I think that's enough

+ Asian Short Ribs, Lemon Olive Oil Cake, Iced Lemon Poppy Seed Scones and a LIVE cook-along class!

Welcome to Let’s Get Lost! I’m Rebecca, a recipe developer, food photographer, passionate people watcher, and chaser of new experiences. You might know me from my recipe websites, Of Batter and Dough and A Little and A Lot.

My husband and I are nomads without a home base but with many modes of transportation, namely an RV, a motorcycle, and a sailboat. I write recipes and stories for curious people who believe experiences are more important than things and who want more adventure.

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*If you are a member of the Lost Supper Club (a paid subscriber), there’s a cook-along class happening next week and you are invited! Click here for all the information and to register! ❤️

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Steve and I with our daughters in Door County, Wisconsin

In the first few weeks of this year, 4 people who have been a part of my life in different capacities have died. One I’ve felt more deeply than the others, but each has provoked a desire for some reflection and reevaluation.

I feel fear about many things, but I don’t fear death. I know none of us are getting out of here alive and somehow that feels right to me. I’m not sure I can explain exactly what I mean, but I would like to try.

Our son died very unexpectedly in 2020 and in the years since, the topics of death, loss, grief, and sorrow have settled in and made themselves at home in our lives. They are companions who come along on even our happiest days. We have grown comfortable with them, so much so that I think we sometimes make others uncomfortable.

Allowing difficult emotions and uncomfortable topics a seat at the table has taught us a lot about acceptance. Mainly that it doesn’t exist without opening up completely to things like death, loss, grief, and sorrow.

I know the only way out is through. I know I must allow myself to ask very difficult questions, to pick up the terrible thing I’m afraid of and hold it, turn it around in my hands and examine it from every angle. I know that’s the only way I am ever able to put it down and that it will haunt me if I don’t.

These are things I know. And also things I still need to learn. Both are true.

And so, after a long hiatus, morning meditation has returned to my routine. It’s without effort, or planning, or intention. I just want to. I need to. I sit and feel the air moving through my lungs and enjoy the experience of being alive.

I know it’s likely that I will loose more people that I love. I know it’s likely that people I love will loose me. And somehow, in those quiet moments of stillness, I remember that life and death are the same and I am not separate from it. I am it.

One of the people that died this year was my husband’s great aunt Jill. Her and her husband used to live in Oakland, near the bridge to San Francisco, and we stayed with them on multiple trips over the years. They had a gorgeous old brownstone that was filled with treasures.

Jill was a collector and her collections filled every room and adorned every surface. She also enjoyed giving her treasures to those she loved and so, at the end of most visits, she would ask me to pick something from her home to take with me. Then she’d go down to the basement to her collection of boxes and package it up.

When we moved into the RV, I wasn’t able to take most of those treasures with me, but I did take a pair of art deco glass candlesticks. Just recently, they broke. They didn’t break from traveling, they broke from the flame of candles burning too close to their fragile surface for too long. Because I used those candlesticks. A lot. And nothing last forever, especially the things we use the most.

There’s some kind of metaphor there, those candlesticks breaking from overuse soon before Jill’s life also expired, that I’ve been trying to get a handle on. I think it has something to do with this: I hope, at the end of my life, whenever that may be, that I feel well used. Well used in the way of our favorite things. Not preserved. Not held apart. Used.

Have I given all I can? Have the people I love the most gotten something lasting from me that goes beyond my physical existence? Will I be remembered by them with fondness and good memories of all the things we’ve done together and the experiences we’ve shared?

And really, what I’m asking is if I feel that way right here, right now, in this moment. Because it’s the only one I have, and possibly the last one I get.

Tonight, Thursday evening, I spent an hour and a half on the phone with my eldest daughter and one of the many things we talked about was purpose. She asked, “Do you think your life has an overarching purpose and if so, what is it?”

That. That conversation is the answer. It’s all there is. And it’s enough.

(And yes, we are still in Colorado.)

