Another week in the books. Erik Larson's new book, The Splendid and the Vile is exceptional. So was a meatball sub, a painkiller, a skillet cookie. Carly Rae Jepsen has a new B-side album out, it's wonderful, so was Rory McIlroy's interview on the McKellar podcast.
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NYTimes Cooking.
I used to stand in the school hallways and ask students to take off their hooded sweatshirts because they were out of dress code. I used to hold kids in detention for multiple dress code infractions. Middle schoolers would often have an answer for why they were wearing their hoodie: they were heading outside or they were just coming back inside (hoodies were allowed outside) or the building was too cold (and hoodies are the only thing a teenager can wear to stay warm…). Some would just say the rule was unfair and they should be allowed to wear hoodies (if I could have worn a hoodie every day to work, I would have, too.).
It was exhausting and I hated it. All teachers hate fighting kids on dress code. It’s like fighting the tide while playing whack-a-mole, but without tickets to collect for a prize at the end.
This hoodie issue is now haunting nearly everyone in our country, except the hoodie is now a mask. I’ve heard the refrain, “Just put on a mask! We’re not asking that much!” Just like teachers used to say, “Just take off your hoodie, it’s so easy!”
Obviously, there is a stark difference between hoodies and masks because masks are made to protect people and we’re in the middle of a pandemic. However the attitude about dress code in middle school feels similar to the mask issue in public. Hoodies are comfortable and it the dress code and stupid and it doesn’t matter, teenagers complained. Masks are a nuisance and they don’t really do anything, idiots say.
I guess that means, deep down, we’re all middle schoolers even after we’ve grown up. Many of us seek comfort (rules and/or public safety be damned), while others follow every rule. Then there are those in the middle with a mask shoved in their pocket, waiting to see what everyone out in public is doing before making a decision.
Killing Eve: I realize I’m late to the game with this one. But it’s on Hulu, so Tiff and I decided to give it a whirl. While each episode has a moment where we’re watching the TV through sweaty, nervous fingers, clamped over our eyes, it’s an excellent show. The premise is that Sandra Oh, playing Eve, is an American who works as a British spy. She’s tracking a ruthless assassin throughout Europe, but the assassin is also tracking her. The show harkens back to old school spy shows: the soundtrack, visuals, and hopping around from different ancient European cities. It’s excellent. It’s on Hulu. Watch it.
Jack Kornfield : I’ve listened to a bunch of interviews with Kornfield recently because he possesses an incredible ability to state things plainly and beautifully. His entire website is full of wonderful texts about mindfulness, and he’s a great listen/read if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed during this pandemic. Here’s a link to a podcast he does with Sam Harris of Ten Percent Happier.
My Season WIth Verona: This was a wonderful book. Tim Parks spent one season following his favorite football team, Verona, throughout Italy. He travels to every away game, in many different ways. Cars, trains, buses, planes (public and private). It’s a non-fiction book that reads like fiction. The characters are insanely passionate, angry, and loving. Park’s writing brings them all to life. The team’s rollercoaster season couldn’t have been a more perfect subject. Read the first chapter, depicting an overnight bus ride to Bari, and you’ll be hooked.
I found myself learning a lot about Italy’s culture; the schism between north and south is deep and intense. He doesn’t get bogged down in match report writing, but when he does offer blow by blow recaps, they’re riveting and impactful to the story. Even if you’re not a soccer fan, this is an excellent read.
Flattening the Truth by David Eggers: Eggers might be one of my favorite writers. This tongue in cheek piece is great and sad and scary and funny. - NYTimes.com
Spaghetti and Meatballs Make No Goddamn Sense Together: A solid, old-fashioned mailbag article by Drew Magary, a witty writer who made his name at Deadspin, and he’s a worthy Twitter follow. Sometimes I hate him and sometimes he makes me laugh. Here’s the link.
Tomato Alphabet Soup: Comfort foods have become more and more the name of the game. I made this soup using this NYTimes recipe. You’ll need a blender or immersion blender and about an hour of time, but I was very impressed with it. You could double the recipe and have dinner for a couple nights and maybe even a lunch.
On Sunday, Tiff and I zoomed with my brother and his girlfriend as a pre-game for ESPN’s The Last Dance. We thought it would be fun to each pick a cocktail and then teach each other how to make them on the call. A distance learning bartender class if you will.
We made a Chelsea Sidecar and a Mezcal Sour. I found the Chelsea sidecar in this amazing book we were given a few years ago called, quite simply, the Ultimate Bar Book. It’s small and looks classy as hell. We noticed it in bars over the years, so you know it’s good.
Chelsea Sidecar: Lemon twist, 2 ounces gin (we used Barr Hill), 3/4 ounce Cointreau, 1/2 ounce lemon juice. Rub the rim of the glass with the lemon. Toss in the liquid ingredients together with ice and shake, shake, shake! Strain into a glass and garnish with a lemon twist.
Mezcal Sour: This was my brother’s drink of choice. I cannot remember how to make it off the top of my head, it involved egg white, honey, mezcal, muddled basil, a “dry shake” and then a “wet shake” after adding the egg white. It was delicious.
Mezcalita: We never have Mezcal (or any tequila) in the house, so I did a little research and found this drink; it was perfect for a Cinco de Mayo dinner. It was delicious and easy to make, and the orange and lime juice will help fight off scurvy. After all, we’re basically all on our own little ships right now.
Four Questions Parents Should Be Asking About Their Child: I wrote a quick parenting/distance learning piece with four questions that parents should be asking themselves about their child as a learner. They’ll make them better parents when school returns to normal. Here is the link.
The Imperfect Game: After a week away from the mic, Both and I are back on the bike talking about Sheffield Wednesday’s heroes and villains. We learn a new British insult (what is a yob?) and discuss a striker that drank a bottle of champagne on New Years Day for breakfast, scored a goal and then hopped in net and didn’t allow a goal. iTunes and Spotify