After years of admiring Julia Child’s kitchen pegboards, I finally covered one of the walls of my new kitchen with a bright red one of my own.

Julia’s husband, Paul Child, designed the light blue board seen in so many pictures of her Cambridge, Massachusetts, kitchen. He carefully traced the outline of every pan so she could easily return each one to its designated place on the board. If you look closely at the photo, you can spot the silhouette of a pan that was in use.

Julia’s smaller kitchen in Santa Barbara, California, also had a pegboard wall.

And in Provence, where Julia and Paul’s former vacation cottage (“La Peetch”) now welcomes guests and hosts cooking classes, students learn in a kitchen surrounded by tools Julia once reached for from her pegboards there.

There’s a terrific article about what it’s like to stay and cook at La Peetch here: From Travel+Leisure: I Stayed in Julia Child’s Cottage in the South of France — What It’s Like to Stay and Cook There, by Karen Yuan, July, 13, 2025.

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Pegboards were first used in factories, garages and workshops, but they were a natural fit for storing kitchen tools and gadgets and were given a boost by Child’s enthusiastic display and use of them.

Over the years they’ve become more colorful. They remind me of the design term “Beautility” the combination of beauty and utility. And that’s how my board makes me feel: it’s useful and I also like looking at it.

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Speaking of Beautility, I was the lucky recipient of a prize gift from two wonderful and talented women, of and Chloe Fields, Founder of Counterpart. It’s a retractable USB-C charger and this chic color-block limited A Tiny Apt. X Counterpart edition is already sitting stylishly in my kitchen ready to charge my laptop. Thank you, Christene and Chloe!

Mother’s Day Breakfast Cake

If my mother Joan was still with us, I would have flown home to New York. I’d be sitting at her kitchen table this morning, and we’d be drinking tea and talking. And somewhere in that kitchen there would be an Entenmann’s Crumb Cake about to make its entrance.

I grew up one town over from the Entenmann’s Baking facility in Bay Shore, Long Island. It was an institution.

In the early days of TTK I made Irma Rombauer’s Crumb Cake from the 1931 edition of The Joy of Cooking and it was very good. Here’s the recipe (in case you can’t get an Entenmann’s Crumb Cake;)

Cooking time is approximately 25 minutes, and I baked it in a 13”x9”x 1” sheet pan.

This week , whose newsletter is witty and delicious, made a beautiful coffee cake. Visit for post with recipe, it looks scrumptious.

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Happy Mother’s Day to my Mom and to all the Moms.

Have a good Sunday, everyone.

Jolene xx

When I told my friend I’d moved, she asked, “What time period are you living in now?”

At the top of my latest list of obsessions is wonderin…

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Last month, writer shared a drawing by Paul Klee in her always thoughtful newsletter . She’d opened a book at random, receptive to whatever guidance it might offer for a new project.

I landed on a page containing this work by Paul Klee, A Guardian Angel Serves a Small Breakfast.

I was equal parts moved and amused and love the idea that the gifts and blessings in our lives can be small (and nutritive). Sharing it here in the event, you, too, could benefit from its presence.

— Caroline Cala Donofrio 3/29/2026

The image of an angel in motion carrying a breakfast tray with a teapot and a flower is so endearing I immediately ordered a print.

At the center of Klee’s Angel is a heart. His studio at the Bauhaus was dubbed “The Magic Kitchen,” a mix of coffee, tobacco, paint and people.

Of course I want this Angel in my kitchen! I still need to make my own small breakfasts, though.

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First Breakfast in a New Kitchen

Standing in the peaceful emptiness of my new-old (1924) apartment, before all the boxes and furniture arrived, I wondered if I should just get a futon and call it a day. I’d need all my cooking equipment and books, though.

I love my new kitchen and I especially love being able to close those French doors behind me. In this mad world it offers a small, restorative sanctuary.

For my first breakfast, I wanted something familiar, easy and delicious, so that meant French Toast made with a slice of Brioche.

I had a half-loaf of Brioche on hand from Lewis Bakery a company founded by three brothers here in Illinois in 1925.

They used to deliver their bread to customers in a Model-T.

I just made a single slice so that meant one egg and about a quarter cup of milk and a pinch of cinnamon whisked together for soaking the bread and then into a buttery skillet for a few minutes on each side.

My mother always made French Toast topped with Welch’s Grape Jelly, and I had mine with raspberry preserves and a cup of Barry’s Irish Tea with milk and sugar. It was a nice inaugural breakfast.

If you’d like to know about the different ratios of milk to eggs to slices and types of bread for making French Toast, this article by Serious Eats is very good and covers all bases.

Serious Eats/French Toast

An addition to the TTK menu for paid subscribers

I’m borrowing “The Magic Kitchen” from Klee, shamelessly and with gratitude, for a new monthly paid feature: First Fridays in the Magic Kitchen.

Once a month, alongside the regular Time Travel Kitchen posts, I’ll be (virtually) serving lunch at a Friday table, something looser and more conversational, with room to wander, just as lunches often do.

I’ll always begin in the kitchen and then move into places of culture, memory and objects; places like the original built-in dressing room in my new place, where I like to imagine flappers once roamed.

I’ve been energized by this third incarnation of the Time Travel Kitchen, I think it will be fun to open the doors in a little bit of a different way. The first Friday post is coming up this Friday, May 1st.

Hope you’ll sign on, and if you’re already a paid subscriber, thank you, and see you next week!

Many thanks to for the inspiration for this post.

Have a good weekend, everyone.

Jolene

Five years ago when I’d tell people I was writing a newsletter on they’d generally say “What’s that?”

Now when I mention I’m “on Substack” there’s usually immediate recognition and sometimes even an enthusiastic “I subscribe to !” So do I, by the way. Reading right now is a bridge to sanity.

I’m co-opting wedding anniversary gift traditions (five years is the wood anniversary) and marking this milestone by celebrating the 100-year-old wood cutting board/breadboard that inspired this newsletter.

Every mark on it holds a story. It echoes a century of all the hands that touched it, cut the vegetables, cooked the dinners and kneaded the bread on its surface.

It was built into the cabinetry of my 1927 kitchen, the original “Time Travel Kitchen.” When I moved four years ago, the apartment management granted permission for the cutting board to move with me.

And now, after a New Year’s Day flood that felt a little heavy on the “washing-away-getting-a-fresh-start” symbolism, followed by weeks of living in a hotel while the entire apartment floor was replaced, I’m back home.

But not for long.

I’ve been looking for a new place and found one. I’m moving in mid-April to a 1924 building with the sweetest kitchen. I love it and can’t wait to show it to you.

Of course my culinary talisman, the wood cutting board, is moving with me to this third Time Travel Kitchen.

It feels a little bit like announcing the upcoming season of Doctor Who, only the new Time Lord is a kitchen.

Wood is a symbol of strength, growth, and renewal, so I like the idea of celebrating it as I start a sixth year writing this newsletter and am on the move to a new home.

When I looked back at my earliest post, I saw that the very first thing I made in my 1927 kitchen was a Pineapple Upside-Down Cake from Aunt Sammy’s Radio Recipes, 1926.

They called it an Upside-Down Pineapple Cake, which feels like a good name for a dessert right now as we’re all navigating our own time’s turbulence.

