Nothing Fancy for 2020

Soy-Braised Brisket with Caramelized Honey and Garlic

It seems that in the recent three of fours years we've heard and said, Well, this is/that was a helluva year, with greater frequency and urgency and dread than ever before. Young and old, left and right, it matters not. Few of us are saying lately, Give me some more of that.

Other than minding my own end of the human bargain by caring for others, voting, cooking good food, exercising, donating, speaking truth to power, listening when it's me who has the power, living lightly on the earth, looking people in the eye, and rejecting personal stasis, I feel limited to make a difference. So here's what I'm going to do in 2020 (if it's put like this — 20/20 — it speaks of clear vision which is, IMHO, what the world needs now.)

Buttered Turmeric Rice with Crushed Almonds and Herbs

1. I'm going to be the best grandparent I can be. Grandchildren numbers one, two and six live in Portland. Grandchildren three, four, and five live in Texas. Grandchild number seven lives in Colorado. Number eight grandchild officially joins our family by marriage in March but is ours already, and is also a Portlander. Here's the thing: I live in Eugene and am a full-time-plus executive, so my long-distance grandparenting mission is cut out for me. I've got some fun  ideas up my sleeve, and am all ears if you've got any for me. 
2. I'm going to get myself into the forest at least once a month. I jump-started that commitment in December with hikes through two old-growth, damp and wild forests. The thoughts and dreams that are hatched there are magical. Yes, give me some more of that.
3. I'm learning to tie knots. Weird, I know. Why, I'm not really sure. It seems like a tactile, quiet, presence-inducing project that also bears potential practical benefit. One never knows when one may find herself needing to secure a parcel to a pack animal, whip up a macramé curtain, or take up life at sea, am I right? 
4. It's been forever since I've cooked through a cookbook, so I've picked up Alison Roman's Nothing Fancy, just to see how the millennials are handling the kitchen now that the job is theirs. So far, so good. It's not a book that will amp up your technique, and that's sort of the point. These recipes are nothing fancy, nothing tricky, and still nothing boring either. Her salads and sides have a youthful freshness in their combinations and approach.

My first stab at Nothing Fancy was her Soy-Braised Brisket with Caramelized Honey and Garlic, Buttered Turmeric Rice with Crushed Almonds and Herbs, and Smashed Cucumbers with Sizzled Turmeric and Garlic. 

Here's what's new: I've never caramelized honey before. That's pretty fantastic and added a new note to the brisket. I adored the rice, crispy, chewy, and buttery on one side and fluffy on the other, which I'll also do again. It's fun to whack cucumbers to release some of their juices, and while this is not a novel recipe otherwise, it was solid and appreciated.

Smashed Cucumbers with Sizzled Turmeric and Garlic

Nothing Fancy has a modern-retro '70's vibe in its typeface, layout, and ingredient lists. (She really likes throw-back baked-potato bars and old-school steak houses.) Alison's little convo at the beginning of each recipe has a "don't care" tone that should relax emerging home cooks and entertain seasoned ones. 

As I go through it, I'll share more. If you're into Nothing Fancy, let me know and we can swap experiences. May your 2020 be filled with more of what you envision for yourself, and may this decade be all you dream it to be.

 Because I respect the work of the author and her right to make a living, Nothing Fancy recipes are not published here. I encourage you to visit your favorite bookseller and pick up a copy of your own, or visit your local library to borrow a copy before you make the small investment.