It’s been a minute! Hi.
A few weeks ago I experienced what felt like a seasonally appropriate sniffle and it turned out to be the one, the only, COVID-19. So then I was in a sort of time warp, transported back to Winter 2020 (remember?), wearing my grey sweats every day, putzing around the house, and baking too many breakfast loaves (if only I could smell and taste them!). I spent a full five minutes one day thinking I was experiencing “brain fog” before realizing I just needed to wipe my glasses clean.
I secured a Disney+ log-in from a sympathetic co-worker, and Allison and I did not take the privilege lightly. We devoured LUCA, CRUELLA, and SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS. What else should we hit while we’ve got the password? Please advise.
Whether due to the virus or our general congestion, our taste buds were not at their sharpest. I still made some satisfying dishes, the best of which have had a piquancy to break through the cold.
Back to the movies:
LUCA made both of us cry, no surprise there. This most recent Pixar feature follows the titular sea monster as he befriends Alberto, a fun-loving risk-taker who lives on “the surface” as a human (a “land monster!”). Along with their new human friend Giulia, they take on the town bully and (grab your tissues) learn the value of friendship and self-love.
I cannot in good faith recommend you watch CRUELLA, unless as a cultural artifact. It made an ideal sick day movie, but every fifteen minutes we had to pause and check the budget, because, wow, were they trying to show it off. The film is packed with so many iconic needle-drops you’d think the record player would be broken by now. The end result feels lazy. We get it, you can afford to play “She’s A Rainbow” by the Rolling Stones! Cool, man! Whatever! Emma Stone can’t seem to decide whether to play her role sincerely or go full camp and the result is a sort of cringey “both…?” But, again, 10/10 if you’re stuck inside for eleven days.
A few months ago, Alli and I ventured to the movie theater for the first time since lockdown to see ZOLA. Afterwards, overcome with adrenaline from just being out in the world, we walked directly into the theater for BLACK WIDOW for a spontaneous double feature. So, neither of us has seen too many Marvel movies. And it’s no secret we spend most of our movie hours watching, uh, quieter fare. So if you saw Black Widow and it felt normal, like “Oh yeah, another Marvel movie.” Well, not us! This movie was something else! I mean, wow! The explosions! The costumes! The sheer number of people! The violence! Pow pow pow! Bang bang bang! What a rush. We had a great time. And I think it removed a block that allowed me to hit play on SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS with perhaps more generosity to the genre. Not that I wouldn’t have been immediately won over. It’s a beautiful movie, truly. The fighting, the effects, the cast, the story. Just well done on all fronts. And it’s starring one of our favorite actors (of the aforementioned “quiet movies”), the great Tony Leung, in his first American role. His pathos ties together a motley and brilliant ensemble.
Allison also selected EL SUR, the 1983 Spanish coming-of-age drama from Victor Erice, as a group watch with ye olde movie clubbe. The film is lyrical and quietly moving, a story that seems to span generations despite focusing sharply on one thread of experience. Jose Luis Alcain’s cinematography captures stunningly the understated, yet powerful performances. The frames look lit from within, flickering and alive. Gorgeous.
And now for what we ate:
Ginger noodles
Our friends-slash-upstairs neighbors dropped off a bag with one of the biggest knobs of fresh ginger I’ve ever seen. I put it all to work in this Ottolenghi noodle dish. While a bit heavy on components, it comes together easily and makes fantastic leftovers. I also still have some of the simple chili oil left and it makes a great finisher for fried eggs.
The recipe is behind a paywall on NYTCooking.
Cacio e pepe
The ultimate pantry dinner, and a real winner if you’re looking for the middle section of a sort of “bland” and “flavorful” Venn Diagram.
I like the beginner-friendly recipe from Samin Nosrat’s “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat.”
Spice bread
I’m reading Lauren Groff’s novel “Matrix” right now, and all the talk of abbeys and ale and nuns had me craving some sort of hefty, rustic bread. David Lebovitz came through with this recipe, described in his book as “medieval tasting.” And indeed! This is not a moist, sweet quick bread but rather a true, spiced, loaf. Allison deemed it a “do not make again” and is highly skeptical that I enjoyed it, so maybe read the aforementioned novel and enjoy it as part of the thematic experience….
Here’s a similar-but-different take on the classic French snack bread.
Hope you’ve all been staying healthy and warm!
Love,
Nina
Wait but what did you think of Zola??