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

This past week was a busy one, with a lot going on at work and home. I forced myself to take some much-needed breaks by going to yoga.

I’ve found over the years that yoga is one of the only practices that keeps me centered. I like to go on hikes when the weather is nice because it has the same effect, but in those in-between months when it’s not nice enough to spend lots of time outside, I turn to my local yoga studio.

My teacher the other night was talking about how she gets a lot of people coming to class feeling guilty. They approach her after class and tell her that they feel bad because they should have been at home with their family or at work. They view taking an hour out of their day to be on the yoga mat as an unnecessary luxury.

Personally, I think everyone deserves at least one hour a day where they can do something that brings them joy or relaxation. We live in a culture that tells us that success is contingent upon certain standards, and that we haven’t achieved a lot unless we feel completely drained or overwhelmed.

But if you think about it, you can’t really give back to the world unless you yourself are centered and happy. I’m not saying sacrifice is a bad thing; I’m saying that taking care of yourself is just as important.

One of my best friends once said to me that you have to take care of yourself first before you take care of someone else. I replay those words a lot, especially when I’m stressed or I feel bad for not doing something that I think I *should* be doing.

I hope that wherever this week takes you, you can find time every day to unwind and recenter yourself. Without further ado, here is Dimanche:

Yellow vest protestors in Paris are up in arms about Notre Dame funds. The protestors, who since last year have rallied against many of French President Emmanuel Macron’s reforms, see the government’s raising billion of dollars to repair Notre Dame as a slap in the face as they fight for more wealth equality. Read more about the situation in this NPR story.

Everyone should read an old Jonathan Gold review every now and again. I saw one of Gold’s reviews in my Twitter feed earlier this week and it made me nostalgic. I think his reviews should be mandatory reading for anyone who is or wants to be a food writer. Check out Gold’s review of Bavel in the LA Times.

I’m loving this interview of Claire Denis by Barry Jenkins. Jenkins is one of my favorite directors and even though I’ve only seen a couple of Denis’s movies, I’ve been meaning to watch more. The way she describes her creative process while writing a script is intriguing. Read the full interview in The New York Times.

I was very sad to hear that Hominy Grill is closing in Charleston, SC. The restaurant was the first one I visited when I stopped by the city for the first time a few years ago. It was some of the best Southern food I’d ever tasted, and I loved the atmosphere, too. Read more about Hominy Grill in this Plate story.

In case you missed it, I went on a honeycomb bender last week. It was my first time cooking with honeycomb and I tried to find as many ways as I could to use it up. Check out one of my latest blog posts for recipe tips and ideas. John Rosenberg is the true definition of a mensch. Rosenberg, a Holocaust survivor who lives in Eastern Kentucky, opened a free legal aid office called the Appalachian Research and Defense Fund (AppalReD) that helps the region’s poorest citizens. Read more about Rosenberg and his work in Eastern Kentucky in this Lexington Herald Leader piece.

Everyone needs to RUN to get this eggplant sandwich at Balkan Treat Box. I stopped by the Webster Groves restaurant on Friday and ordered the Patlidzan, or a sandwich with wood fired eggplant, egg, apricot pomegranate molasses, cucumber, and tomatoes, served on somun, or wood fired bread. It’s my new favorite thing on the menu. Elena Ferrante is one of my favorite writers, so I was happy when The Paris Review unlocked her “Art of Fiction” interview this week. You might know Ferrante from her Neapolitan Novel quartet. I just finished rereading all those books so I was extra excited about reading this interview with Ferrante about her writing. I’m not sure if it’s still unlocked but if it is, you should check out the interview in the Paris Review.

I usually roll my eyes at most New York things but this story about a woman who saved her wedding ring from a sidewalk grate caught my eye. New York resident Kate Ray saved her ring from the grate with the help of tape and a supportive crowd of onlookers. This is human ingenuity at its finest. Read more in this Huffington Post story.

Last but certainly not least, I read a story about Punjabi-Mexican cuisine and now I want all the roti quesadillas. The story covers the history of Punjabi-Mexican cuisine in California and how it has evolved over the years. Read more about the food and the people behind the cuisine in this Eater article.

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