How Jerrelle Guy Cooked Her Way Out of Burnout

Consider this permission to slow down, just for a bit.

Welcome to The Dinner Plan! Every week I chat with a cookbook author about what they actually cook at home and where they find dinner inspiration—including the many, many cookbooks they recommend. In this newsletter, you get a new recipe (and a chance to win a cookbook!) every single week. For the full heart-to-heart, tune into the podcast while you’re commuting or making dinner tonight.

When Jerrelle Guy dreamed up her new cookbook, We Fancy, she wanted to recapture how she’d once felt about cooking.

“It’s really the same energy that I had when I first started cooking, when cooking was really just my hobby: the sacred practice that I had before” it all became an overwhelming business venture, she tells me in today’s podcast episode.

She’d been taking on too much, and realized she couldn’t just power through: “I’ve burnt out my fire—that has been the one thing that could get me through this life. And that’s all I care about preserving.”

So for her second book, the author of Black Girl Baking went savory, not sweet, offering dinner recipes as ways to take care of yourself.

The dishes in We Fancy are easy but special-feeling. When Jerrelle’s roasting jerk-seasoned shiitake mushrooms for tacos, she adds a second pan with chunks of pineapple (you can sub mango) and onion that quickly transform into a fruity salsa that ties the meal together.

Her two-ingredient tomato soup is a simple mix of canned crushed tomatoes and jarred sun-dried tomatoes, blended until silky and served with sheet-pan grilled cheese sandwiches inspired by jalapeño poppers. She recommends doubling the recipe and reworking the rest into a speedy tomato and ginger curry later on in the week.

While plenty of these dinners are quick enough for Jerrelle (or you!) to throw together while juggling long work days and life with an infant in the house, she argues that the path out of burnout involves cooking something more deliberately and slowly, at least once a week, even if it feels like you can’t find the time.

“The people who probably want permission to slow down aren’t going to pick up a book about slowing down. Like, they’re going to try to pick up a weeknight cooking book. So, I wanted to sneak it in,” she says.

The book’s message, Jerrelle says, is really this: “Hey, I know you’re probably rushing and you probably feel like you don’t have enough time to do a bunch of stuff. And I want to address that. I want to give you solutions to that. But I also want to tell you, it’s totally okay for you to put everything down and say, I’m going to take this time for myself, to nourish myself, to care for myself. And, you know, I would say do it every day, but sometimes that’s not practical. So, try it, you know, once a week.”

She thinks you’ll likely “see how much it becomes a non-negotiable.”

Our conversation this week is far-reaching: Jerrelle speaks about the similarities between the loose, creative energy she feels on a photoshoot and the way she feels while cooking; she shares her go-to formula for a nourishing low-energy meal; and suggests ways to clear your space and calm your nervous system if the kitchen feels overwhelming and you’re struggling to think clearly about the meals you need to make.

Make sure you have this one downloaded wherever you listen, and then scroll down for Jerrelle’s recipes for jerk mushroom tacos and quick-but-deeply-flavorful tomato soup.

Win a Copy of We Fancy

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• 🥇 Sign up as a paid subscriber to this newsletter by end of day Sunday, February 15, 2026. That’s all you need to do. Signing up as a paid subscriber also gives you full access to the 99+ Dinner Ideas list and this winter dinners edition.

• 🥈 Free subscribers can still enter the giveaway.
  Just send in a “what’s in my pantry/fridge/freezer right now” voice memo for us to play on The Dinner Plan podcast. An upcoming cookbook author guest will come up with a dinner idea based on what you have around. Follow the instructions here by end of day Sunday, February 15, 2026.

Giveaway winner will be alerted by Substack DM and email. 18+, U.S. addresses only (sorry!). Giveaway not sponsored or administered by Substack. Ends Feb 15, 2026. This newsletter includes affiliate links; a small commission from your purchase helps to keep this newsletter going.

Jerrelle mentioned:

• Jerrelle’s cornetti and croissants

• Better than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base (iHerb / Instacart / Amazon)

• Pho Chay

• Claire Saffitz’s Curried Lentil Soup (Bon Appétit)

• Charlotte Rutledge’s Crispy Cheesy Skillet Pizza (King Arthur Baking)

• Michelle Braxton’s Tomato Egg Drop Soup in Supper With Love (Bookshop / Amazon)

• Anna Brones and Johanna Kindvall’s Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break (Bookshop / Amazon)

• Mary-Frances Heck’s Sweet Potatoes: Roasted, Loaded, Fried, and Made Into Pie (used available here)

• Anna Hezel’s Tin to Table (Bookshop / Amazon)

• Ken Forkish’s The Elements of Pizza (Bookshop / Amazon)

• Jerrelle’s newsletter, The Dinner Ritual

From the ad break:

• Find Stone & Skillet English Muffins in the bakery section at Publix, or other retailers nationwide.

• Presidents’ Day Sale at Made In Cookware

Maggie mentioned

• King Arthur Baking Company’s The Book of Pizza (Bookshop / Amazon)

• Anna Hezel’s Party Tricks, especially the pickled celery! (Bookshop / Amazon)

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A NOTE FROM OUR SPONSOR

The folks at Stone & Skillet started griddling English muffins in a cast iron skillet in a tiny Boston apartment in 2013, and honestly, they never stopped doing them that way.

Find Stone & Skillet’s pillowy English muffins in Original, Cinnamon Raisin, or fun flavors like Orange Cranberry at Publix and many more stores nationwide.

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Photo: Jerrelle Guy

Sun-Dried Tomato Soup with Jalapeño Popper “Breadsticks”

Excerpted from We Fancy. Copyright © 2026 by Jerrelle Guy. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.

