January 2021
A couple nonfiction reads, an easy chili recipe, and a fun giving back project I'm working on!
Happy Sunday, friends! I hope this note finds you cozy and well. It’s been a pretty tumultuous month in the US and a particularly cold one in NYC. We celebrated Jackson’s birthday and continued to care for our little pupper.
Thank you for being a part of my little From Holly community, and enjoy this month’s edition. I’m particularly excited to share about my Quarantine Care Package project. Read more about it in the “Miscellany” section at the bottom!
Bookshelf
Before jumping into my reading review, I wanted to let you know that I’m leading a book club with WORD Bookstores. My group is called Show Me the Women and we’ll be reading a nonfiction selection each month about women who have largely gone unrecognized. Meetings are virtual, so feel free to register if that sounds of interest to you! February’s meeting will be on the 12th and we’ll be discussing Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All.
Reads in January
Becoming Brave by Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil |★★★★★
Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil uses the Bible story of Esther to give a framework for engaging with justice issues in our world today. I found this book powerful & equipping, with honest anecdotes from Dr. McNeil and a clear call to action. Strongly recommend for anyone looking for a spiritual guide to addressing injustice.
We Keep the Dead Close by Becky Cooper | ★★★★☆
Part true crime murder mystery, part rumination on gender and power dynamics in academia, part reflection on cultural expectations around memory and narrative… Becky Cooper’s investigative book is meandering, engrossing, and thoroughly thoughtful. When she was an undergraduate at Harvard, she heard an oft-repeated myth about an anthropology PhD student in the ‘60s who was murdered in her off-campus apartment. Rumor had it that she was killed by a professor with whom she’d had an affair and that he was still part of the department. Cooper was enthralled by the story and ended up dedicating the next ten years of her life seeking answers about what really happened.
For regular posts & reviews, follow along at @fromhollysbookshelf and in my Bookshop storefront. For my monthly staff picks, visit my WORD page.
*Note: Links listed above are to Bookshop, where I'm an affiliate. I make a small commission off any purchases using those links, and Bookshop uses its profits to support local bookstores. If you have a favorite indie shop, please purchase from them instead!
Kitchen
We are squarely in soup & chili season, so I thought I’d share our go-to chili recipe. It’s incredibly easy, and we usually pair it with Ina Garten’s Sour Cream Cornbread.
Cottage Chili
From Ski Town Soups | Serves 6
Ingredients
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 64-oz canned crushed tomatoes
• 32-oz canned kidney beans, drained & rinsed
• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
Directions
In a large pot, sauté ground beef, onion, and green pepper. Add all remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30+ minutes. Top with shredded cheese & sour cream.
For snippets of my home cooking with occasional tips & recipes, follow along at @fromhollyskitchen.
Miscellany
I’ve been trying to think of a way to bring together my love of books and my desire to give back which led to my little brainchild: Quarantine Care Packages. These packages will have the duel purpose of bringing you joy & giving back to the* community (in this case, “the” means “my,” aka North Brooklyn). Each one will cost $95 and include a book personally selected by me based on your tastes, a snack or beverage (coffee/tea) from a business near me, and a piece of merch from one of my favorite local shops. The proceeds will be donated to North Brooklyn Mutual Aid & New Sanctuary Coalition’s Friend Survival Fund. If you’re interested in receiving your own QCP, please fill out this form!
One of my favorite organizations, Eat Offbeat, is publishing a cookbook in March: The Kitchen Without Borders. Consider pre-ordering if it interests you.
I’ve been pretty much living in these pants from Boody Ecowear. Shoutout to my aunt for gifting me pajamas from this company and thus introducing me to the soft goodness that is their bamboo fabric.
My college friend Meaghan’s husband Zach is the current champ on Jeopardy - five days and counting! Tune in on Monday and cheer him on.
Two bits of delight this month: Celebrities in quarantine making home videos that stitch together into a full-length retelling of The Princess Bride, and Tika the Iggy, an Italian Greyhound in Montreal with serious sass.
That’s a wrap on this month. Hope it brought a little joy or learning to your day.
Warmly,
Holly