Four Fridays. A few useful ways to make dinner easier.
“What’s for dinner?” has a way of showing up every day.
Some nights, you have an answer. Other nights, you stand in front of the fridge waiting for something to suggest itself.
This November, we’re kicking off Franklin’s Field Notes with Feed Yourself: a month of dependable meals, useful kitchen habits, and less guessing about what to eat.
Field Notes is practical stuff for everyday life. Each month, we’ll explore one subject through articles, videos, and tips you can put to use. No lectures or homework. Take what’s useful and come back whenever.
We’re starting in the kitchen. Not because everyone needs to become a great cook, but because having a few meals you’re comfortable making can make an ordinary week easier.
Here’s what’s coming.
November 6: One Dependable Dinner
Steak bites, potatoes, and green beans. A complete dinner on a sheet pan, with garlic butter to finish.
We’ll share an Allrecipes video demonstration and practical pointers to help you get started. The goal isn’t to impress anyone. It’s to find one meal you enjoy enough to make again.
November 13: Groceries That Work Together
Buying groceries and having dinner sorted aren’t always the same thing.
We’ll connect two meals through shared ingredients, look at portions, and build a more deliberate shopping list. Chef Jack Ovens’ chipotle beef and potato bowls will give us a different use for some familiar basics.
Less starting from scratch. Fewer purchases without a plan.
November 20: Less Second-Guessing in the Kitchen
Recipes tell you what to do. Understanding a few reasons behind the steps helps, too.
Inspired by Myles Snider’s “25 Principles for Cooking,” we’ll explore preparation, giving food room to cook, and understanding flavor. Chef Jack Ovens’ lemon garlic chicken and crispy potatoes will give us somewhere to put those ideas into practice.
A different dinner, with a few habits worth keeping.
November 27: Dinner When You Can’t Be Bothered
The day after Thanksgiving feels like a reasonable time to ask less of the kitchen.
We’ll feature Cooking with CJ’s Thanksgiving leftover sliders and explore using what’s already there rather than starting another cooking project. No holiday leftovers? There’ll be an alternative starting point, too.
Convenient ingredients and familiar shortcuts have a place. Dinner doesn’t need to become another event.
Start wherever it helps
You don’t need to follow every recipe or read every post. Each Friday’s Field Note will stand on its own, with something useful to watch, read, or try.
By the end of November, we hope you’ll have a few more answers when dinner comes around.
Coming in December: Maintain Your Body
Food is one part of taking care of yourself. Next month, we’ll build on it with Maintain Your Body, exploring movement, rest, and everyday care.
Maintenance, not a makeover.