The Weekly Bulletin

December 12th, 2024

Happy Sunday.

For those who are still going on their New Year’s resolutions, Congratulations! You have made it past National Quitters Day - the day according to the fitness app, Strava, where ~80% of the activity of the New Year begins to subside.

For my menswear enthusiasts, Pitti Uomo 107 starts on Tuesday. I am very excited to start my mornings with recaps from some of my favorites in the sphere. Winter is one of the great times of this event - allowing the magic of layering to present itself. For those unaware (and into menswear) - I would definitely check out Instagram posts from @menswearmusings, @antonmasko, @wmbrownproject, @jkf_man, and @flannels_and_tweed to start. These guys are the usual suspects at these events, and undoubtedly will be involved this week.

With that, let’s get into this week’s offerings!

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Mood Board

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Internet Finds

• In light of healthy habits, check out this gym/gear bag from ON.

• The history of Farro. A recent conversation at work sparked my interest into this little grain. I am typically partial to brown rice, as white rice makes me very sluggish mid-day. However, farro has an even lower glycemic index, higher fiber content, and more protein per serving - while sharing the same caloric density of about 100cal for 1/2 cup. It also tastes pretty darn good! Try it with some olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic to begin.

• The Kitchen Confidential. I picked this book up at a local bookstore this weekend, and cannot put it down. Highly suggest to anyone remotely interested in cooking/chef life. I have the annotated version, which has handwritten notes from Anthony - makes it a little more fun.

• For my Garmin HRM users out there: check out this video (below) on how to clean your strap. Mine was WELL overdue!

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Recipe (!!)

At the request of a dear friend, I put together this recipe for polpette (little meatballs) and a simple red sauce. These little meatballs have been a big hit in our household; not to mention among family members and Instagram followers alike.

FOR THE BALLS:

• Meatloaf Mix ~1.3lbs, or ~600g or so

• Pecorino Romano (10% of weight of meat, or ~1/3 cup)

• Bread Crumbs (10% of weight of meat, or ~1/3 cup)

• 1 Egg

• Splash of Milk

• Salt & Pepper

FOR THE SAUCE:

• 1 Jar of Mutti Passata (24.5oz)

• 1/4 Yellow Onion

• 1 Garlic Clove

• Olive Oil

BALL PREP:

1. In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients at once

2. Mix with your hands, massaging/squeezing the meat to make sure everything is incorporated

3. Shape your meatballs to your desired size. I like to go with a golf ball size. Should make ~26 in that size range.

THE SAUCE:

1. Preheat your pan

2. Coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil

3. Brown the meatballs lightly on all sides

4. Remove the meatballs

5. Drain excess oil from the pan, can do a quick rinse in the sink if there are burnt bits on the bottom of pan

6. Turn heat to med/hi, return pan to heat

7. Add more oil, enough to lightly coat bottom of pan

8. Add garlic clove (whole), and cook until fragrant. About 30sec-1min

9. Add onion, let cook for ~2 min

10. Add the whole jar of sauce over the garlic and onion mixture

11. Add meatballs back in

12. Fill the jar of sauce back anywhere between half to 3/4 of the way with water, and shake it all up to get the leftover sauce. Pour over meatballs, and stir it all together.

13. Turn the heat to medium/low and let simmer uncovered. I suggest at least 1hr to let the sauce cook down a bit.

14. Serve with fresh grated cheese on top

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Process should look something like this:

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That’s all for this week!

As always, please comment below to let me know what you enjoyed, disliked, and what you would like to see more of. Feedback allows me to tailor what you want to make this fun for all of us!

-Paul