LAGOM - August 2024
Chickpea Caponata + sweet potatoes with miso butter, immunity protective foods and books on sustainable living!
Hello, hello!
In our August issue, we have two new and utterly delicious recipes, a chickpea caponata and miso butter sweet potatoes, plus a list of foods and herbs to support your immune system. We also share an updated book list on sustainable living and city quitting or at least contemplation. We are now in September, which seems mad. How many of you feel propelled toward 2025?
Now, in different hemispheres, this newsletter, our content continues to be our anchor, and we are ever expanding our capacity to hold, stay steady, and root in our new environments and situations. And we are finding our way, learning, always, as we go. We had a discussion last week about architecture and realised how everything we do, as humans, is constrained by the environment we live in, and its boundaries. Constrained by the Earth and its limited resources. And if we try to ignore these boundaries, things feel wrong, out of place, uncomfortable and at worst, are a disaster. From architecture to food, to social systems to work. Time is one.
Trace’s Bikram teacher had recently stated at the end of a class that when you arrive, you do not enter with expectations but rather arrive with intention. This approach is one you can practise. September feels like a tipping point, and an emotional reset might be on the cards, connecting us with who and what matters most. With competing commitments and a desire to balance our needs with others, what if we were to hold ourselves to our intentions instead? There’s a glimmer of possibility here.
Vegan eggplant Caponata with chickpeas
Staple dish alert! This vegan version of an Italian eggplant Caponata garnished with chickpeas is the dish you were looking for—rich, flavorful and substantial. Sweet and tangy, it is the perfect meal for when you crave something simple yet nutritious. To make on repeat when eggplants are in season.
16 plant foods to up-level your immune system
What can we do to support our immune system? It is helpful to consider your immune system, as with most systems in the body, it is something that we want to be balanced and maintained with food, herbs and a healthy mindset. This article takes a balanced approach that relies on the daily fortification of your immune system, not only in times of need. Expect to find a variety of vegetables, fruits, mushrooms and many spices.
Books on sustainability to shift your mindset on city living
People are increasingly priced out of big cities, and it is becoming harder to thrive in urban environments. So what does it mean to leave city life behind? Or to pursue alternative ways of living and working within the city? And while this represents unique challenges, what opportunities could exist for thriving outside our gentrified environments? What was originally a list of four books is now overgrowing as we discover and read more, so this month, discover our latest recommendations for city quitting or at least contemplation.
Miso butter sweet potatoes
A new recipe and notes on why we love sweet potatoes and why you should include them in your diet if at all possible. If you can, expect increased antioxidant capacity, a reduction in inflammation and protection from cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), type 2 diabetes, and inflammation-related conditions. And the miso butter. It is so delicious. I cannot recommend you make this more.
Amandine's edit
The Mangaroa Farm team put together the ten (obvious) reasons why the latest government's recipe for disaster, aka authorising more genetically modified organisms into Aotearoa, New Zealand, is a terrible idea. The worst is that leaders are using the excuse of climate change mitigation to justify GMO development as if the government cared about acting against climate change. It is a shame to see a country whose biodiversity is already fragile to be led by brutal business greed and a total disregard for its taonga. The list is an eye-opener, a necessary reminder of what is at stake.
I've had this one on my notes for months! Aotearoa-based publishing house Dead Bird Books released this lovely t-shirt, "Kill Your Landlord", inspired by the words of one of my favourite New Zealand writers, Dominic Hoey, from his book "I Thought We'd Be Famous". Yes, it is a statement shirt, a way to express an immense frustration against the unregulated business of renting and its parasitising source of income rather than any serious threat of murder. I regret having missed this purchase before leaving.
Through the lens of human rights principles inclusion in the fight for climate justice, this Icarus Complex Magazine piece highlights the impact of grassroots initiatives as a force of influence towards climate change global policies. In short, it's a great read to understand how people from the bottom demonstrated that they have the power to stir climate change legal frameworks and narrative reforms for greater change for all.
Trace's edit
It was a Sans [ceuticals] email that led to this discovery, speaking of their wins, part of the Clean + Conscious Awards, a site I never knew existed until today. Sans [ceuticals] won for their Nourishing Hair Hydrant, which I have not used, and their pH Perfect Body + Hand Wash, which I have and can see why. Anyway, I was on the Clean + Conscious website and came across another reef-safe sunscreen—I love the packaging. I will need a body sunscreen soon; and Sunslayer looks promising. If you sign up for their newsletter, they will send you the winners list and offers on these products.
I recently attended a wonderful presentation with Philippe Rahm of his book Climatic Architecture at Bookshop by Uro, which was incredibly insightful. While I was there, I found three books I wanted, but they were not new books, so I decided to try and find them second hand which is what I prefer. While searching, I discovered this list of Book Depository alternatives with Free Worldwide Delivery on reddit. I have purchased from AbeBooks previously and have yet to find the books I am after, but I was more interested in the architects than the specific publication, so I am buying this one. Amazon is another place where I have purchased books secondhand. I love the tactile experience of reading and owning a physical item, and if you do, perhaps you will find new places to find old books.
Each month, usually as a tool of procrastination, I will go into my Gmail and find emails to unsubscribe from. There are hundreds, and often the task feels overwhelming, but given the environmental impact of sending and receiving, unsubscribing from communications that do not serve us is taking climate action. This post from Icarus Magazine provides the reasoning. I find the process quite cathartic, clearing space but also reducing the carbon impact of my Gmail account! And this reminds me I am due for another purge!
Thoughts, questions, you can always direct reply to these emails. We look forward to hearing from you!
Tracey Creed & Amandine Paniagua
