Standing at the Threshold of Spring
A healing soup, a Bakehouse Almanac, and a wonderful new cookbook and recipe from Colu Henry!
Friends, hi!
Greetings from Is That Clock Right? Monday - a biannual treat where we should really be allowed to crawl back into bed if we’d like to. But! Peachy-pink late-evening sunsets lie ahead and we’re simply earning that sort of beauty through our springtime grogginess.
How was your weekend?
I had what I once might have called a lazy weekend, but with a bit more kindness toward myself these days, I’m calling it a slower weekend. The truth is, I just don’t currently have another speed. I can kick it up for short bursts, but only briefly, which is to say that the third trimester of pregnancy has a way of humbling and preparing you and… well, here we are.
During one of those short bursts of productivity, I made a soup from The First Forty Days - a C-section recovery vegetable stew that has just about the entire kitchen sink chopped into it and simmered with bone broth, cinnamon sticks, raw cashews, and millet. Admittedly, it took two hours to make when I thought I could get it done in about thirty minutes (that actually never was a possibility), but I’m here for every humbling (lol, because I have no choice).
The entire time I stirred the pot I kept thinking: this will heal me in a few weeks. This will fix it all. Am I right? Likely only partially, and that’s ok.
I also bought Chinese red dates and goji berries for a Chicken, Red Date, and Ginger Soup that will also, again, fix everything so… I have plans.
Here’s what I have for you this week: three new posts you might have missed on Joy the Baker, my favorite reads on Substack as of late, and a new cookbook interview, recipe, and playlist (plus a giveaway!) with my friend Colu Henry that I think you’ll love.
Be well and stay kind this week. We all just want to crawl back into bed, remember?
Fresh from The Blog
• We’re a week into March — how does it feel where you are? In this month’s The Bakehouse Almanac, March 2026 I’m talking about the feeling of standing on a threshold, the recipes I’m making right now, a handful of things I’m carrying into the month, and a few things I’m ready to leave behind. Come on over and say hello! I’d love a quick vibe check from you.
• Also new on the blog this week is a recipe for Chocolate Oatmeal Nursing Cookies which, admittedly, is very niche to my current state of being but could be a great recipe to pass along or bake for a friend. I can also attest to the fact that these cookies are fantastic even without the brewer’s yeast — making them a tall, gooey, jumbo-sized oatmeal chocolate chip cookie and we all need one of those!
• And lastly, a little baker’s trick you might want to tuck away in your back pocket. Magic Cake Grease is a tried-and-true combination of vegetable shortening, oil, and flour that, when brushed into cake pans (especially Bundts!), practically guarantees your cake releases with very little drama. I’ve also included a few other sure-fire cake tips I’ve picked up along the way. Just passing along the knowledge in case my very favorite chocolate Bundt cake happens to be in your future.
Four Pieces of Writing I’ve Loved Lately
These are the gems on Substack I’ve sent to friends (now, you among them) this week! Admittedly lots of bits about mothering and my current deep nostalgia for the 90’s.
• deadlines: On mothering while writing
• The 90’s Weren’t Better. We Were.
• Our friend Brittany Jepsen on ambition and burnout with I’m done hustling… for now.
• On Joy and “the joyless quest for insatiable pleasure”.
An interview with Colu Henry on her new book Better At Home!
There are some cooks whose food makes you want to gather people immediately. We’re talking an open bottle of wine, a few marinated olives, and easy reason to settle in for the night. That’s exactly the energy Colu Henry brings to the kitchen and we love her for it!
Her new cookbook, Better at Home, is full of the kind of recipes that make staying in feel like the best possible plan and, as a person who lives in a small town with limited food options, I celebrate all the cozy soups, snacky bites, cocktails, and dinners that feel a little bit fancy without being fussy.
The last time I saw Colu she was visiting New Orleans and we shared wine and fries and stories for hours - truly the perfect combination. She’s such a lovely food friend to have, and I’m so happy to have her here today to talk about cooking and how affordable lobster is in Nova Scotia.
What was the “aha moment” recipe while writing this book - the one that made you think, oh, this is the heart of it?
