Wednesday Walk: A Cabbage Recipe Swap

Reader's favorite ways to make cabbage, ways to avoid new clothes at Halloween, and some good pandemic writing

Welcome to the Quarantine Creatives newsletter, a companion to my podcast of the same name, which explores creativity, art, and big ideas as we continue to live through this pandemic.

Every Wednesday, I share random thoughts and tidbits with links to let you do some exploring. I call these Wednesday Walks, as it’s the type of conversation we might have walking down a path in the woods- the topics are free flowing, sometimes related, sometimes not.

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Cooking Cabbage

I’ve really enjoyed your reactions to Sunday’s essay “I’m In Love with Sauerkraut.” I was expecting a more polarized response, with some people strongly disliking sauerkraut and others loving it. Instead, most of what I heard was positive, with many people even sharing some cabbage recipes with me.

Here’s a few reader recipes that were new to me:

• Emily on Twitter is a fan of Roasted Cabbage Steaks. She tells me that “the cooking process makes them nutty and sweet — which might attract those who dislike the acrid taste of raw cabbage or kraut”

• Jack mentioned the traditional Slovakian meal Haluski (which he learned from his in-laws from the coal mining parts of Pennsylvania). The dish is basically a fried cabbage served in egg noodles. Jack’s version doesn’t call for baking, but the linked recipe does. He also advocates for a big onion.

• Finally, Mike emailed me with another Slovakian dish, Sour Soup, which is made using the sauerkraut juice leftover in the jar. He described his mother’s recipe as chicken soup with egg flakes and sauerkraut juice, although this version with mushrooms sounds really tasty! Mike also mentioned that his mom always encouraged him and his siblings to seek out sauerkraut juice if they could find it (it’s actually loaded with health benefits!). I’ve only seen it in a store once- at an Amish-run market in Lancaster County, PA, although I do drink the juice at the bottom of my homemade jars now!

I suspect some of you may be like Jesse Hirsch (who writes the awesome newsletter The Haul). He wrote this about his cabbage experience:

Ｊｅｓｓｅ Ｈｉｒｓｃｈ @Jesse_Hirsch

@HeathRacela one (1) cabbage in the fridge takes several years to get through

Let’s face it: cabbage is a weird vegetable that can take a little work to fully appreciate. I hope that these recipes inspire you to do more with cabbage and sauerkraut. If you try one, or have one of your own to share, please let me know! I would love to hear more about what you’re cooking and eating!

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Good Post-COVID Writing

I came across two interesting reads this week about the pandemic and recovery period that I wanted to share.

The first was from Kristen Jeffers, MPA, who writes The Black Urbanist Weekly here on Substack. In her piece, titled “We’re Not Ready,” she explores what happened when we slowed down during the early quarantine and what we may be losing as we again embrace hustle culture.

I especially liked this passage:

“However, I think I miss the lockdown portion of quarantine so much because, for the first time in my adult business life, I felt like I wasn’t missing out.

All the conferences beamed right into the bedroom. I could wake up and sleep at the pace of the sun. I could master crafts I’ve loved for years. Everyone was in the same boat, or at least similar, side-by-side boats it seemed.

In reality, the lockdown was sad and scary because we didn’t realize how much danger was at our door and we, meaning all races, ages, classes abilities, and wealth. Some relationships were rekindling and others were falling apart due to isolation. But it was making us slow down and really consider what was worth doing and many of us, at least based on what was posted online, were actually doing that!”

I also really liked this:

“…now that we’re been in this return mode for a second, let’s take a step back. Are you doing what you’re doing because you want to or because of obligation?

Is it really working or do you think it’s working?”

The other great piece is from Addison Del Mastro, who writes The Deleted Scenes, also on Substack. In his piece from Monday titled “COVID and the Kids,” he pulls some quotes from Twitter users which look at the effects of the pandemic on youth.

