A little holiday cheer
Fleur de sel caramels, romance novels and a charming chateau.
Welcome to Small Joys, a bi-monthly(ish) newsletter about finding great joy in the little things. Here are a few recent things that have sparked joy.
To all the romance novels I loved in 2020
A large chunk of the books I read this year were romance novels, which was both intentional and unintentional. This past summer, I wrote about their power to soothe, especially during a time that’s been overwhelming and exhausting in every way. My brain has roundly rejected every other genre. All I can handle are HEAs (that’s Happily Ever After in rom-com speak). In romance novels, there’s hope and optimism and a happy ending is a non-negotiable, which is comforting when so much of everything else isn’t. There were so many I loved and wanted to share a few of my favourites that were published this year, in no particular order.
Beach Read by Emily Henry
A Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev
Take A Hint, Dani Brown - Talia Hibbert
Party of Two - Jasmine Guillory
In Five Years - Rebecca Serle
One to Watch - Kate Stayman-London
You Had Me At Hola - Alexis Daria
If I Never Met You - Mhairi McFarlane
The Best Worst Man - Mia Sosa
The Roommate - Rosie Danan
Escape to the chateau
Photo from thechateau.tv
A friend of mine and I have this thing where we’ll send each other photos and videos of our favourite Instagram stories, usually from people who living in the countryside—of a gilded frame, a flower garden, a visit to the market. One day, she told me about a show called Escape to the Chateau (on CBC Gem). She’d already sold it to me (A chateau? Say no more), but five minutes into the first episode, I knew it was extremely my jam. It’s about a British couple named Dick and Angel Strawbridge who buy a run-down 19th-century chateau in Martigné-sur-Mayenne, France and move there from Essex with their two kids. The show follows the Strawbridges on their adventures as they renovate Château de la Motte-Husson. Dick tends to their walled garden where he grows sweet corn and courgettes. Angel redecorates the chateau and and its nooks and crannies and it’s all antiques and French linens and old repurposed wallpapers. Dick makes homegrown pear brandy. There are misty mornings over the moat and slivers of sun slicing through the trees. And did I mention there’s a moat?
Escape to the Chateau has the balm-like charm of The Great British Bake Off and the house porn appeal of an HGTV show (but better, because chateau). It’s like a pair of reading socks—warm, cozy and inviting.
The holidays are one of the few times where I get excited about baking. I want to make savoury shortbread and fancy cakes and more. But the one person I know who really and truly gets into the holiday baking spirit is Tania Kwong. If you ever catch her in person with a baked good in hand, she looks like she just walked off the set of a photoshoot for a cookbook cover. I asked her to share her favourite holiday recipe with Small Joys and was so happy that she agreed. Here she is, in her own words.
Fleur de sel caramels
Come December, sugar cookies are a dime a dozen, but salted caramels? They’re just special on a different level. Rich amber-toned morsels dusted with flecks of fine sea salt make the perfect handcrafted gift. Admittedly, making caramels that taste almost as good as the ones you’d find in any Parisian patisserie (hello, Jacques Génin), depends on a few factors. Quality ingredients and practice. Over time, you can expect some sort of Goldilocks experience (too hard or too soft) but investing in a candy thermometer helps to achieve the right chew factor.
My go-to recipe, and I’ve tried many, is by the one-and-only Ina Garten.
*Note: I use this recipe as a guide and don’t bother with the rolling technique suggested. After setting in the pan, just cut your rectangular shapes out with a sharp knife, wrap and refrigerate.
From my bookmarks:
A few housekeeping things:
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Wishing you a safe and happy holiday season!
- Mishal