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Speaking of acceptance…

A couple of weeks ago I learned that Mira Dessy, a writer and published author who writes a fantastic substack, runs a Healthy Readers Book Club for which the current selection is Radical Acceptance by Tara Branch. I had read another of Tara Branch’s books a couple of years ago and loved it so I joined the Healthy Readers Book Club on the spot.

I’m only three chapters in to Radical Acceptance, but it’s a wonderful book that’s full of wisdom and practical application. I highly recommend it, and if you’d like to read it alongside others, join Mira’s book club. I’d love to have you.

HRBC Weekly Roundup #18

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Minnesota, you are restoring my faith in humanity.

Like many of you, I’ve been watching the situation in Minnesota with horror and sadness. And also, the people of Minnesota are restoring my faith in humanity. Every single day I read stories of neighbors taking care of one another in extraordinary ways, often with considerable risk to their own safety and wellbeing.

I am once again reminded that there are a lot of really good people in this country. Minnesota, I wish you weren’t having to endure the violence, disruption, and turmoil of this very difficult moment. And also, thank you for putting all the good parts of human nature on display for the world to see.

No matter where you are in the world, if you’d like to show your support to Minnesota residents in a real and tangible way, here are some ways to donate:

• ​Dios Habla Hoy​

• ​Second Harvest Heartland​

• ​Twin Cities Food Justice​

From Minnesota resident Stephanie Hansen:

“The year has not started at all as I predicted… I did not have an occupation of the Twin Cities by 3000 masked ICE agents in military gear, in unmarked cars with guns on my Bingo card. They are still here. People are being taken without due process, warrants, or attorneys. I also want to emphasize that this has gone way beyond politics and is harming real people. The stories we are hearing in the restaurant community are endless. If you want to help our restaurant workers, our neighbors, and our community. This is a list of resources - our community is hurting.”

From an email from Lindsay Ostrom, Minnestoa resident and the creator behind Pinch of Yum:

“And if you’re looking for a little bit of encouragement, know that many families in Minnesota are showing up in their schools, churches, and communities to support each other. I’m seeing it play out in real life every day. It makes me emotional to think about it. We care about each other, and there is a lot of good happening inside this really difficult moment.”

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This Week’s Menu

Asian Short Ribs + Lemon Olive Oil Cake + Iced Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

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Asian Short Ribs

A few weeks ago our youngest daughter, Anne, brought her boyfriend over for dinner so we could meet him for the first time. She requested that I make Asian Short Rib Pasta with Asparagus and Mushrooms, and I was happy to comply.

Two things I want to say about that: Anne’s boyfriend is delightful and isn’t it just the BEST thing in the whole world to see your kids happy??? And also, if you want to really impress someone, make them a plate of these Asian Short Ribs.

This is one of those simple, comforting, soul satisfying recipes that is impossible to get tired of. It requires very little hands-on work before you throw the short ribs in the Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, or oven and let them do their thing. Eat them straight from the cooking pot or use the meat in any number of dishes.

One word of warning: Cooking these short ribs will make your entire house smell so good that neighbors will be knocking on your door begging for a dinner invitation. Depending on your neighbors, that might not be a benefit. :-)

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Serving suggestions:

I like to serve Asian Short ribs with rice, crispy fried potatoes, or cream cheese mashed potatoes, and some veggies.

When Anne and her boyfriend were over for dinner I prepared a simple cauliflower and brussels sprouts sheet pan side that was so delicious I wanted to share it with you…

Chop cauliflower into florets and spread them out on a sheet pan along with Brussels sprouts that you’ve cut in half. Add some thin slices of shaved fennel and some cherry tomatoes, toss the veggies with some olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in a very hot oven (around 475°F) until they are blackened and charred in spots.

While the veggies are roasting, toss some panko bread crumbs with enough olive oil to moisten them and add to a skillet along with a few cloves of chopped garlic and some salt. Toast the bread crumbs over medium heat until golden brown and crispy. Let cool then stir in some grated parmesan.

