Closed Loop Cooking Weekly Newsletter 11.20.20

November 20th, 2020

Hi friends,

(Psst… we dropped the CLC gift guide for all your plant-based, low waste, ethically sourced goods this season.)

Traditions shift. We make room for what makes sense in our current context. We make new. It feels strange this year to acknowledge just how much has changed–I feel compelled to honor family commitments and show my resiliency through a mountain of mashed potatoes. (Which I will do regardless, but this year, there’s no one to watch in concern.) But to march on like nothing has changed would disrespect the monumental emotional roller coaster we’ve all lurched through over 2020. I’m tired. Tradition is tired. And that’s ok.

Stay home. Or keep it small. I release you of any and all lingering guilt you may feel about familial disappointment. Instead, appreciate that you won’t have to enjoy any kind of salad that substitutes jello and / or marshmallows instead of vegetables. And if that’s your jam, this year you get it all to yourself. Watch a movie, call a loved one, eat some pie, drink a hot toddy. Rest.

I’m lucky enough to celebrate with y’all through this platform, to share in some of my favorite recipes, and hear what you’re making. Communal food happens in many forms, from making a passed down recipe all on your own to dropping a baked treat at someone’s door. We can still share in the love this seasonal holiday and honor the Indigenous communities of centuries past.

From Kaitlyn’s latest essay on the site, “I can only give you a small reminder that we’re all here struggling together. My hope for all of us this holiday is patience and grace.”

How are you taking care this season? Let me know.

Stay hungry,Hawnuh Lee | Founder, Closed Loop Cooking

Thanksgiving pie for one by Hawnuh Lee

To-do’sCheck out this season’s CLC gift guide. Chock full of plant-based, low waste, and ethically made goods to delight you + your loved ones. Spiked vegan nog cheers all around.

This week’s required readingWish we could watch Daphne Kauahi’ilani Jenkins make mochi from her counter everyday. Until then, we’ll take this delightful interview on our latest rendition of Heirloom Kitchen. One of her top 3 pantry staples? Hot tip y’all - dried seaweed. Nori, wakame, kombu, dulse. Excuse me while I head out to my nearest H Mart. Don’t wait up.Thanksgiving is different this year. And that’s ok. Our own Kaitlyn Chock summed it up beautifully in her latest piece–I will probably spend Thanksgiving alone this year, but I *think* I’m fine with it. Tradition is what you make it. Make it your own.We’ve all been swayed by a Black Friday sale. An ocean of mashed potatoes will make that flatscreen deal seem so palettable. But this year, we’re noticing more and more brands boycotting BF and redirecting customers to sustainability initiatives. When and where you put your dollar matters.

The body electricNow that we're moving into wet, cold and flu season in the Northern Hemisphere, I've been thinking a lot about damp foods. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, there are certain foods that contribute to “dampness” inside our body, like dairy, sweets, wheat flour, starchy veggies and cold foods. The idea isn't to avoid all damp foods but rather to find a balance between damp and dry. Basically, if you're feeling super phlegmy / sluggish / swollen / groggy / cold, it might be because you exclusively eat "churro" crepes for breakfast. Oh wait, just me? - Kaitlyn

Cookbook clubMads Refslund and Tama Matsuoka Wong’s Scraps, Wilt & Weeds: Turning Wasted Food Into Plenty just feels like a cold weather book to me. NOMA renowned chef, Mads thinks in upcycling. Full of plant-friendly recipes and repurposing I often thumb through my worn copy for inspiration. Take the butter-glazed celery bottoms on page 56, ideal for Thanksgiving prep leftovers or kale pulp pasta with torn kale sauce on page 70. Top off a classic pumpkin pie with pumpkin skin powder on page 127 and enjoy while gracefully sipping a chamomile old fashioned from page 223. Let me know what y’all cook up <3

Seasonal eatingYour sweet potatoes might take brownie form next week, hold the marshmallow. Obsessed with these fudgy, 30 minutes sweet potato brownies that will most likely become your new holiday tradition. Ok, you convinced me. A whipped vegan marshmallow would be an awesome topper. I give you my blessing.Another PERFECT Thanksgiving pairing–this roasted persimmon + butternut squash curried soup. Persimmon is a beautiful winter fruit foil to any savory dish and it makes this curried soup sing. Rich in flavor, dynamic in color + texture, top it off with those leftover toasted squash seeds and some green onion. *Chef’s kiss*You need something to nosh while waiting on that stuffing to finish. This use-it-up carrot top + kale dip is a crowd favorite. Great for perpetual snacking and pairs nicely with these rustic sourdough discard herbed crackers. Make ‘em even more Thanksgiving inspired with sage or rosemary.

