The Perfect Date

I am probably going to jinx things by saying this, but the weather has been truly spectacular this week here in the Ohio Valley: that ideal spot of warm and sunny but not yet god-awful humid that only happens for a brief window here each spring. It's the time each year when I think "oh, right, that's why they have the Kentucky Derby around now, huh?"

It's easy to be cynical about a massive, big-money event like next weekend's Derby, and it's certainly not without its valid criticisms, but it is nice to see the place you live put its best foot forward for at least one moment each year. Here, the Kentucky Derby Festival happens for the two weeks leading up to its namesake race–kicking off with a massive fireworks display and airshow (Thunder Over Louisville, which was last weekend) and barreling through a whole host of other events including a parade, a carnival, a hot-air balloon race, a steamboat race, and a footrace: the Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon and Marathon, which happens tomorrow.

I will be running tomorrow's mini (it's a half-marathon; I hate the term "mini" for something that involves several hours of running, but that's what they call it). It won't be my first such race; if I've counted correctly, I've run eighteen half-marathons in the past, in addition to five full marathons. It will, however, be my first of that distance or greater since 2017, and it's a welcome after fighting my way back into the running shape I'd lost to early-parenthood and pandemic stresses.

I don't have any specific goal for tomorrow other than finishing–I know I'm not going to set a personal record–but my plan is to fill myself with a sense of smug self-accomplishment by 10am, at which point I can spend the rest of the day being justifiably lazy, enjoying the weather and probably eating a giant burrito or two.

It's the perfect date.

[looks at calendar] hey, wait–

Well, I'll be damned.

Sometimes things just work out like that, don't they?

Of course, that's my perfect date. What's yours?

I asked this question once before here, way back in 2022, but past comments were the primary casualty of my otherwise well-worth-it shift off of Substack last year.

The bright side, of course, is that I get to ask the question again!

I want to know what the best day of the year is where you are.

Maybe it's a big annual event like the Kentucky Derby or the Indianapolis 500, but maybe it's not; maybe it's just that one day a year when all the weather sliders line up just where you want them. You decide the criteria; I want to hear it.

While you think about that, I've got plenty to stay busy with.

Friends, it's Friday again at The Action Cookbook Newsletter.

I've obviously got a big weekend ahead of me, and I hope you do, too! Either way, I'm here to help with a slate that includes a test-drive of a brand-new cookbook, a cocktail that makes me oddly nostalgic, some highly on-brand music, a gripping new book, pets and more!

Grab a light jacket. It's time.

Cookbooks with Cookbook: Lebanon

A not-unwelcome byproduct of writing this newsletter is that occasionally publishers will reach out to me about new cookbooks being released. Now, I'm not going to share something simply because somebody sent me a copy of it, but if it's something that impresses me, I'm happy to share it with you. I've also professed a desire to start cooking more from my ever-growing library of cookbooks here, something I did back in February while featuring Hailee Catalano's By Heart.

(I came across that one all on my own.)

Recently, I was sent an advance copy of Lebanon: Cooking the Foods of My Homeland. It's a career-capping effort by James Beard-winning author Anissa Helou that covers one of my favorite cuisines. I've quite enjoyed flipping through it and adding bookmarks for things I want to try making.

I tested out a handful of recipes last weekend, making the mütabbal shmandar (beet dip) and shish tawü (chicken kebabs). The beet dip was very tasty, but the kebabs were an unexpectedly huge hit with the whole family: I thought I was making leftovers for the week, and instead it all got eaten in one sitting.

I didn't pitch a perfect game here–I had a bit of trouble pulling off the toum/garlic sauce, but that might be user error, too. Overall, though, I'm very pleased with my initial efforts from the book, and I'm excited to dig in further.

Shish Tawü (Chicken Kebabs)

Adapted from Anissa Helou's "Lebanon"

(I made some minor modifications for convenience, and that's reflected below)

• 28 ounces boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 8 cloves garlic, grated
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon Lebanese Seven-Spice Mixture
• 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
• salt, to taste
• pita, for serving

Seven-Spice Mixture:

• 2 tablespoons freshly-ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons ground allspice
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons freshly-grated nutmeg

Combine the spices in a mixing bowl, then transfer to a glass jar. (I store stuff like this in the freezer.)

Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, seven-spice, Aleppo pepper and salt together, then toss it with the chicken pieces, turning to coat well. Transfer to a ziplock bag and chill in the fridge for 2-4 hours. Once they've sat, thread the pieces onto metal skewers, not crowding them too much, and grill over a charcoal flame for ~5 minutes on each side.

You'll note in the picture above that there's a set with less color; I did those with a simpler lemon-and-herb seasoning because I wasn't sure how my kids would react to the bolder (yet not at all spicy) flavor of these. Once they killed the "plain" ones, they happily took to the "seasoned" ones, and next time I'll just make this kind.

(There will be a next time.)

Now, time for a drink.