Over the next year I plan to write about life and food in a more candid way. I’m not seeing it in the space. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it brings people together. 100%. Everyone’s now confessed to being depressed. Food heals. But there’s more. If this interests you…
This is a sponsored post by Victorinox.
G’day!
Are you well? Hope so. 🤍
Good news, daylight savings starts this weekend.
I’ve had a voice that has been whispering to me for about twenty years and it’s now screaming at me. There’s a story in me. I don’t know its exact form, but I’m not sure the rigid recipe format and PG-rated headnote can contain it. Fear of the unknown is real, but maybe it’s time to take a stab at it. Have any of you had a voice grow so loud you can’t ignore it?
Listen: Maggie Gyllenhaal on Fear, Storytelling & Women
If you need a nudge to push through fear: Listen to Maggie Gyllenhaal’s NYT The Interview.
It’s refreshing how she thinks before she answers. She’s brave. She’s willing to step into the nuance and darker shades of women—rage, fury, desire, guilt, hunger.
A few years ago, while promoting her first directorial feature, The Lost Daughter, Maggie said something on Kara Swisher’s podcast that has stayed with me. I’m paraphrasing… women are starving for women’s stories. We’ve never had them served up to us before. There’s still very few women getting the opportunity to direct films but it’s starting to happen. I know I want more, more, more. Anyone else feel the same?
See: Oh, Mary! on Broadway
My friend Amy took me to see Oh, Mary! on Broadway. A dark comedy about a miserable and suffocated Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.
It was slapstick, physical, irreverent, and has Monty Python meets William Shakespeare comedy vibes. My cheeks hurt from laughing. Not often you say that. If you’re coming to NYC, book tickets.
Read: Joan Didion’s Notes to John
I’m reading Joan Didion’s, Notes to John gifted to me by my friend Mikaela who knows my Didion devotion.
If you haven’t read A Year Of Magical Thinking, do.
“In November 1999, Joan Didion began seeing a psychiatrist because, as she wrote to a friend, her family had had “a rough few years.” She described the sessions in a journal she created for her husband, John Gregory Dunne.”
These previously unpublished notes are meticulous and intimate. We parents are only as happy as our least happy child. Scratch the surface and everyone is dealing with something.
Watch: Love Story (Against My Better Judgment)
I caved and started watching Love Story Anyone else?
What a nothing burger. Talk about a telenovela. This could have been so much better.
I keep thinking about Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s deceased mother and surviving sister. Their excruciating suffering. The persistent public narrative around these two must be so painful. The fact that we’re still romanticizing their romance is ridiculous. The director should have reassured the actress she’s didn’t have to add sexy flourishes, especially in the first few episodes. Soundtrack is good though. Thoughts?
What to Cook When You Can’t Get to Harts
I’m heading to Harts in Brooklyn this Sunday with a few dear girlfriends from my neighborhood. I’ll be starting with a Last Word cocktail. Here’s what I’m eyeing on the menu:
Leek Donuts with Parmesan (OMG!! So curious.)
Tuna Crudo with Cucumbers and Calabrian Chili
Marinated Beets with Croutons and Lardo
Pork Milanese with Broccoli and Anchovies or the Steelhead Trout with Lentils, Escarole and Yogurt.
I’ll try and connect with the chef to share a recipe with you!
What would you choose?
There’s nothing worse than cooking with a dull knife. Nothing. Life’s too short. You know I’m all about quality over quantity. When you invest in a knife that’s built to last, it makes cooking a breeze.
Victorinox knives come with a lifetime warranty. I’m nostalgic for the Swiss-made, professional-grade, quality and craftsmanship because my dad loved the brand. (Did anyone else’s father have the Swiss Army Knife?)
Chicken Piccata comes together with shocking ease. I love the @victorinoxnorthamerica Wood Chef’s Set, 2 Piece Set. The wood handle on the knives is so lightweight, making slicing the chicken, lemons, butter, garlic, and fresh herbs a breeze. You’ll feel like a pro!
If you enjoyed this post, do me favor, tap the ❤️ button at the top left or bottom left of the newsletter? Or share with a friend who’d enjoy the recommendations. It helps spread the word about DEVOUR, and selfishly, it makes my day.
Who doesn’t love Chicken Piccata? Look at that glossy, lemony, caper-studded deliciousness! You’ll want to lick your plate.
Nick and I are due for a date-night. We’ve been ships in the night since the holidays. Date-night can be with a bestie, or an old-friend you haven’t seen forever. If you’ve been circling someone from afar, how thrilling. Let this confident dish help you pluck up the courage to text that invite. They’ll love the food, and they’d be a fool not to love you.
Piccata is so quick and simple. Dredge pounded chicken fillets in seasoned flour and pan-fry until golden. Set these aside somewhere warm. In the same skillet, sauté garlic in butter, deglaze with white wine, add chicken stock and simmer. Add lemon juice, capers and, sure, a little more cold butter. Return the chicken to the pan, give everything a shimmy, rain down chopped parsley, and season with salt and pepper.
That, my friend, is how you win hearts.
Big smooch. Enjoy the picatta.
#MyVictorinox @victorinoxnorthamerica
Yes! Women want to hear from women…
Leek donuts recipe if you can, ;-).