shit i bought and liked no. 38: that’s amore, fam
Shitters! First of all, I hope everyone is safe and warm after the crazy snowstorms in TX/across the country last week. If you, like me, are still lambasting father of the year Ted Cruz, I hope you are bringing that same energy to helping the people of Texas—many of whom are/will still be suffering the consequences of the disaster even though the power’s back on. That article has a ton of links and vetted sources, but here’s one RIGHT HERE to make it extremely easy for ya to take a sec to send what you can to some people who could really use it.
I do not live in an area of the country that was affected by any inclement weather (or really is ever…) but it’s still “winter,” therefore I have been craving/cooking/eating more warm, delicious things than usual, which has inspired this very food-oriented newsletter.
Back in November I told you I was gonna do a full newsletter on the Sakara Metabolism Super Powder that I’ve been guzzling down pretty much all winter, and now the time has come. I said it then, I’ll say it now—I’m obsessed with the stuff. I’m not a big caffeine person, so popping it into the milk frother with a cup of almond milk is my version of a warm latte in the morning.
I like it because it’s rich and chocolatey (it’s a cacao base), but not at all sweet, so it won’t send you on a sugar rollercoaster or give you jitters like other caffeine/caffeine-adjacent bevs. The ingredients are buzzy and beneficial (L-glutamine, horsetail extract, and ayurvedic herbs help with the metabolism boost + minimize bloating), but the biggest benefit to me is the way it helps reset my taste buds. I definitely notice a difference in what I crave throughout the day before and after drinking.
I’ve had this pretty exclusively as a warm drink in the morning or afternoon, but I have friends who like it in their coffee, smoothies, and oatmeal. The big packet claims it only has 30 servings but I got waaaay more out of it, so let that be slightly reassuring if you have a little sticker shock. Also helpful in the sticker shock department: A DISCOUNT CODE. XOPRIYANKA gets you 20% off your first purchase. And if you’re one to make the most of a code, take a peek at the Detox Tea (despite the “detox” branding, there is nothing weird/unnatural in there, and it works), and a little birdie told me they’re doing a Best Of menu for next week’s meal delivery, so now’s a GREAT time to get in on that if you’ve wanted to try.
For those of you who prefer to roll up your sleeves in the kitchen next week, not to worry. I have a couple kitchen recs here too! The first comes by way of Santa/Le Creuset. Don’t worry, I am not recommending a $300 pan (mostly because I do not own a $300 pan), but I happily would if the good people of Le Creuset (or the North Pole) are reading this right now. My roommate Alex received this gorgeous specimen of a turner (apparently a different term than spatula???) for Christmas, and wow. Life changing. It even got an appreciative comment from my boyfriend, who does not normally cook (but is very, very good at it! Positive reinforcement, people—works like a charm). It’s super sturdy and well-made and you can very much feel the difference. It’s a bit of a splurge, but justifiable IMO because you use these CONSTANTLY. It would also make a pretty nice gift for the friends of yours who have become major home cooks in quar.
The next rec comes via good old Jeff (Bezos). I love a good cookbook, but using them while you’re actually cooking can be a pain/take up a lot of counter space. That is why this $7 cookbook stand is cluuuuuuuutch (and comes in a couple colors depending on the vibe/finishes in your kitchen). Used it for the first time last night and I already know—that’s amore, fam.
Speaking of cookbooks, one of my favorite features of our new (rental) house (!) is our cookbook wall. (I used four of these Target shelves, but they were a huge pain in the ass to install/almost certainly will break if I ever try to take them down/relocate, so try these Etsy ones if you want to recreate.) It’s fun/decorate, it makes me happy, and I end up using my cookbooks WAY more.
But there is an issue. My cookbook wall is EMBARRASSINGLY white. And especially with the recent-ish race issues in food/food media (Bon Appetit, Alison Roman/the ensuing discussion, Half Baked Harvest, etc.), that is NOT something that I feel remotely good about. So I come to you asking humbly for your favorite POC cookbook authors. I have/love Priya Krishna’s Indian-ish (link is to Bookshop to support indie bookstores), and have heard fabulous things about Samin Nosrat and Chrissy Teigen’s very famous cookbooks, but I’d love to know if you have other suggestions (food bloggers without books count too!). If I get good ones, I will very happily share, so make sure you are subscribed on shitiboughtandliked.com so you don’t miss it!
Thanks team,
Priyanka