The next time we meet it will be from my new kitchen, TTK #3, with the cutting board firmly rooted on my counter.

Wood is also a symbol of comfort. I want to thank you all for the warmth you consistently bring here by your presence, through your comments and your good will. Cheers, everyone. 🥂

All my best,

Jolene

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A while ago, writer Genevieve Jenner put me onto Vere Hodgson’s WWII diary, Few Eggs and No Oranges, and what hit me first was its blunt subtitle.

A DIARY showing how Unimportant People in London and Birmingham lived through the war years 1940-1945

This is a book about ordinary people carrying on as best they can during war and bombings, including the Blitz. Hodgson’s choice of the word “Unimportant” is what gives the subtitle its bite. It captures the brutal truth about war’s hierarchy.

This book came with me to the hotel across the street from my apartment where I’ve been staying for the past three weeks while my home continues to be repaired after a flood. I’ve never read Few Eggs and No Oranges straight through. At 600 pages, I’ve always dipped in and out of its entries.

But in my small hotel room, the book opened up for me. I found myself in Vere Hodgson’s world, and riveted by it. Given the current state of the world, some sentences barely seem to belong to the past at all.

On Thursday, April 24, 1941, she wrote:

One is afraid to pick up a newspaper, or listen to wireless.

And then there are the entries when war is right above the bed:

Well, we lived through the night; but it was pretty bad. Such awful swishings through the air. I believe they were some distance away, but they sounded immediately above my head. I felt every moment I should be buried beneath the ruins.

Wednesday, September 18th, 1940

Everything changes, and nothing changes. War still announces itself with dread.

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Food Rationing and Small Luxuries

Vere Hodgson’s writing is funny, sharp, clipped and generous.

Managed to buy half a pound of tomatoes.

Very exciting. They would not let anyone have more. Miss Mackay got some, so we had quite an orgy.

Thursday, June 26, 1941

I haven’t found the quote yet in Hodgson’s diary entry that supplied the title of the book, but, I will.

The final entries appear on May 7th and May 8th, VE Day, 1945.

And so it all ends, and the long nightmare I have recorded in these pages is finished at last.

Monday, May 7, 1945

Then, on Tuesday, May 8, 1945:

In the evening we had our own party. We were quite a United Nations. A Russian, a Swiss, a Channel Islander, a Scot-cum-Welsh and me, a true-blue English Midlander. We had ersatz champagne. Tinned grapefruit. Salad. Tongue. Tin of crayfish - and a Plum Pudding.

All of us had been saving these viands up for a long time.

It was a celebration and a release shaped by scarcity, after years of living war through the pantry.

To read more about the life of Vere Hodgson, and the publication of her diary, I’ve linked to an excellent article here.

Butter

Butter was another of those prized, rationed items during WWII that Vere frequently mentions throughout Few Eggs and No Oranges.

I was lucky enough to be sent an advance copy of a new book, Anna Stockwell’s charming The Butter Book (Chronicle Books, March 17, 2026) which is a stylish tribute to butter and its history.

The recipes include how to make your own butter at home, and one of my favorite dishes, Pommes Anna.

The design of the book is half the fun. It looks like a literal stick of butter and has a wax-paper jacket.

The Butter Book debuts this Tuesday, and is available for pre-order here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-butter-book-anna-stockwell/f2e0c7652505f394

Congratulations and thank you so much Katie Campbell for sending me this book.

Have a good Sunday, everyone. See you soon.

Jolene

When the front desk clerk asked where I was traveling from, I pointed toward the window and said “Across the street.”

This was last Sunday, and the poor guy then had to hear the whole saga: the New Year’s Day flood in my building; the soaked, mildewing floors and cabinets finally being ripped out; the repair timeline; and the insurance claim that landed me in this hotel.

My cat is also a guest at this pet-friendly hotel and has become the darling of the housekeeping staff. I will forever think of this place as the “Hotel Tillie.” She arrived with more luggage than I did, including her “HiCaptain” travel litter valise and a three-bowl flight of food and treats.

I may be checked in at a hotel, but I’m not checked out of the world. The extraordinary news this weekend is too loud and consequential for that. I’m not only without a kitchen at the moment; as I am so often lately, I am without answers.

So I offer you a small dispatch from Hotel Tillie: a lovely essay, with recipe, that my friend wrote about my brother’s restaurant and my sister-in-law’s lemon olive oil cake after Anne visited Chicago late last year.

You’ll find it right below a very content Tillie. We will be here for another week.

Anne Byrn: Between the Layers

Anne Byrn: Between the Layers

The Best Lemon Cake I’ve Ever Baked - No. 375

WHEN JANICE AND BILL VARLEY MOVED to Chicago from Long Island and opened Torchio restaurant in the River North neighborhood in 2019, Janice knew they needed an amazing olive oil cake on the menu…

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4 months ago · 297 likes · 26 comments · Anne Byrn

Thank you, Anne, Janice and Bill!

Take care, everyone.

Jolene

Watching the Winter Olympics Parade of Nations last week sent me straight back to the 1964 World’s Fair and the UNICEF Pavilion’s signature song, the world’s most loved (or loathed) earworm, “It’s a Small World.”

I’ve never been anyone’s idea of “sportif.” I spent much of my senior year of high school stuck in a gym suit, making up all the Phys-Ed classes I’d skipped so I could graduate.

But when I watch the Olympics I marvel at the athletes and am in awe of all it takes for them to get there and achieve that kind of dazzling excellence.

The procession of countries reminded me that I have my own mini-parade of nations on a shelf at home: fourteen of the twenty-seven Foods of the World volumes from TIME-LIFE books, published between 1968 and the late 70s.

All of the books are beautifully photographed and when I looked more closely at the credits I learned that some of the era’s most esteemed chefs and food writers had authored or consulted on them. M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child, James Beard, and, in the case of The Cooking of Italy, the American journalist and food writer Waverley Root did the honors.

I’ll be spending more time with this recently received collection in future posts. And since the games are in Milan, today I’m starting with a little snack from Lombardy where the Italian blue cheese, Gorgonzola, is the star. The recipe is from The Cooking of Italy.

Pere Ripiene

Pears Stuffed with Gorgonzola and Rolled in Crushed Pistachios

This simple dish has it all in every bite: the sweetness of the ripe pear; the creamy, tangy Gorgonzola; and the nutty, buttery crunch of the pistachios.

The recipe below is adapted from The Cooking of Italy.

Pere Ripiene

Serves 4

4 small firm ripe pears

1 tablespoons lemon juice

2 ounces room temperature Gorgonzola

2 tablespoons soft unsalted butter

2 tablespoons crushed pistachios, walnuts or pine nuts

Method

1. Peel the pears, then cut in half lengthwise, leaving the stem attached to one side.

2. Scoop out the core and a small bit of the pulp. With a pastry brush, apply the lemon juice to the pear to avoid discoloration.

3. In a bowl and using a wooden spoon, cream the Gorgonzola and butter together.

4. Fill the hollows of the pears with approximately 1 tablespoon of the cheese/butter mixture.

5. Press the halves together and roll the pear in the crushed nuts. Chill in refrigerator till read to serve.

Then pour yourself a glass of something delicious and enjoy.

