I love a good story.

Especially a good background story of someone I know and love from afar but in reality only know the surface level stuff. l like to go deep with people and reading someone's story is a way to have a little piece of that deeper conversation even though I might not ever meet them in real life. Our stories are where we find the humanity in each other. That connection really is what we're always looking for, right?

Recently I dove into the book, Tastemakers which shares the stories of seven women left their mark on how we eat in North America. Their stories are fascinating. Some of the most interesting, resilient, strong women - all of who we have to thank for what they've done to make food and cooking what it is today.

One of which is Marcella Hazan. She's always been someone I've admired and I loved learning more about who she was and a bit of her history. The human behind the famous persona.

She didn't grow up cooking. She was a scientist. She started cooking out of necessity. She started cooking for love.

She moved to New York with her husband where they were strangers in a strange land. All her husband wanted was a taste of home. So she cooked. For him. And in doing that ended up changing the landscape of cooking in America. She taught the radical (and beautiful) simplicity of Italian cooking and was never about making it perfect. It was about showing up and doing it with care and intention.

Now I get it we live in a different time. The role of the perfect 1950s housewife isn't what I’m getting at. It’s that cooking is, and always will be about love. Doing it for yourself. For your people. For your community. Cooking is a way to express love when you can't find the words. Or when words aren't enough. It can change everything.

Another reason I love Marcella so much is that she didn't mince words. She would tell it like it is and if she didn't like something you knew it. She smoked every day and was unapologetically herself. She didn't have the TV charm like Julia Child but it never stopped her from making an impact. She wrote 6 cookbooks and was responsible for making so many of the ingredients we have access to today readily available.

She started out doing it for love. She never compromised who she was. And she became an icon.

I love stories like this. How people have shifted the way we are in the world - but honestly, the word icon is a little scary to me. It feels like a lot of pressure. And nowadays, there's a lot of hype about making a big impact, doing all the big things to change to the world. Like if you're not doing big things you're not contributing to making the world a better place.

But what if it's the small things? Making an impact by being present for your people. Being completely yourself. Showing up for the things that matter most to you.

Doing it for love.

If you want to check out some of Marcella's recipes, here are three that you'll want to try: We all need a little more Marcella

What’s Cooking This Week: Linguine with Clams, White Beans and Serrano

If you love Linguine alle Vongole, this one's for you! Serrano ham & white beans mixes it up a little. It's perfect for a casual get together with friends or to curl up with on any night of the week. If you can't find Serrano, pancetta works great too. 

Linguine with Clams, White Beans and Serrano Ham  

• 3-4 strips thick cut Serrano ham, cut into cubes 

• 400 g linguine or spaghetti

• 2 lbs fresh clams

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 cup fresh parsley, stems and leaves, separated and finely chopped

• 1/2 glass dry white wine

• 1 14 oz can white Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

• 1/2 cup seasoned toasted breadcrumbs (I add a couple tablespoons of shredded Parmesan, a couple tablespoons of fresh parsley and Italian seasoning to plain breadcrumbs) 

Wash the clams in a colander with cold water and remove any with broken shells. Set aside.  

Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. When it starts to boil add the pasta. Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet.   

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the ham and cook until browned. Remove the ham from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.  

Add the parsley stems to the pan. Cook until they just start to soften. Add the white wine and cook until it evaporates slightly, about 3 minutes. When the wine has evaporated, add the clams and cover the pan immediately. Cook until the clams begin to open, about 3 minutes.  

When the clams have opened, remove some of the shells that have lost their meat to the sauce.     

Add the white beans, reserved ham and the parsley leaves.   

When the pasta is cooked, drain it and add to the pan, reserving about a cup of pasta water. Toss everything together well and some pasta water if needed. 

Serve immediately, topping with with breadcrumbs and more chopped parsley.

PODCAST IS COMING MONDAY!!

Next week I’ll be starting something new for you. A regular podcast. I’ve been talking about it for so long and now that I’m all set up here on Substack, I’m ready advantage of the awesome podcast feature. So, on top of the regular Friday newsletter you can expect a fun little voice note coming at you on Mondays from now on. I’m calling it coffee and contemplation…..for my fellow Stranger Things fans, you know. It’ll super casual, just like it would be if you and I were hanging out for real, having coffee and contemplating all things food, cooking, life and who knows what else. So get those earbuds ready!

Want more with me? 

Ready to learn the pleasure and the principles of cooking well? Let’s Cook with Intention

Sourdough 101 - master the magic of sourdough bread - this is the place if you want to learn all things sourdough AND you can even learn to make your own baguettes :)

Happy Cooking :) 

love,

Krista  

Nourished & Whole
Eat well. Live well. Cook often.
www.nourishedandwhole.com