Morning Brew - ☕️ Get cooking

Howdy. I’m coming to you live from Austin, Texas, where the humidity is thick, the breakfast tacos are spicy, and a Midwesterner can say y’all without it sounding weird. Thank y’all for the Austin recs. Keep 'em coming. 

— Rachel Cantor 

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I used to spend hours watching Claire Saffitz turn my favorite childhood junk foods into culinary masterpieces in her Bon Appétit Test Kitchen series, Gourmet Makes. Claire has moved on, but after the BA summer scandals, Test Kitchen has relaunched with new stars. In addition to the OG YouTube cooking series, here are my favorite ones to watch right now. 

• Stump Sohla: In her new web series, Sohla (formerly of BA’s Test Kitchen) faces the greatest cooking challenges, including a seven-course convenience store tasting menu (bonus: read this profile of her). 
• Just A Dash (season 2): Matty Matheson has zero filter and is the complete opposite of your Martha Stewart-style TV chef.
• Worth It: Steven and Andrew try delicious foods at three different price points—affordable, middle tier and luxury. Yes, there is such a thing as an $88 pancake.

Slack: While I probably won’t ever buy a pair of Slack’s new Cole Haan sneakers, I’m still a fangirl. Here are the best Slack hacks every true Slacker should know. 

Write: If you miss intellectual convos about modern stoicism or iced vs. hot coffee, check out Letter, a site where you can explore and share ideas. 

Focus: Give your eyes a break. Every 20 minutes this app will remind you to step away from the screen and relax your eyes. 

Pause: October 10 was World Mental Health Day. Here’s a hub for all things mental health—maybe you’ll also consider joining me in my daily meditation practice. Reply to this email if you’re interested, and I’ll walk you through my routine. 

Fall for these cool kickz this autumn.

The uber-comfy foot puppies that 16 thousand people were on the waitlist for last time? They’re back like the boy band we can’t name for legal reasons.

CARIUMA’s IBI sneakers are made from bamboo, sugarcane, organic mamoa oil, cork, and straight coolness. Lightweight, vegan, and machine washable, these babies are certified toe blankets.

Now coming in a pleasant swath of moody autumn colors from stone black and stone navy to black and navy, the Brew’s fave sneaks are sure to have passersby exclaiming, “Look at those phat phalanges wrappers!”

Get them before they’re gone for 15% off here.

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Veggie tales: Brussels sprouts went from America’s most hated vegetable → a staple menu item at every ~trendy~ millennial restaurant. Now that your favorite greens are in season, try one of my all-time favorite recipes for miso roasted brussels sprouts. 

Looking for love: One episode in to this season’s Bachelorette, and there’s already tea—current bachelorette Clare Crawley might be replaced. Compete for the final rose and join The Bachelorette Fantasy League or fill out this printable bracket. 

Royalty: The trailer for season four of The Crown puts the spotlight on Princess Diana (look at that wedding dress). The real question is, can I watch this season without watching the first three, or do I need to go back? 

Essentials-approved movie recs: You’ll never have to play Netflix Roulette again with this list of movie recs from the Brew Crew...and you! Try guessing my favorite movie. Send yours in if you want to be included.

Tweet away: Here’s a master google doc of ASCII, emoji, and text meme templates for Twitter. 

Location, location, location: Do you live in a 15-min city? ’Cause I don’t...

Spread it: I can’t believe this is how butter is made—an inside look into a traditional butter factory in France. 

On the wild side: 11 animals with the longest life spans. 

Rainbow Road: Your childhood dream is now a reality—live Mario Kart is here. 

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I haven’t had Texas BBQ yet, but so far Austin is putting me in a constant GFM (good food mood). My best friend Katie and I are eating our way through this lively city, searching high and low for the best Tex-Mex. Maybe we’ll catch some live music later this weekend.

Next week I won’t be kick-starting my mornings with a prepared breakfast taco (sad), so if you have any tips on how to make the best homemade breakfast taco, I’m all ears. Enjoy the weekend, and I’ll be back before you know it.