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Domenica Marchetti’s New Book: Italian Cookies

Let’s stay in Italy for a while.

I’ve had a sneak peek of my friend ’s new book, Italian Cookies: Authentic Recipes and Sweet Stories From Every Region and the photography is gorgeous, the stories are warm and informative and the recipes are mouthwatering. To pre-order, click here. The book debuts on April 14. You can find Domenica’s terrific newsletter here on Substack every Sunday at .

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Love and Baci for Valentine’s Day

I’ve always thought that Perugina “Baci” (the Italian word for “kisses”) are the sweetest chocolates.

The little notes wrapped around each piece were born of a secret lifelong love affair between the founder of Baci, Luisa Spagnoli, and Giovanni Buitoni, co-founder of Perugina and Buitoni pasta.

Legend has it they would send messages to each other wrapped around the chocolates. If you’d like to learn more about their love story, I’ve attached a link here: PeruginaBaci

Happy Valentine’s Day 💘 everyone, see you soon!

Jolene

Last weekend in America will be remembered for brutal weather and brutality.

On Sunday I saw a post from the owners of a donut shop on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis that described the trauma of witnessing such violence.

We have heavy hearts today and will for many to come. We’ve had this view every day for almost 13 years. It will never be the same. The experience we had yesterday will haunt us all for life.

Alex Pretti will live with us forever. We are so sorry this happened to you. Our love to his family, friends and community is immeasurable. — from the Instagram post of Glam Doll Donuts, full post below.

We’ve all seen the video. The pink façade of the shop is visible throughout. The staff have been serving free donuts and coffee to visitors paying their respects at the memorial site all week. Police tape runs the length of the windows.

Glam Doll Donuts sits on what is known as “Eat Street”, 17 blocks with 30 diverse restaurants, many immigrant-owned, in South Minneapolis.

Those restaurants and many others across Minneapolis are struggling and need support.

Some wonderful Minneapolis-based food writers have been sharing their experiences on with ways to help their city — give them a follow:

, , , , , .

And has joined with other food industry professional to assist in managing The Salt Cure Restaurant Recovery Fund.

“Make no mistake, we are on the verge of losing the soul of our dining scene,” March says. “Restaurants don’t exist without immigrants, and our community doesn't thrive without these shared tables. We are here to ensure they stay set. — Stephanie March in MSP Magazine

The State Motto of Minnesota is “L’Étoile du Nord” the “Star of the North.”

And the people of Minnesota are showing us how to keep our bearings.

The State Flag of Minnesota

Take care, everyone.

Jolene

This is a kitchen brigade, a mobilized culinary army, dressed in paper hats and aprons.

Volunteers at the Riverside Church in New York City arrived at 3am and worked for hours packing brown-bag lunches. They would help feed the peaceful protesters who would attend the March on Washington the following day, August 28, 1963.

Each bag held a cheese sandwich, mustard, marble cake and an apple, and sold for 50 cents at the March. They made 80,000 of them and they were shipped to Washington D.C. on refrigerated trucks.

Dr. Robert Spike, then director of the Commission on Religion and Race of the National Council of Churches spoke to the volunteers:

“As an act of love, we now dedicate these lunches for the nourishment of thousands who will be coming long distances, at great sacrifice to say with their bodies and souls that we shall overcome.”

Source: Smithsonian Magazine

January 15th would have been Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 97th birthday, and oh how I wish we could talk to him now. How would he guide us in this era of crisis and chaos?

We are once again in a season of protest, a constitutionally protected right under the First Amendment: “…the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

In the wake of her devastating and violent death, Renée Nicole Good became a symbol of a national reckoning. At a protest in Chicago last weekend, I looked into the faces in the crowd and saw anger, apprehension and a deep sorrow.

Is democracy slipping away?

In this fragile moment, I return to the words of Dr. King:

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

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Marble Cake from the Ebenezer Baptist Church Cookbook “Food for My Household”

Anne Byrn’s Marble Pound Cake. Photo: Anne Byrn

My friend wrote a beautiful post two years ago for MLK Day and baked this gorgeous Marble Pound Cake from a recipe in the Ebenezer Baptist Church cookbook. Dr. King’s Funeral was held at Ebenezer Baptist, so it feels especially poignant to share a cake that was in all of those brown-bag lunches at the March. The post, with recipe, is below. Thank you, Anne!

Anne Byrn: Between the Layers

Marble Pound Cake & MLK - No. 268

‘’Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." - The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr…

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2 years ago · 28 likes · 23 comments · Anne Byrn

Take care, everyone. See you soon.

Jolene

My Latin vocabulary is limited mostly to a handful of liturgical phrases I absorbed as a child at Mass in the early 1960s. There was the breast-beating, slightly terrifying “mea culpa, mea culpa, maxima culpa” (“through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault”) to the gentler “Et cum spiritu tuo” (“and with your spirit”), which I always thought sounded nice.

But the nuns also drilled us on Latin roots and over the years I’ve been grateful for those lessons. Most recently, I was able to dope out a Latin phrase in, of all places, the January, 1949 issue of Gourmet Magazine. (I collect old food magazines). The piece lamented the fading revelry of the holiday season, especially on Twelfth Night:

In the days when a holiday was a holiday and a feast a feast, the Christmas festivities went on without perceptible let-up from early December to Twelfth Night, and ended there in a blaze of glory. Then came the decline, and Twelfth Night was observed as an isolated, last-fling day of fun-making; and today, O tempora, O mores, the day is all but neglected.

— Gourmet Magazine, January, 1949

“Oh, the times! Oh, the customs!”

I might add “Oh, the nostalgia!”

Every generation looks back with some longing and nostalgia. In this case, it’s a bittersweet yearning in a magazine from almost eighty years ago for the holiday traditions of the past, using a quote from 70 BC, first uttered by Cicero in a dead-serious criticism of the state of the Roman Empire.

But in modern times, and I’m counting the 1949 Gourmet article in that arc, the expression is used more tongue-in-cheek, with irony, humor and exaggerated exasperation.

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Twelfth Night, the last of the Twelve Days of Christmas and the eve of the Epiphany, is traditionally celebrated with cake.

There are many variations of “King Cakes” or “Baby Cakes” but they all involve baking a bean, a pea, a trinket or a coin into the batter. Whoever finds it in their slice is crowned “King” or “Queen” for the day. There’s the New Orleans King Cake (US), Galette des Rois (France) and Rosca de Reyes (Spain and Latin America) but the Gourmet article focused on the British tradition of “Twelfth Cake, a rich, buttery cake sprinkled with nuts and fruits, and decorated fancifully with sugar icing.”

The piece pays homage to Alfred the Great, King of England, who “declared Twelfth Night an occasion for feasting and drinking.”

But my favorite passage in the piece is one that made me chuckle with its headmistress tone, and an etiquette that screams early Gourmet:

Note also please, that the measurements for Twelfth Cake are given, in defiance of GOURMET’S tradition, in pounds rather than in cups. The reason is plain: our tradition bows to an older one. Twelfth Cake is a pound cake, and pound cakes, by their name, are measured in pounds, not cups. Traditional among all pound cakes is the one which begins, “Take one pound butter and one pound sugar, and beat together well.”