Here’s what’s for dinnerA different approach to Thanksgiving this year requires some different recipes. This vegan apple stuffing is packed with brown lentils, challah, and tart fruit for a totally appropriate dinner option, side, or breakfast leftover. It’s about time a plant-based stuffing was the star of the show, not just a soggy turkey accompaniment. Enjoy friends!

We’re setting the table withJust because we’re not gathering as a family this year doesn’t mean I can’t still tablescape myself into delirium. This gorgeous blue runner from our seasonal gift guide is just the thing. Holiday or not, our food is to be celebrated.A mountain of crudite and other fancy words for snacks make this square, reclaimed chef’s board my new close friend. Cut and serve to your liking.This is the year I start drinking out of vessels, not a mug with a broken off handle I have to watch out for. This beautifully hammered copper Moscow mule set will make any sip an occasion, spiked or not.

Listening inOn what local restaurants need to sustain themselves. A Portland favorite, The Fermentor (from Farm Spirit) makes the vital case for takeout. “If we get enough folks to regularly make Fermenter a part of their week, it’s enough to keep us going.” I for one, don’t need another reason to make a maitake and portobello sandwich part of my weekly allowance.Lots of laughs, cranberry sauce concoctions, and promises of baked goods in the latest Thanksgiving themed episode of Home Cooking. With plenty of hot tips and sure fire recipes from Samin, you’ll be set, whatever your plans this year. Pumpkin lasagna will be making an appearance.I will shout it from the rooftops, recycling in its current form, doesn’t exist. ‘Wishcycling’ is the catch all for any packaging material that ends up in recycling and ultimately in the landfill. I’m DANG excited for initial steps Oregon is taking to standardize package labels, create master lists, and get the companies that create the waste to pay for solutions. OPB comin in hot in this quick listen.

AttendSigning up myself and extended family immediately for a virtual plant-based babka making class from our favorite Mexican Jewish bakery, Masa Madre. Lovely holiday gift for those of us who haven’t quite mastered delicious braided bread.

RitualCold weather walks. Deeply enjoying a bundled up stroll as the nights get longer and brisker. There’s something calming about the chilled air and a return home to a warm cuppa my fav herbal tea.

Can’t stop staringPaula Nerlich’s aquafaba bioplastics. These vegan and biodegradable tableware pieces are hand sculpted entirely from excess chickpea liquid. With potential for 3D-printing, this material could be a truly closed-loop revolution. In her own words, “The transitoriness of the materials has the potential to create more value of the end product, whilst also emphasizing the circular nature of the material.” GAH.I may be late to the game on the secrets of giant vegetable grower Peter Glazebrook and his magic tricks, but I will never not be endlessly fascinated by an onion I could quite possibly hollow out and live inside. Fascinating garden inspiration.

Sippin onA warming, ginger zest hot toddy. Add a small knob of fresh, unpeeled ginger and 2 citrus peels (lemon or orange) to a large mug. Add in 1 tbsp maple syrup, squeeze of citrus, and 1 - 1 ½ ounces whiskey of choice. (A healthy splash.) Add approx ¾ cup of boiled water and let sit 2 - 3 minutes. Top off with a cinnamon stick if you so desire and enjoy heartily.

Make changeNYC foodie icons Yin Chang and Moonlyn Tsai launched Heart of Dinner in April to end hunger and isolation for low-income Asian-American homebound elderly. Their grassroots efforts to support vulnerable communities during the pandemic has now delivered over 33,000 fresh, delicious meals and counting — each one paired with a handwritten letter and loving illustration. Help them keep this vital work going! - Maia

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