Sunday Paper Recommends—Week of March 17, 2024

At The Sunday Paper, we're always discovering books, podcasts, films, and other works that move the needle and spark inspiring change. We hope these suggestions—plus this this one item we've been turning to lately—open your heart and mind and encourage you to come together for meaningful conversations.

What We’re Reading

Rex Chapman is undoubtedly one of basketball's greatest stars. Chapman spent 12 seasons in the NBA, leaving legions of fans rapt by his ability to dunk. But through his brightest days, Chapman was harboring a dark secret: a dependency on painkillers coupled with a gambling addiction. In his memoir, It's Hard for Me to Live With Me, Chapman tells his story with humility and depth. He writes about things plaguing many of us today, from depression to addiction to self-worth to family issues, weaving in his passion for social justice. This book offers an inspiring story about struggle and acceptance, written by an illuminating man.

What We’re Watching

The Girls on the Bus one of the latest shows to drop on MAX, is a fun ride. It's also a real ride. Based on writer and journalist Amy Chozick's hit book 2018 book, Chasing Hillary, in which she covered her adventures as a New York Times reporter assigned to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, the show focuses on several women political journalists. The show is fiction, but the drama and challenges are true. The Girls on the Bus sheds a fun light on the grueling and intense hard work political reporters put into their jobs, spotlighting women's exceptional (and often overlooked) role in the field.

What We’re Listening to

It's a common human problem: Things around us that were once new and exciting become rote and uninteresting. Neuroscientist Tali Sharot, the founder of the Effective Brain Lab at University College London, and Cass Sunstein, a Harvard Law School professor, explore this in their new book Look Again: The Power of Noticing What Was Always There. The two big thinkers explore complacency, our brain's habits, igniting joy, and more in their impressive work. The book is terrific, but if you have limited time, this 12-minute audio article clip is worth a listen. It offers a quick but deep understanding of how we can start to see the beauty in our lives again and nip habituated bad habits in the bud.

"May the Blessing of Light be upon you, light on the outside, light on the inside." So starts Roma Downey's beautiful song, "An Irish Blessing" (featuring Aoife Ní Fhearraigh and instrumental works by Phil Coulter). Downey, an Irish actor, singer, and writer, has given this world transportive and healing beauty with her words. We listen to loudly on this Saint Patrick's Day and any day we need a dose of light.

What We’re Loving

Made of durable, lightweight material, our Sunday Paper Water Bottle is designed to go everywhere with you. The convenient handle and screw-on cap ensure it's airtight, so you can toss it in your tote, workbag, bike basket, car—truly, anywhere. Stay hydrated and show your love of our journalism all at once! (Plus—it makes for the perfect birthday gift.)

Our Sunday Dinner Recipe

So much of what makes food appetizing is texture, and I’m a sucker for just about anything with a good crunch. Repeatedly toasting the bottom layer of rice and stirring it back through the mixture gives this dish little crispy bits throughout!  Here I’ve mixed the rice with Swiss chard, escarole, and baby kale, but you can use the same method for any sturdy greens you have on hand, such as kale or collards. This is one of the best reasons I can think of to keep cooked brown rice in your freezer.

Green Fried Rice

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 1 bunch of scallions, chopped
• 2-inch piece of ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 cups cooked brown rice (preferably leftover)
• 1 bunch of Swiss chard, stems chopped fine and leaves cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 bunch of escarole, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 3 cups baby kale, chopped
• 1 avocado, sliced
• Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil and heat for an additional minute. Add the scallions, ginger, garlic, and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes, until fragrant.

Add the rice and ½ teaspoon of the salt and toss to coat with the seasonings, then spread the mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Cook without stirring for 2 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the crispy rice from the bottom of the pan and stir well to distribute, then cook again without stirring for 2 minutes. Repeat these steps two more times to create layers of crispy, golden brown rice.

Add the Swiss chard stems and again cook without stirring for 2 minutes. Last, add the chard leaves, escarole, and kale along with the remaining tablespoon of sesame oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir in the greens a bit at a time; they will fit more easily as they wilt.

Cook until the greens are fully wilted and incorporated into the rice, 5 to 8 minutes. Serve topped with sliced avocado and, if desired, a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds.

Recipe from Eat Better, Feel Better: My Recipes for Wellness and Healing, Inside and Out by Giada De Laurentiis. Copyright © 2021 by G D L Foods Inc. Published by Rodale Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.