Besides the Twelfth Cake with fruit and nuts there were recipes for seven other Pound Cakes (raisin, caraway seed, Madeira, ginger, almond, maple, Dundee) and a plain Pound Cake that I had every intention of making, but a major flood originating several floors above my apartment had other plans, making its way down to my kitchen on New Year’s Day. The roar of five industrial dehumidifiers to extract water from the floorboards will keep me out of my kitchen and in earplugs until Monday.

But, fear not! I’ve attached a newsletter from 2023 with a scrumptious pound cake I made from a recipe courtesy of . There’s still time to make it before Monday night or Tuesday, just in time for Epiphany. I’m going to revisit the Gourmet Pound Cake recipes when I can get back in my kitchen.

The recipe I made and a feature about two of my favorite writers, can be found here:

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I wonder what future generations will look back on with fondness and nostalgia (or, disbelief!) about our times.

O tempora, O mores, indeed.

Wishing everyone my very best in this New Year.

Jolene

There’s a radio station here in Chicago that switches its programming in November to 24/7 holiday music through Christmas night. I always have it on in the background while I’m puttering around my apartment and if you, too, would like to listen while you putter, here’s a link to stream:https://939litefm.iheart.com

The other afternoon while listening, Perry Como’s version of It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas came on, and, as always happens when I hear his voice, it’s 1958 all over again.

That’s because my late father knew somebody who somehow arranged for him to take me to a rehearsal of The Perry Como Show. My parents and grandparents were big fans of the iconic mid-century crooner, and, at 4-years-old, so was I. I’ve got a cloudy recollection of walking down the aisle of the Ziegfeld Theatre with my father and meeting the sweet man in the cardigan himself.

And the song that captured me most was Catch A Falling Star.

Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket
Never let it fade away
Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket
Save it for a rainy day

— Music and lyrics by Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss, 1957

This year has been what my late mother would’ve called “a doozy.” She was also known to say, when pushed to her limit and had enough, “Jesus, Mary and Joseph!” With apologies to the Holy Family, this being their big week and all, I find myself saying the same thing more frequently lately, but for emphasis I attach a string of expletives, making it a kind of angry prayer.

Tonight is the Winter Solstice, the birth of light and beginning of Yuletide, just a few short days before Christmas. My wish for all of us is a season with glimmers of that light and more experiences of everyday happiness, kindness and decency as we build our own reserves, our own “pocketful of starlight” that we then share and offer each other.

Happy Solstice, Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas, Everyone. Jolene xx

Sugar Cookies: Falling Stars and North Star 💫 🌟

I love this recipe from the original William Greenberg Desserts in New York City, a bakery I have fond memories of. It’s their classic buttery and tender Sugar Cookie, and because it contains no baking powder, it doesn’t spread out, it stays flat and is perfect for decorating. Here is recipe link: William Greenberg Desserts Sugar Cookie

I hope you enjoy! 🌟

John Lennon loved cream. In fact, he doused his breakfast cornflakes with it.

So when his great friend, the singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson, introduced him to his first Brandy Alexander at The Troubadour in LA in 1974, John loved it. The deceptively potent and delicious concoction of brandy, crème de cacao and cream tasted just like a milkshake to John and he proceeded to get sloshed, heckling the Smothers Brothers, who were on stage that night. He and Nilsson got thrown out of the club.

The next day, they apologized to the management and sent flowers to Tom and Dick Smothers, who took Lennon’s side, saying they had egged him on.

I got drunk and shouted. It was the first night I’d drank Brandy Alexanders, which is brandy and milk, folks, and I was with Harry Nilsson.

—John Lennon, from a 1975 BBC interview, full interview link: here

This incident was a pivotal moment in what John called his 18-month separation from Yoko Ono: “The Lost Weekend.” He’d moved to LA, started a relationship with May Pang, (with Yoko’s blessing — Pang had been their assistant) and he was drinking and drugging heavily. It was also a remarkably productive period creatively, and John had his first #1 hit in the US with Whatever Gets You Through the Night, featuring Elton John vocals and piano.

John eventually returned to New York and Yoko in late 1974, and their son, Sean, was born the following year. He spent the next five years in retreat from the music industry, until 1980 with the release of Double Fantasy in November of that year. Songs including (Just Like) Starting Over and Watching the Wheels tell the story of what his life was like then, with Yoko and Sean. His tragic murder, just a month later at the entrance of The Dakota, was 45 years ago this week.

Like thousands of others in New York, on Sunday, December 14, 1980, I was in Central Park at 2pm for a ten minute silent vigil for John, an event that Yoko Ono had requested in lieu of a public funeral.

Footage from the local NBC affiliate in NYC of the vigil, December 14, 1980.

Harry Nilsson spent the rest of his life working for gun control.

After Lennon’s 1980 death, Nilsson turned his energies to gun control with the Washington-based Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.

—from Rolling Stone, “A Tribute to Harry Nilsson” March, 1994. Full article link: here

Messy, sometimes abusive, including during his first marriage to Cynthia Lennon, neglectful parenting of his first child, Julian, complicated friendships, substance abuse, anger—John Lennon freely acknowledged all of this, and spent his last five years starting over, including the beginning of a reconciliation with Julian.

There was something so deeply human about him, and in his immense talent, and it touched you. He carried the struggle and the storm we all carry and turned it into art.

“What made him great was brains and a sense of humor, with heart thrown in.”

— Harry Nilsson, 1980

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Photo: Jolene

Despite the Brandy Alexander being at the center of the unfortunate incident at The Troubadour, when enjoyed as a dessert drink at the holidays, it’s great. I think after eggnog it’s one of the quintessential holiday drinks.

Here’s the recipe I used, along with some history about the drink.

Recipe: Brandy Alexander

And I’ve attached a recipe for a Non-Alcohol Alexander here if you’d like to try:

Recipe: Non-Alcohol Alexander

By the way, as you can see in the photo, I have a white Christmas tree this year, which I put up before Pantone named “Cloud Dancer,” a shade of white, “Color of the Year,” so I’m feeling a little smug — although, I do find Pantone’s choice of white a bit odd, but what do I know.

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My Guest Essay

Last week, I was delighted to write a personal guest essay for about my “convalescence craft” while I was recovering from surgery this summer. Thank you for inviting me.

The essay is here:

Oldster Magazine

My "Convalescence Craft": Weaving Potholders

Readers…

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5 months ago · 147 likes · 172 comments · Sari Botton and Jolene Handy

PS — I’m still in the process of sending out potholders to paid subscribers, so if you’d like a set, become a paid supporter by December 20th and I’ll get them in the mail to you.

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Whatever Gets You Through The Night

On November 28, 1974 at Elton John’s Thanksgiving Concert in Madison Square Garden, John Lennon joined him on stage for Whatever Gets You Through the Night. Lennon was making good on a bet: Elton John said if the song got to #1 on the charts, John would have to appear on stage with him. It would be Lennon’s final large concert venue appearance.

Yoko Ono contacted Elton John to secretly be in the audience— she and Lennon were not yet back together. Before the concert she sent two white gardenias to Lennon’s dressing room. He wore one of them onstage, as you’ll see in these pictures.

Yoko came backstage after the concert and it was the beginning of their reconciliation. When Sean was born, Elton John was his godfather.

