Weekend Reading, 3.22.15
March 22, 2015

Weekend Reading | The Full Helping

Happy Sunday, everyone. In spite of the fact that New York City’s first day of spring was marked by snow, the warm afternoon sunlight today is making me feel as though the seasons really are changing. I’m enjoying a quiet day of work at home, and I’ve been taking occasional breaks to catch up on reading and recipes. Here’s what has caught my eye.

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To begin, a lovely asparagus and pea soup from Farm on Plate. Asparagus and peas are so elegant, and both contribute delicate, fresh flavor to soups. Love this.

bowl-top

I’m loving this post from From the Land We Live On not only because the Moroccan Millet bowl shared is so enticing, but also because Sofia’s tips on intuitive cooking and flavor matching are super helpful and smart. A great read.

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Nothing beats a quick tofu satay or stir fry after a long day; it’s undoubtedly one of my staple foods when I’m too tired to cook. This quinoa and tofu satay from Eat Healthy, Eat Happy looks just about perfect.

Pesto-Rice-Casserole-11-683x1024

All I can say about Kristy’s Pumpkin Seed Pesto Rice Casserole is that it is something that I would like to eat right now, please.

chia-seed-peanut-butter-granola-bar-vegan

And for dessert or a sweet treat, I’m totally craving Deryn’s chocolate chip chia seed granola bars over at Running on Real Food. Yum!

Reads

1. A friend of mine recently shared this article on her Facebook page, and I thought it was so cool. The article details how new, 3-D printing technology is allowing those who are visually impaired to experience art works at major museums in a new way.

2. A great little article about bioluminescence and how/why the life forms that display it have evolved as they have.

3. Perhaps some of you have already seen The Atlantic‘s recent article on the science of near death experiences. I found it fascinating, and I also appreciated how deeply the article peered into the history of these experiences; it highlights testimonials that date back to the Middle Ages.

4. I was so touched by this tribute to Paul Kalanithi. Kalanithi was a thirty-seven-year-old neurosurgeon and essayist who passed away recently of lung cancer. He crafted two remarkable essays after his diagnosis, including “Before I Go” and “How Long Have I Got Left?” They are heartrending, yet inspiring, and they’re absolutely worth reading. He closed the former essay with these words, directed to his infant daughter:

When you come to one of the many moments in life when you must give an account of yourself, provide a ledger of what you have been, and done, and meant to the world, do not, I pray, discount that you filled a dying man’s days with a sated joy, a joy unknown to me in all my prior years, a joy that does not hunger for more and more, but rests, satisfied. In this time, right now, that is an enormous thing.”

5. My post-bacc is now firmly behind me, but medical training and education still interests me strongly. I liked this article (also from The Atlantic) on teaching doctors empathy.

And that’s that for tonight, friends. Have a restful evening.

xo

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    6 Comments
  1. Thanks for sharing those awesome recipes. Since going to a wholefood plant based diet I’ve been looking for way to get creative in the kitchen.

    3-D Art for the Visually Impaired that’s powerful!

  2. I look forward to this post all week. That rice casserole?? YES!

    The letters from Paul Kalanathi have been circulating on FB. I was in tears by the end.

    Thanks Gena!!

  3. Hi Gena–another great Weekend Reading post, with great food for plate and thought! I always look forward to these. Here’s hoping the snow melts soon and you see some tulips blooming before long. Thanks!

  4. Hi Gena!
    Thank you for these interesting links!
    – Especially the one on near-death experiences is very interesting!
    Thanks 🙂

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