Sunday Paper Recommends—Week of January 8, 2023

At The Sunday Paper, we want to inspire you to gather at your table—virtually or with friends and family—and open your heart and mind to conversations that will move the needle. After all, the dinner table is where we connect on topics and map out the changes we can all make that’ll truly make an impact.

This week, to encourage your conversations, we recommend checking out the following:

What We're Reading:

“Habits are not a finish line to be crossed, they’re a lifestyle to be lived.” We’re here to support you and your goals, and we have invited James Clear, one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation and author of the New York Times Bestseller and global phenomenon Atomic Habits, to join us in our next session of Conversation Above the Noise with Maria.

In tomorrow’s live conversation, James will be sharing tips and takeaways on how to maintain your goals throughout 2023 and making tiny, easy changes that deliver BIG results. This is one of many perks that our Sunday Paper PLUS members receive each month. Join today and RSVP. We also prepared an excerpt of Atomic Habits for you! Read now.

What We're Watching:

Be gentle with yourself into the new year. We recommend watching The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse! An enduring friendship was born as they found the meaning of kindness, courage, and hope.  If you enjoy the movie and adore Charlie Mackesy’s illustrations, you can purchase the book here.

What We're Cooking:

Serves 4

1 cup (210 g) brown rice

1 tablespoon avocado oil

1 medium shallot (2% ounces /70 g), finely chopped (about ¼ cup)

12 ounces (340 g) green beans, trimmed (about 4 cups)

One 1-inch (2.5 cm) piece fresh ginger, grated (about 1 tablespoon)

1 cup (240 ml) rice vinegar

1 cup (240 ml) dry sake

2 teaspoons pure maple syrup

¼ cup (75 g) white miso paste

¼ cup (120 ml) warm water

Four 4 - to 6-ounce (115 to 170 g) Atlantic or black cod filets

Pickled ginger, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons unhulled sesame seeds, black white or a mix, toasted

This recipe is inspired by the famous miso-marinated black cod by chef Nobu Matsuhisa. I’ve streamlined the dish so that it takes no more than 30 minutes, start to finish, and upped the brain health virtue of the sauce by significantly reducing the sugar and salt. The cooking method here—a gentle poaching in the caramel-like sauce—is also more brain friendly because the low heat helps preserve the cod’s omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and vitamin B12, all of which seep out or go up in smoke with high-heat cooking.

White miso paste is a key ingredient here, adding both earthy flavor and body to the sauce. Sometimes called sweet miso or kyoto shiro miso, it is made from fermented soybeans and rice. Find it in the refrigerated section near the tofu at the grocery store.

Step 1: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rice and stir. Boil, uncovered, until the rice is chewy and tender, 28 to 32 minutes. Draine in a colander, then return to the pot. Cover the pot and set it away from the heat.

Step 2: Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring often, until translucent and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the green beans and ginger and cook until the beans are just starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Set aside in the pan.

Step 3: Combine the vinegar, sake, and maple syrup in another large skillet and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, 15 to 20 minutes. Whisk the miso paste into the warm water until smooth, then whisk the mixture into the sauce. Keeping the sauce at a gentle simmer, nest the cod.

Interested in other Alzheimer prevention recipes? Order a copy of The Brain Health Kitchen cookbook here.