While it seems like remote learning and social distancing may be a defining moment for this upcoming generation, Addison pulls on threads that show how our problems run deeper- to technology, politics, and even cognition. How much of that is a product of the pandemic and how much is a consequence of our modern times in general is certainly debatable.

Regardless of the source, Addison’s reaction is one I share:

“It’s spooky reading all of this. It’s disheartening. It’s not political. It’s not rhetoric. It just is. After the illness phase of the pandemic is over, this is all going to stay with us.”

He also touches on how on-demand information and entertainment are changing us in ways that previous generations never dealt with. It’s an interesting portrait of where we are at this moment at the end of 2022.

“Those long stretches of unbroken, offline time, unmediated by a screen or machine, feel lost. If you try to recreate it consciously, that frustrated boredom sets in. What is it like growing up without never knowing that slow, comforting rhythm of the before times? Before what? Lots of things, I guess.”

Both pieces are a good read and worth considering as we wind down another year of COVID and consider what’s next.

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#NoNewClothes: Week Two

Last week, I decided to jump head first into the challenge of avoiding purchasing new clothes for a year and I encouraged you readers to try this out as well in whatever method makes the most sense for you. (You can read the inspiration behind this challenge here and last week’s kickoff if you missed it). I’m planning to devote one section of these Wednesday Walks to this challenge going forward, chronicling what’s working for me and sharing your victories and stumbles too.

Since Halloween just passed, today I wanted to discuss how we can be less wasteful with Halloween costumes. I know, this would’ve been useful advice a few weeks ago, but hopefully there’s also some good ideas here to keep you from trashing this year’s costume.

Marketplace wrote about Halloween waste, which comes in the form of trash from candy wrappers and discarded pumpkins, although the waste from costumes is also significant:

“A 2019 investigation by U.K. environmental group Hubbub found that some 83% of Halloween costume materials were oil-based plastics likely to end up in a landfill. That equates to some 2,000 tons of plastic — which equates to roughly 83 million soda bottles — in costumes alone.”

A few years ago, we attended a costume swap that a local community organization put together. People could bring their old costumes and spread them out on tables, and also pick up anything for free. It was kind of like the “leave a penny, take a penny” tray at a cash register- you could contribute without taking and you could take without a donation. This was especially useful for kids, who often only get one wear out of a costume before outgrowing it.

Another option is to simply use what you already have to create a costume. While my son did buy a new costume this year, my daughter wanted to be resourceful and put together a costume using an old ballet recital outfit and some accessories. My wife found a costume on a local Buy Nothing group and wore that. She will likely either wear it again or repost it for somebody else to inherit.

I hadn’t really planned to dress up, but about 10 minutes before we were set to start trick or treating, my kids asked me to dress like Blippi, a children’s entertainer who appears on YouTube and other platforms. I had to improvise- his bright orange suspenders became my denim overalls, his orange bow tie became a yellow necktie, and his orange and blue beanie became a dress hat that I owned. We fortunately had a pair of orange promotional sunglasses that I was able to pop the lenses out of to complete the look.

I was rather pleased that I was able to dress up for Halloween with my kids but didn’t have to rush out and buy new clothes or accessories. I think we often stress about getting every detail exactly right on a costume and end up purchasing items that will only be used once. What people really react to is the overall effect of the costume. I think I did a decent job evoking Blippi without having to be a carbon copy. That’s worth considering for future costumes.

One last idea on cutting down on costume waste is to follow Ron Swanson’s lead. Parks and Recreation had several Halloween themed episodes, and in each one, Ron (played by Nick Offerman) dresses in the same pirate costume.

Ron’s practicality is a lesson worth considering: if we have one good Halloween costume, do we really need to buy more?

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Have more cabbage recipes to share? Did the No New Clothes challenge cause you to rethink your Halloween attire? What do you think are the lasting effects of the pandemic? Leave a comment or shoot me an email- I’d love to hear what’s on your mind!

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Other Wednesday Walks

#NoNewClothes, Walter White's Ride, and AI Imagery

Maples, Milk, and Sunflowers

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Stay Safe!

Heath