends and good and generous hosts. Unfortunately, we’re ill-equipped when it comes to tuning out the conversations of every table within 20 feet of us at a restaurant. Raise your hand if you’ve squirmed your way through an awkward first date or tense, hushed argument—one that you aren’t a part of, one that’s happening across the room.

So many ADHDers are born empaths, and our Spidey senses detect every shift in tone and mood. We don’t just notice the social temperature; we are desperate to control the weather. I think all our hospitable effort comes from a place of care and generosity—but I also think it can also be a kind of mea culpa for our cognitive shortcomings: I’ve literally never remembered your birthday, but if you come to my house for dinner, I will make all your favorite foods and wordlessly rework the menu to accommodate your spouse’s dietary restrictions without you ever asking.

I’m still trying to untangle what exactly, in this soup of personality, upbringing, and neurodivergence, is masking. And I’m interrogating what the consequences are—both positive and negative—of having such a strong social radar, of caring so deeply about what others are thinking and feeling at any given moment.

There is grief for the important moments I’ve missed while stuck in the swirl of my own brain. There is an understanding that this trait developed from a place of self-preservation: in school, at slumber parties, in the workplace. And there is acceptance that all this masking and all this embarrassment will be something I wrestle with for as long as I am a social animal. As any practiced masker knows, the disguise doesn’t always work, and sometimes you’re better off just letting your guard down.

Happy Friday! This week I was thinking about all the little heroes that live on the condiment shelf in my fridge, and it occurred to me that I should share them with you. This is the stuff I reach for time, and time again — when all I see staring back at me from the fridge is some leftover roasted chicken, or a dozen eggs, or some half-wilted greens — because if it’s not delicious, I don’t want it. But in the words of Margaret Eby, You Gotta Eat!

*I’m not against affiliate links (getting compensated for work as a writer is harder than ever), but I figured it was worth mentioning I have no skin in this game other than helping you get dinner done when you’re drowning in work/post-camp meltdowns/whatever else you’ve got going on.

Bachan’s — My youngest, Pete, asks for this Japanese BBQ sauce at almost every meal, and whether I’m turning leftover rice into a stir-fry or want to do something special with a piece of fresh tuna, or am cajoling the family into eating more greens, this sweet/salty/umami sauce is on the table.

Kari Kari Garlic Chili Crisp — I have a lot of chili crisp in my fridge (shout-out to Fly By Jing Xtra Crunchy Sichuan Chili Crisp and Momofuku Black Truffle Chili Crunch—I am purposely ignoring the beef between these two brands and just being honest about what I reach for). Kari Kari isn’t as widely available, but you can get it online, and it’s perfect on eggs, rice, noodles, subpar takeout—everything. I felt very validated when I heard Kenji López-Alt gushing about the stuff on a podcast.

Ayoh! Sando Sauces — Molly Baz’ line of jacked mayos are it, you guys. I put the Hot Giardinayo on my jammy egg pita pockets, I mix the Dill Pickle Mayo with tuna and chopped pickles, and the Tangy Dijonayo goes on salami or turkey sandwiches or in creamy salad dressing. (You guys, I had to fact-check those names/spellings like five times.) I’m very happy I can now buy them at Whole Foods because we restock often.

Gotham Greens store-bought pesto — We’re tossing it with pasta (obviously) and sheet-pan gnocchi (how did it take me so long to jump on this??). We’re splashing it with cream, mixing it into a vinaigrette, or straight-up slathering it on grilled meats and veggies. Oh, and blending it with mayo and shredded rotisserie chicken to pile on sturdy white bread with tomato, because summer. Homemade pesto is a beautiful thing, but so is an on-demand hit of fresh basil stashed in the fridge.

Better Than Bouillon — I’m hardly the first cook (cough Alison Roman, cough ) to confess her love of this long-lasting, flavor-boosting, not-a-lot-of-space-taking-upping-in-the-fridge, bouillon paste. I reach for the OG chicken flavor, but the vegetarian versions can work magic, too. It’s a great soup base — of course — but it also punches up any pan sauce, pasta sauté, or stir-fry that needs some oomph.

In cast you missed this week’s episode of the Not From Concentrate Podcast with - it’s a good one! You can listen on Apple, Spotify or YouTube from this LINK

 Good morning from my deck where I’m enjoying chatty birds and my cheery window boxes, while hearing the faint beep of a rat trap and trying to ignore the dilapidated chain-link fence that’s threatening to totally collapse in my yard. Ah, summer in Somerville.