Have a listen, it’s so great and is one of my favorite songs.

Have a good week, everyone.

Jolene

For a reason other than it being Thanksgiving week, I thought about the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line the other day. More on that in a minute.

I started poking around and found out that the Talk-Line is in the Chicago suburb of Naperville, about 40 minutes away from me. I got a kick out of knowing it’s so close.

What started as a genius marketing campaign for Butterball in 1981 by the Chicago based Public Relations firm, Edelman, the Talk-Line is part of the cure for what the agency had dubbed the “Turkey Trauma” that can beset the person or persons in charge of the bird. According to the Butterball website:

During the talk-line’s first holiday season debut, six operators fielded 11,000 calls, assisting holiday cooks to prepare successful Thanksgiving turkeys.

Butterball test kitchen circa 1980s. Photo: Butterball website

I was able to connect with food industry veteran, Tara-Rose Groberski, who is celebrating her 23rd season as the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line Supervisor. Tara-Rose graciously answered my questions via email. Of course, the very first thing I wanted to know was:

Q: What IS the most-asked question the Talk-Line receives?

Inside the Mothership in Naperville, Illinois. Photo courtesy of Butterball/Edelman

A: Our most common question is when and how to thaw your turkey. Other common questions include how to roast a turkey and how to check for doneness.

Tips from Tara-Rose

• Not thawing correctly:

  You should never thaw a turkey at room temperature. Instead, use the refrigerator or cold-water methods. For every 4 pounds of turkey, thaw for 1 day in the refrigerator OR for 30 minutes per pound in cold water, rotating each 30 minutes to keep the turkey chilled.

• Not having a meat thermometer:

  It’s highly recommended that you use a meat thermometer to ensure the turkey is properly cooked – a foolproof way to know when the turkey is done. Look for 170 degrees in the breast and thigh, and 165 degrees in the center of the stuffing if you choose to stuff your turkey.

• Stuffing the turkey too far in advance:

  If you’re going to stuff it, do so right before you put it in the oven.

• The turkey doesn’t brown:

  To get that nice golden-brown color we all love, brush the breast of the turkey with oil right before you put it in the oven. Any kind of oil works great, from avocado oil to vegetable oil.

Q: How do you calm people down when they think all is lost?

A: When a worried caller reaches us, convinced their Thanksgiving is ruined, the first thing we do is let them know they’ve made a great decision by contacting the Butterball Turkey Talk Line and we have the expertise to help them. We’ve been doing this for more than 40 years, and they know a solution will be reached when they hear a calm, confident voice on the other end of the line.

We reassure them that there is always a solution, whether the turkey is still half-frozen, cooked too fast, too slow, too dry, or they forgot to take out the giblets.

We walk them through the fix step-by-step. Part of our job is turkey expertise, but the other part is emotional support.

Q: Would you share some thoughts on the tradition of the Talk-Line?

Photo courtesy of Butterball/Edelman

A: The Butterball Turkey Talk-Line is one of those rare and reliable traditions that’s become woven into the fabric of Thanksgiving itself.

Families have trusted us to be part of their holiday, sometimes in their most stressful moments. It’s an incredible honor that they have chosen us to help them.

We don’t just give cooking advice; we provide reassurance, confidence, and a friendly voice when people need it most.

Helping someone pull off a great holiday meal is deeply meaningful to all of us, and it’s why the Talk-Line continues to be such a beloved and enduring part of the season. Butterball exists to help pass love on. ✨

Thank you, Tara-Rose! Should you have any last minute turkey trauma this week, the number to call is 1-800-BUTTERBALL. As Tara-Rose said, there’s always a solution. ❤️🦃

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Cold Weather Cooking, and Why It Reminded Me of the Butterball Talk-Line

A cookbook I always take down from the shelf this time of year is Sarah Leah Chase’s wonderful Cold Weather Cooking .

In 1991, I was one of a group of culinary assistants at DeGustibus Cooking School at Macy’s Herald Square. We would prep for the chefs who were giving demos.

On this particular day in October, I was prepping for Sarah Leah Chase, and what I remember most was just how nice and fun she was. And, so very talented.

She’d co-authored The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook with legends Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins; she owned the popular Nantucket specialty food shop Que Sera Sarah; and, a few years earlier, she’d written her own classic: Nantucket Open House Cookbook.

At the demo, there were copies of Cold Weather Cooking (published in 1990) for sale, and it was perfect timing because Thanksgiving was just around the corner.

And that’s where Butterball comes in.

While I was peeling all the vegetables for the demo we were chatting, and Sarah talked about her role as “Miss Butterball” — she was the joyful media spokesperson for the brand, with appearances on television and radio.

Flipping through the book the other day, I was reminded of the Butterball connection, and decided to write about the Talk-Line, as well as celebrate the 35th Anniversary of Cold Weather Cooking.

And as a bonus I got to time-travel back to a really fun day, half a lifetime ago, when I was the “chief peeler.”

One of my go-to recipes in the book is for the Baby Carrots with Brown Sugar and Mustard. If you are looking for another vegetable for your Thanksgiving table, make these. Easy and so delicious.

(Forgive my “Thanksgiving-fail” salt and pepper shakers in the photo. I forgot they were roosters, not turkeys.)

The sweet ending to this story is that I reached out to Sarah via Instagram to tell her I was writing about her book (I mean, what’s 34 years between chats?) and she kindly responded and gave permission to share her recipe here. Thank you, Sarah!

You can find Sarah on Instagram @sarahleahchase ✨

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A Real-Life Meeting with a Substack Friend

Five years ago, the prolific cookbook author and baking expert, started her terrific Substack newsletter just a month before I started my newsletter. We became “Substack friends” then, and finally got to meet in person last week while Anne was visiting Chicago to deliver a speech at the 150-year-old women’s club, The Fortnightly Chicago. We had dinner at my brother’s restaurant, Torchio, and laughed a whole lot. Anne’s latest book, Baking in the American South, is outstanding. I’ve linked to it here, it would make a great holiday gift.

I wish you and your family and friends all the very best this Thanksgiving. Cheers 🥂 to all and see you soon! Jolene

This week, writer described the state of the world in one perfect line when she called it:

“… this twirling looney bin of a planet…”

Whenever I go to read or watch the news now, I gird my loins in preparation for what I’m about to learn about which geopolitical mess is the most upsetting that day.

Illustration: Getty Images

Meanwhile, here in the U.S., the hits just keep on coming, rippling around the globe as they go: erratic tariffs, a government shutdown, higher food prices, furloughed federal workers, delay of SNAP benefits and ICE raids.

And then there’s travel. If you’re planning to go anywhere this Thanksgiving that requires an airplane, you may want to kick it old-school given the promise of flight cancellations and long delays at airports. Instead, grab a sleigh and a horsie to get to Grandmother’s house, as in this banger from 1844, also known as Over the River and Through the Woods.

During this most food-centric time of the year, food banks are scrambling and people are hungry and scared they won’t be able to feed their children. But big-hearted Americans are doing what they always do: stepping up and donating food, money and time.

Businesses and restaurants around the country are also answering the call, including places like the iconic Manny’s Deli here in Chicago, founded in 1942. They posted this to Instagram when the benefits ran out:

“… we want to keep our community fed and safe.”

