By Request of the Moon
Tonight is the new moon, in the part of the sky known as Aquarius; the sign that takes enormous pride in its weirdness! This moon phase asks that we not only embrace, but endorse our unique inner-selves, in order to connect more deeply to the communities that truly see us.
I have a memory from the age of 10 or 11 that I’ve come to think of as my inner compass. It was raining, and I was sitting in a window seat at a DIY school while my mom took a spring roll making class. Everything about this environment encompasses my ideal state of feeling: coziness, in a school of learning and creativity, with the smell of spring rolls frying, in peaceful solitude. A state of feeling that isn’t exciting or impressive, but it’s what I’d cite as a perfect day. The day-to-day, after all, is life.
My love for all things peaceful and quotidian runs deep, but this part of myself has always struck me as objectively uncool. Putting forward curated parts of myself that seem objectively unique has always felt like a more comfortable way to exist in the world. Ironically, the true inner weirdness I’d like to further embrace is my love of the ordinary. To me, the ordinary is full of magic!
This very newsletter is a weekly commitment to channeling my quotidian-loving, weird inner-girl. I can’t tell you how much easier putting on a front would be, to shield myself from thoughts of “Who is going to want to read this?” But if I did that, I wouldn’t have found you, would I? So, in the spirit of the Aquarius new moon, here are some very ordinary events that I enjoyed immensely this week:
I successfully washed and dried a down comforter! If you can withhold your judgements, I’ll tell you something— I’d never washed my down comforter before. Because it was too scary! Maybe you’re like me, so here’s how I did it:
Ran the washer on the delicate cycle with 1/2 the amount of detergent I’d usually use (too much soap will make the feathers stick together, so I’ve read).
Then I ran an extra rinse and spin cycle just to be sure all that soap rinsed out.
Dried on low heat forever! (About an hour and 10 minutes, until throughly fluffy).
I ate the most incredible waffle of my whole life. It was at The Boat, part of the restaurant group Pho Bac that’s nominated for a James Beard award. The coconut cloud that graced this masterpiece (which also graced my “cloud coffee”) was thick and fluffy as its namesake, and salted to perfection. The waffle’s exterior was impossibly, delicately crispy, with crunchy bits that I imagine were caramelized bits of sugar, and a saturation of butter all over. The inside was banana and pandan, floral and subtle, with a bouncy texture that may have been mochi flour.
Last, I made a pillow just for me. With a ruffle, which I read is going out of style— but I don’t mind loitering on a trend so cute. I made the ruffle by sewing two rows of basting stitches (stitches with extra long lengths) and pulling the bobbin stings to cinch. Then, I laid the ruffle inside two heart cutouts, sewed together, and stuffed, hand stitching the gap closed. Initially I was going to buy this one, but now I know how to sew a ruffle!
New on the blog this week:
How to Temper Chocolate in the microwave or on the stove
I thought this might be a useful topic around Valentine’s Day for all your chocolate dipped strawberry needs. My very first issue of The Fryday was about my experience tempering chocolate in the microwave, and I made a video about tempering chocolate on the stovetop years ago for my web series with The Create Channel, which is included in this post.
As promised! This project was really for myself, and for my weird inner girl, who was fascinated by Bigfoot and Nessie, and who (still) loves to hear Cryptid stories.
If you’re feeling amorous, visit my Valentine’s pinboard for more ideas.
Here’s the best things I cooked this week:
Yakiudon
I used Mentsuyu soup base to flavor this udon, a technique from Just One Cookbook. It’s really easy and so delicious!
Kale, Root Veggie Fries, and Steak with Curry Mustard
Trader Joe’s comes in for a starring role for the second time this week with root veggie fries. The kale was sautéed and tossed with lemon juice just before plating, with seared sirloin and a blend of curry powder, mustard, and yogurt to sauce it all up.
Yogurt Caesar Dressing
In my continuing efforts to indulge less in my cholesterol-laden desires, I made a caesar dressing with yogurt instead of whisking up the traditional mayo-based kind. Yogurt is very tangy, so I used a spoonful of vegannaise, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of porcini powder and msg to bring up the savory notes. Along with anchovy and garlic, this was a pretty convincing substitute!
That’s all for this Fryday, see you next time!
Kiya