Before we dive into this week’s episode, there’s one extra I wanted to share: Last week, the segment I did with Tiziana Dearing for WBUR’s morning edition aired, and it was so fun to get everyone’s text messages when they heard me yapping on their morning commute. It’s a lot about the cookbook I’ve been working on, a bit about this show, and tips for cooking with a busy brain. If you’d like to tune in you can find it HERE.

Ok let’s about this week’s guest, ! Don’t miss his recipe for Toasted Thin Spaghetti with Black Beans and Parm at the bottom of the letter.

So what happens when a classically-trained New York City fine dining chef of Egyptian-Bolivian descent, writes a home cooking handbook that is steeped in ’90s nostalgia? Well, you get “Hello, Home Cooking.”

Ham is a chef, a YouTube star, and now a cookbook author. And “Hello, Home Cooking” is his playful new book with craveable recipes like Toasted Thin Spaghetti with Black Beans and Parm, Tahini Roasted Swordfish, and Pita Cinnamon Crunch — an easy-to-make grownup version of the Cinnamon Toast Crunch that I spent my entire childhood pining for. With Ham’s writing, you also get a warm, knowledgeable, and funny companion in the kitchen.

Ham and I talk about how he eats at home these days with his wife, the beloved cookbook author and creator, Sohla El-Waylly. We talk about how he juggles his restaurant Strange Delight with the freelance and media projects he has going on (spoiler alert, he has ADHD), and how healing and fun it has been to write this cookbook and put it out into the world.

Whether you’re already a Ham fan or this is the first time you’re hearing from him, I think you’re going to love this conversation.

Like Me, Ham’s was diagnosed with ADHD as a child, but didn’t really embrace doing anything about it until recently. We have similar outlooks on busy brains and he says his ADHD “is the cause and source of the creative powers that I’ve got.” Recently, Ham has developed some strategies and tips that help to keep him on track and organized both in and out of the kitchen.

1. Stick with a daily routine.  “I rarely do the same thing two days in a row,” Ham said, “but if I can keep my morning the same, and keep a very detailed calendar I feel like I can calm the chaos.”

2. Tidy up your work space. If clutter in your workspace distracts you, set time aside (add it to your calendar) to clean and organize to create a distraction-free zone for you and your creative brain.

3. Work with your ADHD “ It’s about knowing how to harness its powers,” Ham said. “And I feel like that’s something that I’ve learned to both accept and learn how to do a lot better, because I feel like learning how to harness it is really when you get into a great creative flow and start doing really exciting things.”

Check out Ham’s recipe below for Toasted Thin Spaghetti, Black Beans, and Parm from “Hello, Home Cooking!”

“Toasted Thin Spaghetti, Black Beans, and Parm

Pasta e fagioli meets sopa seca.

SERVES 2

I love pasta e fagioli. I eat it at least once a week. I love the texture of the creamy beans and al dente pasta; throw some weird greens in there, and I’m over the freakin’ moon. This takes the combo of pasta and beans and flies it (coach—sorry, but I used miles) to Mexico. When I was working at Empellón Cocina in New York, there was always some version of sopa seca on the menu. Sopa seca, which literally means “dried soup” in Spanish, is a dish of noodles cooked in a broth until the noodles are fully hydrated and the water in the broth has almost completely evaporated. It results in flavorful noodles coated in a luscious sauce. The key to this recipe is getting the proper toast on the noodles first; this adds a deep, nutty flavor to the dish while allowing the noodles to maintain their texture and chew. This recipe is a great fridge cleaner. Use it as a template and throw in whatever cooked veggies or leftovers you have.

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta

3 tablespoons neutral oil

6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon chili flakes, plus more as needed

2 cups chicken bone broth or water

Kosher salt

1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 bunch of Swiss chard, stems stripped and coarsely chopped

1/3 cup parsley leaves, coarsely chopped

1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

3 tablespoons sour cream

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 freshly squeezed lemon, plus more as needed

Freshly cracked black pepper

1. Place the pasta in a large bowl. Have any lingering Italians avert their eyes and snap the pasta into roughly 1-inch pieces. There is no need to be super precise.

2. In a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, add the oil. Once it’s shimmering, add the mutilated pasta. Toast, stirring constantly, until it turns a light golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and keep toasting, stirring frequently, until the noodles are a deep golden brown, about 2 minutes more.

