midweek gems #34: You asked for it -- old school tamarind liquid

+ Ringo Starr + inflamaging in the news + retirement financials

Hello everyone!

This week’s gems is a shortie because I’ve been having lots of fun playing with tamarind for you, plus I’ve been considering how we can age with grace, fun, and minimal pain.

💎 Very old fashioned tamarind liquid

When it comes to tamarind, have I underestimated your curiosity? Let me know. I thought I’d start off easy with the Tamarind Basics tutorial. I’d love for you to make your own and not rely on the premade crud in the container, which I always strain to make sure that no cracked tamarind seed bits are in the mix. They feel like pebbles and in your mouth, you may think you cracked a tooth while eating! GROSS. What kind of ‘convenience’ ingredient is that?

Make your own! It takes about 15 minutes and about $5 for a slab to yield about 3 cups. That’s double what you’d get in the plastic containers and you’ll minimize plastic packaging in your life.

But — what about if you want to cook old school? Andrea V. and Emily jumped on the idea of making tamarind liquid from the pods I mentioned in the Tamarind Basics. I told them they were wanting to do grad-level cooking. Andrea already bought the pods!

So, I spent a day updating the Tamarind Basics article and making a video titled “Making Old Fashioned Tamarind Liquid.” It’s a simple process that puts you much closer to the ingredient. Each time I make tamarind liquid from pods, I pause to appreciate it as a wondrous plant, not just a dark slab wrapped in plastic. I also feel like I’m cooking like my mother and grandmother did long ago but I’m doing it in the comforts of my 2025 kitchen!

For the new information, head to the revised Tamarind Basics article.

💎 Great reads: Ringo Starr, Inflammaging, Retirement

I’ve taken a break from reading the news and checking on my retirement investments to search for inspiring, positive information. Three stories that gave us hope and chuckles:

• 🥁 Ringo Starr turned 85 this week and got a major feature in the Sunday New York Times (gift link expires in 1 month). The article is fun and quirky just like the man himself. More importantly, Ringo remind us that what’s important is to do work that we enjoy and love. It’ll never get boring or overly arduous. I am lucky that my work in food writing and this newsletter brings me such joy. Thanks for making all the effort worth while!

• 🔆 So the Blue Zones may not be all that they’re cracked up to be. (The data wasn’t tight, it turns out. It’s not so much about some magical place or diet.) What I’m hearing about focuses on making lifestyle choices to help us create greater healthspan (living longer with less pain, which I’m fully into. 💯) One term floating around is inflammaging, which is defined as chronic, low-grade inflammation associated with getting older. Some research says it’s an inevitable part of the aging process. That’s so gloomy! Last week, a NYT article sayid that we may be able to manage certain factors to mitigate inflammation and aging. Check it out via this gift link to “A Common Assumption about Aging May Be Wrong, Studies Suggest”.

• 💰 The Wall Street Journal ran a story on four people who’ve had to retire early and how they’re dealing with their finances. They reveal their wealth, fears, and strategies. As someone in her mid fifties with a husband who will retire sooner than later, I’m keen on the years ahead and not banking on Social Security solvency. If you are in the same boat, take a read of “Late-Career Job Losses are Blurring what Retirement Looks Like in America” (gift link).

Back to the kitchen!

After writing about the Tamarind-Date Chutney and Cilantro-Mint Chutneys, my brain is fired up on ways to deploy chutneys for easy summer meals. I added some of the green one to raw oysters (there’s horseradish too). Then I tweaked it to marinade meat. More on the new marinade sensation in this coming Sunday Special.