mantra for recognizing Your Beloved
this week’s title is from Brain Pickings, the OG newsletter. In it, four Buddhist mantras are listed for turning fear into love.
what’s on my radar
I am watching Small Axe, Steve McQueen’s film anthology. A genuine pleasure to watch, especially Lovers Rock.
Fiona Apple’s Pitchfork interview. I particularly connected with her answer when she was asked about balancing anger with forgiveness.
Great performers of 2020.
I’ll read anything having to do with Phantom Thread.
Check out this documentary on Harold Budd & Brian Eno! (Two weeks in a row linking to a Brian Eno documentary…)
The vanishing queer underground of Los Angeles:
24 hour news
Our year of blur.
^ Let’s grieve it, though.
^^ But don’t forget, nothing is real.
Targeted ads that seem to have a personality of their own.
Hungry americans turning to food banks for the first time.
Yup! Another Megan Thee Stallion article, but more importantly, a discussion on the importance of protecting Black women.
Hollywood loves protecting abusive men. This has been common knowledge though.
We are rooting for you Kid Cudi! Straight from my 6th grade iPod classic!
No one is NOT DOWN for to-go cocktails!
that’s funny…
Go grandpa! I’ll follow you into the dark!
I love this.
i’m so happy to announce that the New York Times food blog and i are in direct competition:
a Jake Dvorksy original:
I started cooking and sharing it on instagram so that people would find me hot. I feel like it is a pretty objective belief that people who cook good food are good looking. And stuck in a pandemic, lost in an endless lonely spiral confined within my apartment walls and rather hyperactive brain, I figured this would be a good way to spend my time while also hopefully getting validation from my peers and numerous internet boyfriends at the same time. See, I wish my passion for food stemmed from somewhere else - perhaps from some colorful experience abroad or from being a prodigy with some other-worldly sophisticated palate. But the truth is I wanted to get (virtually) laid and figured this would up my chances since at-home workouts weren't really my thang.
And, it kind of worked? People (boys) started giving me (an ounce) more attention and it felt really really exceptionally good. I will not pretend to be above that. But the wonderfully ironic part is that I began to develop a real love for cooking as a meditative time for me. I won't go full Julia Child on your ass right now, but I have found that with all of the noise, especially in this frantic fever dream of a world we are currently breathing in, the one thing that feels in my control is how I treat myself. How I give to myself. How I spend the time with myself. And for me, going balls to the wall on an egg soufflé or kimchi soup has become a tangible way to treat myself with kindness. To create even an hour of comfort in the most uncomfortable shitshow the world has ever seen. And while I'm still trying to get virtually laid by posting slutty food pics, cooking has brought me a new appreciation for the ways we can satiate ourselves, Especially in times of (blessed) unrest.
My new cooking page is here: COOKING_FOR_CLOUT
Jake's recipe for steamed mussels with white wine, garlic, and chili flake:
Don't be daunted by mollusks! They are actually quite easy to cook. And this recipe is really simple, anyone (and I mean anyone!) can do it.
What you'll need (serves 2):
- 4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
- A nice handful of parsley, chopped
- Cheap white wine, at least half a bottle
- Chili flake
- Butter (3-5 tablespoons)
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- A pinch of sugar
- Mussels (about 1.5 lbs)
- OPTIONAL: Smoked andouille sausage, chopped
Take a large skillet and heat up some olive oil and 1tblsp of butter on medium/medium high, enough to generously coat the pan. Then, throw in your garlic and parsley and sauté them for a couple minutes until they are just browned. If adding smoked andouille, add your sausage to the pan and mix all of the flavors together.
Once everything is nice and browned, add around half a bottle of white wine. You can always add more as you go! This is what will make the liquid of your broth, and I'm a broth boy so I usually end up using 3/4ths of a bottle. Once your wine is in, add salt, chili flake, pepper, and a pinch of sugar. You're going to let this simmer and cook out all of the alcohol - The way to test this is simply to smell the pot. If you still smell booze, it's not quite ready.
Once it's started to really simmer, throw in the remaining 2-4 tablespoons of butter (up to you!). When the alcohol has evaporated and you are happy with the taste of your broth, throw in the mussels, give it a quick stir, crank the heat up to HIGH, and put a top over it. You'll know they are done when the shells have opened up, usually about 3-5 minutes. If a mussel refuses to open, that's what we call a bad mussel, and just don't eat that one.
Top with some fresh parsley, and enjoy with a side of fried bread or baguette of your choice. Pairs great with white or orange wine. This meal slaps, and is sure to get people to find you attractive.
WITH LOVE,
JAKEY D
I will be celebrating my 10 week anniversary next week! And, Happy Hanukkah!
Dear one, I am here for you.
Darling, I know you are there, and I am so happy.
Dear one, I know you are suffering. That is why I am here for you.
Kyra