And, as always, is right there with WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN feeding furloughed federal workers in the DC area through WCK’s #ChefsForFeds program.

Nothing feels normal right now, because it’s not. But if there is any saving grace in all of this darkness it’s that human decency shines brighter by contrast.

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“There is nothing like soup”

Laurie Colwin wrote those words in one of my favorite books, Home Cooking: A Writer in the Kitchen. Soup is nourishing, warming and with some bread a filling meal.

And soup is always welcomed at food banks, particularly if the can has a pop-top for easy opening.

Photo of vichyssoise: Jolene

Over the weeks when I was recovering and could only have soft foods, my lovely sister-in-law, Janice, made me one of my favorite soups: vichyssoise, from a recipe by Fanny Merritt Farmer, 1948 edition, The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book. Though traditionally served cold, I always heat it. I’m in good company with my love of vichyssoise — it was Julia Child’s favorite soup. And for those who follow food holidays, you’ll be happy to know that November 18th is National Vichyssoise Day. It would be a nice soup for Thanksgiving.

Crème Vichyssoise (adapted) serves 6

Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter

4 leeks

1 onion

1 quart Chicken Stock

Sprig of parsley

1 stalk celery

2 potatoes, sliced thin

Salt, pepper

Few grains nutmeg

Few drops Worcestershire

1 cup heavy cream

Method

Prepare the day before serving

Melt half the butter in saucepan

Add finely diced white part of leeks

Add minced onion

Cook slowly until tender (do not brown)

Add stock, parsley, celery, potatoes and seasonings

When potatoes are tender, they should be put through a sieve (fine)

A little at a time, add remaining butter

Stir in cream just before service.

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Thank you to Emily Nunn for the inspiration for this post. You can read her entire piece about the state of things (along with a great soup recipe) below.

The Department of Salad: Official Bulletin

Earthy and Comforting Wild Rice, Parsnip, and Smothered Cabbage Soup

DURING INSANE TIMES, it’s easy to forget that you’re …

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6 months ago · 295 likes · 48 comments · emily nunn

Potholder Update

Potholder, but make it Warhol. Photo: Jolene

Until December 20th, all new paid yearly subscribers will receive a set of potholders made by me. Thank you to all of the new paid subscribers from last time, I’ve emailed everyone —but haven’t heard back from a couple of people, so check your spam filter and leave me a comment if you didn’t receive it. I am continuing to reach out to ALL earlier paid subscribers so I can send you a set as well. My goal is to get them all in the mail to you by Christmas.

Have a good week and hang in there, everyone. See you soon.

Jolene

Dear Friends,

I’ve been really touched by the many messages and texts I’ve received over the past weeks as I recovered from surgery. I’m very glad to be back here with everyone. Thank you all so much. Jolene xx

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Still Life, Reviving

The radiance from a single candle sparks movement in surrealist Remedios Varo’s supernatural painting Still Life Reviving.

This spectacular work, her last, was recently acquired by the Art Institute of Chicago. When I saw it, with its themes of transformation, regeneration and renewal, it felt especially relevant to me as I return to active living.

But it also struck me as symbolic of our struggling and battered country now as it shows signs of a robust, awakening resistance.

My constant companions over the course of my convalescence have been the stories of the absolute terror being visited upon immigrant communities here in Chicago and the heartbreak and rage all across the city of Chicago itself. Masked, armed agents are going into neighborhoods and grabbing people, including US citizens and legal residents.

Today, in one neighborhood, children were assembling for a Halloween parade when a raid took place. Neighbors fought back. Here’s an ABC news video of what it’s like in the neighborhoods of this beautiful city now on a daily basis:

Video abc7 Chicago: Halloween parade

What I saw in the faces of those in Grant Park on October 18th, and from the images of seven million people across the country that day is defiance. We are not immobilized, and not stunned into silence by the constant onslaught of chaos and cruelty. We are not “still life.”

I suspect there’s a lot worse to come. But with movement comes hope. ✨

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Persephone’s Pomegranates

Pomegranate sorbet. Photo (and Potholder)Jolene

In the constellation of fruit circling the table in Still Life Reviving, the bursting pomegranates are the scene stealers.

There are so many myths attached to this ancient fruit, but that of Persephone, abducted by Hades and taken to the Underworld has always fascinated me.

Hades tricks Persephone into eating pomegranate seeds which bind her to the Underworld for half of the year. Her mother, Demeter, grieves, and winter descends on the land. But Persephone eventually returns, bringing Spring and renewed life with her.

I was in my own Underworld of “soft foods only” for a month after surgery and one of my favorite treats was sorbet.

We are in pomegranate season now, and pomegranate sorbet would be a perfect dessert.

Here’s the recipe I used from Buttermilk by Sam: Pomegranate Sorbet

It’s delicious and such a pretty color. ✨

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In the Grip of Potholder Madness

Photo and potholders: Jolene

If Reefer Madness had been a film about a woman’s addiction to potholders and not pot, I could’ve been the protagonist.

“Faster, loom faster!”

Over the past weeks, whether I was in pain or in a happy place thinking about the person I was making the potholders for, it’s been a hands-on, go-to meditative activity. It’s a craft designed for 6-year-olds, so I really excelled. What’s also great about potholders is they are useful, last forever and the colorful loops are an instant mood boost.

I even bought a book, because I am obsessive.

I’ve made dozens and dozens and have been sending to family, friends and I’m about half-way through sending sets to paying subscribers as a thank you. (If you haven’t heard from me yet, I’ll be in touch!)

And between now and December 20th I’ll send a set of potholders to any new paid subscribers or when you purchase a gift subscription. They will be “surprise” patterns (I won’t be able to customize) but I promise they will be pretty — and, useful!✨

Photo and potholders: Jolene

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Before There Was Halloween, there was Samhain

As if real life isn’t scary enough, Halloween is on Friday. Here’s a story from 2023 about the tradition of Samhain and Soul Cakes I think you’ll enjoy.

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Thanks again for being here. It’s good to be back. See you soon! Jolene

Hi, everyone —I hope you’re doing well and enjoying the long holiday weekend.

A bit of personal news: I’m pausing the newsletter and paid subscriptions for September while I recover from surgery for a recurrence of oral cancer. The surgery was last Thursday and went really well. I’m home now, focusing on recovery and rest, pain management, speech therapy— and ways to make a liquid diet more interesting!

A few weeks ago of posted this photo of a glass of wine and a potholder loom on a Friday night with the words “I’m good” which I thought was charming and hilarious. Immediately I knew what I was going to do to keep my own hands busy post-surgery, since I wasn’t going to be cooking or baking for a while: I’d make potholders.

I bought an old fashioned metal loom, the kind we used as kids and additional loops from a company called Harrisville Designs. Color is an instant mood booster, and the thought of being surrounded by hundreds of brightly colored loops when I got home from the hospital was a cheerful prospect. And now I needed to know more about their history.

The History of the Looped Potholder

Born of The Great Depression

Many of us have fond childhood memories of happy hours spent weaving potholders with colorful loops of stretchy fabric on a little square peg loom. But potholder looms didn’t start out as toys. They were invented as a way for sock factories to use up waste cut from socks and hosiery during the manufacturing process. The looms were packaged with the waste fabric "loopers" and sold to Depression-era housewives who used the kits to make potholders and hot pads.

