Permission to Simmer

A big bake week in Bellville, a king cake offering, and recipe for Red Beans and Risotto

Hello, friends!

I’d say we’ve been sufficiently raked over the coals this January. It’s been jagged around the edges, and really very loud. And yet here I am: grateful, maybe a touch bruised, standing at the top of a new month with a chance to reset my footing.

February feels like an invitation to turn down the volume, to cook something that simmers low and slow, and to plant my heels on the ground. I’m turning on our bedside table lamps, and lighting a candle before the sun goes down. I’m interested in steadiness, dinner in bowls, and a little slice of afternoon king cake every day this week. Get in on this with me!

In today’s notes: what we’re baking at The Bakehouse Texas for this weekend’s bake sale, the warm bites I’m leaning on all week (and likely all month), a few favorite reads from around Substack, king cake (because Mardi Gras is here and nearly gone!), and a recipe for Red Beans and Risotto that is deeply cozy and honestly perfect for an on-the-couch Valentine’s Day.

Let’s settle in!

It’s Bake Week at The Bakehouse Texas

This week is a big one at The Bakehouse Texas and I’ll likely be dusted lightly in flour for the rest of the week.

We’re open this Saturday morning for Bellville Market Day and, because I cannot resist a little nostalgia with frosting, we’re bringing back the cheeky classic: 8-inch heart-shaped cakes in the style of Drake on Cake for Valentine’s Day. A little resurrection, a wink to that cake-centered Drake-centered IG account from 2016. Cakes are bundled with the sweetest pink and red bouquet of flowers from our friends at Wanderlust and Wild!

For our walk-up friends, we’ll have the usual heavy hitters:
• The Bakehouse Texas Chocolate Chip Cookies (thick, gooey, bakery-style perfection)
• Blueberry Buttermilk Biscuits, fresh and tender and lemon glazed
• And because self-control is not my spiritual gift, likely Cheddar Chive Scones and fresh fried doughnuts if I can pull it off.

If you haven’t yet made a Saturday morning of it, you absolutely should. The Bakehouse Texas is currently open on Market Days in Bellville — that’s the first Saturday of every month from 9am–noon (or until we sell out, which we often do). Message us @thebakehousetexas or shop.joythebaker.com for details, pre-orders, and all the sweet little updates.

My Favorite Reads From Substack This Week

Here’s what filled my cup!

• How Bakers Survive Winter Mornings (Cake Zine)

• How I Got My Groove Bake on going nowhere slowly (The Magic Hour)

• Break your heart a bit: The Birds We Forgot (Kathrin Smirke)

• The 20-Minute Candle (Cabin Nine)

Dinner in Bowls and a King Cake, of course

• I recently made a mega batch of this Sausage and Barley Soup with Greens. It’s the kind of soup that made me feel like I was doing something responsible in addition to doing something delicious. Highly recommend serving with very well-buttered toast (obviously the responsible decision). (New York Times)

• If you have more than two people to feed in your home, go ahead and make a double batch of this Homemade Hamburger Helper with Sneaky Veggies. It’s cozy, nostalgic, and downright practical. It makes incredible leftovers but also has a way of disappearing fast. A perfect bowl dinner! (Joy the Baker)

• It’s the perfect time of year to miss New Orleans as they begin the best of their Mardi Gras celebrations. No matter where we are, we can King Cake about it and I’m making myself a king cake to snack on this very week (though it makes a very reasonable weekend baking project, too!). (Joy the Baker)

And the last in this week’s offering, a very comforting recipe for Red Beans and Risotto. I first made this recipe in collaboration with a sausage brand and I felt like it never got the traction it deserved on social media. It’s such a deliciously savory and satisfying dinner, and I swear that the act of making risotto calms the nervous system. Tuck this in your back pocket over the next week if you like a comfortable Valentine’s Day at home.

Take good care of yourselves this week, friends.

My love to you.

xo Joy