After leaving my chef job and months of hemming and hawing, we’ve arrived at our final (yeah, right) destination. At the intersection of food and beauty, we’ve got good taste - something I only occasionally purport to have. My contribution to the already over-saturated field of making and talking about food is as follows: make good food and eat it on cool plates with the people I love. Abundant joy.
In this vein, I find that people eating with me often remark upon my cocktail glasses, vintage Dutch enamelware, or the trusty can-do Pyrex measuring cup in a delightful shade of light blue. I obviously thrift them, but here’s the deal: I can do it for you, sort of and sometimes. Close the loop! Repurpose! Affordably!
Each week, you’ll typically get a recipe from this ex-chef, with a mood board, a piece of literature, some art, or just a train of thought to go along with it. If I’ve found a cool piece and if you’re feeling inspired, you can buy it through my Etsy. Or you can feel inspired with what you have that’s similar and beautiful. Whatever floats your boat.
Before I get too ahead of myself, some weeks might be different. Sometimes you can’t force inspiration to strike! I’m trying to let this whole thing come naturally to me.
While this work will be free and without a paywall to start, eventually some of the recipes and add-ons will be for paid subscribers only. In advance, I promise to make it worth it.
The Goods
With all that said, here’s my short first attempt: it’s (almost) spring, and I was picking up all sorts of floral beauties - plus one strawberry dish for good measure. I know, I know, florals for spring is decidedly not original, but one of the things I love most about thrifting goods is that original isn’t always the name of the game. Classic is always a good bet.
Notice that I said it’s almost spring though, which really just means it’s still citrus season! With that in mind, here is my humble insistence that you begin to eat marmalade, if you’re not already. Ideally on toast, with lots of high-quality salted butter (cough Kerrygold cough). If you want to make your own marmalade (like I have been painstakingly doing) - go nuts. I have been loving The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook. Or this guide by Alison Roman.
Side Notes
I’m trying to read 100 books this year - here are the last few I’ve read, if you’re as obsessed with reading what other people read as I sometimes am.
Go for Land of Milk and Honey if you want a food-focused dystopian fever dream, When McKinsey Comes to Town if you want to be enraged and annoy your boyfriend with facts and figures, or Stay True for a touching (and tragic) coming-of-age male friendship. All good! Stay tuned for the next few. And good lord get yourself a library card!! Here in Philly you can just sign up online. It’s free and easy peasy.
Catch ya on the flip,
Jessie
Tell me more about Land for Milk and Honey, keeping in mind I already have a stack of your excellent recommendations. In other words, where should it land in my to-read list?