3. Add the chili flakes and toast until fragrant, about 1 minute.

4. Add the bone broth and a large pinch of salt and bring to a simmer while stirring frequently. Continue to simmer until the liquid is fully absorbed and the noodles are cooked, about 6 minutes. If the liquid dries up and the noodles aren’t yet cooked, add water by the ¼ cup until the noodles are tender.

5. Add the beans and chard and cook, stirring frequently, until the greens are fully wilted, 3 to 4 minutes.

6. Add the parsley, Parmesan, sour cream, lemon zest and juice and stir vigorously until everything is incorporated. Give it a taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt, black pepper, and lemon juice as needed. Serve right away.”

“Hello, Home Cooking” Copyright © 2026 by Ham El-Waylly. Photographs copyright © 2026 by Laura Murray. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, A division of Penguin Random House LLC.” 

Tune in to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.

This newsletter sometimes contains affiliate links and I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase. Thank you for supporting Not From Concentrate.

Not From Concentrate team:

Catherine Smart, Host/Executive Producer

Kevin O’Connell, Audio and Video Production

Allie Miller, Associate Producer

Don’t forget to take our Not From Concentrate community survey here! We want to hear about who you are, and what you want more (or less) of.

 You guys probably know I’m a media junkie. I subscribe to more newsletters than I’d like to admit, and I still get a physical newspaper — two actually — delivered to my doorstep. When I’m feeling bold, I even call Not From Concentrate with its podcast and newsletter and forthcoming book, an independent or creator-led food media company.

So when I heard about Ravenous, a new digital food media outfit from ex-Eater folks that’s launched among a handful like the New Gourmet or Caper or Best Food blog, I had to have one of the founders, Courtney E. Smith, on for a chat so we could talk about food writing and reporting, starting a new media company and their unique worker-owned model.

If you’re a media nerd like me, or a fan of independent journalism, or you just love food coverage, you are going to love today’s episode.

Looking to take a plunge into starting your own worker-owned project? Here are a few tips from Courtney for fellow creatives on starting something of their own:

1. “ If you’re doing it with other people, the first thing you’re going to want to talk about is what’s your vision? And make sure you’re all aligned,” Courtney said.

2. The second thing you and your team should answer is: What are your ethics? And make sure those are aligned, too.

3. “The passion part of the project you’re going to find comes together really easily,” she said, especially after you’ve had the hard conversations.

4. Take time to understand the different business models before you choose one for your business. Will you be an LLC? A partnership? An S-Corp? Learn more about them and know how they work.

5. “ Tap into your community, ask them questions.” Look to some fellow creatives that you trust for guidance and mentorship.

Check out Kay Chun’s recipe for Korean Bulgogi Bolognese in NYT Cooking, Courtney’s favorite recipe!

Tune in to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.

Not From Concentrate team:

Catherine Smart, Host/Executive Producer

Kevin O’Connell, Audio and Video Production

Allie Miller, Associate Producer

Good morning! I hope you all have your freezers stocked with popsicles, and a place to cool down as we head into the holiday weekend. We bought a fresh kiddie pool, dusted off the sprinkler, and will fire up the grill after the sun goes down.

In honor of the 4th, I’ve put together a little round-up of refreshing, distraction-free, chilly recipes and removed the paywall for the weekend, enjoy!

And if you’re traveling or cooking this weekend, might I suggest an episode of the Not From Concentrate podcast? Follow/subscribe wherever you get your podcasts <3

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Good morning from sweltering Somerville, where I’m hydrating before hopping on the T to meet producer Allie for a little dim sum brunch! I really hope they serve icy lager. Before we get into this week’s episode, I’m going to make another plea for you to take the NFC Community Survey if you haven’t yet. It takes 3 minutes (which admittedly hasn’t always convinced me to take people’s surveys!), but it would mean so much, and really help us deliver the best show and newsletter possible.

Now, let’s get into this week’s episode, and make sure you make it to the bottom for a recipe for Tirokafteri, a briny Greek dip with a touch of heat that’s the perfect addition to your 4th of July spread.

As a Somervillian, I think of Bow Market as an extension of my apartment. I go there to hole up with a coffee and write, to meet a friend for lunch, to sneak out for a beer with my husband on a sunny afternoon, or to set my kids loose on the vintage pinball machines (with supervision of course). If you’re like, “Catherine, I don’t live in Boston, why would I care about some carport-turned-cultural hub?” I promise this episode with Bow Markets co-owner Zach Baum is for you, too.

