Good morning, As promised, we’ll continue to answer common questions we’re getting about the app and Kickstarter in the Q/A sections. The campaign remains live through July 25th!

RECIPE BREAKDOWN 🤯

Granola framework

Why you should learn this

Granola is an underrated snack, breakfast building block, and versatile crunchy topping. But the premade stuff can be expensive (and sometimes, boring).

This breakdown allows you to make granola with whatever kind of nuts & dried fruits you already have in the pantry (remember, nuts & seeds expire faster than you think).

What you’ll need

• 2 parts oats

• 1 part seeds (sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, chia)

• 1 part nuts (pecans, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, coconut chips)

• 1/2 part sweet (sugar, maple syrup, honey)

• 1/2 part chewy (dried fruit, cranberries, cherries, raisins)

• 1/4 part fat (olive oil, coconut oil, etc)

  • Optional flavor adjusters: cocoa powder, cinnamon, etc

  • Salt to taste

These are general starting points. Have more of one ingredient you need to use up? Prefer more chew to crunch in your granola? Just adjust the ratios…it’ll still work.

How to make it

1 — Prep

• Preheat the oven to ~325°F/162 °C.

• Combine all ingredients and mix until evenly coated.

2 — Bake

• Spread the mixture in an even layer on a large sheet tray (use parchment for easier cleanup).

• Bake for 35-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so for even browning.

3 — Store & Enjoy

• Stir & break up the granola into your desired texture before it cools together.

Note: The granola will keep for up to 2 weeks when stored in an airtight container, or longer in the fridge/freezer.

RECIPE RECOMMENDATIONS ✅

Other breakfast options

If the thought of granola makes you hungry for other delicious meals to start your day, check out our breakfast/brunch collection here:

FOOD TRENDS 🚀

Matcha everything

Why is matcha everywhere these days?

Matcha is taking the culinary world by storm—and not just in coffee shops. From soft serve to tiramisu, matcha desserts are appearing everywhere. We’ve covered how matcha has become popular in desserts because of its unique flavor, texture & color.

But how has it had sustained popularity over the past few years?

1 — Balanced bitterness

• Matcha consists of ground green tea leaves with a subtle bitter taste, which balance desserts, drinks, and experimental tasting menu items alike.

2 — Japanese cultural influence

• US and European coffee shops and restaurants are simply listening to demand and have kept it on menus, shifting it from a trendy seasonal item to an expected offering.

3 —Physical benefits

• Matcha offers advantages over coffee with a less jittery, sustained caffeine release and higher antioxidant counts.

Plus, like coffee and teas, its powered form makes it simple to incorporate into recipes.

READER Q&A 🧠

How to feed yourself over and over

Beginner home cooks think mostly about recipes, while advanced home cooks think about the entire process of feeding themselves over and over. Consider this:

Cooking is not that hard, it’s everything that comes before and after cooking that is hard.

If you give anyone a recipe and the required ingredients, they can probably follow the steps to get a meal on the table. But now comes the harder part:

• The cleanup & dishes. And what do you do with the leftovers?

• How do you use the remaining unused ingredients?

• What about picking the next meal or getting the next round of groceries?

That’s what’s hard.

Advanced home cooks have a system for the whole process: sourcing ingredients effectively, staying inspired and deciding what to cook next, then figuring out what to do with extra items.

That’s why we spent the last two years designing the Cook Well app, which goes beyond recipes and helps with everything that comes before and after making a meal:

• Shopping well and buying groceries efficiently

• Staying inspired and figuring out what to make for the rest of the week

• Learning to use ingredients up with flexibility and intuition

Learn more about how our app features work together to help feed yourself every day:

WINNING READER SUBMISSION 🏆

Braised beef tacos

This week’s dinner winner is David L., who made Ethan’s braised beef tacos. Nicely done.

Reply with your best home-cooked food photos for a chance to win & be featured!

EXTRA HELPINGS 🍽️

A read: I Made Every Recipe in the Bon Appetit 56

In a minute or less: Cocktail Shaker Iced Coffee

What we’re watching: How Arabica Coffee is Harvested

Food science: Steaming

Get in on the kickstarter: Live until July 25th!

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