Sunday Paper Recommends—Week of June 2, 2024
This week at The Sunday Paper, we're sharing a book, podcast, short film, event, newsletter, and two items that move the needle and spark inspiring change. We hope these suggestions open your heart and mind and encourage you to come together for meaningful conversations.
What We’re Reading
Open Field author Banning Lyon has written an exceptional memoir that tells of his profound journey of trauma, healing, and moving forward. One of the most gifted writers of our time, Lyon delivers his entire heart to readers, revealing the trauma he endured when his life changed after he was sent to a psychiatric hospital as a teenager under false circumstances. He details how he navigated loss, betrayal, and finding newfound purpose in the wilderness. Urgency, beauty, and grace pour out of these pages. The Chair and the Valley is the book to gift for yourself and your loved ones this summer and beyond.
A Newsletter We’re Loving
How you age, and how well you age, is some combination of genetics, lifestyle, wisdom, and luck. But no one can keep up with all the latest information and advice on aging. That’s why agebuzz was created: To give you access to expert and trusted insights on aging for yourself and your loved ones. At agebuzz, we strongly believe the more you know, the better positioned you’ll be to maintain your health and well-being and live a life of meaning and fulfillment, into your later years. Our free weekly newsletter and website provide expertly curated and concise summaries of the latest information and research on all aspects of aging, from trustworthy and reliable sources. We read everything on aging so you don’t have to! Join the thousands of subscribers who read agebuzz each week and sign up here!
What We’re Watching
"We can't help you." Those were the words Brian Wallach heard from his doctors in 2017. He was 37 and about to have his second child with his wife, Sandra Abrevaya. Wallach had just been diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), a fatal neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. This horrific diagnosis sparked one of the greatest ongoing health movements today, the I AM ALS campaign, which Wallach and Abrevaya started to help spread awareness and raise funds around this catastrophic illness. The couple's fight is the basis of the documentary For Love and Life: No Ordinary Campaign, now streaming on Amazon Prime. The film is deeply moving and illustrates what hope, love, and fortitude can do in the face of the gravest situations.
The Gifts We’re Gifting
It's a stunning statement piece and a way to give back. This Amethyst Bezel Set Lariat Necklace designed by Jennifer Miller Jewelry gently adds sparkle and dimension to the neck—and for the month of June, 20 percent of proceeds from its sales will go to the Women's Alzheimer's Movement at the Cleveland Clinic. It's a beautiful gift for yourself or a loved one to offer support for WAM at Cleveland Clinic's mission of further addressing and reducing the risk for Alzheimer's and other neurological disorders.
Our Sunday Dinner Recipe
Slow-Roasted Salmon With Avocado Butter
Slow-roasting salmon is not only a brain-friendlier method than cooking over higher heat, it’s practically foolproof, turning out perfectly cooked salmon every time. Think tender, rosy-hued fish infused with flavor from the lemons and the fennel. It’s a streamlined dish that comes together quickly, too, thanks to pantry staples like canned chickpeas and frozen peas. And because the salmon roasts in the same sheet pan as the vegetables, cleanup is fast.
Once you put the salmon in the oven, mix up the avocado butter (a recipe handed down to me from my mother). It’s wonderful slathered on grilled corn or peak-season sliced tomatoes. It’s also fantastic served on other fish and seafood. Dollop it on grilled shrimp or cod fillets, or fold it into tuna or sardine salad. Because avocado butter freezes well, it’s a good way to use up a bunch of ripe avocados that need to be eaten. Of course, if you don’t feel like getting out a food processor, you can use a fork to mash the avocado with the butter and the other ingredients, adding the chopped parsley last.
Ingredients
2 small fennel bulbs (8 ounces/230 g), thinly sliced, fronds reserved for garnish
Two 15-ounce (425 g) cans chickpeas, drained (about 3 cups)
1 large lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed
½ cup (120 ml) water
¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 teaspoon kosher salt
One 1½-pound (680 g) whole salmon fillet, skin-on (preferably wild- caught),
about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick (see Tip)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups (230 g) peas (fresh or frozen)
2 large, ripe avocados, mashed (about 1 cup)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, preferably grass- fed, at room temperature
2 tablespoons fresh flat- leaf parsley leaves
1 medium garlic clove, minced (about ½ teaspoon)
Instructions
- Set an oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
- Toss the fennel, chickpeas, lemon, water, 2 tablespoons of the oil, and ½ teaspoon of the salt on a rimmed baking sheet until evenly coated, then spread into an even layer. Top with the salmon, skin side down, and pour the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over top. Sprinkle the salmon with pepper and ¼ teaspoon of the salt.
- Bake for 20 to 28 minutes, stirring in the peas after 10 minutes, until the salmon is just turning opaque. (If using an instant-read thermometer, take the temperature in the thickest part of the fish: 125°F/50°C for medium-rare; up to 140°F/60°C for well done.)
- Meanwhile, combine the avocados, lemon juice, butter, parsley, garlic, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process until completely smooth. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
- To serve, divide the salmon and vegetables between plates and spoon a tablespoon of any pan sauce over top. Top each piece of fish with 2 tablespoons avocado butter, some of the reserved fennel fronds, and a drizzle of oil. Top with more pepper, if you like.
- To store extra avocado butter, transfer to an airtight container with a piece of waxed paper or parchment paper pressed onto the surface of the butter to prevent browning. It will keep like this for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer.
TIP: You can use fillets of salmon, too. Four- to 6-ounce (115 to 170 g) portions work well. Start checking for doneness after 15 minutes, especially if you prefer your salmon rare.
Excerpted from The Brain Health Kitchen by Annie Fenn (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2023. Photographs by Alexandra Grablewski.
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