SEAGULL IN THE SAND DO YOU HEAR MY PRAYER? My current prayer is for my hand to feel better after I injured it vacuuming. I cannot explain it, but my hand still hurts days later and my typing speed has been negatively impacted. It has to get better because I was planning on joining the influencer’s union as a video hand model, and I don’t have a backup plan.
Last night I made an excellent and quick Moroccan chicken cutlet dish with chickpeas and dried apricots from Mark Bittman’s new newsletter “The Bittman Project” slash the cookbook How to Cook Everything Fast. That was exciting, but not as exciting as the bacon wrapped hot dog taco I had in Tucson last week. If you didn’t know about Sonoran hot dogs before (wrapped in bacon and grilled) you’ll be dreaming about them from now on.
Also last week, it was announced that Saveur would be pivoting to online only. This is sad because it was a beautiful magazine with stories, like this one about Erez Komarovsky, that have stuck with me for years. That being said, I have not heard good things from people who spent any time on staff there…Another thing making me sad is the possibility that SYTYCD might never return. It shared so many beautiful dances and songs by up and coming artists with the world, and I will miss it.
Did you grow up with a second fridge? I always wanted one, and the two unplugged mini fridges in my parents’ house definitely do not count. To me, a second fridge means friends come over and need extra drinks and snacks, that you have a big family and need the space to prep for holiday meals or that you have a tradition of making big batches of cherished family dishes once a year and freezing them to eat until you do it again, none of which happened in my family.
But my grandparent’s did have two fridges in their kitchen. In my mind, one held condiments and water and the other held orange juice and ice cream. There were always duplicates of staples like milk and butter because Grammy would forget if they had any, but there was never anything super useful for cooking because Grammy was not a great cook. There was also a period of too many years where both purple and green ketchup lived in the water fridge. I think I’ll always dream of the luxury of two fridges, which seem more essential than indulgent for some families in this article.
Almost a year ago I was in New Orleans with Katie just after Mardi Gras. Little did we know that Covid was already there, and we were lucky we didn’t contract the virus from any of our new friends (Molly + Roger 4eva). This year, Mardi Gras festivities look more than a little different, but one Krewe is helping out of work float artists and disappointed locals make Mardi Gras happen anyways by decorating houses as a stationary alternative to the usual parades. Read more from Food & Wine.
If you’ve seen beautifully burnt Basque Cheesecakes all over your feed, you’re not alone. This TASTE article explains the roots of the dish and has two recipes, one of which is for individual sized desserts because we are all about #smallbatchsweets these days. Also: this. (I am not a video person so when I recommend one it’s very worth watching.)
Other things I felt strongly about this week:
The brisket metaphor in To All The Boys: Always and Forever.
Illustrator and food person Alex Testere’s super cute newsletter YOU CAN DO THIS came back from an unscheduled hiatus with doodles about pandemic road blocks. I liked it very much.
Wanna get angry? This headline via The Cut: “Tennessee Republicans Want to Give Men the Power to Veto Abortions”
When you’re done seething watch some nice TV like The Great North.
Did you see “Framing Britney Spears” yet? Former MTV VJ Dave Holme’s take on it (as someone who participated in the events depicted and the talking head portion of the doc) is a good one.
If Social-Media Apps Were Parties You Were Obligated to Attend: Instagram
I hope you ate something heart shaped on Valentine’s Day. We are returning to Tucson this weekend so I can get a long coveted lobster tattoo on my ankle. My dad is worried I’ll have an allergic reaction and spontaneously combust, even though I’ve only ever gotten rashes as adverse reactions, so it seems like it has turned into a family trip. Please send your best DJ-ing suggestions for this kind of two hour car ride.
As always, please share STRONG FEELINGS far and wide with friends and foes alike, it means the world to me.