Over time, the potholder loom became more popular with children than their mothers, and by the 1950's, it was seen mainly as a toy. But in recent years, talented adult weavers have reclaimed the humble potholder loom as a valuable weaving tool.

— from Little Looms

I, for one, am up for a potholder Renaissance. Scrolling through Substack Notes, I also came across quilter and baker of who is making a gorgeous potholder rug.

And when I mentioned my potholder pursuit to my friend , she reminded me she’d done a whole post about them back in 2022 that I’ve linked to here:

Photo: Kate McDermott

Kate McDermott's Newsletter

#94: Procrasti-Crafting

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4 years ago · 42 likes · 28 comments · Kate McDermott

I’m thinking when I’m back writing here later in October it might be fun to do a potholder giveaway. I’m making a lot of them and I love the idea of one ending up in your kitchen.

Thanks for being part of this lovely little corner of Substack we’ve created together. Means the world.

Take care, everyone, Till soon!

Jolene xx

In the works. Photo: Jolene

Don’t let the Halloween decorations that are already popping up in stores throw you. There’s still plenty of summer left and at the farmer’s markets I always look to August when melons are at their absolute peak-of-season best.

I thought I’d share this “all about melons” post from 2022 again, which also includes the recipe for the delicious official cocktail of the U.S Open Tennis Championships, The Honey Deuce.

Restaurateur and entrepreneur , who writes here on , invented the drink back in 2006, with its signature tennis ball lookalike 🎾 garnish of honeydew melon balls. It’s a truly delicious drink, so click on the post below the photo of one I made at home to get the recipe and read the history. And, if you’re going to the Open over the next couple of weeks, I hope you’ll enjoy one. Thanks, Nick!

Photo: Jolene

Here’s the post with all of the links:

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Another Tradition: Summertime Cheese Grits

Photo: Jolene

Several months ago I was on a Zoom call with of (hosted by of ) and I asked for ideas for summertime food and family traditions. Nelle kindly shared this charming memory of her mother’s summertime grits, complete with original recipe card:

My mother's southern cheese grits are my favorite summer bbq item. I grew up in Michigan, Mama is from Memphis and for some reason with mild summers, this was the church picnic item that everyone flocked to. I can see the red Copco dutch oven with lid on the buffet and my grandmother’s crocheted oven mit. The creamy grits, not scalding but just hot enough, with dried mustard and a hint of cayenne pepper. Perfect with a hot dog.

What's funny is this is my handwriting. Mom laughed when I asked for the recipe. She had it from memory. I think there is a whole stick of butter too—that is the most important part not listed! I've cooked grits in all milk before too, just have to really stir. If you want you can add Boursin cheese round to this as well!

— Nelle Somerville

Thank you, Nelle!

Inspired by Nelle and her Mom, I bought some Palmetto Farms Stone Ground White Grits for my cheese grits (pictured above) — made with Cheddar Cheese —and had them for a delicious breakfast. I also really like the package design. Here’s the recipe from the back of said package —I halved the recipe — and a link to ’s recipe for her favorite Shrimp and Grits from Southern Kitchen.

Palmetto Farms Grits Recipe

Anne Byrn’s Favorite Shrimp and Grits

To add to the fun I made them in my new 8-inch Lodge Cast Iron Dolly Parton “Jolene Please Don’t Take My Pan” Skillet. (Go ahead. Call me a dork. I had to have it.)

And, Finally: Thrifty Ice Cream is saved!

Photo: Jolene

You may recall I recently wrote about the uncertain fate of the beloved west coast icon, Thrifty Ice Cream, and its signature cylindrical scoop. Well — it is saved! Read all about it in this link: KTLA.

That’s it, have a great week, everyone! See you soon!

Jolene

A while back I asked a friend who is a few years older than I am what it was like at Woodstock. He laughed and said: “Filthy."

I thought this was hilarious because it’s such a great word and open to so much interpretation in describing the most famous music festival of them all, billed as “3 Days of Peace & Music.”

There was, of course, the mud, but everybody seemed to make the best of it.

The closest I got to Woodstock was seeing the movie the following year with my mother. This tidbit makes me sound like such a square I just winced typing it.

We both loved it, because my mother was not a square. I was fifteen and she was only thirty-eight, and music bridges age gaps, large and small.

I think about Woodstock every August. It was one of those “big deal happenings” from my teenage years that stuck with me, even though I wasn’t there.

Getty Images: “SMILE” A view of the crowd at Woodstock from the main stage, 1969.

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Having Lollapalooza here in Chicago this weekend, with all the planning and preparation the organizers do, reminded me again what an absolute free-for-all Woodstock was. And yet, in the end, it worked.

The crowd was huge — it was supposed to be about 50,000; instead it was closer to a half-million; the venue had to be moved to Max Yasgur’s farm in Bethel, Nathan’s Hot Dogs and other vendors backed out, and there were very few places in the overrun town to buy food.

Cue “Wavy Gravy” aka Hugh Romney of the Hog Farm Collective:

"Good morning! What we have in mind is breakfast in bed for four-hundred thousand. Now, it's not going to be steak and eggs, or anything, but it's going to be good food and we're going to get it to you."

— Wavy Gravy aka Hugh Romney, addressing the crowd at Woodstock

And the “good food” he spoke of: Granola.

Festival organizers gave Lisa Law of the Hog Farm $3,000 and sent her into New York City. Her mission? Feed the 400,000. She returned from New York with apricots, almonds, rolled oats, currants, honey—And Dixie cups. Lots of Dixie cups.

From: Good for you Groovy in a Dixie Cup

Granola had already been gaining traction in the counterculture food movement, but Woodstock cemented its appeal.

For some of the crowd, granola was nothing new. But for many it was. Granola would soon become the iconic food of the hippie era.

From: Woodstock, 1969

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A Recipe for Woodstock-esque Granola

Photo: Jolene

There’s a great article from The Smithsonian about Woodstock that includes a recipe similar to the granola served at the festival (recipe: here.)

I’ve included a photo of my mise en place for the granola, pictured above: cashews, pecans, shredded coconut, brown sugar, rolled oats, canola oil and maple syrup.

There are also dried apricots and raisins, but they aren’t added till after the granola has baked and cooled.

Photo: Jolene

Tip: the recipe calls for turning the mixture every 20 minutes while it bakes — I only turned once— it’s easier to get the clusters to form that way. Also: I did not have sunflower seeds and I substituted more cashews for the almonds.

Photo: Jolene

It is really delicious and I had some over plain Greek yogurt this afternoon. I’ve packed away the rest in a container and put it the fridge to extend shelf life.

Enjoy! ☮️

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My August Reading is Cloaked in Mystery and Intrigue

Congratulations to on her banger of a noir crime novel, Nightswimming. I’ve been riveted from the first chapter. Here’s a link to Melanie’s Substack, introducing her book:

Cherchez La Femme

Nightswimming is out today!

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a year ago · 11 likes · 12 comments · Melanie Anagnos

And the NYT is saying Nightswimming is one of the best crime novels of the year. Link: NYT Congratulations, Melanie! 🕵️

Also this month: ’s latest novel, If You’re Seeing This, It’s Meant for You has a pub date of August 26, and is available for pre-order: Penguin Random House.