Serves 4

With the help of jarred sun-dried tomatoes, here’s an entirely from-the-pantry tomato soup that’s rich and red and will coat your belly with warmth. It’s probably the easiest tomato soup you’ll find. When you use a high-powered blender, it emulsifies the oil from the jarred tomatoes to make a velvety soup.

Tip: For soup with extra flavor, buy the jars of sun-dried tomatoes that are already marinated in herbs and spices. If you can’t find them, just throw in a handful of fresh herbs like basil or thyme and save a sprig of the herb for topping the soup in the end.

Jalapeño Popper Breadsticks

• plain cream cheese or soft goat cheese ½ cup (4 ounces), at room temperature

• shredded cheddar cheese ½ cup

• pickled jalapeños slices ¼ cup (2 ounces), roughly chopped

• garlic powder ½ teaspoon

• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• sourdough sandwich bread 4 slices

• unsalted butter, softened for spreading

• shredded Parmesan cheese ¾ to 1 cup

Sun-Dried Tomato Soup

• sun-dried tomatoes in oil 1 (8- to 10-ounce) jar (see Tip above)

• crushed tomatoes 1 (28-ounce) can

• kosher salt

• crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1. PREHEAT THE OVEN to 400°F and have a large parchment-lined sheet pan nearby.

2. MAKE THE BREADSTICKS FILLING: In a small bowl, stir together the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, jalapeños, and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. BUILD THE BREADSTICKS: On a clean work surface, arrange 2 slices of bread. Spread the filling in a generous layer over the

4. bread right to the edges and top with the remaining slices of bread. Generously butter both outer sides of the bread.

5. On the sheet pan, sprinkle two piles of Parmesan in the shape of the bread. Carefully place the buttered breadsticks on each pile and slightly press them into place, then sprinkle more Parmesan over the top so that both sides are covered completely with cheese.

6. TOAST THE BREADSTICKS: Bake the breadsticks in the oven for 12 to 14 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown and crispy on both the tops and bottoms of the sandwiches and the inner cheese is gooey.

7. MEANWHILE, MAKE THE SOUP: In a high-powered blender, place the sun-dried tomatoes and crushed tomatoes and blend on high until you have a smooth and creamy puree. Taste and add the salt and red pepper flakes (if using), as desired.

8. WARM THE SOUP: In a medium saucepan, bring the blended soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and cover to keep warm.

9. SERVE: Remove the breadsticks from the oven, allow to cool for a few minutes to harden, then cut into strips. Spoon the warm soup into bowls and serve alongside the breadsticks.

Photo: Jerrelle Guy

Sheet Pan Shiitake Jerk Tacos with Roasted Pineapple Salsa

Excerpted from We Fancy. Copyright © 2026 by Jerrelle Guy. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.

Serves 4

In this recipe, meaty shiitakes soak up a fiery, aromatic jerk paste—made with hints of allspice, thyme, and citrus—like a happy sponge. The spicy mushrooms get tucked into warm tortillas topped with pineapple chunks also roasted in the oven, which helps them break down into the juiciest, sweetest salsa. Everything gets made on a couple of sheet pans for ease; even the tortillas use the handy sheet pan technology to get warm and ready.

MAKE IT FANCY: Make an Orange Crema by mixing together ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream) with a splash of fresh orange juice. Drizzle it over the tacos to cool down the extra heat.

• avocado oil or olive oil, for oiling the pans and drizzling

• scallions 4, green and white parts, roots trimmed and cut into chunks

• Scotch bonnet pepper or habanero pepper 1, seeds and stem discarded

• garlic cloves 6 large

• fresh ginger 1 (2-inch) knob, peeled

• soy sauce or tamari 2 tablespoons

• coconut sugar or packed light brown sugar 2 to 3 tablespoons

• dried thyme leaves 1 tablespoon (or 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves)

• ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon

• ground allspice 2 tablespoons

• ground nutmeg 1½ teaspoons

• vegetable bouillon paste 2 teaspoons

• shiitake mushrooms ¾ pound, sliced

• kosher salt

• fresh or frozen sweet juicy pineapple chunks or mango chunks 2 ounces, chopped (2 cups)

• red onion 1 small, chopped

• corn or flour tortillas 10 to 12 (6 inch)

• cilantro a large handful, chopped

• fresh orange juice 1 tablespoon, plus more as needed

1. PREHEAT THE OVEN to 400°F and position two racks in the center of the oven. Oil two sheet pans and set aside.

2. BLEND THE JERK PASTE: In a high-powered blender, combine the scallions, Scotch bonnet pepper, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, coconut sugar, thyme, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and bouillon paste and blend on high, adding 1 TABLESPOON WATER at a time until a smooth paste is formed.

3. BAKE THE VEGGIES: Transfer the shiitakes to one of the prepared sheet pans. Pour over the jerk paste and, using tongs, toss everything together well to evenly coat. Spread the mushrooms in an even layer and drizzle generously with more oil and season with salt to taste. To the second prepared sheet pan, add the pineapple chunks and red onion in a single layer and drizzle with oil and season with salt to taste. Bake both pans in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and the pineapples and onions are juicy and browned on their tips, rotating the pans halfway through.

4. WARM THE TORTILLAS: Five minutes before the mushrooms are done cooking, wrap the tortillas in foil and place on the sheet pan with the mushrooms to warm through. Remove the pans from the oven and set aside.

5. MAKE THE SALSA: Transfer the roasted pineapple and onion to a medium bowl along with the cilantro, orange juice, and a pinch of salt, tossing to coat. Taste and add more orange juice, if needed. Set aside.

6. BUILD THE TACOS: Divide the roasted mushrooms among the tortillas (a little goes a long way), topping with some of the pineapple salsa, and serve.