#169 The Robots Are NOT Taking Over....

Conversation Pits, Ugly Cuts, Optimal Fuel and more

Feb 27, 2026

Illustration by Joe Maneely from 'Space Action' (1952)

Listen up. There’s too much doom and gloom on our feeds. You cannot live a good life being on edge. If a friend hasn’t told you this yet, take it from me (with love). You need to start living a life that’s geared around YOU. Your needs. Your wants. Your dreams. Curate a life that you enjoy. Walk that extra 10 minutes to that coffee shop you just love being inside of. Cook nourishing food for yourself that makes you feel good. Journal. Practice your forehand. Work on that passion project of yours. Stop caring about things that don’t actually matter.

Sometimes I feel like people want the world to end. They want AI to steal their jobs. They want war. They want a lockdown. All so that it’s easy to blame the “thing” on why they never did anything meaningful.

This is one reason why I always make it a point to make our stuff fun & uplifting. To impart as much POSITIVITY as we possibly can, all done very tastefully. Anything WARKITCHEN is your place on the Internet to engage in deep leisure, learn a few things, nourish yourself deeply and be your best self. Have a beautiful weekend.

Love you
- Rocky

Thinking about stairs

Every little thing is an opportunity for unlimited artistic expression

You deserve optimal fuel

Treat your body like a supercar and feed yourself quality. All you need is a rotation of foods that NOURISH you deeply. It’s easy to stick to a “diet” when everything you eat tastes incredible and is good for you. It’s 2026. Healthy food tastes amazing. What are your staples?

Ugly cuts for beautiful skin

Fish head is SO UNDERRATED. It's one of the most underused fish parts. Even when I bake a snapper whole, I always make sure to eat the head (cheek & eyes included). So much collagen! You can even slow simmer and make a beautiful broth.

Conversation pits

The conversation pit needs to make a comeback. Everyone's tired of the same old sofas, facing the same old TVs. All we want is a comfy, sunken living room that breeds conversation.

The ultimate “pick me up”

The guide you've all been waiting for is now LIVE! Your Ultimate Guide to Tiramisù is now available both digitally and in print. Subscribe to Saweeeties for beautiful desserts that take the edge off your meal. Make tiramisù this weekend. You deserve it 🤍🥂

❋ Setting Up a Basic Cooking Toolkit by andrew gruel

“If you’re working to get into the kitchen more — or you’ve been cooking your own meals for years — it’s always worth doing a pantry refresh.
I consider a basic pantry a chef’s toolkit. It’s the collection of ingredients you should always have on hand so you can create a bevy of solid, satisfying meals on the fly. Not fussy or precious, but instead dependable and easy to find.
This isn’t about stocking exotic spices so you can make highly refined restaurant dishes on a whim; it’s about balance. Having the right core ingredients readily available so you can build flavor instinctively — salt and spice, vinegar and herbs, the proper fats to carry it all. A good pantry removes hesitation. It gives you options. It turns “What do we have?” into “Here’s what we’re making.”
Once that shift happens, cooking stops feeling like a project — and starts feeling like second nature.” — andrew gruel

❋ Vocabolo Moscatelli, Umbria, Italy

“Set among the rolling hills of Umbria, Vocabolo Moscatelli is a restored rural estate that reflects the quiet, enduring character of central Italy. Once a traditional agricultural settlement, the property has been sensitively reimagined while preserving its original stone buildings and deep connection to the surrounding land.

Weathered walls, earthy tones, and wide views across olive groves anchor the architecture firmly in place. Interiors balance historic structure with contemporary clarity, allowing light, texture, and proportion to shape the atmosphere. The result feels calm, grounded, and unmistakably Umbrian.”

❋ Nonna’s Cheesecake by Maddy

“This is the cheesecake I grew up with. No DeVita holiday or really any family gathering, for that matter, was complete without this baby for dessert. Buttery, graham cracker crust with a sweet thick cream cheese custard set with eggs– she doesn’t need a water bath and the DeVita way certainly skips the sour cream topping. It’s dense but delicate, lightly golden on top, with that faint tang that makes you go back for a second slice before you’ve finished the first.
So today, on what would have been Nonna’s 98th Birthday, I’m sharing her recipe. Take care when making- she’s a special one!" — Maddy

❋ Rosemary Olive Oil Sourdough Bagels

There’s something extra comforting about the aroma of rosemary and cheese baking together, and these rosemary olive oil sourdough bagels bring that warmth to life in the best way. Infused with fragrant herbs, rich olive oil, and a generous handful of Asiago cheese, they’re soft, chewy, and full of flavor in every bite. Whether you enjoy them warm from the oven, toasted with butter, or as the base for a savory sandwich, these bagels are a cozy twist on a classic that’s sure to become a favorite in your sourdough rotation.

❋ The Eternal Style of Aristotle Onassis by Retro Ralph

“There are men who inherit power. There are men who marry into it. And then there’s Aristotle Onassis.
A refugee from Smyrna who became one of the most formidable shipping magnates of the 20th century, he built a fleet described as larger than the navies of many countries. He married Jacqueline Kennedy. He entertained presidents and prime ministers at sea, but what makes Onassis worth studying is not the tabloid glow but the structure beneath it. He built, and relentlessly restructured, a system that positioned him inside the plumbing of the modern world.
The style was obvious. The structure behind it wasn’t.” — Retro Ralph

❋ Shio Pan Bagels (Butter Bagels)

These Shio Pan Bagels are Japanese-style bagels with a golden, crackly, lightly salted top and a soft, chewy interior flowing with melted butter. This recipe shows you how to make butter-filled salt bread bagels at home in two ways—classic bagel shape or traditional Shio Pan form. Full of rich, buttery flavor, these bagels are the definition of simple is best!

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