Five Things Bringing Me Joy
Despite All Odds, Joy Finds a Way
I can barely bring myself to turn on the news these days. Social media leaves me either overwhelmed with dread or dulled by empty content. It’s been another week of that familiar tightness in my chest as I watch leaders around the world make choices that feel so far from what’s good for people. So here I am, trying, quite literally fighting, to write less about the darkness and more about joy. But I’ll be honest: in a world that seems determined on feeding fear, it’s getting harder to hold onto the light. That said, here are a few things that have been bringing me joy and helping me stay grounded, none of which require buying more stuff you don’t need. Honestly, this post might be more for my own peace of mind than for you.
Writing this newsletter! I’ve truly loved crafting a new piece each week and connecting with readers. I’m about to hit 300 subscribers, which feels like a special milestone! For now, my newsletter remains free, but moving forward, I’ll be placing some more personal pieces behind a paywall. If cost is a barrier and you’d still like access, please feel free to email me at jocettemlee@gmail.com, I’d be happy to share it with you.
Two books, in particular, have pulled me out of my head and offered a welcome escape. I've been especially captivated by Cold Kitchen by
and Dinner of Herbs: Village Life in 1960s Turkey by Carla Grissman.Cold Kitchen is a reflective memoir that braids together food and travel across Central Asia, Turkey, Ukraine, the South Caucasus, Russia, the Baltics and Poland, all from the quiet shelter of Caroline Eden’s basement kitchen in Edinburgh. I’ve long admired Eden’s work for her fearless exploration of this part of the world and her gift for telling human stories through the language of the kitchen. It’s a joy to see places and dishes I love not only mentioned, but truly savored. Her writing is also a gentle reminder of how much more there is to learn, taste and discover.
Dinner of Herbs: Village Life in 1960s Turkey recounts a year Grissman, an American, spent in the 1960s living in a remote farming village in rural Türkiye. Her writing gently captures the rhythms of village life and the beauty of a close-knit community. Though our circumstances are different, I felt deeply understood, having spent over a year in my in-laws’ village in western Türkiye during the height of the pandemic. Her portrayal of rural Türkiye feels so accurate, vivid and tender that even sixty years on, her words feel like they could’ve been written yesterday. Finding this memoir felt like discovering a kindred spirit and I am so grateful it exists.
Our move to Florida wasn’t straightforward. We resisted at first, but in the end, moving was the next right step. One of the unexpected gifts of relocating has been connecting with nature. We take daily walks by the lake, wake to the sound of birdsong and escape to the beach whenever we can. I’ve fallen in love with the wild variety of greenery here and getting out on the water has quietly mended a part of me I hadn’t realized needed healing.
I’ve joined a local cookbook club! Our first meeting is next weekend (4/13) and we’ll be diving into modern Southern cooking through Southern Grit: 100+ Down-Home Recipes for the Modern Cook by Kelsey Barnard Clark. I’m so excited to connect with more wonderful people here in Orlando and bond over our shared love of cookbooks and trying new cuisines. I’ll be making the Cast-Iron Barbecue Chicken Legs and I can’t wait to see how they turn out! I’ll keep you posted on how the event goes.
Homemade Sourdough Cheez-Itz. I’ve been on a sourdough bread journey for the past month, fully expecting frustration and flour-covered despair. But to my surprise, I’m loving it. Of course, with sourdough bread comes an abundant amount of sourdough discard. In my quest to avoid wasting it, I stumbled upon a recipe so simple and tasty for whole wheat Sourdough Cheez-Itz.
Sourdough Cheez-It Crackers Recipe:
226 grams cheddar cheese, chopped
85 grams flat sourdough discard
5 grams salt
65 grams whole wheat flour
Flaky sea salt, optional for the top of cracker
Method:
In a food processor, blend everything except the flaky sea salt until a smooth dough forms.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Divide the dough in half. Roll out one half as thin as possible (about ⅛”) on a silicone mat or parchment paper.
Cut into 1" squares using a bench scraper or pasta cutter.
Poke a small hole in the center of each cracker with a toothpick.
Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Do not separate the crackers.
Transfer the parchment or mat to a baking sheet and bake for 15–18 minutes, rotating halfway if baking two trays.
Once baked, turn off the oven, crack the door slightly and let the crackers sit inside to crisp up further.
Repeat with the second half of the dough.
Working on my garden and planting new seedlings is giving me life this week. 👨🏽🌾🪴
I am basking in the warmth of your article, with my heart singing every time I look at the wisteria that is so exuberantly blooming against the walls, balcony, and anything else it can attach itself to, other flora included. Daunting energy! It is still cold in the Çanakkale village that is my home, but irises have emerged, fava beans have blossomed, strawberry plants are waiting for a pot, and roses are budding. And I am inspired to make a batch of sourdough starter, although I know any neighbor would oblige. Thank you for sharing the recipe, as well as the book recommendations. My dinner of herbs today is ebe gümeci replacing spinach in börek, prepared in my own (very cold) kitchen.