The Monday Digest, August 2024

What happened last month on the newsletter, what’s to come and links to articles I enjoyed

This is the extra newsletter you get every first Monday of the month to sum up what I published the previous month and to tell you what you can expect on this one.

As a reminder, here’s what you will find on My Cup of Tea:

• The Monday Digest: The first Monday of every month you’ll get a summary of what I sent out the previous month, a sneak peak of what you’ll get the current month and a curated list of latest food news as well as personal notes.

• Every Thursday: a new newsletter on the following topics (a different one each week): 1 recipe, 1 educational blog on food photography, 1 in-depth essay about the history and uses of a dish or ingredient (mostly focused on New England), 1 personal essay/travel guide/chronicle.

July’s summary

• Last month’s recipe celebrated a delicious seasonal crop that I could go pick myself in a local farm: Strawberry Lavender Galette 

• The new issue on this popular series on photography was about looking back in time to gather inspiration from art and architecture: Tips for Taking Better Photos: Learn from Art

• Last month’s food history piece was focused on a New England classic, mostly enjoyed on Saturdays and around barbecue gatherings: Boston Baked Beans 

• I also wrote an essay on what summer means in different parts of the world and how  our mental image of it may clash with some realities (thank you

  Alicia Kennedy
  Olga Koutseridi
  Andrew Janjigian
  for sharing your insights with me!): On the Meaning of Summer

• There was an extra Thursday before this Monday’s Digest, which means, an extra article. I showed you a photo-journal of a Southern icon I visited: My first time in the South. A trip to Savannah, GA

What’s to come this August

Thursday the 8th: This month’s recipe helps you cool down while enjoying a beautiful mid-summer fruit: Fresh Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Thursday the 15th: On this month’s piece on photography I am starting a new series that will take you to some of my favourite props for food photography and I’ll show you how to use them: A List of my Favorite Photo Props and Where to Find Them: Ceramics

Thursday the 22th: Maine is the state that fishes and exports the most lobsters in the USA, and I went to know how: Lobstering in Maine & The Lobster Roll

Thursday the 29th: A full summer in this part of the world, in pictures (and with recommendations): A Summer in New England

Food News

Coconuts Hold Seychelles Together - (Tyler Zielinski) Eater 

How to Feed the Olympics - (Jaya Saxena) Eater  

So Now I’m Supposed to Eat Silica? - (Jaya Saxena) Eater 

Forget Jam—Pickle Your Fruit This Summer - (Zola Gregory) Taste

Xawaash Is The Somali Food Blog That Taught a Generation of Diaspora Kids How to Cook - (Ifrah F. Ahmed) Taste

Why is it so hard to get ultra-processed foods out of our diets? A lack of time - (Lindsey Smith Taillie) There Guardian 

The One Thing Watermelon Experts Do to Pick Sweet Ones - (Genevieve Ko) The New York Times

After 12 Years of Reviewing Restaurants, I’m Leaving the Table - (Pete Wells) The New York Times

Substacks I loved

The sodas of Costa Rica - (

Nicholas Gill

) New Worlder

The details in food photography - (

Marte Marie Forsberg

) The Photography Workshop, by Marte Marie Forsberg

Dishes that migrate should keep their identity - (

Dianne Jacob

) Dianne Jacob's Newsletter 

Estate Italiana: Recipes and Tips for the Season - (

Giulia Scarpaleggia

) Letters from Tuscany

Can a Restaurant Do Well and Do Good? - (

MAD Digest

) MAD Digest 

On vanilla, and the hidden costs of luxury - (

ruby robina saha

) Roots & Seeds 

Why The Language Of Baking Is Not Universal - (

Lala

) Serving Up Sweetness 

L'éclair part one & L'éclair part two - (

Jamie Schler

) Life’s a Feast 

California Cuisine - (

Betty Eatz Newsletter

) FoodStack Library

Peanuts and chocolate, a sacred combination - (

Camila Marcias

) Latina Cooking 

The Price of Restaurant Criticism - (

Ruth Reichl

) La Briffe 

Personal Notes

I have recently discovered a stately home by the Northern coast of Massachusetts that didn’t really impress my English husband but that for me, it was a treat. We took sandwiches and drinks from home and had a picnic overlooking the Atlantic. After that, we walked around the gardens and enjoyed the coastal breeze. If you are near the area, go visit Castle Hill on the Crane Estate for a posh afternoon.

Photos taken at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate, Massachusetts