Hello, makers of good trouble! Welcome! It’s been a while. Sorry for the delay. Dom and Joel were feuding for several weeks and their collective animosity prevented any and all creative output. But they’ve set aside their differences. For now.
In HMC: Vol. 18, we’re covering:
NFL Water Cooler Talk
Nice books
A recipe for roast beef ciabatta rolls 🤤
Other stuff
Check out our collaborative playlist for HMC: Vol. 18 on Spotify. Add to it as the spirit moves you. Happy scrolling and skimming!
Mini Roast Beef Ciabatta Sandwiches
“It’s beef o’clock.”
By Samirah Swaleh
It’s officially beef season. Lucky for you, I have just the right recipe for the occasion.
You can make these mini roast beef ciabatta rolls for your football watch party, a midweek family dinner, or for whatever the hell occasion you want because life is about doing what you want — and believe me, you want your home to smell like fresh caramelized onions.
Ingredients
12 mini ciabatta rolls fresh from a bakery
1 pound thinly sliced roast beef fresh from the deli counter
½ cup light mayonnaise (NOT Miracle Whip)
6 slices provolone cheese
6 cloves fresh garlic, minced (can use “jarlic” if in a pinch)
½ lemon, juiced
1 medium/large red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon balsamic reduction (I buy this from the store but you can use homemade or substitute for balsamic vinegar + a bit extra sugar)
Brown sugar
Salt and pepper
Arugula
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Make your caramelize by sauteing sliced red onions in butter over medium heat until soft; add in balsamic reduction and sprinkle generously with brown sugar; remove from heat once soft, brown, and appropriately caramelized
Make your garlic aioli by combining mayonnaise, minced garlic, and juice from half a lemon until well mixed
Slice 12 ciabatta rolls; place the bottom half of the rolls face-up on the baking sheet and spread an even layer of garlic aioli on the rolls
Layer 2-3 slices of roast beef on top of aioli (use your judgment) and ½ slice of provolone on top of roast beef
Toast in the oven for 5-7 minutes; meanwhile toast the top half of the ciabatta rolls by placing them face down on the oven rack that sits just above the baking sheet
Remove from oven; top cheese with about 1 teaspoon of caramelized onions, salt and pepper to taste, fresh arugula, and the other half of the sandwich
That’s it!
I guess this is Hungry Medium Club now. Let me know what you think.
NFL Water Cooler Talk
“Trying to impress someone so you can kiss them later.”
By Joel Moisa
Are you trying to fit in with a football fan in your life? Or maybe trying to impress someone so you can kiss them later. Here are a few points of contact for you to deploy during the conversation.
When is Joe Burrow getting his big-boy contract?
The time is ticking on Joe Burrow's rookie contract which comes to an end in 2024. In 2023 we saw Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, and Justin Herbert sign contracts making them the highest-paid players in the league.
We can sit and argue about which quarterback is the best of the bunch—but we can't argue that Joe deserves an extension that rivals Jalen's. The Bengals have a chance to catch lightning in a bottle and they better not miss it.
Update: After Joel wrote this blurb, Joe Burrow signed a 5-year, $275 million contract extension with Bengals. Thanks for manifesting this, Joel!!!
The Jets
They look super fun. Dusty Aaron Rodgers, Sauce Gardner, and Garret Wilson! Robert Salah proved to be a great coach and with a significantly better QB at the helm, it takes the young talent to a new high. No more struggling QB plays to foil a great season.
PS: You can catch up with the team by watching this season of Hard Knocks on HBO Max which has some funny tidbits featuring “carcoochie” (how they say charcuterie. Check out the trailer. 👇
Running back drama!
The word “drama” kinda feels like I am minimizing the way NFL teams are treating running backs in the league. Running backs are among the lowest-paid positions in the NFL.
This topic can get pretty complicated since it involves pay structures and contracts. But in a nutshell:
NFL running backs like Josh Jacobs, Jonathan Taylor, and Saquon Barkley are finding it difficult to secure big contracts because the league no longer values running backs as it did in the past (partially due to the NFL’s shift towards a pass-heavy offensive approach.)
Premium draft picks for running backs have also decreased in recent years, limiting their earning potential. Teams often draft running backs, let them play out their rookie contracts, possibly use the franchise tag, and then let them go.