We talk business, particularly the smallest of restaurants and how they need places to take root. We talk about the headwinds facing hospitality and responsible development, and we talk about taking big risks to create the careers and communities we want for ourselves and for our neighbors.

And we talk about the power of staying focused on what you do and don’t want your work life to look like. If you love food and small business — which I’m sure you do, I mean you’re here — you are going to love this chat with my friend and neighbor, Zach Baum.

Check out Zach’s recipe below for his Tirokafteri!

Zach’s Tirokafteri

This is my favorite Greek meze. I’ve made this for many Greeks in Greece to rave reviews. By all accounts adding yogurt is non-traditional in Greece but I like using it for body and texture. Also, pepperoncini are most typically used in Greece but I prefer the softer skins of jarred cherry peppers. Both are great though!

Ingredients

• 12oz Greek feta in brine, cut into cubes

• 1/3 cup finely chopped jarred hot cherry pepper or pepperoncini (you can discard the seeds if you like it less spicy)

• 3 tablespoons 4% Greek yogurt

• 2½ tbsp olive oil

• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Place all of the ingredients except the salt in a mini food processor or mix by hand with a fork until well combined

2. Season with salt to taste

3. You can adjust the consistency by adding more yogurt if you want

4. Serve as a dip with bread, pita, chips, or veggies or as a side along with grilled pork or chicken.

Tune in to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.

Not From Concentrate team:

Catherine Smart, Host/Executive Producer

Kevin O’Connell + Asia Garcia, Audio and Video Production

Allie Miller, Associate Producer

Good morning from my messy office, minutes before I hop on to an interview. I couldn’t wait any longer to share this survey that podcast producer Allie and I have been working on — it would be so helpful if you could take 3 minutes to fill it out.

Take the survey here.

I started this newsletter on the heels of shutting down my food startup, writing into the void, posting recipes and essays on working with my busy brain in the kitchen.

Over the last year and a half, my life, and this space, and the growing NFC community has evolved. I launched the Not From Concentrate podcast and the content here changed shape. I got a book deal and came to the hard realization that I couldn’t fill both a cookbook, and a newsletter, with my own recipes (up to my standards) at the same time. Thankfully, our guests have generously shared their own.

I let go of some of the anxiety about how explicitly I should (or shouldn’t) talk about the ADHD of it all, and trusted myself to let the wide lens of food, creativity, and putting our attention where it matters most, guide conversations on the podcast.

But you guys, I could use some help sharpening my focus. The manuscript is in, and I want to take a hard look at what’s working here, and what I could do better. This podcast, and newsletter, and community is for YOU and your feedback will help shape the future of the work we do here.

I’ll stop yapping now, thank you for the support!

Take the survey here.

 Good morning from Nantucket! I’m sending this week’s letter pre-coffee, from the first day of family vacation. I hope you’ll excuse any typos as my brain is already on the beach. But before I log off and join the good ruckus my kids and their cousins causing in the kitchen, I wanted to tell you about this week’s episode with Mackenzie Innis, of the one-woman Ceres Bakery.

If you love gorgeous cakes, inspiring flavor combinations, and creative career-path stories, you’re going to love this episode. If you are a bride or groom in the throes of wedding planning this episode is a must - and if you know someone in that phase of life I hope you’ll send them the episode!

Read on for a recipe for chiffon cake and tips from Mackenzie on working with your wedding cake baker to get the confection of your dreams.

There is something so inspiring about creatives who take all of their artistic whimsy and pour it into a project that matches their technical skills and training. In my mind, that’s where so much magic happens. Add seasonality and florals and sugar, and I’m even more intrigued.

What kind of baker is Mackenzie? She turns brides’ childhood memories into gorgeous wedding cakes. She sources locally milled grains, and she tops her confections with flowers that are grown in pots in her yard, or from New England farmers. She makes beautiful, delicious, extremely special cakes.  

We chat about where Mackenzie finds inspiration, how she manages the admin of solopreneurship with a busy brain, and we discuss some of our favorite bakeries and flower shops in Boston.

Imagine this: Your wedding is coming up this fall, and it’s time to put in an order for your dream wedding cake. You scroll through your Pinterest board, your saved posts of beautiful cakes on Instagram, and you feel ready to call the baker, whose photo gallery you’ve also scrolled through a thousand times for inspiration.

But before you dial their number, have you thought through every detail?

Here are a few tips from Mackenzie to tack as a note under your dream cake:

1. “Come as organized as you can to the conversation.” When you call the baker, have in mind the color palette and flavor profiles you’re envisioning for your cake.

