Spring means herbs and spring means bounce
Making Time
Per my last email, February can be hard, and let's be honest, March can be hard too. Luckily this month I had an "Equinox Partyluck" to look forward to on the 20th. My friend Lillian hosts them on a predictable schedule and provides multiple ways for folks to actively observe the season change. This last installation included poetry readings and literal and metaphorical seed-planting. We each took a tiny pot, wrote an intention on a slip of paper, and then filled the pot with dirt and herb seeds.
I struggle with New Year's Resolutions and other intention-setting. This night, though, a plan came to me pretty quickly: Make time. That's what so much of what I'm trying to do, personally and professionally, boils down to. It's my individual growth, my relationship and my household, my social obligations. A tiny part of me wondered if sharing the intention I wrote down spoils it. Surely, this disclosure leads to some accountability. Right??? So far I'm doing a bit better with blocking off more than 15 minutes for tasks that seem like they'll only take 5, and I'm approaching working out in a new way, and I'm generally marveling at calendars and where the time goes when I'm not intentional.. It's progress.
I have notes to myself for newsletter introductions about sugar cookies, nostalgia, and kindness. Those will wait for a time when I lack other inspiration. Or maybe they'll find other outlets like Broad Street Review, where I vowed to submit an essay each month in 2018. I submitted zero essays to BSR in 2018. Would you want to read 1000 words from me about a game I call "sugar cookies"?
On to the categories that make this newsletter what it is, and I have been remiss in not publicly recognizing Joe Moore's Disaster Report as a template that inspired me to include these.
I struggle with New Year's Resolutions and other intention-setting. This night, though, a plan came to me pretty quickly: Make time. That's what so much of what I'm trying to do, personally and professionally, boils down to. It's my individual growth, my relationship and my household, my social obligations. A tiny part of me wondered if sharing the intention I wrote down spoils it. Surely, this disclosure leads to some accountability. Right??? So far I'm doing a bit better with blocking off more than 15 minutes for tasks that seem like they'll only take 5, and I'm approaching working out in a new way, and I'm generally marveling at calendars and where the time goes when I'm not intentional.. It's progress. I have notes to myself for newsletter introductions about sugar cookies, nostalgia, and kindness. Those will wait for a time when I lack other inspiration. Or maybe they'll find other outlets like Broad Street Review, where I vowed to submit an essay each month in 2018. I submitted zero essays to BSR in 2018. Would you want to read 1000 words from me about a game I call "sugar cookies"?
On to the categories that make this newsletter what it is, and I have been remiss in not publicly recognizing Joe Moore's Disaster Report as a template that inspired me to include these.
Reading
I'm still reading all the books I mentioned in February, as well as dawdling my way through Jesmyn Ward's Sing, Unburied Sing. (I had hoped to whiz through it before the Free Library of Philadelphia's One Book finale event.)
My most recent addition to my pile, and I'm having a blast with it: Robin Sloan's Sourdough. It's a breezy magical realism novel with baking and tech start-ups and wordplay. Big thanks to Sam for recommending it to me based on my interests!
Eating
This section will end up being a bit one-note, and for that, I don't apologize: Garlic, garlic, garlic! Ten years ago on a long weekend in rural New Hampshire, I watched my friend Mike's dad convert three pounds of garlic cloves and a few other ingredients into a chartreuse paste. It was my introduction to garlic elixir, a topping and ingredient for damn near everything. The vinegar and herbs form a well-rounded flavor profile. Drop it into your scrambled eggs, smoosh it into mayonnaise, the sky's the limit. Pro tip: Buy a bag of pre-peeled garlic cloves. We now keep a ~12 oz jar of it in the fridge at all times. More recently, I've run across black garlic aioli, specifically at two Center City restaurants two nights in a row. (Yes, it was a fancy week.) Is this the new trend? I see prepared versions and recipes when I google for it. The last thing I'll say about garlic and herbs is that, damn, I love blending up parsley, garlic, and other elements in my food processor to freeze as chimichurri or something resembling it. Small portions are great for throwing into some beans or a sauce.
As a palate cleanser, I present to you this mango kulfi that I'll be bringing to everything possible all summer. It's wickedly easy and delicious, my brother and I learned when we visited our parents recently. LET'S HAVE A KULFI-OFF. (I also had a vision this morning of a CASSEROLE PARTY which is maybe best left until October.)