Fates collide after a tarot influencer disappears from a decaying Hollywood mansion in this unnerving gothic mystery and “incisive social satire” (Town & Country) from the acclaimed author of Self Care.

Congratulations, Leigh! 🐇

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A Memento from Woodstock

There was one little piece of Woodstock that came to me after the festival. I still have it, fifty-six years later, proving that I am, at heart, a goofball.

My 15-year-old boyfriend’s brother brought back a bunch of pins from the festival, and my boyfriend gave me one.

It was the first gift I ever received from a boy.

Romantic!

Pointed!

Looked wonderful on my Catholic Girl’s School Uniform!

Ah, the ‘60s. ✌️

Have a good week everyone, see you soon!

Jolene

If there was a Tarot Card called “Queen of Pies” Kate McDermott would be the face of it. She is known as “The Piechiatrist” and come to think of it, that would make a great card, too.

The author of three bestselling cookbooks, a Beard Award nominee, and a classical musician, she makes pie sing. Literally. She calls it the “Sizzle-Whump”.

And in this article in the New York Times, you’ll see just what she means:

To Become a Better Cook, Sharpen Your Senses

Kate and I met five years ago during a program called Substack Grow, run by two wonderful Substack alums, and . We’ve kept up by text and FaceTime ever since.

So it was such a kick to have Kate in Chicago and actually meet in person — although we already felt like old friends.

When she arrived, I hosted my own little book event — Kate at the dining table (pictured above) signing my copies of Art of the Pie, Pie Camp and Home Cooking.

And then we were off to Coq d’Or at The Drake Hotel (“The Confessional” iykyk) for a pre-dinner cocktail. I’ve decided this is going to be the official first stop from now on when friends come to visit.

Kate said it was one of the best martinis she’s ever had. To read more about the classic cocktail, here’s a link I think you’ll enjoy: The Drake Executive Pour Martini. The next stop was a fun dinner at my brother’s restaurant, Torchio.

Kate’s newsletter — — is fantastic and filled with pie recipes for every season. And she always delivers wisdom with a sly wink. Her advice for making the best pie?

Keep everything chilled…especially yourself.

— Kate McDermott

Was so good to see you, Kate. Till soon!

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Chicago, When it Sizzles

Like so many other places right now, Chicago has been really hot and muggy this month.

of Nomad Foodies visited Chicago a while ago (so I didn’t get to meet them, but next time, I will) and wrote about visiting during another hot summer. Thanks, Marco and Sabrina.

Nomad Foodies

'Hot town, summer in the city'

John Sebastian's lyrics and the song recording’s iconic traffic sounds were inspired by the sticky days and nights and the cacophony of New York’s streetscape, but could just as easily refer to America’s ‘Second City’ at this time of year…

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4 years ago · 16 likes · 14 comments · Marco & Sabrina

MoonPie Follow-up

I was delighted when I received an email from , who writes for The Saturday Evening Post, telling me that my post on the Moon landing and MoonPies was featured in his News of the Week column this week.

I’ve attached the link to the feature here: The Saturday Evening Post.

Thanks a million, Bob!

PS - there’s also a piece in this roundup about a phenomenon here in the Midwest and other places known as “Corn Sweat” which is adding to all the humidity this summer.

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Thank You!

A big thank you to everyone who reached out via email, comment and text wishing me well after my fall. So touched.

It’s been a bit over two weeks, I’m mostly healed, and with some make-up, I’m out-and-about again.

The Time Travel Kitchen community of readers and writers is a lovely and supportive one, and I’m very grateful you are here. So thank you, everybody.

See you soon!

Jolene

The tension and excitement we all felt on Sunday night, July 20th, 1969, is so beautifully captured in the Season 7 episode of Mad Men called “Waterloo” that I hope you’ll watch it.

The show is one of my favorites, and this episode is pitch-perfect, depicting breathless gatherings around television sets as the Eagle landed on the moon.

It was one of those rare, gigantic moments in history, when humanity was united in awe.

I remember that night with my own family, proud that the Lunar Module had been made at Grumman, not far from where we lived on Long Island.

It was a place my brother and I had visited with my father, who did business with Grumman, when he’d occasionally take us to work with him in the summer. We didn’t see the LM, but we knew big things were happening in Building 5.

Walter Cronkite, the legendary CBS News anchor, brought us all the coverage of the Apollo 11 mission and any news about astronauts Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins. Mr. Cronkite’s own emotions were always close to the surface as he reported with relief and elation and the incredible “WOW” of it all. Here’s a clip of Walter Cronkite listening with the rest of the world and watching simulations as the Lunar Module set down in the Sea of Tranquility.

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We Give You The Moon

I usually associate Baked Alaska with the moon landing (and have written about it) because we always had it at Corte’s, the restaurant just across from the Grumman plant.

But this year I’m celebrating a different sweet: MoonPies. How can I not when their slogans is “We give you the moon”?

Chattanooga Bakery in Tennessee has made MoonPies since 1917, and this graham cracker, marshmallow and chocolate confection’s name was born of a conversation between a salesman and a coal miner.

It all began in 1917 when a KY coal miner asked our traveling salesman for a snack "as big as the moon." Earl Mitchell reported back and the bakery obliged with a tasty treat aptly named MoonPie. It was filling, fit in the lunch pail and the coal miners loved it. The rest, as they say, is history.

— quote from the MoonPie website

My favorite way to enjoy a MoonPie? Right out of the freezer. Here’s an article from Food & Wine with more history of this beloved treat: The Out-of-This-World, Century-Spanning History of the MoonPie

NASA and MoonPie

Back in April, the agency Tombras used a NASA grade camera to shoot a new moon-themed ad campaign for MoonPie and it’s hilarious. You can find the article from Tombras, photos and a video in the link below, including a send-up of 2001: A Space Odyssey, only it’s about…MoonPie.

Here’s the link: The closest images ever taken of the Moon…Pie.

Photo above: Tombras for MoonPie.

Inspiration from MoonPies and a birthday dessert

One of my lovely birthday dinners, this one with my friend, Kyle, was at Adorn Restaurant here in Chicago, and the dessert was spectacular: dark chocolate mousse inside a crisp dark chocolate shell, accompanied by a square of marshmallow ice cream on a bed of candied cocoa nibs.

I found the easiest recipe for a truly delicious no-churn marshmallow ice cream from Julie Blanner (link: Marshmallow Ice Cream) and popped it on top of some Asher’s Dark Chocolate covered Graham Crackers and, Voilá! A quick, fantastic dessert (pictured at top of page) with a nod to MoonPies and my birthday dessert. I’m calling it the “Over the Moon.”

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Back here on Earth

I had the nicest visit with the wonderful last weekend when she was in Chicago. Sabrina writes the always beautiful newsletter, Seven Senses, exploring reality through our senses. And every full moon Sabrina pens a glorious post dedicated to the moon. 🌕

We’d planned to go out but instead had a picnic at my apartment because a day before our meeting I tripped on a throw rug, broke my nose and have two black eyes — therefore, sunglasses. Chic! I may never take them off!

An impromptu picnic. Photo: Jolene

Have a great week, everyone. See you soon!