The shift began with the underwhelming performances of Todd Gurley and Le'Veon Bell after they signed large contract extensions in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
Maybe you can get lucky and draft a pair of running backs that will help you win a Super Bowl, but is it always going to be that easy? Pay running backs or we might see the extinction of one of the league's most elusive positions. If performance or endurance is the key, start their contracts low and add a bonus for their performance. NFL players need to be more like NBA players.
That’s it for now!
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Tiny Book Reviews
“Some made me laugh, some made me cry, they all made me a better person.”
By Dom Johnson
I've read a lot of good books this year. Some of them made seismic impacts on my personality and worldview, some were pretty good, some were very good, and there were a few bad ones, but I won't mention them here because I don't want to be mean. Writing a book is inherently impressive.
Nasty, Brutish, & Short by Scott Hershovitz
VIBE: INSPIRATIONAL, EDUCATIONAL, OPTIMISTIC
“Every kid—every single one—is a philosopher. They stop when they grow up. Indeed, it may be that part of what it is to grow up is to stop doing philosophy and to start doing something more practical. If that's true, then I'm not fully grown up, which will come as a surprise to exactly no one who knows me.”
In “Nasty, Brutish, & Short,“ law and history professor Scott Hershovitz explores how all children are philosophers by nature. Through conversations with his kids and stories from his own childhood, Hershovitz illustrates how we all start out in this world as natural-born philosophers. Some of us, the lucky ones, hold onto our philosophical nature, while some, unfortunately, lose it. If you'd like to get re-acquainted with your inner philosopher or ensure you're creating an environment where the children in your life can hold onto their philosopher spirit, this book is for you.
Why Fish Don’t Exist by Lulu Miller
VIBE: REVERENT, IRREVERENT, BRILLIANT
“Scientists have discovered, it's true, that employing positive illusions will help you achieve your goals. But I have slowly come to believe that far better things await outside of the tunnel vision of your goals.”
Somehow, Lulu Miller connects so many threads in this book—the life of taxonomist David Starr Jordan, her own personal history, the science of language, the biology of fish, anxiety, hot boys, hot girls—and presents a singular, poignant thought: When you accept the fact that life will inherently end in chaos and destruction, you can either succumb to the overwhelming dread, or you can take it as an excuse to live whatever life you want to live and have as much fun and experience as much joy as humanly possible.
The Seven Good Years by Etgar Keret
VIBE: INVIGORATING, RIDICULOUS, WEIGHTY
“Flights are expansive moments when the phone doesn’t ring and the Internet doesn’t work. The maxim that flying time is wasted time liberates me from my anxieties and guilt feelings, and it strips me of all ambitions, leaving room for a different sort of existence. A happy, idiotic existence, the kind that doesn’t try to make the most of time but is satisfied with merely finding the most enjoyable way to spend it.”
Earlier this year, Etgar Keret read excerpts from his latest collection of essays on an episode of This American Life. I promptly stopped what I was doing and ordered the book. Some of the essays made me cackle, some made me cry, and they all made me a better person.
Honorable Mentions
I listened to the following books on audio. Thanks, Breanna, for recommending Scribd! Unlimited access to audiobooks and regular-degular books for only 7 bucks a month!? Blessed and highly favored! Gang gang!
Algorithms to Live By — Brian Christian & Tom Griffiths: Algorithms are as old as math itself. Maybe we can pull some life lessons from them?
Counterfeit — Kristen Chen: You already know I love stories about women who scam. This that.
Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo — Taylor Reid Jenkins: Again, women who scam. I don’t usually like historical fiction, but this book is great. Stay tuned for a Netflix movie soon (it’ll probably be mid but that’s okay).
The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle — Matt Cain: Cleanse your mind and body of bad vibes with this wholesome and uplifting story about a curmudgeonly old British who conquers the hell out of his social anxiety.
Remarkably Bright Creatures — Shelley Van Pelt: While working the night shift as a custodian at an aquarium, a woman strikes up a friendship with an octopus. Alright, yeah, sure, why not!?
Happy Bits
THE NEW OLIVIA RODRIGO ALBUM IS SO GOOD. Olivia is the Governor and Emperor of Emotional Complexity and Youthful Angst.
Wait wait wait why do all of our homes look the same??? It’s time to get creative.
Let go of the past and clear your cache. This is not a metaphor! Give your iPhone a break by emptying your browser’s cache.
Diligence is in the air! Commemorate Virgo season with this amazing spinny cleaning moppy multi-purpose thingy. It’s satisfying.
Alright, that’s it, babies!
We love you and we like you! Don’t forget to follow your dreams, iron your clothes, wash your hands, and subscribe. ☺️