It actually didn’t come from a single recipe, it came while I was writing the introduction, which, oddly, happened near the end of the process. That’s when I realized the recipes were quietly telling the story of my life. They reflect where I’ve been, and where I spend my time now: Hudson, New York, and Nova Scotia, Canada.
I spent many years in New York City working in PR and publishing, late nights, eating and drinking out all the time, a completely different and wonderful life. Those were my twenties and thirties. But, my life looks very different now (as does most of my peers), but it’s no less fulfilling or sexy, it’s just changed. These days, we’re eating at our house or friends’ homes in the Hudson Valley, and then I’m cooking from a very rural part of Nova Scotia, where the grocery store is 35 minutes away, but the lobster pound is just ten. And, I couldn’t be happier.
If your cookbook had a playlist, what three songs would be on it?
I’ve got something even better for you - here is a Nova Scotia playlist, which I listened to for a good part of my book writing period. As I mentioned, Better at Home takes place between Hudson, NY and Nova Scotia, Canada, where we spend our summers restoring an 1866 farmhouse. We listen to a lot of local radio when we’re there, so this includes songs from Canadian artists like Martha and the Muffins, Anne Murray, Doug and the Slugs and of course Joni Mitchell. It’s a fun one.
What’s one ingredient you’re evangelical about?
Dried mint is criminally underrated! It’s not the dusty thing from the back of the spice drawer. When you use it intentionally, it’s bright, herbal, and almost cooling. I love it in yogurt sauces, or bloomed in oil for lamb ragù or using it to roast carrots or squash, and in grain salads. People can’t always name what’s different, but they always ask. Don’t get me wrong, I love fresh mint too, but there is something special about using it as more of a spice.
If someone cooks just one recipe from your book to understand you as a person, which should it be?
Ooph, that’s a tough one! I feel like there are a handful, so I’m going to pick two. The first is Italian Shrimp Toast, which is a perfect example of a “Colu” recipe. It takes a classic Cantonese, dim sum dish and playfully twists it into an Italian American one, which, by default is something I do often and enjoy. I also think Chicken Pot Pie with Buttered Toast Topping is another great example. I love Chicken Pot Pie, but making it can be a project. This uses buttered sandwich bread as the crust, which saves on time and it’s a fun play on presentation. I’ve shared the recipe with you!
What’s a mistake you hope readers make at least once (Because we all know learning something the hard way is most memorable.)
Oversalting things! People are always shocked about how much salt I use when cooking - it’s always more than you think, but it’s also easy to go overboard. It’s a balance! Learning the proper amount of salt to meat ratio is such an important one. If you’re using Diamond Crystal kosher salt (which I highly recommend), it’s a teaspoon per pound of meat. If you’re using Morton’s (don’t! kidding!) but reduce that amount by half. And, remember that if you oversalt something, it’s a quick fix - just add acid like vinegar or lemon juice to take it back where it’s supposed to be.
What kitchen tool deserves more respect, and which one do you think is wildly overrated?
The poor garlic press! I love mine and I do not understand the hate. Sure, grate the garlic, but the press is just as great if not better sometimes. I have one from 20 years ago and you don’t even need to peel the garlic. Come at me, I will slay you with my love o’ the press.
Fill in the blank: People think I’m ___ in the kitchen, but actually I’m ___.
People think I’m low-key in the kitchen, but actually I’m a little obsessive. Not in the fussy, tweezers-and-timers way, more in the did I add enough acid? Is there crunch? Does this need bitterness? More salt? Kind of way. I want food to feel easy and generous and a little messy, but underneath that looseness is a lot of care. Every squeeze of lemon, every handful of herbs is doing something on purpose. I want food that feels like you barely tried, but leaves people wanting more and wondering how they can do that at home.
What’s your most controversial food opinion?
I don’t think (?) I’ll get yelled at, but I hate bananas. Like, I HATE them. I do not allow them in the house or anywhere near me. We were once driving friends back from a wedding in Baltimore when I got a whiff of one and I said is someone eating a banana?! My friend had forgotten and I’ve never seen a peel tossed so quickly out the window, I was incredibly insulted. Ha! It’s the one food that truly disgusts me. I also don’t love uni, but it doesn’t gross me out and give me the physical ick that bananas do. Banana flavored anything should be outlawed.
