December Round Up
just a month, no less, no more
Happy New Year! Welcome to my monthly collection of delightful distractions. I'll be back later this week with musings on ice cream. Yes, you read that right—it's January, and I'm embracing frozen dairy treats (you didn't really think I'd be posting about diets and detoxes, did you?).
📝 If you like this post, please consider hitting the cute little ❤️ at the end. It helps other people find my work.
📝 If you know someone who might like to read about food, stories, and general cultural merriment, please feel free to share.
📝If you found your way here but aren’t a current subscriber, make sure you never miss an issue by clicking on the button below.
How Tortillas Lost Their Magic (and how Sobre Masa is helping to bring them back)
From Can Openers to Ricers, A Look At What’s In Our Kitchens
Infinite Petals Shane Mitchell returns with this, her 10th story in The Crop Cycle series, focused on the kumquat industry.
Is It Safe to Put Hot Food in the Fridge? And More Food Safety Questions, Answered
Top chefs and cooks on how they turned Christmas dinner fiascos into feasts
My kids are crazy for the food erasers from Iwako. My favorite is the Family Tonkatsu Restaurant set.
More vintage menus
The art of winemaking with Dan Keeling whose new book, Who’s Afraid of Romanée-Conti? is on its way to my house as I type.
A D.C. cafe is banning patrons under 30. Is it legal?
Cottage cheese mixed with ice cream or with pancakes: In reluctant praise of a viral food trend As Ottolenghi winds down his Feast column, he examines why even the most serious cooks and eaters should pause before ignoring the pulse of foodie pop culture.
The Bathtub Meal that Comedian Ilana Glazer Will Never Forget
We had great fun with the Xi’an Famous Foods Hot Oil-Seared, Hand-Ripped Noodles Kit on Christmas night. After watching a brief video, kids and adults alike pulled and slapped the noodles, laughing all the way. Note: a single kit says it feeds four, but you can count on close to doubling that, especially if serving some veg and protein on the side. I’d advise using less oil than they include in the kit; we only splashed in a bit, and it was plenty. Duck, mapo tofu, bok choy, and broccoli rounded out the meal. There were dumplings too, which we hardly needed!
Eli Zabar and Flynn McGarry Think Running An NYC Restaurant Is Worth the Pain
Beyond Filthy: Why Our Martinis Keep Getting Dirtier
And a few notes on the cookbooks that made their way to the front of my shelf…
The Cocktail Parlor: How Women Brought the Cocktail Home Dr. Nicola Nice, sociologist and spirits entrepreneur, puts women in their rightful place: at the center of cocktail history. A fun little book filled with delicious recipes from the original hostesses with the mostesses.
Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking: Vegan Recipes, Tips, and Techniques You don’t have to be a vegan or a vegetarian to learn all sorts of invaluable techniques from this absolute workhorse of a book. Penned by Joe Yonan, two-time James Beard Award-winning food and dining editor of The Washington Post, and a slew of smart contributors who together created a comprehensive, evergreen volume. I’m starting with the Winter Quinoa with Roasted Mushrooms & Cashews and a cozy bowl of Stewed Jerk Lentils.
When Southern Women Cook: History, Lore, and 300 Recipes This compendium will guide me well into the new year: 300 recipes accompanied by stories from over 70 contributors who celebrate the women behind the food. You'll discover the history of Hoppin' John through the legendary Emily Meggett, learn the origin of that classic Southern snack—salted peanuts and Coca-Cola—and find out why singer Dinah Shore's dinner parties, featuring her famous apple pandowdy, were the hottest ticket in town.
Crumbs I know, I know, you’re asking yourself, “Do I really need another cookie book?” Probably not. But when we’re talking cookies, it’s not really the right question to ask. Instead, would you like to learn about the history behind the humble biscuit and expand your repertoire with an international grab bag of tried and tested recipes? Sounds like you have your answer.
Ester: Australian Cooking Australian cooking is a new frontier for me. I look forward to learning from Mat Lindsay, the chef behind one of Nigella Lawson’s favorite restaurants. Lindsay cooks on a wood fire, making many recipes quite a commitment, but the ones I can handle (Burnt Pickle Plate!) promise a good bit of fun.
Zao Fan Breakfast of China Who doesn’t want to start their day with soft, pillowy dumplings or fresh soy milk? A love letter to the bustling marketplace fare, this book is perfect for both creative home cooks and culinary travelers.
The Intensely Colorful Work of a Painter Obsessed With Anime
“I Like to Be Ill-Defined”: Director Payal Kapadia on All We Imagine as Light
How Jonathan Haidt Won the Fight Against Smartphones in Schools
The World In Watercolor I love the idea of “watercolor [as] a performance, created in the moment: paper wet, vision fresh.”
