Hi! I hope you’re doing okay and staying safe!
I know it’s been awfully quiet over at Spilt Milk HQ (can I call it “HQ”? Makes it sound like a grandiose operation rather than me panic-listening to podcasts at x2 speed and periodically harassing Chloe on WhatsApp about her Book Bites column). But it’s not only Spilt Milk HQ (really trying to make this stick) that’s been radio silent. I am - drumroll please - off social media! Between you and I it was an externally enforced break, though I’m tempted to earn some (desperately needed) credibility by playing the “I’m off social media because I don’t need it to feel alive, I’ve got a life!” card. The reality is that for reasons I still have not been made aware of, Instagram disabled my account! I almost exclusively post photos of pasta so I’m not quite sure why the FBI is after me, but there you have it. Judging by the speed of the appeal process so far, I’m guessing that Instagram has two customer support employees to service their *literally one billion* users, which is to say it doesn’t look like it’ll be resolved any time soon. The silver lining is that it’s left me with *checks agenda* yep, about four extra hours a day. Benefits aside, I do have to say I miss being able to share my many unsolicited recommendations and reviews with people. So, in an effort to scratch that itch, I’m sharing even more recommendations than usual today! I hope you find them entertaining and educational, but if not, that’s totally okay! Just please don’t mention it to me. I’ll take a white lie over honesty any day of the week if it means protecting my ego. And let me tell you, my ego is feeling particularly fragile at the moment considering that Instagram has likened my carefully curated profile to the illicit and erratic activities of a robot-run spam account. They sure know how to make a girl feel special. Thanks to Instagram for sponsoring this week’s newsletter.* Now, on to the recs!
*Instagram did not sponsor this week’s newsletter.
BOOKS
1. If Beale Street Could Talk
I’m currently listening to the audiobook version of James Baldwin’s If Beale Street Could Talk. The novel was published in 1974 and follows Tish and Fonny, a young couple whose world is turned upside down when Fonny is accused of a crime he did not commit. This book has been widely praised for its moving portrayal of Black intimacy and unflinching look at the systemic racism built into both the criminal justice system and the United States at large. If you’re not familiar with Baldwin’s work, I suggest you add him to your reading list (and bump him up to the front of the queue). Baldwin was an essayist, novelist, playwright, activist and a leading literary voice in the Civil Rights movement. Born in Harlem in 1924, Baldwin would go on to become one of the most important writers of the century, shaking the very foundations of the nation with his passionate and incisive insights on race and sexuality.
“It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.” - James Baldwin
2. Slouching Towards Bethlehem
Keeping with the theme of “books written before most of my readers were born,” I recently finished Slouching Towards Bethlehem, a 1968 essay collection from American writer Joan Didion. It’s largely about Didion’s feelings towards the counterculture in 1960s California, and because of this historical / political specificity, I have to admit that quite a few references went over my head (thank god for Google). That said, I gain so much from her writing that a few bouts of head-scratching hardly matter; Didion’s unique style and stripped-down, no-bullsh*t prose makes me a better writer every time I read her work. Not exactly relevant (this should be my personal tagline), but I also recently found some iconic images of Joan Didion’s kitchen and home in Malibu and I’m obsessed. But, back to Slouching Towards Bethlehem. Here’s one of my favourite quotes from her essay, “On Keeping a Notebook”:
“I think we are well advised to keep on nodding terms with the people we used to be, whether we find them attractive company or not. Otherwise they turn up unannounced and surprise us, come hammering on the mind's door at 4 a.m. of a bad night and demand to know who deserted them, who betrayed them, who is going to make amends. We forget all too soon the things we thought we could never forget. We forget the loves and the betrayals alike, forget what we whispered and what we screamed, forget who we were. I have already lost touch with a couple of people I used to be.”
3. Cook This Book
Do cookbooks count? Great, I think so too! I just received my copy of Molly Baz’ Cook this Book and I’m already head over heels. The design alone has me drooling, but it’s hugely practical, too. It’s full of helpful instructions (and QR codes linking to videos!) about the fundamentals of cooking and of course has plenty of mouth-watering dishes. I also read on her Instagram stories (back in the good ol’ days when I was legally permitted to use the platform) that there are over 50 vegetarian recipes and many others that can be adapted, which is useful intel for my fellow veggies out there who might be caught in the age-old internal debate of: “is this book worth buying or am I only going to be able to make 2 of the 113 dishes.”
PODCASTS
1. Suave
I’m kicking off my podcast recs with the outstanding, hard-hitting, seven-part series: Suave. It’s produced by the newly established Futuro Studios, a division of the Futuro Media Group (which you might recognise for their well-known public radio program, Latino USA). Suave tells the story of David Luis “Suave” Gonzalez, a man who was incarcerated at the age of 17 and sentenced to life in prison. Using Suave’s life as the point of entry, the show explores the shocking reality that the United States allows minors to be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole (note: it is the only country in the world where this is the case). There are many threads to this series: an intimate and first-hand account of Suave’s life, a critical look at a broken criminal justice system, and - most unexpectedly - the unconventional, complex and decades-long relationship between Suave and Maria Hinojosa, a veteran journalist and head of Futuro Media. A heavy but hugely important listen.
