A man seldom thinks with more earnestness of anything than he does of his dinner.
SAMUEL JOHNSON
English poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, critic,
biographer,editor, lexicographer, and author
1709—1784
The Life of Samuel Johnson
Apparently Google agrees! Musings starts this edition with a look bread and cheese news from Europe then brings us to the 2024’s Google Doodle winner and a perspective on dinner.
The What’s Cool collection serves up something cheesy along with ideas for creating and taking some liquid refreshments on the go.
And What We’re Reading includes Keith Richards’ autobiography, Life, and Catherine Newman’s bestselling novel, Sandwich. Baking Yesteryear from B. Dylan Hollis is this edition’s cookbook selection. And we didn’t forget the kids—There’s some Seuss featured for them along with summertime nostalgia.
And don’t forget to look for quotes from some of these selections across our social media platforms.
Wrapping things up, our recipe feature brings us back to dinner with Susan Irby (a.k.a., The Bikini Chef) and her Easy Beef Stew with Feta.
What’s Wonderful and Weird
Baguettes Gone Wild!
France was in the air in 2024—figuratively and literally. Along with the annual celebration of Bastille Day and the Tour de France, the Olympic Games took place there.
Perhaps eclipsing these, however, is a certain je ne sais quoi wafting through the air. Thanks to the issuance of a new scratch-and-sniff postage stamp you’ve got baguette-scented mail! Ouh là là!
La Poste’s release of a baguette-scented stamp may feel like a cheesy add-on to the goings on in France. But recognition of the quintessential loaf’s significance is not new. Moreover, even UNESCO, the same organization that establishes landmark world heritage sites, showed some baguette love. In 2022 France’s crusty creation was added to UNESCO’s “Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”.
Ergo, to riff on Marie Antoinette’s infamous retort: “Let them sniff baguettes!”
Kinda Cheesy
Meanwhile, elsewhere in Europe, Denmark enacted a tax in 2024 unlike any other—focused on flatulence. Specifically, the gaseous release of methane by cows and pigs.
Methane accounts for about 30% of the surge in greenhouse gases contributing to climate change. And cattle contribute roughly three quarters of the methane which animals release into the air worldwide.
Ironically, Denmark is also the largest per capita cheese-producing country in the world. Only time will tell if this new tax results in Danes cutting the cheese less often.
Doodle Google Winner
Annually Google sponsors a student contest to create the best new Google Doodle—the creative artwork gracing its search page. The 2024 winner, Maisie Derlega, chose Sunday dinner as her theme. And the sentiment and her family tradition ring true!
Check out Maisie’s design. After that, scroll further down the screen and discover what famous Google Doodle’s birthdays appeared on your birthday. If you’ve been a regular reader of this site, you’ll remember the first of these birthday doodles commemorated Claude Monet. Perhaps you share one with someone famous.
And then there’s this thought to consider from Anthony Bourdain regarding family dinners:
We know, for instance, that there is a direct, inverse relationship between frequency of family meals and social problems. Bluntly stated, members of families who eat together regularly are statistically less likely to stick up liquor stores, blow up meth labs, give birth to crack babies, commit suicide, or make donkey porn. If Little Timmy had just had more meatloaf, he might not have grown up to fill chest freezers with Cub Scout parts.
ANTHONY BOURDAIN
American chef, author, and travel documentarian
1956—2018
Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook
What’s Cool
Cutting the Cheese … and Serving It Up!
Not lucky enough to be within a reasonable distance to a reputable cheesemonger? Then igourmet has the answer to your Olympic-sized party—a selection of great French cheeses. And SMIRLY Charcuterie Boards offer le plateau de fromages to serve them up in style. Made of durable bamboo that’s easy to clean, the serving set is both an elegant and convenient way to entertain.
Yes, There Actually is a Magic Bullet
The Magic Bullet Blender has long been a staple in the kitchens of several of our team members. Whether for that quick morning smoothie or as a convenient meal prep tool, Magic Bullet has been the affordable, reliable choice for over a decade. Perfect when a full-sized blender is too much blender.
Refreshment on the Go!
Wildly popular (and with good reason) the Stanley Quencher is the way to take your beverage of choice with you. Whether water, tea, or coffee; cold or hot, this stainless steel, vacuum-insulated tumbler is the ideal travel companion. The Quencher comes in a variety of sizes and colors; is BPA-free; and has a lifetime warranty. And Stanley has been a trusted brand since 1913.
What We’re Reading
Nonfiction
With The Rolling Stones wrapping up their Hackney Diamonds tour in 2024, we’ve revisited Keith Richards’ autobiography, Life. This 2010 gem still holds up thanks to Richards’ blunt honesty. Unapologetic for his bandmates’ outrageous attitudes and escapades, Life is both a fun and inciteful read. And unlike may autobiographies, it leaves us with an unadorned glimpse into one of modern music’s icons.
Fiction
Sandwich is bestselling author Catherine Newman’s novel about a multigenerational family vacation on Cape Cod. Sandwiching a menopausal woman questioning her marriage and her self between aging parents and children creates a delicious story. Fast paced from the start, Rocky’s examination of her life, her choices, and her future is filled with laughter and tears. Sandwich is more than a perfect summer read—It’s is a treat you’ll want to revisit year round!
Cookbook
Given my penchant for culinary history, Baking Yesteryear by B. Dylan Hollis is one of my favorites finds 0f 2024. Or any year, for that matter! This New York Times bestseller is more than a simple reconstruction of recipes from the 1900s to the 1980s. Written with the humor and energy that’s made Hollis a social media celebrity, Baking Yesteryear is a fun read. Period! Make the recipes or don’t—This is one book you’ll want in the kitchen or simply on your coffee table.
Special Pick
Summer always sparks memories of my childhood and the reading challenges sponsored by the local library. As a parent and a former educator, reading and those aforementioned family dinners make a huge impact on our children. Both make an incalculable difference on who our kids become as adults.
Therefore, this musings edition special pick is for the kiddos. I Can Read With My Eyes Shut! felt like the perfect Seuss selection both for its message and … duh! … It’s Seuss!
One of the best ways we can instill a love of reading in our children is to be readers ourselves. Seuss is a great way to start down that road as reading to our children leads to their excitement at being able to read these books back to us! What a great beginning on their own journey as active readers!
What We’re Eating
Easy Beef Stew with Feta
An ode to this year’s Google Doodle winner, we didn’t go with a chicken dinner as this edition’s title suggests. Instead, this Beef Stew with Feta meal from Susan Irby (The Bikini Chef) has become a delicious addition to my own recipe box.
Savory and simple, it reminds us of that warm feeling family dinners evoke. And Susan offers some switches you can make with the ingredients.
Likewise, I’ve always encouraged folks to play with their food, too! Speaking for myself, hearing other people’s take on my recipes has always been a joy.
In addition to Susan’s original recipe, I’ve also replicated it swapping in local goat cheese and roasted pine nuts.
So, bring the family together! However you choose to create this beef stew, it’s an ideal dinner for any given Sunday or weeknight.
This article features quotes from Ian Makay’s Food for Thought: The Pleasures of the Table: Primi Piatti.
How About YOU!
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