News is bad for you

At breakfast with my running buddies recently, they were mildly appalled when they had to explain to me various current events that were the subject of discussion. I admit there are some news items that might be worth keeping up with, like this one mentioned in a "Talk of the Town" piece in a July 2022 issue of the New Yorker: "Last spring, as the world watched, a huge container ship loaded with bicycles, dildos, and IKEA furniture blocked the Suez Canal for six days." But as attention getting as that is, I think I'll stick with my head-in-the-sand approach that has worked wonders for me for the past few years.

 

Coincidentally, not long after that breakfast, I ran across an article in the Guardian by the Swiss author Rolf Dobelli titled "News is bad for you – and giving up reading it will make you happier," which has clearly been my experience. Dobelli cites ten reasons why news is bad for you, including that it misleads, is irrelevant, is toxic to your body, wastes time, and inhibits thinking and creativity. Dobelli isn't totally against journalism; he thinks it's just better to get it from "long journal articles and in-depth books," rather than toxic news. At the time he wrote the article, Dobelli had gone without news for four years, which for him resulted in "less disruption, less anxiety, deeper thinking, more time, more insights." I've definitely seen some of the same benefits since my own news embargo.

 

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Something that is definitely not bad for you is this simple dish of rice and beans, easily and quickly thrown together in one pot, using only pantry ingredients. While the rice is cooking, you have plenty of time to fix a salad, making for a nearly perfect weeknight meal.

One-Pot Rice and Beans

Adapted from I Dream of Dinner (so you don't have to) (2022) by Ali Slagle

Time: ~37 minutes

27 grams (2 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil (or unsalted butter, or a mix)

1 large (~225 grams) yellow onion, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus a pinch

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

180 grams (1 cup) long-grain white rice (I like jasmine rice), rinsed

1 (15-ounce) can pinto or black beans, with their liquid

1 teaspoon (6 grams) Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base, optional

300 grams (1¼ cups) water

Freshly ground black pepper

Lime wedges, for serving, optional

    1. In a large saucier, saucepan, or Dutch oven (which has a lid), warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and season with a good pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and softened but not browned, about 5 minutes.

    2. Stir in the garlic, cumin, rice, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 or 2 minutes.

    3. Stir in the beans, with their liquid, and the Seasoned Vegetable Base, if using, then the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer throughout the cooking process; cook, without lifting the lid, for 17 minutes.

    4. Remove from the heat and let sit, still covered, for 3 or 4 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff with a fork. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve promptly, with a squeeze of lime if desired. Serves 3 or 4.

For Chipotle-style cilantro-lime rice

In step 4, after the rice has sat, stir in some chopped cilantro and freshly squeezed lime juice and zest to taste.