The Monday Digest, February 2025
What happened last month on the newsletter, what’s to come, links to articles I enjoyed + downloadable photo
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 articles as well as personal notes. Paid subscribers also get a high resolution downloadable photo to be used as a screensaver or as a print!
Every Thursday: a new newsletter on the following topics (a different one each week): 1 seasonal recipe, 1 educational piece 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.
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Exclusive Q&A and Photo Feedback: Every 3rd Monday of the month an exclusive chat will be available for paid subscribers dedicated to answer any questions and to send a photo for me to critique so you know how to improve your skills!
January’s summary
Last month I shared the story behind this newsletter’s name: Why I named it "My Cup of Tea"
Last month’s food history piece was on a traditional winter food in the Northeast of the United States: New England Boiled Dinner
Check out my previous pieces on other New England winter classics:
What’s to come this February
Thursday the 6th: This month’s recipe is a Catalan side dish that combines a winter vegetable with the medieval tradition of mixing sweet and savory: Espinacs a la Catalana: Catalan spinach dish with raisins and pine nuts
Thursday the 13th: This month’s piece on photography is the first edition of a new series; we will talk about how to style stews and baked goods for cozy, rustic photos using natural light: Capture the Seasons: Food Photography for Winter
Monday the 17th: Exclusive Q&A for paid subscribers in the chat. You can also send out a photo you want feedback from!
Thursday the 20th: The piece on food history for February will be focused on another New England winter staple that is still very much loved amongst locals: Brown Bread
Thursday the 27th: I’ll finish the month with a photo-journal: A Winter Wonderland
Food News
During Times of Crisis, Restaurants Are Always the First to Give Back - (Kayla Stewarta) Eater
As Immigration Crackdown Looms, Restaurants Are Racked With Fear - (Brett Anderson, Tejal Rao and Korsha Wilson) The New York Times
The Coffee Issue - (Taste Editors) Taste
Meet Spain’s Queens of Comfort Food - (Paul Richardson) Saveur
Newsletters I loved
On Not Making a Living as a Food Writer - (
) The Good Enough Weekly by Devin K PopeThe Heroes and Villains of Gdansk - (
) The Unplugged Traveler) VITTLESHow to Make and Eat Smørrebrød - (
) Wordloaf8 Tips for Better Road Trips - (
) American WeekenderThe White House Cook Book and The Struggles of Making Historical Recipes - (
) Historical FoodwaysThe Economics of Dry January - (
) Tap Is Fine!Photo Essay: El Ñuro, Peru - (
) New WorlderPersonal Notes
The other day I heard someone say: “I knew the year had 365 days, but I didn’t know all of them were in January!”. It’s been long and snowy here in Boston, and apparently Punxsutawney Phil has predicted many more weeks of cold (which, on the other had, is to be expected).
Last weekend I went to my local cinema to watch The Brutalist (in 70mm). It was equally beautiful and brutal. I cried on my way back to the car and Ross asked me if I was ok. I shook my head and said: “Art shouldn’t leave you indifferent, and this movie hasn’t”. I recommend you to watch it, but prepared to be moved.
Downloadable photo + Choose which one you want next
You can now choose which photo you want next. I took these shots of winter vegetables last week. The image of the crepes is from a recipe I shared last year for Valentine’s Day.
The most popular in the last poll photo was the view from the train in the misty mountains of Washington state. So here you have it!
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