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CATCH UP!
The early 2000s are having a moment, and it’s making me bewildered and nostalgic all at the same time. It’s not a wistful, I-miss-that-era nostalgia, but a reflective one in which I ponder how much has changed since the early aughts.
I recentlt started watching The Hills as my background show — what I put on when I’m half paying attention during video editing or chopping — and I have also been listening to all the cast members spill the tea on various podcasts. A few people have told me how out of character this is for me, but in a way it’s not, and I’ll tell you why.
I am so sucked into this universe decades later because it’s a little slice of a pop culture time capsule. I’m not watching the show for the drama — by today’s standards, the show is SO boring. Everyone just goes out to clubs and stares at each other. But back then, reality TV was still so new, that even a tiny voyeuristic glance into someone’s life, no matter how manipulated or mundane, was considered interesting. I’m also fascinated by how much was fake and how we all just chose to believe it. I’m also REALLY fascinated by the fashion, and I’m still trying to understand why Gen Z is bringing it back. You will not catch me in low-rise jeans ever, ever again.
The Hills came out when I was in high school (I never watched it then), and I can just feel that time period in my bones when I watch the show. I look back on my high school years with fond memories (which I know is a lucky feeling). For some reason, though, I’ve always had this weird sensation when I look back on my college years. I’ve tried to work through this one before, because I had a great time in college, too, but I almost feel more disconnected from the person I was in college than the baby I was in high school, which I suppose isn’t that absurd to say since those years were definitely more exploratory. I think I also expect college to feel more recent, but the reality is I graduated almost 10 years ago, and it’s far enough away that fashion is already circling back — it’s vintage now! I see TikTok’s of Indie Sleaze throw backs, and it sends intense butterflies through my core, and emotion that I can’t quite pinpoint as happy or sad.
It’s bizarre to measure the passing of time through nostalgia — seeing these videos as time capsules when they are still in my recent memory throws me off, but it also reminds me that time has moved on and things feel different. I experience discomfort thinking about myself in college because I had a significant period of self-growth right after I graduated, and suddenly, that girl chasing the cast of Gossip Girl at Fashion’s Night Out in the Upper East Side circa 2009 doesn’t even seem recent anymore. And she’s not! Nostalgia feels euphoric and uncomfortable at once, but it’s a reminder that I am moving forward, that society is changing, and ultimately, that feeling is good. I am not stuck.
THINGS I’M LOVING
This article “The Endless Torment of the ‘Recipe?’ Guy” is worth the read (it’s a quick one). I love anything that analyzes what it’s like to exist on the internet because I think it’s something we all need to reflect on a little (a lot) more. I’m particularly partial to this one since it covers food bloggers and how people place expecations on them. The comments are dark, which I think just further proves my point that we all need to look at our online behaviors a little bit more closely.
I recently started using retinol, and I ended up starting off with this Skinceuticals .3 Retinol Cream, thanks to the advice of Charlotte Palermino, my fave skincare expert (pretty much the only person I listen to lol). So far, with some moisturizer layering, my skin has been tolerating it really well, and I’m liking the results!
I am in love with this new quilt and pillow set we got from Crate and Barrel for our bedroom! It’s so cozy, and it really gives a chic, desert vibe to our room. It’s also 50% off which is amazing!!
RECIPE!
It has been far too long since I’ve made a galette, but it also felt wrong to do a full summer produce recipe since we are transitioning out of the season. So, this is the cloesest you’ll get to a fall recipe from me this week. YOU’RE WELCOME.
Galette dough recipe is adapted from Tartine!
Sweet Potato Galette
Ingredients (makes 1 galette)
Galette Dough
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup very cold water
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 stick butter + 2.5 tbsp (10.5 tbsp total) unsalted butter, very cold
Galette Filling
2 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 small sweet potato, thinly sliced
4 oz goat cheese
1 egg, beaten
Everything But The Bagel Seasoning (optional)
Fresh parsley
Parmesan cheese
1. Mix the salt into your very cold water. Cut your very cold butter into 1-inch pieces (I like to stick it in the freezer right before using).
2. Add the flour and butter pieces to a food processor, and pulse until butter is in pea-sized pieces. Drizzle in the cold salted water and pulse until a ball forms. Transfer to a flour-lined work surface, and form into a 1-inch thick disk with your hands. Wrap with plastic, and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Let cool slightly before working with the dough.
3. Preheat your oven to 400 F. First, prepare the onion. Heat up a large pan on medium-low heat, and add the olive oil. Add your sliced onions and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Onions should be brown and soft.
4. When you’re ready to use the dough, use a rolling pin to shape into a rough circle, about 1/8 in thick. It’s okay if the shape isn’t perfect. Transfer the dough carefully to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
5. Sprinkle half of the goat cheese onto the galette, leaving a 3-inch border like a pizza crust (you’ll fold this over). Add the onions and the remaining goat cheese. Then layer the sweet potato slices, and drizzle with a little olive oil.
6. Fold over the edges to cover the potato and onion mixture, and brush the crust with egg. Top the crust with a little Everything But The Bagel Seasoning, if desired! Bake for 30 minutes until edges are golden brown.
7. When galette is done baking, add some fresh parsley and a sprinkle of Parmesan.