Farewell, summer
On scented ovals, reading cookbooks and swimming.
In praise of scented ovals
Diptyque's Roses Scented Oval is a far cry from a need-to-have (at $74, it sits firmly in splurge territory), but it’s delightful to have nonetheless. The brand’s best known for their candles but these oval-shaped ceramic medallions, which house a scented wax tablet, are an alternative to getting one of those coveted Diptyque scents. They’re like scented sachets or drawer liners, only cooler. You can tuck them away in drawers or hang them in your closet. I keep mine in a drawer buried with my tees because I love how the smell lingers on my clothes and feels like I’m surrounded by a scented halo of Diptyque. (You can also just pretend you’re wearing one of the fragrances.) They’re said to last about three months, but they’ve lasted a lot longer for me. They also make the perfect gift—especially for yourself!
On reading cookbooks for the joy of reading them
I was recently listening to Radio Cherry Bombe’s podcast interview with The Bear’s (great show, FYI) culinary producer, Courtney Storer where she talks about how she loves to read cookbooks and not just cook from them. She said, “I've found it really, really rejuvenating to go into old cookbooks. And that feels like self-care to me, because I'm not cooking. I'm just reading other people's genius ideas. And it gives me a lot of passion and inspiration.” It got me thinking about some of the cookbooks I’ve enjoyed and how they haven’t necessarily been for the recipes but for the storytelling. Like Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat and Small Victories by Julia Turshen. And so, for fall, I’ve decided to add cookbooks to my reading list. If you have any favourite cookbooks you like to read for fun, please share them in the comments!
What brings you joy, Hannah Sung?
Hannah Sung is the co-founder of the Media Girlfriends podcast and writes the newsletter, At The End Of The Day.
“Swimming. It doesn't seem like a small act, actually, to plunge your whole body into water and then move it without drowning. It takes a childhood history of swimming lessons and the good fortune to be able to spend time near water or buy a membership to the Y. I'm grateful for all of the above because going for a swim is the consistent, most joy-giving, grumpy-mood-clearing daily choice I can make.”
From my bookmarks:
Watch: A tour of Jamie Beck’s atelier in Provence, France.
Listen: Mindy Kaling in conversation with Meghan Markle for the Archetypes podcast.
Make: A 5-minute tomato sauce. 🍅
Read: A love letter to my favourite Weleda Skin Food.
I love to read cookbooks too, especially the ones that combine travel with recipes.
Just finished this one, what a gorgeous cookbook:
Mi Cocina : Recipes and Rapture from my Kitchen in Mexico by Rick Martinez.
https://www.rick-martinez.com/