2. Recognize what you don’t want, too. Come fully prepared to the conversation of what you want to say “yes” and “no” to.

3. Streamline your communication. Keep your contact with your baker in one place rather than calling, then texting, then emailing, then sending an Instagram DM. “ We need to just have one line of communication because I’ll wake up in the middle of the night and be like, did they say purple flowers? Or is that something that I dreamed of? And then I have to go through all of these different platforms and find, okay, yes, they did say purple flowers.”

4. Give your baker all of the contact info they need. If someone else is involved in your big day that would be helpful for the baker to know, like a day-of contact coordinator, give them their contact information, too. “ as creative types, we are mostly busy brain people, so it’s great to have something as compressed as possible when it comes to information,” Mackenzie said.

Check out Mackenzie’s recipe for Chiffon Cake below!

Chiffon Cake

Yield: 3 6” pans (lined with parchment) - each cake serves 6-8

• 43 grams yolks (roughly 3 eggs)

• 108 grams sugar (this you’ll add this sugar weight first)

• 4 grams vanilla bean paste

• 88 grams water

• 61 grams grapeseed oil

• 127 grams cake flour

• 3⁄4 tablespoon baking powder

• 66 grams egg whites (roughly 2 eggs)

• 28 grams sugar (you’ll add this sugar weight second)

• 1⁄4 teaspoon of cream of tartar

• 1⁄2 Tablespoon salt

Method:

Recipe amounts are noted in grams

Preheat your oven to 325*

-Separate room temperature eggs, letting the whites fall into the bowl of your mixer, add the cream of tartar

-In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer combine the yolks, the first weight of sugar, and the vanilla bean paste, and beat on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes to aerate, until thick and pale yellow

-Stream your water and oil into your egg yolk mixture

-Sift your cake flour and baking powder into another large bowl, create a well for your yolk mixture, and blend in the yolk mixture gently.

-Transfer the whites to the stand mixer (or using you electric beaters) whip the egg whites, starting on low speed, breaking up the egg white protein, gradually increasing your speed to medium, allow the whites to become loose and frothy

-Steadily stream in your second sugar and salt to the egg whites, and mix until your whites are firm, glossy, and hold a firm peak

-Gently fold your egg white mixture into the yolk/flour mixture and evenly disperse between three lined (un-greased) cake tins

-Bake for 35-45 minutes, or, until the cake is well risen, bounces back to a gentle touch, and is beginning to softly pull from the sides of the pans

-Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then flip upside down onto a cooling rack, allow to cool completely

Notes:

Flavor to your heart’s desire! Steep tea into your water, use alternative grains, mix up your sugars, dance your dance!”

Tune in to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.

Not From Concentrate team:

Catherine Smart, Host/Executive Producer

Kevin O’Connell, Audio and Video Production

Allie Miller, Associate Producer

 Good morning from Boston, where we are mourning the imminent departure of the Tartan Army. It’s been an absolute joy have the kilted revelers in our midst, and I’m looking forward to a whole summer of World Cup festivities here.

This week’s letter is coming to you later than usual, so let’s get in to the episode, with guest Alex Fuentes, head chef of special projects at SingleThread Farm.

There are some restaurants that resonate far beyond their four walls, and one of those is SingleThread Farm in Healdsburg, California, a three-star-Michelin restaurant, a five room inn, and of course a farm that is the beating heart of the operation. SingleThread is led by husband-and-wife duo Chef Kyle and Farmer Katina Connaughton.

When I heard they had a cookbook in the works, I wanted to better understand what makes this place so special. Particularly at a time when modernist cuisine and fine dining has felt the heat — in the press, and as the public grapples with a dark underbelly from some of the world’s most famous restaurants.

My conversation with Alex Fuentes, digs into all of it. So if you’re someone who’s interested in hospitality at the highest level, wine country, modernist cuisine, or the future of farm-to-table, this episode is for you.

In addition to being a Michelin-starred chef, Alex Fuentes is also an advocate against food waste. He brings wisdom with a sustainability perspective to a conversation about using every last bit of food we have, especially the produce that comes from farms.

“ Whether it’s your own culture or other cuisines and cultures, you look back in history, there was not refrigeration what, 200 years ago, right?” Alex said. “Everyone was doing this stuff. Everyone was preserving, everyone had kind of farmsteading mindset,  whether it’s here or the old country.”

Rather than throwing away vegetables you can’t find a use for, Alex has some ideas on how you can not only make sure they don’t get wasted, but how to make them a delicious addition on your next plate.

