Cobweb Cookbooks
It's Friday, February 9! Let's potp (pronounced "pope").
Sunday, February 4
I usually write this on Thursday night, which gives a feeling of continuity moving toward Friday morning. But this week I'm finishing tasks in advance of traveling to California to visit my family—so this potpourri has been prepared and packaged a bit early. If Mt. St. Helens erupts on the 8th, that's why I didn't mention it.
The Potpourri Episode
While working through the "P" series of the British quiz show QI, I arrived at their "Potpourri" episode. Beloved host and global treasure Sandi Toksvig gave this rousing intro: "Welcome to QI, which tonight is a bit of a potpourri: pounds and pounds of pungently perfumed petals of pertinent points piled precariously in a pot for your pleasure.”
Lovely logline. Amiable alliteration.
Freezer Potpourri
I bought some ground chicken in anticipation of making sloppy joes. But after the chicken and canned tomatoes were underway, I began throwing the contents of my freezer into the pot like a cackling witch: spinach, bell peppers, Argentinian red shrimp, a seafood mix from Trader Joe's. The result was a strange and hearty stew that I've enjoyed several bowls of so far. I may add some linguine and lemon and see where we end up.
Glazer Donuts
In anticipation of seeing The Zone of Interest as soon as I humanly can, I made a full survey of Jonathan Glazer's available work: the feature films Sexy Beast, Birth, and Under the Skin; shorts The Fall and Strasbourg 1518; and a potpourri of music videos and television advertisements.
I'm in real awe of Glazer's talent, which has cobwebbed my brain-corners since childhood. I didn't know his name then, but the music videos for Jamiroquai's "Virtual Insanity" and Radiohead's "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" and "Karma Police" spoke for themselves.
A Comically Arty Photo of My Digital Coffee Scale and a Cut Rose
As much as I've learned by winging it, I'm starting to appreciate the precision of weighing my coffee. Control over specific variables like these (see also: grind size, water temperature) enables me to tunnel even further into the coffee dimension.
Wishing you all a hale and hearty weekend ahead. Yours truly from the Potpourri dimension,
—Dara Khan