Seven essays deep into my column for Magazyn Wino, I am equal parts satisfied, grateful, and relieved. The achievement is both more tangible than a lot of the confidentiality-bound work that I do, and more mouth-watering. (It is also in Polish, unlike my food writing on this blog.) I’m grateful to the team at Magazyn Wino, both past and present, for trusting me with the job and for the ways they’ve inspired me to produce essays worth reading. I’m also relieved to find the writing itself increasingly familiar and manageable. It’s no longer a nightmare to get started in the first place, or to figure out when I’m done.

Pictured below is my content in the two issues of Magazyn Wino wrapping up 2016. One was a deep dive into stock, the other a scrutiny of the spice rack. Coming soon is an essay on cream soups, featuring a handful of inspiring ideas and a handy master recipe. Next, in the April issue, I’ll be divulging the details of an unexpected diet I’ve been following—and sharing a few recipes that are simultaneously healthy and indulgent. But that’s an essay I haven’t even begun to start finishing yet. Hence this post, I guess: a wayward excursion away from the piece I should probably be writing instead.

Essay and image by the author, published in Magazyn Wino 2016/5.

Essay and image by the author, published in Magazyn Wino 2016/6.