Welcome to this edition of Dimanche (That Means Sunday), a roundup of things that caught my eye this past week.

This week dragged on a little, as the week after a holiday generally does. It didn’t help that I was recovering from being sick and then got sick AGAIN. It’s that time of year, and being in St. Louis doesn’t help. Yesterday it was 70 degrees and today it’s back to winter temps. I’m not going to lie: I’m over it.

On a positive note though, it’s the holiday season and there are plenty of good distractions from cold- and flu-induced misery. I’ve done a little holiday shopping and I’ve enjoyed seeing reactions to gifts. Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah, which means a week filled with fried food and cookies.

Last night I made Hanukkah dinner for myself and my boyfriend. We had to celebrate one night early because he had to go out of town today. I loved making latkes and rugelach, playing dreidel, and lighting the candles. Hanukkah is definitely one of my favorite Jewish holidays, not only from the gift and food perspective but because of the traditions. It’s a great opportunity for friends and loved ones to come together, play games, eat good food, and relax.

I hope this week brings you plenty of holiday-related cheer. If it brings you a cold, I hope you get the rest you need and drink lots of cups of warm tea with honey. That’s been my savior these past couple weeks.

Without further ado, here is Dimanche:

In case you missed it, I contributed to a feature about the best sandwiches in St. Louis. I love the article, which appears in print and online in St. Louis Magazine and highlights some of the best places to get sandwiches in the St. Louis area and the people who make them. I especially love the photos of chefs with their sandwiches in the story. Their faces are priceless.

I really enjoyed this article about the women’s movement for abortion rights in France. I had no idea that abortion was punishable by death in the country through World War II. In the 1970s, women had enough and banded together to campaign for abortion rights. I thought it was interesting how the article compared the movement in France to the movement in America. Read more about it in this Time story.

I discovered an antique shop near my apartment and I’m in love. The Brass Alligator is on Clayton Road near DeMun in St. Louis and it’s full of eccentricities. Starting with a bird who talked to me as I walked through the front door and ending with this mirror discovery (see below), visiting the shop was one of the highlights of my week.

Desserts deserve a special place at the dinner table, argues Chef Alex Stupak. I couldn’t agree more. In a Bloomberg piece, Stupak writes about the general movement in the food industry away from dessert due to rising costs and critical media coverage. Some chefs are doing great things though and they deserve to be acknowledged for it. Personally, I wouldn’t dine at a nice restaurant unless they offered dessert. To me, it’s an integral part of the meal. Before I get too carried away, here’s a link to the Bloomberg story.

Can we talk about the goddess Madhur Jaffrey? Good. I’ve always admired Jaffrey’s cooking tips and general attitude but this story made me appreciate her even more. Apparently, Jaffrey’s standout tip to cooks is to “see the dish being cooked in front of your eyes.” It’s great advice because all too often, we get distracted as we cook and don’t engage in what we’re doing. Cooking is a full sensory experience. Read more about Jaffrey and her cooking advice in this Food 52 post.

In case you missed it, pretty much everyone in France hates President Emmanuel Macron. French citizens on low and middle incomes are protesting throughout the country against the rise in fuel tax decided by Macron’s government. A majority of France supports the protestors, who argue that the taxes unfairly penalize them and cater to the rich. Read more about the situation in this NewStatesman piece.

If you’re in or around St. Louis, you DEFINITELY need to go see the Kehinde Wiley exhibit at the Saint Louis Art Museum. I went a couple weeks ago and I loved it. It’s free and open to the public. Get more information here.

Last but certainly not least, St. Louis is a great place to be a writer. I already knew this but Sylvia Sukop, a local writer and teacher, confirmed it in a recent blog post. In the post, Sukop outlines the reasons why St. Louis is a good place to be creative, including a thriving arts community, a good cost of living, and cheap or free attractions. As someone who has lived in a couple cities and recently moved home, I concur with those assessments. Check out the post on Lit Hub.

Enjoy your week! Here’s a song to get you started.