What I'm Reading on Substack
My Favorite Substack Newsletters
8/20/23
Substack is a new experience for me; I’m just getting started. What I’ve enjoyed so much is reading the newsletters from fabulous writers that appear in my email inbox, so I wanted to let all of these writers know that I appreciate their work.
As a former restaurant pastry chef and creator of recipes, I’m not sure what you would call this recipe, but here are the disparate ingredients (categories that I like reading) for my “stew.” They are: Food, Baking, Cookies, Recipes, Cookbooks, Paris, German Baking, Politics, Law, America, Democracy, and Autocracy. In no particular order:
@Dorie Greenspan - I love Dorie's letters from Paris, as well as her baking books and recipes. The recent dispatches from Italy with stories and pictures were great. One of her recent cookbooks that I purchased, Baking with Dorie — Sweet Salty & Simple, is a winner. Plus, we both believe that you can never have too many brownie recipes. xoxoShirl
The Warning with Steve Schmidt
@Steve Schmidt - Steve is an excellent political writer and writer of history. His historical newsletters that tie with what is happening today are so interesting. Plus, I just enjoy his writing style.
Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance
@Joyce Vance - Joyce is like having your own personal law professor. She is a former federal prosecutor and a very experienced law professor at the University of Alabama. I have learned so much from her about how to interpret what's in the news these days, because so much of it pertains to the law. And I love seeing the pictures of her adorable chickens. Although I never thought I would refer to chickens as adorable, Joyce’s are. Checkout her site and see for yourself. Joyce’s newsletters are usually the first one I read when they hit my inbox. I especially appreciate the Sunday night one about “the week ahead.”
@Ruth Reichl - There are so many reasons why I love reading Ruth Reichl's newsletter. Her posts that reminisce about Gourmet Magazine bring back so many memories. I had a subscription for years before it closed in 2009; it was a sad day when I found out. Having been a restaurant pastry chef, I love reading her chef and restaurant stories, as well as the vintage menus. Her post about the Hudson Valley food scene was very nostalgic for me, as I used to live near there in Spencertown, NY. I say “yes” to the Wild Blackberry Hand Pies in a recent post. And she writes beautifully; it's a joy to read her newsletters.
As a former restaurant pastry chef, I enjoy reading current stories about the restaurant industry, and food industry in general. Also, stories about specific restaurants.
@Dianne Jacob - If your interest is writing about food, Dianne is absolutely the best source for all things related. She helped me get started with my Substack. Her paperback, Will Write for Food 4th edition (May 25, 2021), is not only an essential read, but a handy reference book as well. I read her newsletter the minute it hits my inbox; she's the best.
@Zoë François - I especially enjoy reading Zoë's posts where she interviews other food people. Plus, her recipes.
@Kate McDermott - What's not to like about pie? This is a newsletter from Kate, the Queen of Pies, who writes not only about pies and Pie Cottage (her home), but other subjects that she happens to fancy. It’s a cozy and fun read.
Ruth Ben-Ghiat - This is a unique newsletter written by a NYU Professor, who specializes in the history of authoritarians, propaganda, and democracy protection. These are all very pertinent subjects for today and I like reading history.
@Steven Beschloss - Just like the title says, this is a newsletter about America and the political forces that are threatening our democracy. Written by a journalist/college professor.
Marissa Rothkopf-Bakes: The Secret Life of Cookies
@Marissa Rothkopf - Marissa's newsletters are like "An ode to Cookies" every time. I love to bake and eat cookies, so this is a perfect newsletter for me.
@Luisa Weiss - I just found Luisa on Substack, but I have been a big fan since her book, Classic German Baking, was published in 2016. When that book came out, I baked half a dozen recipes from it; they were all fruit-based and all delicious. The summer of 2017 was my Berlin Baking Summer, when the peaches, plums, nectarines, and other fruits were at their peak.
@David Lebovitz - Oh to be in Paris! David takes you there every month with a newsletter filled with mouth-watering stories about eating, cooking, or baking in Paris mostly, but also other venues. And pictures too! I love it.
This newsletter is all about cookbooks. As a collector of cookbooks, especially baking, pastry, and dessert books, I love reading the latest news about them and learning which books I might need/want in the future.
@Heather Cox Richardson - This newsletter keeps me up to date on what’s happening in politics and our government. I usually read Heather’s newsletter and @Joyce Vance’s Civil Discourse newsletter together. What a pair for understanding what’s going on in the world.
@Ruhlman – I enjoy the stories Michael writes about the food adventures and travels of Michael and Ann. I like Ann’s point of view also. Chef stories are always interesting to me. His recent story about Hawaii was heart-wrenching. Plus, I've been a fan since his book Ratio: the Simple Codes of Everyday Cooking was published. Reprint Edition (2010) is available now.
Thank you all,
Shirl
Thank you so much for the shout out in your newsletter about my newsletter! It means a lot and you've put me in superb company, too!