Friday Reading & Eating

Happy Friday, Everyone. I wanted to use today’s round-up to give you an update on a few things I’ve been working on over at Cup of Jo. As most of you know, I’ve been logging some time in Brooklyn with the COJ team, and in addition to being right next door to my favorite seafood market ever (the place opened the year I moved to Brooklyn more than two decades ago), it’s given me the chance to work on some pretty great stories. For starters, I’m writing an advice column called “Burning Questions,” which aims to answer all your most niggling food quandaries. (How to find a good restaurant when traveling? What store-bought vegetable broth tastes the best? What on earth does one do with kohlrabi? You get the idea.) Look for that launching in the next week or two. I’ve also…

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…organized a Brownie Mix Taste Test with baker extraordinare Jerrelle Guy. (I was shocked by the winner)

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And I rounded-up six spritzes you would be wise to experiment with this summer. (Yes, I did read the Times spritz takedown and the subsequent backlash. But: onward.)

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And this was pretty awesome: I interviewed Crystal Dunn, who is a defender on the U.S. Women’s National Team competing in the World Cup. We are of course very into it in our house and I hope you are all too. (Next game against Spain on Monday at noon ET.) Note: I love the “Beauty Uniform” series over at Cup of Jo because they approach beauty in the most holistic way — it’s never just about what eyeliner you’re wearing, it’s about your definition of beauty and what makes you feel beautiful. Dunn was amazing on that topic, so please read. Also of note, she eats the same thing for breakfast every morning: a veg-packed omelet and English muffin.

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I assigned this piece, Life Advice for my College-Bound Daughter to Elisabeth Egan and it’s currently my favorite thing on the internet. Number 30:  “Try to resist the urge to ‘brand’ yourself, which is so much less rewarding than establishing a meaningful, nuanced identity. For instance, Daddy went for Deep Philosopher during our first semester of college; I went for Cheerful Girl…Twenty years into our marriage, we still bump up against these boxes, which are empty and take up more room than they deserve. Worth noting: we didn’t find each other until we’d stepped out of them.”

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Lastly — and this is not a Cup of Jo thing — but I just wanted to make sure you knew that the wait is over! Fleishman is in Trouble, by every writer’s favorite writer, Taffy Brodesser-Akner, is finally here. I am loving and savoring every page, and it appears I’m not the only one. Pick up a copy for the beach or the plane or the weekend hammock.

Lastly lastly, there is more news that I am so excited to announce, hopefully next week — check back for details!

Happy Weekend!

(Photo illustration by Maud Passini for Cup of Jo. Food illustrations by Alessandra Olanow; Brownies by Christine Han; Crystal Dunn by The Players Tribune; College Daughter by Daniel Douglas)