When I think of the advent of spring, I usually think of color, a riot of yellow daffodils and purple crocuses, the bright male goldfinch returning to New York. But this spring what comes to mind is motion, perhaps because my own movement has been restricted due to the pandemic. There is the energy (and the audacity) of a tulip defying gravity to shoot up out of the earth. Then there’s downward motion too, the power unleashed in a terrific rain or pollen storm.
The energy required to gather and feed friends comes to mind as well. The menu planning, the shopping, the mad dash to declutter the apartment before friends arrive. As of press time it’s not yet safe to entertain, but I’m already daydreaming about it. When friends arrive they’ll find a tray of lettuce cups filled with spicy bulgur , a dish bejeweled with pomegranate seeds. We feature these and many more dishes from the new cookbook Ripe Figs by Yasmin Khan, who traveled the Mediterranean listening to refugees and those who help them get on their feet by creating spaces where food begets conversation and compassion .
At my dinner party the conversation will start with what we’re reading ( The Final Revival of Opal & Nev for me) and then escalate to the environment. I’ll be armed with alarming facts—the ones I learned while editing this, our sustainability issue—but I’ll also come with optimism, buoyed by the creative thinkers who are focused on solutions. You’ll learn about how much we waste and how to combat it at home. Want a drink after you take in the magnitude of it all? You’ll find companies that distill alcohol sustainably .
Of course, you come to BA for the food. Our test kitchen has produced delicious recipes that use parts of produce usually thrown away, like chai made from orange peels , and pork chops topped with broccoli stem salsa verde . (Though we have plenty of wonderful vegetarian options, we’re not here to tell you, even in this issue, how much meat to consume. That’s a choice each individual has to make, and with two teen boys, meat is certainly in rotation at my place.) No, we’re not featuring recipes from the restaurant Fat Choy just because they’re vegan. We’re featuring them because we’re excited about Justin Lee and his food . He went meatless at Fat Choy because he’s concerned about the planet and wanted to show that you can create big flavors without meat. Mission accomplished—just try his Bok Choy With Brown Sauce and Crispy Garlic . We also feature Brian Yazzie , an Indigenous chef for whom sustainability means staying rooted in his community and feeding those in need.
In the magazine we titled Yazzie’s story “ The Land Stewards .” To be a steward means to spend energy taking care of something. I’m going to employ my energy not just planning the dinner but thinking how, in the process of doing so, I can be more thoughtful about the earth’s resources. I’d love for you to join me, in ways that feel urgent and right for you.
Source : food
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