In this episode, Alex clues us in on the best (and safest) ways to ferment, brine, salt, and dehydrate our leftover veggies. Whether you want to make a jar of pickled radishes, a Kimchi, or ferment some leafy greens, you’ll be saving your next scraps after listening.

Tune in to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.

This newsletter sometimes contains affiliate links and I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase. Thank you for supporting Not From Concentrate.

Not From Concentrate team:

Catherine Smart, Host/Executive Producer

Kevin O’Connell, Audio and Video Production

Allie Miller, Associate Producer

 Good morning (almost afternoon) friends! I’m deep in the final recipe edits for my cookbook (ahhh) and had to zone out with a breakfast sandwich and orange juice from Vinal Bakery after morning drop-off before I could really get going today. I think this is what refers to as a potato day! If you’re a busy brained person, Kelly’s writing is some of my favorite on living with ADHD.

But back to the episode!

When I cracked open “We Fancy,” the new cookbook by Jerrelle Guy who authors , I felt like the universe sent it my way, and she was talking directly to me. The recipes are all delicious and gorgeously photographed, but it was her writing voice that got me. Jerrelle has a steady, joyful insistence that slowing down, making space for creativity, and taking care of our frazzled nervous systems are the keys to a happy cooking life.

It’s not about buying new gadgets, or needing the perfect meal plan, or expensive ingredients. It’s about tuning into the beauty and deliciousness all around us, and trusting ourselves in, and out of the kitchen. Jerrelle is a cook and an artist, and a truly special person, and I cannot wait for you guys to get to know her!

A question? Feedback? A podcast or newsletter suggestion? Please shoot me a note, hello@catherinesmart.com

Check out Jerrelle’s recipes for “Wednesday Sauce” and “Porcini Butter” below from her new cookbook “We Fancy”!

Wednesday Sauce

SERVES 16 to 20 (MAKES 8 CUPS)

Here’s a slow-simmering vegetarian Bolognese that you can ignore while it bubbles away on the stove. It can give you a foundation for hearty meals throughout the week: a layered lasagna in Overnight Lasagna Terrine (page 116), as a base for poaching eggs in Shakshuka Bolognese (page 226), spooned over a roasted spaghetti squash, or stuffed into cooked pasta shells for a last-minute pasta bake. I nickname this my “Mama Sauce.” It can become the backbone for many meals, so it’s been rightfully promoted to queen status in the kitchen.

onion 1 large, chopped into large chunks

celery sticks 3 medium stalks, chopped into large chunks

carrots 3 medium, peeled and chopped into chunks

garlic cloves 6

roasted red peppers 1 (12-ounce) jar

sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil ½ cup

raw walnuts ½ pound (2¼ cups)

fresh rosemary 1 sprig, chopped

Porcini Butter (Found Below) or salted butter ¼ cup, divided

olive oil 2 tablespoons

kosher salt 2 teaspoons, divided, plus more as needed

crushed red pepper flakes ½ teaspoon

tomato paste ¼ cup

dry red wine 1 cup ← or sub extra veggie broth plus a splash of balsamic vinegar

crushed tomatoes 1 (28-ounce) can

porcini water (see Porcini Butter, Found Below) or mushroom broth or veggie broth 1 cup

bay leaves 2, dried or fresh

MAKE THE VEGETABLE PASTE: To the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, blend the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic on high, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, until a coarse paste forms. Transfer the veggie paste to a bowl and set aside.

MAKE THE ROASTED PEPPER PUREE: In the same food processor bowl (no need to wash it), add the roasted red peppers with their brining liquid and blend until completely pureed. Pour the puree back into its original jar or into a separate bowl and set aside.

MAKE THE WALNUT MEAT: Next, in the same food processor bowl, add the sun-dried tomatoes with their oil and blend on high until ground. Remove the top and add the walnuts and rosemary, then pulse a few times until the walnuts are coarsely ground and the mixture looks like ground beef. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.

BUILD THE SAUCE: In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot set over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the Porcini Butter with the olive oil. Once they begin to bubble and brown, add the veggie paste, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the crushed red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 12 to 14 minutes, until the vegetables soften and begin to lightly caramelize. Add the walnut mixture and the remaining teaspoon of salt to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the walnuts start to smell toasty. Push some of the mixture to the side of the pot and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of Porcini Butter and the tomato paste. Fry together for 1 minute to cook the paste before stirring everything together.

