oct '21: leaner, greener, & keener
I can’t place why exactly, but October is always one of my favorite months out of the year. Maybe it’s a water sign thing: Scorps, Pisces, and other Cancers have always been my people.
Some Things From This Month
1.
Bao Bao’s first hot pot:
2.
I watched Valdimar Jóhannsson’s Lamb and now I too want to bring a little half-farm animal, half-human hybrid-child into my home, dress it in adorable hand-knit sweaters, and raise it as my own. (The absolute chokehold A24 horror has on me.)
3.
I’ve had ongoing migraines for eight years AKA a whole third of my life by this point, and I finally got a referral to see a specialist about it. This is one of the most validating experiences I’ve had as an adult, having primary care take me seriously and pursue the more exhaustive route, even if it (hopefully) leads to a dead end.
Feeling very proud of myself for all of the doctor’s appointments I’ve gotten myself this year (nothing concerning) and facing my fears of driving somewhere new, driving somewhere alone, and early morning appointments.
And look! A very special someone sat in on my consult – this is Candy, my neurologist’s snaggle-toothed rescue pup 😇
4.
A couple of weeks ago, I polled people on Instagram as to whether their appetites are greater during warmer or cooler weather. 80% polled cooler, which makes sense, but I’d like to make my case for the minority:
In the summer, I want to be outside, move my body, photosynthesize sunlight. All of the best produce is in peak season; ditto the outdoor activities. I run through energy like I have no self-control over it, and so I’m hungry. All. The. Time.
During the winter, my body folds in on itself like a collapsible chair. It becomes all about conserving energy, moving as little as possible, intuiting the scarcity that comes with this time of year. Fattier livestock is replaced with leaner sources of protein – tofu, fish, eggs, chickpeas. Winter squash, hardy vegetables, and dark leafy greens round out the plate; clear broths, plain rice, and simple preparations follow. It may also be that I’m not very big on holidays, so the heavyset Thanksgiving and Christmas meals don’t really do anything for me.
5.
I was recently made aware that to grow up in a part of the US where produce has to come long-distance is to grow up without the ability to discern or appreciate seasonality. You can find strawberries at the supermarket at any given time of year, but these are almost always guaranteed to be the strawberries from Purgatory – flavorless and firm, the protrusion of seeds unpleasantly noticeable, devoid of their quintessential summer sweetness.
Visiting our farmers’ market now has been helping me develop this knowledge, particularly in the arena of varying my vegetables by time of year, because, heavens forbid, I one day finally tire of kale. In September 2018, I tasted a Cherokee purple heirloom tomato that I still think about to this day and have not run into again since. And a pluot? That’s a plum-apricot hybrid to you common folk, the balance of sweet and tart in stone fruit perfected, and you can only ever find them at farmers’ markets.
Chef Molly Baz made the strong statement that it isn’t even worth eating a tomato outside of season (!).
Really, have you ever tasted a summer tomato? Seasoned with salt and pepper, maybe a little olive oil or lemon juice or balsamic vinegar or soy sauce? Sliced onto a BLT or box grated over chilled, springy noodles? Charred with onions and peppers for salsa or broiled in a cast-iron with feta and eggs? Layered with spicy chili crisp or cayenne or za’atar?
You don’t deserve anything less.
Everyone say thank you, Billy Bob Orchards in Watsonville 😌
Some other things I’ve baked recently (and by this I mean gotten tunnel vision so severe that simply nothing else would get done until I made these):
Salty date and cheddar biscuits, drizzled with honey and butter and used as a vehicle for a fried egg
Brown butter chocolate chip cookies with flaky sea salt
Chewy miso brown butter oatmeal cookies, also with flaky sea salt, but somehow healthier
Matcha cheesecake that tastes more like key lime?
6.
What is it about fall that makes it feel like a good time to start something new?
I picked up studying Mandarin again with actual standardized test prep materials a few weeks ago, and the progress is already palpable. The goal is to: (a) read and understand current events; (b) pass a standardized proficiency exam and have that credential on my CV; (c) take Misha to China and show him a huge part of my childhood without having to bring my mom along as a translator; and (d) conspire with my nephew’s grandmother to raise him speaking Mandarin, since his mom’s is not her strongest suit.
This is going to sound extremely lame, but it feels really nice to have personal goals. In the sense of, oh, I didn’t stagnate the moment I graduated from university! I’m still capable of growing and learning new things! It makes the next sixty years feel less demoralizing.
7.
The absolute most beautiful time of year in SF! Non-negotiably!
8.
Our beautiful new linen sheets, which I originally intended to be for my parents when they were planning to stay with me over Thanksgiving. Since they are no longer coming, these are now a gift from me to myself only. This is the kind of bedding you get when you learn you spend a third of your life in your bed, and the algorithm pressures you to make an investment towards that. I’m in love.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who gave me input about my reading newsletter crisis. I’ve decided to stagger-release four newsletters towards the end of December:
Nonfiction,
Not For Me,
Good Reads,
Favorite Reads.
But tell me if you hate it!
I promise (mostly to myself, since you all love my newsletter obv and think it’s perfect in every way) that I have more critical thought pieces coming. Just waiting on the critical thoughts.
Sitting tight until then,
Grais
Have you read the third plate by dan barber?? your comment on taste & seasonality reminded me of that book
Beautiful article!! Can't wait to hear what you make with the stock :)