The Year of Glitter Pickles ✨

SB215

January 07, 2025

Welcome to Secret Breakfast / An exclusive newsletter, the best place to start your day with tribal diets, Sleepy Girl mocktails, New Year’s resolutions, and the sweet confinement of your aloneness

Hi there!

Every year, my wife asks what New Year's resolutions my daughters and I have in mind. Then we disappoint her every year because we have not decided yet.

Can this year start a few weeks later, can’t it?

My 2025 is already full of milestones and commitments, a few desires, and a low tank of patience for the unpredictable events that - in the latest decades - have become the only certainty of our days.

New Year's resolutions… Don’t know.

Speaking of cooking, this year I’d love to improvise less: no measuring by eye, no last-second substitutions.

Then I’d love to have always with me a food diary to write what I eat and cook every day. Except I’m on a diet, so… It’s not the best time of my life for that romantic aspiration.

Regarding this newsletter, I have plenty of resolutions. You’ll see good stuff, it’s coming, I promise.

Love,

Piero

PS: Last week, I asked you what content I should include in the newsletter during 2025. One in two answered they just wanted me to surprise you, while the others asked for more (engaging) food stories and even more recipes. Noted.

Photo by Tim Samuel

ONE ✤ QUOTE

✦ David Whyte, poet.

Rice to Go with Everything, Curries, Broths and Braises, Stir-fries and Simple Sides, Food for Feasting, One-dish Meals, Little Bites, Sweet Things, Sauces and Sprinkles. If you felt hungry during the market street of Crazy Rich Asians, this book would probably shorten the distance between your house and Singapore. What does the title mean? “Agak Agak” is a Malay phrase (translated as 'more or less' or 'to guess') meaning you should use intuition and creativity to curate a delicious meal.

Agak Agak: Everyday Recipes from Singapore by Shu Han Lee
→ Shortplot: 🦀 🥟 🌸 🍚

2025 HAS JUST STARTED, AND WE ALREADY KNOW ALL ABOUT IT

New Year’s Swimmers in Moosseedorf, Switzerland

“If society made a concerted effort, poverty would be abolished by 2025”. This was one of the predictions that people of 1925 made imagining this 2025. It’s fun to read what people had in mind generations ago.

I also have collected some fresh food predictions. I’ll link, then spoil some.

A Year of Sauces: Sauces will be a national obsession, with a focus on global flavors and nuanced options beyond ranch.

Coffee's Next Act: Savory coffee drinks, Yemeni coffeehouses, and omakase-style coffee experiences will gain popularity.

Grab-and-Go Gastronomy: Japanese convenience store-style food will expand, and gas stations will elevate their food offerings.

A Warming Trend: Hospitality will be a key trend, with a focus on personalized service, cozy dining, and community connection.

Punchier Produce: New designer fruits and vegetables with unique flavors and nutritional benefits will emerge.

Another Dose of Protein: Protein will continue to be a major focus, with increased protein content in various foods and a rise in protein-rich diets.

Buzzes Without Booze: Drinks infused with cannabis and other mood-altering substances will gain popularity as an alternative to alcohol.

Tribal Diets: Diets tailored to specific health needs and communities will emerge, with a focus on inclusivity and addressing individual concerns.

Takeout as Art: Restaurant packaging will become more sophisticated and Instagrammable, elevating the takeout experience.

  • Cooking with African grains

  • The end of no-show fees

  • Great food to go

  • Tightening belts

  • New ingredients in the spotlight (Turnips, Sudachi, Kuro Nerigoma)

  • Early bird dining

  • Food that tells a story

  • A lunch rush

  • Artificial Intelligence evolves

  • Counter service restaurants

  • Smaller menus

  • Dynamic pricing

  • Dessert caviar

  • Agave spirits

  • Shorter meals

  • Back to classics and comfort

  • Food influencers IRL

  • Know your fisherman

  • Transparent ingredients

  • Adding seats to the table

Bonus

Juicy content from food creators

This is the space where I share some food (un)related stuff of my week

💡Everything You Need to Start Meal Prepping (and Stick With It) 🧨I've Been Eating Cookies and Sweets for Weeks & Forgot How To Make A Real Meal—These Recipes Are Saving Me (★recipes) 🥪The Secret Behind Buffalo's Beloved Beef On Weck Sandwich 📈If your government's ministers have a higher median BMI, chances are your country is more corrupt, study finds 🧑🏻‍🍳The Trick You Need for Piping Bags 🪡This is beautiful: Embroidery Journaling 🇻🇳Give It a Shot, Vietnamese Mayo (★recipe) 🥒Can Someone Please Tell Me What Is Going on With Glitter Pickles? 🍫Flourless Mochi Brownies (★recipe) 🔪6 Easy Ways to Transform Plain Cream Cheese Into Something Extraordinary 🍹It’s Dry January (=you don’t drink), then let’s try this Sleepy Girl Mocktail 🦞How to Make a Falsa Langosta (★recipe)

The Rise Of Big Potato
Katya Schwenk / The Lever

Claims of price-fixing among potato sellers show the new, advanced ways food companies are keeping prices high.

➤ Last week's most clicked link was - as usual - 40 questions to ask yourself every year. And that's all for today.