DEGLAZE AND SIMMER: Add the wine to deglaze the mixture, scraping up any bits of fond sticking to the bottom of the pan. Then add the pureed red peppers, crushed tomatoes, porcini water, and bay leaves. Taste and season with salt, if needed. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours, or until thickened and deeply flavorful. Taste and season with more salt, if needed.

Porcini Butter

Makes 1 Pound

If there’s a single compound butter I recommend keeping around for everyday use, it’s this one. Dried porcini mushrooms are an umami gold mine, but they can sometimes be a pain to source. Once you get your hands on a small stash, you can stretch a small amount by preserving it in butter. This butter is a good back pocket weeknight secret for bringing subtle but noticeable flavor to a dish, similar to the way anchovies or MSG do. I especially lean on it to make tomato sauces seem like they’ve simmered for twice the time. We make a lot at once because it freezes well for up to 6 months, but if you want to start off committing to a smaller batch, this can easily be halved.

dried porcini mushrooms 1 ounce

salted butter 1 pound (4 sticks), softened

kosher salt ½ teaspoon, plus more as needed

SOAK THE MUSHROOMS: In a medium bowl, cover the mushrooms with 1 TO 1½ CUPS WARM WATER and soak for 20 minutes. Then squeeze the rehydrated mushrooms gently over the bowl to expel most of the excess water (see Tip). Dab them with paper towels and mince.

WHIP THE BUTTER: In the bowl of a mini food processor, combine the minced mushrooms, butter, and salt. Process on high until the mushrooms are fully incorporated with the butter and the mixture becomes beige in color, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Taste and add more salt as desired.

STORE: Place a large sheet of parchment paper on the counter. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the butter mixture into the center of the parchment in a line, then wrap it in a tight log. Seal in a zip-top freezer bag and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 6 months. Pull back the parchment on the butter log and slice off knobs as you need them.

TIP: Reserve the water you’ve used to soak the mushrooms. You can freeze it or store it in the fridge for a few days to use in stews and soups like Wednesday Sauce (page 113). Just be sure to strain out any sand and debris floating at the bottom of the bowl before storing and using.

Excerpted from WE FANCY: Simple Recipes To Make The Everyday Special. Copyright © 2026, Jerelle Guy. Photography Copyright © 2026 by Jerelle Guy. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.

Tune in to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.

Not From Concentrate team:

Catherine Smart, Host/Executive Producer

Kevin O’Connell, Audio and Video Production

Allie Miller, Associate Producer

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Good morning from my dining room table with a hastily soft-boiled egg. I’m sick of the internet talking about how busy May and June are, but I also feel it deeply — if you do too, I’m sending strength and coffee.

For my local peeps, or anyone traveling to Greater Boston for the World Cup, I wanted to share a guide I wrote for The Infatuation. I ate my way all over Foxboro and surrounding towns highlight the best. You can read the full guide HERE.

Now let’s get into the today’s episode because it’s a good one!

 Would you announce to the internet how much money your family spent on food last year, like down to the nickel? Well, food writer did: $32,000. It’s a number that shocked her, and felt wildly out of step with her income and goals. This year, she’s on a mission to cut that number in half - and share everything she’s learning in the process.

Budgets vary, as well as peoples’ priorities. For some, dining out weekly is non-negotiable, daily cafe visits are a must, or a specific treat from the grocery store keeps you going. There isn’t one streamlined system for everyone, but there are lots of strategies you can apply, no matter your values (and cravings).

Here are just a few tips that Meghan shared with us on how you can cut back on your food spending, too:

1. “ The very first thing that you have to do before you can change your budget is to know your budget,” Meghan said. What are your food spending habits? How much do you spend on food per week, between eating out, grocery store runs, and farmer’s market visits? Identify a number as a starting point.

2. Set a goal once you’ve tracked your spending. For example: “ I want to cut it in half, or I want to cut it by a third, or I want to cut this specific bucket of spending because that’s not feeling aligned with my values.”

3. Use a tracking tool for your spending, like Monarch or Google Sheets, or a physical notebook. Meghan uses the Hobonichi Tech Weeks notebook as her “food spending planner,” which helps her track her weekly spending. You can create your own Google Sheet tracker from Meghan’s Substack.

4. Plan your grocery trips. Know what you need and how much you want to spend. Sometimes, buying a product in bulk (when it’s cheaper) can help cut back on costs. “ I am buying coffee beans in bulk from a local coffee roaster because I found that that saves me a lot of money every month to do that and still have the quality that I want.”

