Kirstin: When I first looked through this book I was aware that for our family at least, the recipes it contained could be divided into two kinds. Those that ALL of us could eat as a family for dinner and those rather more adventurous ones that could be eaten by just two of us at lunch. This recipe fitted into the second of those two categories.

It’s a great recipe, a fabulous way to start the month; spiced baked aubergines paired with Greek yoghurt, a cucumber and mint salsa and a dash of pomegranate molasses. Just perfect for lunch. As I collected all the necessary ingredients, I thought I would listen to the podcast that Jones recommended in this week’s email (if you haven’t already done so, you can sign up for them here). The podcast is an episode of “Modern Love” from the people at the New York Times and is called “You May Want to Marry My Husband“. Originally broadcast in 2017, it’s an updated episode of the podcast with Samin Nosrat (she of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat fame) narrating, while also discussing why she is now fully YOLO.

If you haven’t already listened to it, then let me warn you, without giving too much away, that there’s a good chance it’s going to make you cry. There’s a line near the beginning in the original, written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal: “On the subject of food — man, can he cook. After a long day, there is no sweeter joy than seeing him walk in the door, plop a grocery bag down on the counter, and woo me with olives and some yummy cheese he has procured before he gets to work on the evening’s meal.”

I may have dissolved at that point, although if I’m honest, in our case, I’m often the one who comes in with the food to woo. Tom and I have just returned from a week in Paris where I did just this, in fact. Every day, while Tom worked in the apartment, I ambled around the streets (the French verb is se balader), visiting museums and galleries, and foraging for cheese and wine on my way back for a shared lunch. One of the many things we have in common is curiosity for new things, and food in particular. So I could really relate to that line in the podcast.

In fact, our culinary curiosity meant we simply HAD to make a trip across town one day to taste the legendary Crookie, which is (of course) a cross between a cookie and croissant. Because as Nosrat says — and I would add too, after my amazing week of savouring all the food and time with Tom — I am now fully YOLO. Maybe I’ll even have a go at making the some of the lovely baked things in this book, having been inspired by the crookie. Who knows? You only live once.;