When you’re not eating your own recipes, what are you absolutely guilty-pleasure ordering for takeout?
No guilty pleasures, just pleasures! I love ordering Chinese takeout. The options are incredibly limited in Hudson, so no fancy Szechuan much to my dismay. My go-to order is Chicken Lo Mein and Sesame Chicken. It’s been my order since I was a teenager, when I cut school to go to the food court at the mall. I also love ordering the hot mustard to put on my noodles. It’s insanely spicy and I adore it. Also, there is a very good pizza spot in town called Half Moon - I’ll never say no to pizza.
What do you hope someone feels (like, truly feels) when they cook from your book for the first time?
Tucked in and taken care of. I used to love reading cookbooks as novels and I hope that people read this one like that. Of course I hope they make the recipes and share them with people they love too.
Chicken Pie with Buttered Toast Topping
Taken from Better at Home by Colu Henry
Published by Abrams 2026
Serves: 4
This is undeniably a cheater’s pot pie and I’m very pleased about it. Think of it as almost like creamed chicken under toast. You know I love toast. Eating at Woolworth’s counter was before my time (although I’m sure it would have been a dream), and I imagine something like this would have been on the menu. I opt for a supermarket sandwich loaf, such as the Pepperidge Farm brand, but I’m sure an artisan Pullman bread would also work. Make sure you cut the slices thinly if you opt for the latter.
Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Ingredients
for the filling:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large leek, thinly sliced
12 ounces (340 g) mixed mushrooms, such as cremini and shiitake, torn into bite-size pieces
Kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons (30 g) butter 1⁄4 cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
2 cups (480 ml) low-sodium chicken stock
1⁄4 cup (60 ml) crème fraîche
3 cups (585 g) shredded cooked chicken
1 cup (135 g) frozen peas
1⁄4 cup (15 g) finely chopped scallion greens
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Freshly ground black pepper
for the topping:
4 tablespoons (55 g) unsalted butter
8 slices white sandwich bread, such as Pepperidge Farm
Method
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Make the filling: In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the leeks and cook until they begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid, 10 to 12 minutes. Season with salt. Stir in the garlic and the tarragon and cook for 1 minute more.
Add the butter and once it melts, sprinkle the flour over the vegetables, stirring them to coat. Gradually stir in the stock 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) or so at a time, whisking out any lumps. Bring to a simmer and cook until it begins to slightly thicken, about 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in the crème fraîche, followed by the chicken, peas, scallion greens, and lemon zest. Stir until everything is combined. Taste and adjust seasonings, as needed, with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Transfer the mixture to an 8-cup (2 L) gratin dish.
Make the topping: In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Remove from the heat. Piece by piece, dip the bread on one side to coat in the butter. Transfer to a cutting board and cut each slice on the diagonal. Shingle the bread over top of the filling to cover the surface, overlapping as you work.
Bake until the bread is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes.
Allow the pie to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
✨ Cookbook Giveaway
I’m so happy to share a copy of Better at Home with one of you.
If Colu’s philosophy of cozy nights in, generous cooking, and a little bit of sparkle at the dinner table speaks to you, you’re going to love this book (and don’t forget to subscribe to her Substack!).
To enter:
Leave a comment below answering this question from Colu’s interview:
• What ingredient are you a little evangelical about in the kitchen? I was honestly so surprised by Colu’s answer of dried mint! I definitely under utilize dried mint in the kitchen!
Giveaway details:
• Open to U.S. residents only
• Giveaway closes Friday, March 13
• One winner will be selected and contacted via Substack message
I can’t wait to hear your answers, and I hope this book finds its way into a few of your kitchens soon.
Thanks for being here, friends! Have a wonderful week.
xo Joy
Fresh lemons! Not lemon juice. A squeeze adds a brightness to almost everything!
Cinnamon ...I use it in almost everything. Start off the morning with a dash of cinnamon in my coffee.