Closed Loop Cooking Weekly Newsletter 3.26.21

March 26th, 2021Hi friends,We kept very kosher for Passover growing up. A few days prior, any leftover bread contraband was added to lunches or stuck in the back of the freezer for post holiday consumption. My mom would invest in a bulk order of what must have been 15 boxes of matzo to sustain our unit. Stamped Pareve, in that familiar light pink box wrapping and kept on top of the refrigerator for easy access. My younger sister and I would complain at the start of every Passover week how sick of matzo we already were and could we please just have bread like a normal gentile family?Instead we’d be blessed with any assortment of matzo-related breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and on the unfortunate occasion when my sister’s birthday fell on the most holy of 7 days, cake. In a time before gluten-free options were readily available, what passed as flourless dessert was anything but celebratory.The two things we always looked forward to, maybe out of misremembered nostalgia, were the always evasive matzo balls for post-seder soup, (there are NEVER enough matzo balls for a table full of folks staving off hunger with only bitter herbs and too much Mogen David.) And my mom’s matzo meal bagels. Which on the other hand, were plentiful. She made them by hand a few times throughout the week. Always making sure we had something akin to the Christian school lunches I so envied.Those bagels were mealy and somehow dense at the same time. When they connected with the roof of your mouth they would stick, just a little. But with few other options available, they were a tasty alternative to the endless piles of broken cracker pieces we’d have to snack on. They were, I realize now, a labor of love. My mom’s attempt at something akin to normalcy for her kids, who’s Judaism made them an exotic oddity in the midwest. I was shy to share our weird food and traditions as a kid, for good reason. And while it’s taken me a few years to relearn the love language of plant-based, Jewish eating, I’m so grateful for a space to share it now. These dishes are home, new traditions I’ve forged with reverence for their scrappy roots. I’m still working out those bagels but the vegan matzo balls below are my own labor of love. So enjoy friends, here’s to a healthy seder. And next year, together at the table.What are your favorite Passover recipes? Let’s get that virtual seder going! #closedloopcookingStay hungry,Hawnuh Lee | Founder, Closed Loop Cooking

The sustainable stratup // @hawnuhlee

To-do’s and how-to'sContinued reminder on how to be an ally + help Asian Americans fight anti-Asian racism from @kimsaira. Keep putting the word out y’all. 

This week’s required reading Y’all gotta read Maia’s latest interview with Goldune founder, Azora Zoe Paknad. From her beginnings at Food52 to solo launching the design-minded sustainability shop, she’s made it her mission to make low waste product accessible. Her scrappy startup is a reminder that small businesses are the real key to a circular economy. Go read it already 👀 !Neutrality isn’t enough. The path towards carbon negativity is being led by fashion brands. Let’s put a carbon-capture diamond ring on it already.Crying because there is no ritual for grief. I feel tender and seen by this NYT piece on grieving for the small losses of a year. You might too.If you read Kaitlyn’s lil primer on sustainable skin care you know the benefits of skinimalism and the need for clean beauty. Diving into this 101 on nontoxic products for that still-indoors glow.

Here’s what’s for dinnerChag Semeach! You know it’s Passover in my house when the matzo starts to stack up. You’ll be looking for this easy-as-ever homemade matzo recipe (aka sea salt crispy flatbread.) Trust me, this is waaay better than that boxed stuff you thought was mandatory as a child to be properly Jewish.Make the most of your snappy, unleavened bread with this vegan matzo ball soup recipe I am so so excited to share with y’all. For too long we’ve dealt with crumbly soup balls, but no more! This delicious plant-based version soaks up an umami tomato broth for an albeit untraditional but totally kosher seder dinner. (Or anytime of year really!) The secret? Aquafaba. (Even better if you DIY your chickpeas.) Enjoy!

We’re cooking withCan only imagine the kinds of Passover prep I could make happen with this babely peach grid apron. I am talking a functional pocket, adjustable loop ties, and it would match my favorite pot holder perfectly people! It’s time. We deserve some gorgeous kitchen-wear already!Really eyeing these patterned mini woven bowls and not looking for an answer on how many vessel-esque objects is too many?Did I mention Passover requires a lot of prep? I’ll be keeping things fresh with this zero waste cotton pan cover because no one needs any more stale matzo at the table.

AttendOur friends at Feed the Mass here in PDX are offering virtual cooking classes! These plant forward, low waste champs keep thousands of at-risk individuals fed every single week. Let’s support their work and learn from the best!   

Listening inDiversity in politics. Thinking on this latest ep of The Cut, Maybe You Should Run for Office? All the reasons why and why not YOU might be a harbinger of change.   

Can't stop staringThese intricate paper cut “baked” goods from artist @reinasaur. Delicate, chiffonade-like structures that look seriously good enough to eat.Very excited for The Korean Vegan cookbook, now available for pre-order! Beautiful recipes from the foodie activist and no-bullshit creator @the.korean.vegan. Lovely moments all around.Following the food from the first vegan, black owned food truck park in ATL! Hotlanta just got a little more plant-friendly.

Make changeWe need to talk about anti-trans bills and their disproportionate effect on black women in sports. This thread is helpful context. And this veto on the recent South Dakota House Bill 1217 needs to happen. Make your voice heard and call to remind our lawmakers trans women belong in sports. 

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