In a beautiful 2018 essay, Alexander Chee asks, “Dying, what stories would you tell?” among other things, On Becoming An American Writer.
The Book of Birkenstock The only shoes that ever earned me a high school dress code violation (backs were required; I tried to skirt the rule with too-long corduroys).
The Goop Wife Is Gwynnie back (did you ever doubt it)? (paywall)
The Most Polarizing Thing on Wheels
Carrie Bradshaw wannabes, rejoice Sarah Jessica Parker Lands Her Dream Gig: Booker Prize Judge.
The Unfussy Allure of MJ Lenderman
Thirty-two authors have been selected for the Joyce Carol Oates Prize Longlist, including several of my 2024 favorites and my overall number one (hellooooo Headshot)
Ed Park offers up A Beautiful Plan For Your Future
The best book I read this month was Shy Creatures, with Creation Lake coming in second. I knew almost nothing about Shy Creatures, so I started with zero expectations. Set in 1960s London, it follows Helen, an art therapist at a psychiatric hospital who encounters a mute patient. Their connection unleashes a Pandora's box of affairs, long-held secrets, abuse, cover-ups, and unexpected friendship. I can't wait to explore more of Chambers' backlist—reviewers compare her to Ann Patchett, Tessa Hadley, and Barbara Kingsolver.
Rachel Kushner's Creation Lake, longlisted for the Booker and set in rural France, finally reached the top of my stack. This whip-smart thriller follows Sadie, an American-born spy-for-hire whose latest assignment—infiltrating a farming commune—isn't the typical French countryside tale of leisurely wine-tasting afternoons. Kushner propels the story forward through short sections and incisive prose, creating a brisk pace.
I *thought* my top pick of the library stack would be Apartment Women, but while I appreciated the genius of the writing and the underlying ideals (communal living, digging at expected gender tropes), I didn’t look forward to opening it each night. Despite my disappointment, I know it’s an excellent book that I may return to in the future. Carson McCullers: A Life, purchased on release, hadn’t made its way off the shelf, so I finally listened to the audio. What a complicated and seemingly unhappy life this, the oft-praised prodigy of Southern lit, led. Finally, Bright Objects—an objectively well-crafted novel that starts slow but gains momentum in its final third, when an underground cult leader capitalizing on a once-in-a-lifetime astrological event takes the reins.
Black Doves I don’t know if it will be as good in the post-Christmas asceticism, but I devoured this six-part spy thriller starring Kiera Knightly, in which morals get mixed up with the highest bidder.
Conclave Everyone is talking about Ralph Fiennes, but I’d follow Stanley Tucci anywhere. A tightly contained film that follows the immediate aftermath of a Pope’s passing and the drama that ensues as a group of highly spiritual, if dysfunctional, and conniving men play a no-win game of “don’t pick me, except I am the only logical choice” as they vie for the head position in the Catholic Church.
All In Broadway This was a somewhat self-serving (I was his date ;) Christmas present for my husband; he said it was the fastest 90 minutes he’s ever spent in the theater—a total delight.
The new season of Chef’s Table is just as good as the previous six—stories of resilience permeate. I’m dreaming of Chef Nok Suntaranon’s Kanom Jeeb Nok (bird-shaped dumplings with caramelized cod and preserved radish); Gaeng Pae (goat and lamb curry with Kalaya spice blend and toasted coconut, served with jasmine rice, nam pla khai tom and pickled cucumbers); and Moo Paloh (braised five spice pork belly with 7-hour egg, cilantro and long hot vinegar, served with jasmine rice). Also, watching Chef Kwame Onwuachi define the idea of a cat with seven lives — culinary style — whilst making the most glorious food in the process is a gorgeous meditation on perseverance.
Spring Roll Dream The absolute best 10 viewing minutes of my month.
Paul Mescal + Irish Americans on SNL
Back to Back Chef Omelet-style
Table For Two with Isabella Rossellini
The Last Jazz-Manouche Bar in Paris
Tiny Desk Concerts with Waxahatchee and Sabrina Carpenter, yes please.
The Best 20 Podcasts of 2024, according to The Atlantic. Lots of new-to-me material here, ready to ease the pain of the constant I-95 traffic jam. I’m starting with Never Post, a podcast about the internet because as my kids say, I’m such a boomer.
Metropolitan Soundtrack
Per the recommendation of New Yorker Rock Critic Amanda Petrusich all thirty (!) volumes of Éthiopiques: “All killer, no filler.”
Page! I just ordered the torn noodle pack for Chinese New Year! Thanks for the rec!
That Alexander Chee essay was a wonderful read. Thank you for sharing!