A Year of Systems, A Season of Gratitude
Why CulinaryBrief started, what we built together, and what's coming in 2026 (plus this week's Moroccan Meatballs meal plan)
I’m writing this on the morning of Christmas, and honestly, it feels like the right time to pause and look back at the year that’s closing.
I’m grateful. For this quiet moment between the holiday rush and the new year. But more than that - for you. For the 70+ people who open these emails every week, who trust me with your weeknight dinners, who send me photos of your batch-cooked chicken and tell me it actually worked.
When I started CulinaryBrief earlier this year, I didn’t know if anyone would care about a chef teaching batch cooking systems instead of perfect Instagram recipes. Turns out, a lot of you did. And that’s meant more to me than I expected.
Why I Started This
After 12 years working in professional kitchens, I kept running into the same contradiction.
At work, we used batch cooking systems to feed hundreds of people every night. We prepped proteins once, built sauces in advance, assembled dishes in minutes during service. It was efficient, scalable, and kept quality high even under pressure.
But when I looked at what home cooks were being told to do? Start from scratch every single night. Follow rigid recipes. Make cooking harder than it needs to be. Or worse - give up entirely and order delivery.
The gap was obvious. Professional kitchens have figured out how to cook smart. Home cooks deserve access to the same systems - adapted for real life, real budgets, real schedules. That’s why CulinaryBrief exists. Not to make you cook like a chef - but to help you think like one. To give you back your weeknights without sacrificing the food you actually want to eat.
What We Built Together
This year, we built something together.
We launched weekly meal plans every Thursday. We proved that batch cooking isn’t boring - it’s freedom. We showed that healthy eating doesn’t require a culinary degree or hours of daily cooking. Just a simple system and a Sunday afternoon.
You showed up. You tried the Mediterranean rice bowls and the lentil wraps. You sent me pictures of your mismatched Tupperware containers and told me it worked. You asked questions, shared what you swapped, and reminded me why this matters. This isn’t just me teaching - it’s a conversation. And that’s exactly what I hoped it would be.
What’s Coming in 2026
Speaking of conversations - I’m launching something new in 2026 for people who want more than just the weekly meal plan. A membership where you’ll get direct access to me through group chat, live virtual cooking sessions to answer your questions in real time, and deeper support as you build these systems into your routine. It’s the next level of OneBatch for people who are ready to go further. More details in January.
This Week’s Meal Plan
Which brings me to this week. The holidays are winding down, the new year is coming, and if you’re like me, you’re craving something warming but not heavy. Something that feels special without requiring hours in the kitchen.
This week’s OneBatch system is Moroccan-Spiced Meatballs - one batch that becomes four completely different meals. A sweet-savory tagine. Quick flatbreads with harissa yogurt. A grain bowl with roasted winter vegetables. Even shakshuka for breakfast (or dinner - we don’t judge).
It’s exactly what this in-between week needs. Comforting, flexible, and proof that batch cooking doesn’t mean eating the same thing four nights in a row.
[Download This Week’s Meal Plan: Moroccan-Spiced Meatballs]
Before You Go
Thank you for being here. For cooking along with me, for trusting these systems, for being part of what CulinaryBrief is becoming.
Before I sign off - I’d love to hear from you. What’s one thing you want from CulinaryBrief in 2026? More vegetarian options? Budget-focused plans? Different cuisines? Hit reply and let me know. I read every response, and your input shapes what I create.
See you next week - and in 2025.
— CulinaryBrief