This is so wild--you know how I asked you, in your previous Smoke em post, for a killer chocolate cake recipe? Well, on the tip of my tongue first to ask you for was a recipe for chocolate pudding. (My mom always used the Jello chocolate pudding mixes, but I really want to make one from scratch.)
That Outer Banks location looks nice. I've been a few times, including to the top of that lighthouse.
Those kitchen scales are great; I think you'll get more use out of it than you think, including outside of the kitchen. In fact I used the conversion features the other day making the shortbread.
Years ago I was on this kick where I donated loads of nonfiction and nearly every bit of fiction that was previously read (and some unread). I also kept the Silver Palate Cookbook (and The Good Times Silver Palate Cookbook) for sentimental reasons!
After hearing about the salted chocolate pudding, and hearing Alison Roman's interview on Substack Reads, I want to make some of her recipes. Very cool that you got to hang out! And thanks for including the quote by Rick Rubin -- the idea definitely appeals. His interview on Honestly, and his recent interview on Conversations With Tyler were great. What an interesting and inspiring person.
The Outer Banks are a lovely place to be I'm sure! Enjoy the Southern hospitality!
I hope this is appropriate to mention here instead of the thread about last week's episode, but I was out of town all weekend and now I'm getting caught up with all things Smoke 'Em and listened to this and finished last week's episode today. I wanted to yes-and Nancy's Hotbox pick and recommend the movie Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. It was a wonderful movie that came out last year about a widowed housekeeper in 1950's London who decides she wants to save up all of her money to go to Paris and buy a fancy, fitted Dior gown. It's such a sweet, sweet movie and Lesley Manville is just delightful as Mrs. Harris.
As someone who can be painfully perfectionistic, but by nature reflexively anti-routinized, "I love baking/I hate baking" really got into all my mental and emotional crevices.
- I've used a scale as much as possible since my early 20s (15+ years). Precision is good, but laziness is also a factor. If I can help it, my dry measurising cups are scooping implements only. I was so happy that Alison wrote this as a mass-based book, especially for troublesome ingredients like yogurt and honey. Deb Perlman @ Smitten Kitchen is also very good about this, especially with her more recent (broadly) recipes. Who wants to stuff peanut butter into a volumetric measuring device and then scoop it out again? Not me.
- It really struck me that Nancy described the book as sensual, because that is exactly the word that hit me as I was flipping through. Not tits-forward, lush, aristocratic brunette sensuality like Nigella, but blondish, high-energy, super-American sensuality. Alison encourages you to enjoy things for the sake of simple pleasure, which is sexy and increasingly rare. No tiresome and self-censorious diffidence or apology. Just - "This is good, I like this, and I hope you like this too."
(See also, if you really want to, what I wrote about the book @ Fifth Column last weekend, after about seven cocktails.)
This is so wild--you know how I asked you, in your previous Smoke em post, for a killer chocolate cake recipe? Well, on the tip of my tongue first to ask you for was a recipe for chocolate pudding. (My mom always used the Jello chocolate pudding mixes, but I really want to make one from scratch.)
That Outer Banks location looks nice. I've been a few times, including to the top of that lighthouse.
Those kitchen scales are great; I think you'll get more use out of it than you think, including outside of the kitchen. In fact I used the conversion features the other day making the shortbread.
Me too, Mark!
Years ago I was on this kick where I donated loads of nonfiction and nearly every bit of fiction that was previously read (and some unread). I also kept the Silver Palate Cookbook (and The Good Times Silver Palate Cookbook) for sentimental reasons!
After hearing about the salted chocolate pudding, and hearing Alison Roman's interview on Substack Reads, I want to make some of her recipes. Very cool that you got to hang out! And thanks for including the quote by Rick Rubin -- the idea definitely appeals. His interview on Honestly, and his recent interview on Conversations With Tyler were great. What an interesting and inspiring person.
The Outer Banks are a lovely place to be I'm sure! Enjoy the Southern hospitality!
I hope this is appropriate to mention here instead of the thread about last week's episode, but I was out of town all weekend and now I'm getting caught up with all things Smoke 'Em and listened to this and finished last week's episode today. I wanted to yes-and Nancy's Hotbox pick and recommend the movie Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. It was a wonderful movie that came out last year about a widowed housekeeper in 1950's London who decides she wants to save up all of her money to go to Paris and buy a fancy, fitted Dior gown. It's such a sweet, sweet movie and Lesley Manville is just delightful as Mrs. Harris.
I knew it, I knew it!
As someone who can be painfully perfectionistic, but by nature reflexively anti-routinized, "I love baking/I hate baking" really got into all my mental and emotional crevices.
- I've used a scale as much as possible since my early 20s (15+ years). Precision is good, but laziness is also a factor. If I can help it, my dry measurising cups are scooping implements only. I was so happy that Alison wrote this as a mass-based book, especially for troublesome ingredients like yogurt and honey. Deb Perlman @ Smitten Kitchen is also very good about this, especially with her more recent (broadly) recipes. Who wants to stuff peanut butter into a volumetric measuring device and then scoop it out again? Not me.
- It really struck me that Nancy described the book as sensual, because that is exactly the word that hit me as I was flipping through. Not tits-forward, lush, aristocratic brunette sensuality like Nigella, but blondish, high-energy, super-American sensuality. Alison encourages you to enjoy things for the sake of simple pleasure, which is sexy and increasingly rare. No tiresome and self-censorious diffidence or apology. Just - "This is good, I like this, and I hope you like this too."
(See also, if you really want to, what I wrote about the book @ Fifth Column last weekend, after about seven cocktails.)
Have you watched Alison on YouTube? That's her best work! She's so likeable.
Also, tell me more about your comment which TFC post? 😄
Yes, she’s so good on video! NYT was dumb dumb dumb to let her go, but I’m glad she’s thriving on her own.
https://wethefifth.substack.com/p/workin-for-the-weekend-37-kmeles/comment/14161583?r=7enhd&utm_medium=ios