Remove the veggies from the oven and squeeze some lemon juice over them. Drizzle them some additional olive oil (or melted garlic butter!) and top with the toasted bread crumbs. So good!

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Lemon Olive Oil Cake

In my version of a perfect world, we would always have a freshly baked cake on hand when someone stopped by unexpectedly, or on those afternoons when I’m feeling sluggish and craving something sweet.

This, of course, rarely happens. But, the idea is honestly not that far out of reach.

Loaf cakes are one of those simple things that you can sometimes make on a whim, quickly, for no other reason than to satisfy a craving for cake.

It takes only about 20 minutes to mix up the batter for this lemon loaf cake. It’s sweet, but not overly so. Bright and lemony. Tender and perfectly sliceable. Appropriate to to eat with your fingers or with a plate and fork.

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Iced lemon poppy seed scones

*This recipe is taken straight from the pages of Let’s Get Lost, Vol 1

My perfect scone is slightly sweet, tender and buttery, and flavorful. That’s what these are. They are slightly crispy on the outside, melt-in-your-mouth tender on the inside, and filled with the flavors of butter, cardamom, lemon, and vanilla.

One of the tricks to making scones is to not overwork the dough. You should be able to see little bits of butter in the dough even after mixing. Those pockets of butter will create light, flaky scones.

The lemon icing makes them both sweeter and more lemony. But you could just as easily eat these un-iced with a dollop of clotted cream, lemon curd, or orange marmalade.

Makes 6 scones. Start to finish, these scones will be ready to eat in about an hour.

For the scones:

• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 3 tablespoons granulated white sugar

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon table salt)

• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom

• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds

• The zest from one large lemon (save the juice for the icing)

• 5 ounces (10 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk (more if needed)

• 1 egg + 1 teaspoon of water

For the lemon icing:

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)

• a pinch of salt

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. The dough for these scones can be prepared in a food processor or by hand. If using a food processor, fit it with the dough blade. If you only have a chopping blade, that’s ok. Just be careful to not over-process the dough.

3. Add 1 3/4 cups flour, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, 2 tablespoons poppy seeds, and the zest from 1 large lemon to the bowl of your food processor or into a large mixing bowl. Pulse a few times to combine; or stir with a wire whisk to combine.

4. Cut 10 tablespoons of cold butter into 1/2-inch pieces and add it to the flour mixture. If using a food processor, pulse until you don’t see any pieces of butter larger than a pea. If mixing by hand, use a pastry cutter or your fingers to mix the butter into the flour until you don’t see any pieces of butter larger than a pea.

5. Stir a teaspoon vanilla into 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of buttermilk and then pour it into the dough. Pulse or stir just until the mixture forms a loose, shaggy, slightly sticky dough. (If the dough seems dry and crumbly, add a bit more buttermilk.) Dump the mixture out onto a clean work surface that’s been dusted with a little bit of flour.

6. Knead the dough 2 or 3 times just to bring it together (do not over work the dough) then pat it into a thick 8-inch circle.

7. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut the circle into 6 triangles. Set the scones on the parchment lined baking sheet.

8. Whisk 1 egg with a teaspoon of water and use a pastry brush or your fingers to coat the tops of the scones with the egg wash.

9. Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake for 23 to 30 minutes, until the tops of the scones are a light golden brown. (Bake time will depend on how thick your scones are.)

10. Remove the pan from the oven and use a spatula to place the scones on a wire rack. Allow them to cool completely.

11. To make the icing: Whisk 1/2 cup powdered sugar and a pinch of salt into a tablespoon of lemon juice, whisking until all the sugar has dissolved into the juice. To thicken the icing, add a bit more powdered sugar. To thin, add a bit more lemon juice. Drizzle the scones with icing and serve.

These are best the day they are made, but still pretty delicious the next day. Store them wrapped, or in an airtight container, at room temperature.

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