Meeting
March was a number of nights away, to see old friends and family. April looks to be housesitting, petsitting, and babysitting, for different households around town. I am taking a stand-up class at Philly Improv Theater and finally have material I might try at a couple open mics in a few weeks. It's definitely the case that I'm in two N Crowd shows, Friday April 5 and Thursday April 18. The improvised dramedy Motel has a weekly slot at PHIT, Saturdays at 10, starting April 6. This show is full of SECRETS.
Beating
I'm still reading all the books I mentioned in February, as well as dawdling my way through Jesmyn Ward's Sing, Unburied Sing. (I had hoped to whiz through it before the Free Library of Philadelphia's One Book finale event.)
My most recent addition to my pile, and I'm having a blast with it: Robin Sloan's Sourdough. It's a breezy magical realism novel with baking and tech start-ups and wordplay. Big thanks to Sam for recommending it to me based on my interests!
Eating
This section will end up being a bit one-note, and for that, I don't apologize: Garlic, garlic, garlic! Ten years ago on a long weekend in rural New Hampshire, I watched my friend Mike's dad convert three pounds of garlic cloves and a few other ingredients into a chartreuse paste. It was my introduction to garlic elixir, a topping and ingredient for damn near everything. The vinegar and herbs form a well-rounded flavor profile. Drop it into your scrambled eggs, smoosh it into mayonnaise, the sky's the limit. Pro tip: Buy a bag of pre-peeled garlic cloves. We now keep a ~12 oz jar of it in the fridge at all times. More recently, I've run across black garlic aioli, specifically at two Center City restaurants two nights in a row. (Yes, it was a fancy week.) Is this the new trend? I see prepared versions and recipes when I google for it. The last thing I'll say about garlic and herbs is that, damn, I love blending up parsley, garlic, and other elements in my food processor to freeze as chimichurri or something resembling it. Small portions are great for throwing into some beans or a sauce.
As a palate cleanser, I present to you this mango kulfi that I'll be bringing to everything possible all summer. It's wickedly easy and delicious, my brother and I learned when we visited our parents recently. LET'S HAVE A KULFI-OFF. (I also had a vision this morning of a CASSEROLE PARTY which is maybe best left until October.)
Meeting
March was a number of nights away, to see old friends and family. April looks to be housesitting, petsitting, and babysitting, for different households around town. I am taking a stand-up class at Philly Improv Theater and finally have material I might try at a couple open mics in a few weeks. It's definitely the case that I'm in two N Crowd shows, Friday April 5 and Thursday April 18. The improvised dramedy Motel has a weekly slot at PHIT, Saturdays at 10, starting April 6. This show is full of SECRETS.
Beating
I had the pleasure of seeing Mo7s play classic rock at Kelsey's parents' (surprise!) anniversary party. They're kind folks with great energy and LIFE. Their latest album Big Deal is available on streaming services and I can't stop loving the alt-country album closer "Everyone." Mo7s reminded me to look up some other local performers I've seen live and failed to track down. Lauren Scott was at No Face Studios a few months ago, and I hope to catch her and her looping voice again. As I organized links for this edition, my friend Dan released a new ambient project via Soundcloud: You Are God is a Parking Lot at Dawn. It's very good morning/writing/latenight music.
Deleting
Changes at home (think: bedroom shelving units) have led to another round of Purge The Books. I have duplicates of books I certainly only need one of. I have cookbooks that never quite got my pot boiling. And I have academic books that feel like they're from a lifetime ago. I'm getting better with recognizing that my book collection, like everything, will always be in flux, and getting better with being okay with that. Other changes at home (think: kitchen workflow) got me on my knees scrubbing the fridge drawers yesterday. It's barely even spring, and I am truly inspired to get rid of some stale parts of my house.
As always, thanks for subscribing and reading. I find this way of keeping in touch (and keeping my own memories in one place) truly helpful. I hope to provide photos of baked goods in 4 weeks. Today's bread turned out less than pretty.
Time to drink a pint of water,
Neil
Deleting
Changes at home (think: bedroom shelving units) have led to another round of Purge The Books. I have duplicates of books I certainly only need one of. I have cookbooks that never quite got my pot boiling. And I have academic books that feel like they're from a lifetime ago. I'm getting better with recognizing that my book collection, like everything, will always be in flux, and getting better with being okay with that. Other changes at home (think: kitchen workflow) got me on my knees scrubbing the fridge drawers yesterday. It's barely even spring, and I am truly inspired to get rid of some stale parts of my house.
As always, thanks for subscribing and reading. I find this way of keeping in touch (and keeping my own memories in one place) truly helpful. I hope to provide photos of baked goods in 4 weeks. Today's bread turned out less than pretty.
Time to drink a pint of water,
Neil
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