Daily Archives: August 22, 2024

Thursday, September 5, 6:45 pm – 8:00 pm Eastern – Plant-based Cooking: A Harvest of Recipes, Online

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Plant-based eating has been evolving for centuries, creating a base of beloved recipes enjoyed around the globe. Food editor and writer Joe Yonan has spent years reporting on and making plant-based foods and his new book, Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking, spotlights vegan food as a unique cuisine worthy of mastery.

Yonan collects recipes and essays from prominent food writers in the plant-based sphere, illustrating the abundance of vegan food around the world. The book includes an in-depth pantry section, showing how to create homemade versions of foundational ingredients like milks, butters, stocks, dressings, and spice mixes. Building on these elements, he offers recipes that include Smoky Eggplant Harissa Dip; Bibimbap with Spicy Tofu Crumbles; White Pizza with Crispy Cauliflower and Shiitakes; Enchiladas Five Ways; and Black Tahini Swirled Cheesecake, among many others.

In conversation with chef and food writer Hetty Lui McKinnon, hear Yonan discuss the richness of global vegan cuisine and share tips for flavorful staples, weeknight meals, and celebratory feasts in your own kitchen. This Smithsonian Associates Zoom talk on September 5 is $20 for Smithsonian members, $30 for nonmembers. Register at https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/plant-based-cooking

Friday, September 6, 7:45 pm – 9:00 pm – Ornitherapy and the Power of Birdwatching for Wellness

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On September 6 at 7:45 pm in the Morse Auditorium of the Peabody Essex Museum, join Holly Merker, professional birding guide, mindful nature teacher, author and cancer survivor, to delve into the realm of birding as self care. Research shows that connecting with birds and nature has the potential to reduce stress, depression and anxiety, and can even strengthen cardiovascular health and the immune system. Observing wild birds offers the perfect gateway into deeper experiences with nature. Through observation, we can not only learn about birds, but also gain insight into our own lives while exploring our connection to the world around us. This fosters environmental stewardship and bolsters conservation.

Within the program, we’ll delve into our connections to wild birds, learn how to maximize the wellness benefits of birding and uncover the latest research surrounding the impact of birds on human health and why we need birds for overall well-being. This event is co-hosted by the Essex County Ornithological Club. A brief meeting of the club will be held from 7:30–7:45 pm. All are welcome to attend!

A book signing for Ornitherapy: For Your Mind, Body, and Soul will follow the program. Holly Merker is a nature-based wellness specialist, professional birding guide, author and lecturer for people of all ages. Combining backgrounds in art therapy, nature and forest therapy, wellness counseling and bird identification, she is a global advocate for the practice of mindful birding. She has co-authored two books that guide readers through optimizing the wellness benefits birds provide us, including the award-winning Ornitherapy: For Your Mind, Body, and Soul (Crossley Books, 2021), and The Power of Birdwatching (Die Kraft Der Vogel Beobachtung, Freya verlag, 2023, available in Europe). Merker is also co-host and co-producer of the Mindful Birding podcast and is the founder of the Mindful Birding Network. In 2022, Merker received the American Birding Association’s Conservation and Education Award. In her free time, she spends every possible moment practicing “ornitherapy” herself.

The event is free. Register in advance at https://www.pem.org/events/ornitherapy-and-the-power-of-birdwatching-for-wellness?date=09-06-2024