Legit Health Benefits of Walking 2 Minutes + The #1 Album to Stream This Week
And score the recipe for my latest baking experiment, Honey, Fig and Sea Salt Cornbread.
Welcome back to What’s Good after a brief hiatus for Labor Day!
As you’ll see below in the “What to Read” section, the publishing pace didn’t slow one bit for the holiday. But I was able to enjoy a bit of R&R that weekend, including a massage, a poolside potluck dinner party, some rejuvenating podcast-infused walks and some new experiments in the kitchen.
One of the biggest surprises and hits was inspired by a large shipment of fresh California Figs. I was lucky enough to score several pounds and wanted to make the most of them before they were past their prime, so I shared some, simmered others down into cherry balsamic-fig preserves, snacked on others and featured the rest atop a unique cornbread recipe.
Taking inspiration from What’s Gaby Cooking, Food52 and The Kitchn, I whipped up a Honey, Fig and Sea Salt Cornbread that I shared on social media. A few friends asked for the recipe, so I’ll share that below in case you, too, want to make the most of fresh fig season! You need just one bowl, one pan and a spatula (plus the ingredients, of course) to recreate this easy recipe.
Honey, Fig and Sea Salt Cornbread
Serves: 16
Ingredients
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (I used Fage)
1 cup milk or buttermilk
2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup honey
2 eggs
1 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used gluten-free cup-for-cup blend so I could share with some gluten-intolerant pals)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
14 fresh figs, halved
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt (Maldon is my favorite)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan or cake pan with oil or butter.
In a large bowl, use a spatula to mix the yogurt, milk, olive oil and honey. Add the eggs and stir again, then add the cornmeal and mix to combine.
In the same bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and stir until the batter is smooth. (Try not to overmix; a few small lumps are A-OK.)
Pour the cornbread batter into the prepared pan. Layer the figs, cut-side up, on top of the batter in any pattern you like. Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top.
Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a sharp knife, skewer or toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Transfer the pan to a trivet and allow the cornbread to cool. Once it’s at or slightly above room temp, use a sharp knife to slice the cornbread into 16 wedges.
What to Read…
Since I’ve had 23 pieces published between the last edition of What’s Good and now, and there’s a lot to scan through below to see if it piques your interest, I’ll keep this intro brief. 🤣
I’ve featured a few of my favorite pieces near the top, but there’s fascinating science, culinary inspiration and a little vacation inspiration from start to finish.
DailyOM: 9 Ways to Boost Your Self-Esteem
EatingWell: Walking After Meals for Just 2 Minutes Is Enough to Lower Blood Sugar—Here's Why, According to Science
EatingWell: Should You Be Drinking a Glass of Water Before Bed? Here's What Dietitians Have to Say
EatingWell: Ina Garten Just Planned Your Ultimate Hamptons Vacation—Here's What's on the Itinerary
EatingWell: 12 New Trader Joe's Hacks You Need to Try, According to Employees
EatingWell: Kim Kardashian Swears By a Plant-Based Diet to Ease Her Psoriasis Symptoms—Here's What the Science Says
EatingWell: What Should You Eat and Drink to Manage Long COVID-19 Symptoms?
EatingWell: You Can Now Shop Lizzo's Personalized Grocery List on Instacart—See What Made the Cut
EatingWell: What You Eat for Lunch Makes a Big Difference—Here's How to Prep Yours
EatingWell: 6 Trader Joe's Pumpkin Products to Add to Your Cart This Fall
EatingWell: Drinking Black Tea Might Help Lower Risk for Early Death, According to a New Study
EatingWell: Why Kids Don't Eat Enough Seafood and How They Can Enjoy It
Better Homes & Gardens: Easy Canned Pinto Bean Recipes That Will Inspire You to Stock Up on This Pantry Staple
Better Homes & Gardens: How to Cut a Watermelon 4 Ways So You Can Savor Summer's Best
Better Homes & Gardens: Easy and Delicious Red Potato Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Better Homes & Gardens: These 11 Quick Dinner Ideas for Two Can Be On Your Table in 30 Minutes or Less
Better Homes & Gardens: Curious How Much Meat to Prepare Per Person For a BBQ? We've Got Your Answers For 12 Common Cookout Entrées
Better Homes & Gardens: Make-Ahead Dips No One Will Be Able to Resist Dunking Into
VERANDA: The 13 Best Wines for the Holidays, According to Sommeliers
VERANDA: The Brand-New RH Guesthouse Is Overflowing with Luxurious Details
Runner's World (also find this in the October print magazine!): Your Race Training Should Include Paying Attention to Your Gut Health
dsm Magazine: Exclusive: Proudfoot & Bird’s New Executive Chef
Culinary Hill: What’s in Season in September
What to Listen to…
Flip on Yola’s newest album Stand For Myself the next time you could use a dance party, some car karaoke, a mood boost or a break from your current playlist on loop. (I can’t be the only one who binges new favorite songs faster and more frequently than most people binge the latest Game of Thrones season!)
With an undeniably powerful voice (think Aretha meets Lizzo meets Adele) and style that’s a fusion of soul, jazz, country and pop, Yola’s pandemic-penned 12-track release is packed with 46 minutes of inspiring lyrics and catchy riffs. I was lucky enough to join some friends to see her live at Hoyt Sherman Place in Des Moines on Saturday and we were absolutely blown away by her guitar skills, voice and presence.
Yola’s tour continues to St. Louis, Chicago, New York City and beyond later this fall, and if you ever have the chance to see her live, I wholeheartedly recommend! But streaming the album to perk up your Monday is a terrific place to start.
Another great read, Karla! I love adding to my collection of dip recipes and will definitely be trying out some of the easy lunch ideas to pack for my days in-office. And I already read your article in the print edition of Runner’s World. Good stuff!