Wasn’t it just August and we were coughing through the summer wildfire smoke, making icebox cakes and exercising regularly?? Then, all of the sudden, freakin’ leaves are falling, Trader Joe’s is throwing pumpkin everything at us, and the gym seems like the worst idea. I mean, it’s going to be the holidays soon. Does it even matter at this point? Plus, it’s raining. Even the cat is depressed.
Before we start panicking about family holiday gatherings, let’s catch our breath and do a few things for ourselves.
Read a Book
I just finished Robert Galbraith’s latest mystery novel, Lethal White. If you are unfamiliar, Mr. Galbraith is the pseudonym of the one and only J. K. Rowling, who was outed in 2013 and, as of this October, is the author of four books in the Cormoran Strike series. All of the books are very good and this latest installment is the most intricate yet. The story lines are engaging and and the characters well-developed, with just the right level of sexual tension between the two main characters. Lethal White is quite long, clocking in at around 650 pages, but it moves pretty quickly and the pay-off is satisfying. It’s a perfect read for cold drizzly Fall days, curled up on the couch with a hot cup of cider. Cinemax has a mini series based on the first three books, which is quite good as well.
Watch a Show
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat came out in 2017. It is, and isn’t a cookbook. Yes, there are recipes, but at least half of the 450+ pages are more of a friendly conversation about cooking. The central idea of this cookbook is that, you don’t need recipes to cook well, just a basic understanding of how salt, fat, acid and heat work together in the kitchen. There’s a reason your pasta water should be “as salty as the sea.” Your dish too sweet? Add some acid! While I definitely recommend the cookbook as a kitchen staple, the mini series, just released On Netflix, is a feast for the eyes as well. Samin Nosrat is not your typical culinary television personality. She is goofy (in a genuine way, not a Guy Fieri way), real, and clearly relishes everything about food and cooking. She is someone you can imagine spending a relaxing afternoon with, messing around in the kitchen. The show is a good mix of travel, food porn and practical tips and, at just four episodes, will leave your mouth watering and wanting more. You might also be inspired to make some scratch pesto, just like the Italian grandmas did.
Light a Candle
Okay, okay, I know I made fun of Trader Joe’s earlier, but it’s only because I am guilty of buying into their pumpkin lunacy. Yes I silently judged the girl in front of me for grabbing the pumpkin Spice cookies…and then snagged a box for myself. Some of my favorite seasonal items at TJs, however, are the candles. The Pumpkin Vanilla and Honeycrisp Apple varieties to be exact. The Pumpkin Vanilla candle smells like you could possibly be a good baker and the Honeycrisp Apple smells like a crisp fall day and you’ve just bitten into a big juicy apple. They’re a great way to get into the Fall mood, just in case the wet leaves and dark mornings aren’t doing the trick yet.
That’s it! here’s hoping we are in for a few more sunny Fall days so my cat doesn’t start requiring kitty Prozac.
Adventures of a Hungry Ginger 