Reflections on a Flavorful 2024
And a sneak peak at 2025
What a journey this year has been! As I look back on 2024, I'm humbled and grateful for our growing community of more than 5,000 followers who have joined in exploring the vast and varied world of sustainable food; each of us embracing the commitment to become more enlightened omnivores.
I’ve published nearly 70 pieces – from articles and recipes, to podcasts, and yes, even a dash of poetry
I’m extending the winter solstice offer! You can get 50% off one year through Dec. 31st!
A Year of Exploration
This year was one of experimentation, learning what you all really like to read about, and what I was curious to write. My very first post was penned at my cabin in the desert, and throughout the year I included many more missives of why the Mojave is so important to my mental health. We explored the desert as monastery, living like a nomad, loneliness vs. solitude, and even the culinary benefits of juniper berries. Wrapping up the year with last week’s Winter Solstice felt like a nice bookend to an ever expanding exploration of arid lands.
Beyond the desert, I wrote about mushrooms in space, the fascinating world of pigs in Vegas (a story that still makes me smile), and even the science behind cooking oils and hexanes. I even got to tackle the practicalities of raising suburban chickens – because sometimes the best food stories start right in our own backyards. And of course, I appreciated all of your offers to stow away in my carryon for the romantic Les Olives series about my time pruning my French aunt’s olive grove.
Halfway through the year, I launched the podcast, which now has more than 1,000 downloads!!! I had so much fun learning the art of interviewing, and speaking with old friends and new, from famous authors, to butcher friends, to farmers making a difference.
On the recipe front—because this whole experiment is about food—there was the perfect reverse sear steak, making bacon the Electric City Butcher way, how to roast a whole lamb in your backyard, and the crowd favorite Turducken Sausage. Just because the newsletter was getting a little too “omni-meat,” I also shared my fascination with the ancient super food Amaranth.
The Heart of Home Cooking
One of my favorite posts, was also one of my firsts, and one of the most popular on Enlightened Omnivore: All Kinds of Cooks: Which One Are You? I got to explore the diverse ways we all come to the kitchen. From the Mother Earth Cook who carries generations of unwritten recipes in their hearts, to the Kitchen Captain running the mess hall with military precision, to the Store-Bought Superstar making magic happen on a budget – we discovered together that there's no single "right" way to approach the stove. It was great to hear your thoughts too.
From Behind the Butcher Counter
My years behind the butcher counter have taught me that food is about so much more than recipes and techniques. It's also about community, tradition, and the stories we share. But it helps to have a butcher you can reach out to when you have those pressing meat questions. This year,I got to share about my favorite lamb chops, to freeze or not to freeze, the joys of schmaltz, and my super secret Thanksgiving hacks.
Looking Forward
As we head into 2025, I'm excited to continue this culinary journey together. I am eager to explore more podcasts, maybe even a new series focused on farmers and ranchers of regenerative agriculture. I’ll continue to explore and question, and cook. And although I didn’t write much about it in 2024, I thoroughly enjoyed Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, by James Nestor. In 2025, I hope to learn and write more about purposeful, and controlled breath work, and how it might enlighten us all.
I’m eager to share more recipes from the butcher shop, my own kitchen, and the kitchens of my closest friends.
And there will be more updates and missives from France as I return to my aunt’s home to prune the other half of the olive trees this Spring. Other travel on the calendar will include New Mexico, Tanzania, and maybe even the Arabian Peninsula?
And don’t forget about the book project. I’m still working on the “pruning” manuscript, and I may be asking you all for feedback before I pursue publishing in 2025.
A Final Note
I want to thank each of you who've followed along this year – whether you've been here since day one, or just joined in the last week. Your comments, questions, and shared experiences have made this year so much more fulfilling for me as a writer. From cook book recommendations, to tips for intermittent fasting, you've all contributed to making Enlightened Omnivore a place where food brings us together.
Here's to another year of culinary adventures, thoughtful discussions, and mindful eating. Keep cooking, keep questioning, and most importantly, keep sharing your love of food with others.
Until the new year,
Steve
I’m extending the winter solstice offer! You can get 50% off one year through Dec. 31st!