5. Track prices of items you buy consistently, that way you know where you can get the best buy. If you’re always buying a certain type of cheese, bread, or snack, for example, see how the prices vary among your go-to supermarkets, as well as track how the prices are changing over time.

Tune in to the full episode to hear all of Meghan’s food budgeting strategies on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.

Not From Concentrate team:

Catherine Smart, Host/Executive Producer

Kevin O’Connell, Audio and Video Production

Allie Miller, Associate Producer

Good morning from Bow Market in Somerville, from me and my life-giving iced coffee. I’m still returning to earth from an epic Nantucket get away with some of my oldest, and dearest girlfriends (more on that soon) and yesterday I announced an exciting partnership that’s been in the works for the last few months: Not From Concentrate is now a part of the PRX portfolio and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

But I know you’re here for the episode, and the Masala Brussels Sprouts recipe at the bottom of this letter so let’s get into it!

When my parents come to town, it is almost certain that we are ordering Indian food. Specifically, we love “Dosa n Curry” here in Somerville, with their three-foot-long, paper-thin dosas and fiery Indo-Chinese Manchurian cauliflower. We love the chana masala and the garlicky naan, and we often have to double up on the creamy saag paneer.

But my family and many others don’t really cook Indian food at home. If you don’t have a guide, it can feel a little intimidating with all the spices and techniques that you might not be familiar with. Well, my guests today, Jyoti and Auyon Mukharji, are the mother-son duo behind the unlikely and completely delightful cookbook, “Heartland Masala.”

Whether you want to try your hand at creating Indian dishes at home, or you just want to learn more about what goes into just a slice of the vast and varied cuisine of India, and you want to learn it from a warm, knowledgeable, and very funny duo, then this episode, and their book, are for you.

PS for BTS on the making of this book, dig in to on Substack.

Check out Jyoti’s recipe for Masala Brussels Sprouts below from “Heartland Masala!”

Masala Brussels Sprouts

SERVES 4 · COOK TIME: 45 minutes

Jyoti Brussels sprouts were unfamiliar to me until I moved to the United States in the 1970s. When I finally got my hands on some, I had a lot of fun experimenting with different Indian-style preparations. This version emerged as one of my favorites, and it has since become a sought-after recipe among my students as well. The sour tang of the dried mango and the creaminess of the potatoes complement the nutty, spice-darkened sprouts marvelously.

No need to peel the potatoes for this one—as with all of our recipes, potatoes should remain unpeeled unless indicated otherwise.

⅓ cup (80 ml) canola oil

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 large russet potato

(11¼ ounces // 320 g), cubed into 1-inch (2.5-cm) chunks (see above)

2 tablespoons ground coriander

1 tablespoon amchoor (ground dried mango)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

¼ teaspoon ground cayenne (optional)

1 pound (455 g) Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered lengthwise (if some or all of your sprouts are shorter than 1½ inches // 4 cm, halve them lengthwise rather than quartering them)

1. Heat the oil in a large, lidded (but uncovered for now), nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil starts to shimmer, add the cumin seeds and sizzle, giving the pan a shake or two, until they darken a couple of shades and become fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Add the potato and cook, stirring frequently, until the potato is lightly fried all over and starting to brown on all edges, 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Reduce the heat to low and add the coriander, amchoor, ground cumin, salt, and cayenne (if using). Try to sprinkle the spices evenly over the whole pan to avoid clumping. Stir well to combine, and then immediately add the Brussels sprouts. (The ground spices should cook in the hot oil for a second or two before the sprouts join the pan, but they will scorch if you wait too long, so move quickly.)

4. Stir thoroughly again. Increase the heat to medium, cover, and cook, stirring every few minutes to make sure every vegetable piece is eventually coated with ground spices. Keep the pan tightly covered between stirrings to preserve the steam. The dish is done when the potato pieces are totally soft but still keep their shape, 10 to 15 minutes (if the potato takes a bit longer than that to soften, reduce the heat to low and stir often for any additional time to ensure the spices don’t burn). The sprouts should be cooked through, but can have a bit of bite, and the spices should darken a few shades but not blacken.

5. Taste for salt and serve hot.

Reprinted with permission from Heartland Masala by Jyoti Mukharji and Auyon Mukharji, The Collective Book Studio, September 2025.

Tune in to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.

Not From Concentrate team:

Catherine Smart, Host/Executive Producer

Kevin O’Connell, Audio and Video Production

Allie Miller, Associate Producer