| Good morning, everybody. I've finally had a little bit of downtime, which means that, although I still won't be watching Game Changers, I have come up with some interesting new food experiments. First up is a replacement for crackers. There are plenty of gluten-free cracker brands out there. Some use almond flour. Some use rice. Some use sweet potatoes and beets. There are dozens of options, and they're getting better and more cracker-like all the time. I've found something better than all that. An onion, cut vertically, and separated into "cups." These cups are paper thin but substantial enough to hold their own and support any number of foodstuffs. This replacement won't work for all cracker applications. Don't even try making s'mores out of them. It does, however, work for a very specific combination: charcuterie and cheese. - Onion, prosciutto, and pecorino romano cheese. Sometimes with a big taut green grape, if you can handle the contrast.
- Onion, kielbasa, and aged coastal English cheddar.
- Onion, brie, bresaola (or pastrami).
I have yet to try a combo that doesn't work. Second is kefir. I've always dabbled in kefir. I've recommended its consumption. I'm always impressed with its benefits and scientific support. But only recently have I begun drinking it somewhat regularly. I don't just sip on it. When I drink it, I'll do a quart at a time—that's a meal. Just 32 ounces of whole milk kefir and nothing else. Why? Longtime readers will know that I've always had an issue with stress. It's been my nemesis. I credit my "attachment" to stress as a big reason for my success...to an extent anyway. I care, I truly care about how I perform and what my outcome is—but I'm also always trying to mitigate it. Maybe it's the eternal battle that fuels me, huh? Anyway, I remember a paper from a few years ago talking about the connection between fermented foods and anxiety. Their basic conclusion was that fermented foods like sauerkraut and yogurt and kefir can actually reduce anxiety in the long term. That always stuck with me. I definitely don't have anxiety, social or otherwise, but like I said I do care about the outcome. That can manifest as something like anxiety (without the neurosis). It's "justified anxiety." So, on days when I have a lot going on, when I'm doing some planning or just feel a bit out of sorts, like I'm on the cusp of the future and have yet to fully commit, I'll drink a quart of kefir. And I gotta tell ya: it really soothes the soul. It feels "right." There's precedent for this. Kefir houses a dozen or more strains of probiotic bacteria, some of which have been shown to reduce anxiety. What are you guys trying out these days? Any new food experiments? Let me know in the comment section of Friday's Weekly Link Love. Thanks for reading today. Enjoy your Sunday. Best, | 
