Hi Reader,

There’s something wonderfully rebellious about slowing down on a Sunday.
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Not dramatic rebellion. Nobody’s spray-painting slogans across the garage door or storming town hall with flags. More the quiet sort: lingering over coffee, letting dinner happen gradually, refusing to optimize every blessed hour of the weekend like we’re contestants on a productivity game show from 1987.
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I soooo didn’t appreciate that rhythm when I was younger. Sundays in my Portuguese family had their own liturgy. Food stayed on the table long after anyone was hungry. Stories got longer with every retelling. Someone inevitably fell asleep in a chair bfrom too much of Papa Leite's homemade wine, mouth open, dignity gone, completely at peace.
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Back then, I thought the adults were wasting time.

Now, after 33 years with The One, I understand. (I don't always practice it—thank you, ADHD—but I totally get it.
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And isn’t that what Sunday is for? Not errands. Not inboxes. Not reorganizing the junk drawer because some chirpy influencer with acrylic bins made us feel morally inferior. The One won't even patronize a store that's opening on Sunday.
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Sunday is for the slow braise. The second cup. The sauce that burbles while you pretend to read but are actually just staring out the window. It’s for food that doesn’t shout, "Look at me, I'm Sandra Dee!" (Extra points if you know the origin of that lyric.)
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Which, frankly, may be the most radical thing we can do all week.

My Sunday Slow-Down Rules

• Cook something that takes its sweet time. A roast, a stew, a sauce, a loaf of bread—anything that asks you to be nearby but not frantic.
• Set the table before you need to. It changes the whole mood. Suddenly dinner feels less like refueling and more like an event. Even if the event is just you, Alan, and a chicken.
• Let leftovers be part of the plan. Sunday cooking should make Monday less punishing. Future You deserves something better than panic toast.
• Do one thing by hand. Chop the herbs. Knead the dough. Stir the pudding. Not because it’s efficient. Because it pulls you back into your body.
• Linger. Leave the plates for a bit. Pour another glass. Tell the story again. Time isn’t always something to save. Sometimes it’s something to spend.

WHAT'S INSIDE...

• ​Ina Garten's Company Pot Roast​
• ​Moroccan-Spiced Roast Chicken​
• ​Beef Braised In Barolo​
• ​Braised Lamb Shanks​
• ​Roasted Summer Vegetable Pasta With Halloumi​
• ​Spanish Pork Loin Roast​
• ​Spiced Roast Chicken​
• ​Mayo Roast Chicken​
• ​Creole Shrimp & Grits​
• ​Easy Skillet Lasagna​

​Ina Garten's Company Pot Roast​

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.73 from 58 votes

This Barefoot Contessa company pot roast takes an inexpensive beef chuck roast, a bottle of red wine, a little brandy, carrots, onions, celery, leeks, and tomatoes and transforms them into a meal worthy of a dinner party. And leftovers to last the week.

​☞ ​Try this recipe​

​Moroccan-Spiced Roast Chicken​

This Moroccan-spiced roast chicken is seasoned with paprika, cumin, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, and then cooked on a bed of sweet potatoes, cauliflower, and red onions.

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​Beef Braised In Barolo​

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 from 12 votes

This beef braised in Barolo is braised chuck roasted in an aromatic mix of Barolo wine, garlic, tomato paste, thyme, and rosemary. Perfect for entertaining.

​☞ ​Try this recipe​

​Braised Lamb Shanks​

Braised lamb shanks are left to slowly burble in a lovely Pinot Noir with fennel, ginger, cinnamon, coriander, and more until the meat is literally falling-off-the-bone tender. One of our favorite winter pastimes is making this.

​☞ ​Try this recipe​

​Roasted Summer Vegetable Pasta With Halloumi​

This delicious roasted vegetable pasta dish makes short work of your farmer's market haul or will perk up some sad November tomatoes if that's the situation you find yourself in.

​☞ ​Try this recipe​

​Spanish Pork Loin Roast​

This easy pork loin roast with paprika is great for entertaining as it requires minimal effort but will garner you rave reviews.

​☞ ​Try this recipe​

​Spiced Roast Chicken​

This spiced roast chicken is like a choose-your-own-adventure in weeknight cooking. Choose your favorite rub—spiced curry, Cajun, or warm spice–slather it on chicken pieces (breasts, thighs, drumsticks, they all work well!), and roast until tender.

​☞ ​Try this recipe​

​Mayo Roast Chicken​

Mayo roast chicken takes your everyday chicken and kicks it up a notch. Spatchcocked for speed, then basted with a tangy mayo, you can have this crisp-skinned and ultra-moist beauty on the table in under 2 hours. A worthy upgrade to those grocery store rotisserie birds.

​☞ ​Try this recipe​

​Creole Shrimp & Grits​

This Creole shrimp and grits combines perfectly spiced shrimp, a spicy (but not too spicy) Creole sauce, and creamy white Cheddar grits. It's Southern comfort food with Big Easy flair.

​☞ ​Try this recipe​

​Easy Skillet Lasagna​

This easy skillet lasagna is made with a homemade basil tomato sauce, store-bought ravioli, and mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. A satisfying weeknight dinner that the entire family will want repeatedly.

​☞ ​Try this recipe​