2. Out of Hours
For anyone with a side hustle (or aspirations for one), this is the show for you. Host Georgia Ritter speaks to people who started a side project and grew it into something bigger, with chats cutting across fields and sectors, from small businesses to social movements. One episode I would really recommend you to listen to is “Lisa Congdon: Building a career as an artist, out of hours.” Lisa Congdon is an artist, illustrator and author who - at nearly 40 and without any formal training - made the career switch to art and has slowly but surely achieved stratospheric success. Lisa shares profound insights about imposter syndrome, fear of success and how finding the courage to put your work out there - even if it’s not that great - is one of the most important things you can do to kick-start your career. I can’t tell you how much I gained from this episode: inspiration, of course, but lots of practical tips, too. Lisa’s story is a much-needed reminder that “success” doesn’t have to look like a 23-year-old wunderkind. There are merits to starting a new career later in life (you’re a helluva lot wiser, for one) and making the decision to follow your passion does not have an age limit.
3. “America’s ‘food apartheid’” - The Food Chain + “Food Apartheid” - Point of Origin
Have you ever heard of a food desert? How about food apartheid? No? Well, you better read on because this is a topic I believe we all need to learn about. For those unfamiliar, “food apartheid” is a term that many are pushing for to replace the more widely used “food desert.” Both food apartheid and food desert refer to areas that have extremely limited access to healthy, fresh and affordable food. These areas are often void of grocery stores (with the closest ones being miles away), produce is shockingly hard to come by and the price of the fresh food that is available is extortionate. It’s a reality for 19 million Americans - a striking figure considering that the US is one of the most food secure nations in the world. In some cases, these communities once had thriving local food systems in place (such as plentiful urban gardens), but have now been hollowed out. One key shift was the mass exodus of supermarkets, which left inner cities to service affluent (white) suburbs. Fast food chains saw it as an opportunity to capitalise on the financial position of lower-income residents and quickly moved in the supermarkets’ place. Given this context, it immediately becomes clear why one of the common criticisms of the term “food desert” is that it implies food scarcity in these communities is a natural occurrence. This erases the very deliberate and specific political and economic processes that led to these conditions. Food apartheid, on the other hand, is a more assertive - and in my estimation - accurate term that captures the power, privilege and racism at work. This episode of The Food Chain offers an introduction to these concepts and also features on-the-ground insights from people who are based in communities that are living under food apartheid. If you’re interested in learning more about the topic, I’d also recommend this episode on Food Apartheid from Stephen Satterfield’s brilliant, brilliant, brilliant (did I mention it’s brilliant?) podcast, Point of Origin.
4. The Improvement Association
I’m filing this under “podcast news you should know about” rather than “shows I heartily endorse.” Serial Productions (yes, that Serial) is back with their latest project: The Improvement Association. The series explores the decade-long allegations of election fraud that have circulated the small, rural community of Bladen County, North Carolina. It’s a production of Serial and The New York Times, so naturally the quality is higher than your typical podcast. That said I do have some reservations, particularly a feeling of general unease about elements of the reporting (and maybe even the choice of host). But I’d love to hear what you think, so send me an email and let’s chat about it!
5. Mothers of Invention
If you’re on the (admittedly niche) hunt for a show that bridges humour, feminism and climate change, look no further. This a podcast hosted by former Irish President Mary Robinson and comedian Maeve Higgins about feminist solutions to the climate crisis. In this special episode, Robinson and producer Thimali Kodikara speak to Senator Bernie Sanders and Sacajawea Hall in what is a very honest conversation about the climate emergency. Bernie also shares a really moving and accessible explanation of the concept known as a “just transition” (essentially, how we transition to sustainable energy in a way that still protects the many working people currently in the fossil fuel industry).
6. Arielle’s Shameless Plug
Back in March I had a sit-down chat with the Food Content Lead at Pinterest, Peter J. Kim, about his new show Counterjam. It’s a project of Food52’s Podcast network and the crux of the show is to explore cultural identity through food and music. I should also mention it’s got a pretty impressive slate of guests on board, including Kelis, Jarobi White and Fela Kuti’s son and grandson, Femi and Made Kuti. You can listen to the show here and read my interview with Peter here.
RECIPES
Seeing as this newsletter is already biblical in length I’ll keep this section brief. May I present to you “a list of food I can’t stop eating.”
1. Pasta alla Norma. This is a spicy, Sicilian pasta dish made with eggplant that I’ve been cookin’ up far more frequently than I’d care to publicly admit.
2. Chamomile Cake with Salted Honey Buttercream. This is as fun to make as it is to eat! I ended up using chamomile grown in my Nonno’s garden and it added a very sentimental and special touch (that’s code for “I got emotional while baking”).
3. Salted Peanut Butter Cookies. I originally posted this recipe in my first ever newsletter (a different one I originally called “Quarantine Care Package” - apologies for getting so meta). I’ve been making these since childhood and they are the ultimate comfort treat. I almost always keep an uncooked batch in the freezer that I can pull out during um, you know, “emergencies.”
Well, that’s it from me this time! I hope at least one of these recommendations is of interest to you, and if not, I’m sorry but I literally could not add any more to this newsletter. As I type this, Substack is sending me a warning sign in an aggressive orange font stating that I am “near email length limit.” It’s like at awards shows when they start turning up the music to nudge the winner off stage when the acceptance speech has gone on too long or gets a little too political. And I’m pretty sure I’ve ticked both of those boxes today. I hear your passive aggressive music loud n’ clear Substack. I’m wrapping it up, I just have one final jab about capitalism I’d like to ma-