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

This week I decided to attack winter by breaking out of my routine. I tackled a big, super-involved recipe for Swedish cardamom rolls (see above picture), revisited some of my favorite spots in St. Louis, and attended boxing class for the first time.

The last part might sound like a joke but it’s true. I donned boxing gloves and, in my humble opinion, did pretty well. Oftentimes in winter, I fall back on my default survival mode, which is eating pastries and drinking coffee, so it felt good to try something new and use some pent up energy.

I’m looking forward to a couple events this week including a book talk by one of my favorite French authors and a trip to the symphony. In the meantime, I have a bunch of recipes lined up to get through another week of winter. Stay tuned for those later this week.

Without further ado, here is Dimanche:

Ruth Bader Ginsburg is back on the bench and I’m so relieved. The Supreme Court Justice had to sit out some oral arguments after having surgery last month to remove cancerous nodules in her lungs. I can barely write about this without having massive anxiety so I’ll leave you with the story from CNN.

The London Tea Merchant is one of my favorite places to go during the winter in St. Louis. Stop by the shop to enjoy authentic British tea and to browse loose leaf tea blends. I came in one day after work last week and got a slice of strawberry Victorian cake with vanilla tea. I’d highly recommend that combo.

I really enjoyed this story about left-handed chefs. As a left-handed home cook, I could sympathize with some of the things the chefs in the article talked about. No one thinks about it but most of the tools in the culinary world are geared toward right-handed cooks. Check out this Eater story to read more about how chefs adapt to this reality.

I’m loving this article about Balkan Treat Box’s new restaurant. Edo and Loryn Nalic and their team are getting so much well-deserved good press. I had no idea that Loryn traveled around Eastern Europe before opening her food truck, but it makes sense when you try Balkan Treat Box’s food. Everything tastes authentic. Read more about Balkan Treat Box in this Plate piece.

Dottie’s Flour Shop is a home baker’s dream. I discovered the shop on Friday when I was running errands in Ladue, a suburb of St. Louis, and I’m in love. It has so many cute trinkets and items for the kitchen, and homemade baked goods including cookies and pie. I picked up a packet of tea from a local company, Forest & Meadow, and paired it with one of the shop’s matcha sugar cookies. 

I’d never heard of Mexican babka until I saw this article but now I’m dying to try it. Elena Vázquez Felgueres and Tamar Fasja Unikel, the owners of Chicago-based online-order bakery Masa Madre, are churning out loaves of Mexican babka each week for a growing clientele. Read more about their business and stare at pictures of babka in this Chicago Magazine story.

Last but certainly not least, I made some Swedish cardamom rolls and they’re one of the best things I’ve made this year. I ended up creating my own recipe based on a few I read because I couldn’t find some of the ingredients in one, and there were steps missing in another. In any case, they turned out great. I can’t wait to share the recipe with you later this week. 

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