Fresh Eyes
Kohv Eyewear. Boston's Nautilus Pier 4. Branded ice cubes. Palm Royale. And what else is up as we enter the fifth month.
Hi! If you are new here [welcome!] Key Ingredients is a once a month (ish) round up post of all the things I am into, that I think you will like too!
With an abundance of everything — we can’t watch, listen, read, or do: it all. Seeking out key ingredients can discern what is going to nourish us along the way. Find my recommendations for books, podcasts, shows, good food, great drinks, and products I use all the time.
I started this newsletter series in December // we eased into January // ushered in February // caught up to speed in March // third wintered in April // and now…
It’s gonna be May!
🎧 LISTEN // 🎙️ PODCAST
De-Influenced with Dani Austin— Asking thoughtful questions of intriguing and wholesome guests, Dani + Jordan recently chatted with Love is Blind darlings Jess Vestal about growing up in the Foster Care System and (separate episode) Brittany Mills about her faith and growing up in a single parent household. (They also spill the tea on their LIB relations!) Bachelor Fans, I loved cute little Daisy Kent’s interview. I did not watch a single episode of Joey’s season, however, Daisy speaking about growing up on a christmas tree farm (!) and her battle overcoming Lyme Disease and associated hearing loss was uplifting and relevant.
📚☑️ // READ //
Pathological by Sarah Fay
An eye opening, rigorous, and powerful memoir about Sarah’s mental health diagnoses over the course of 30 years: beginning with anorexia as a teen, major depressive disorder as a young adult, but wait no it’s actually generalized anxiety disorder! It’s ADHD. It’s OCD! It is bipolar disorder. I’m calling the book urgently fascinating as it challenges the DSM while moving at a swift pace. I like Sarah as a person too — she has a brilliant mind. We’ve met over zoom :)
She also writes two newsletters:
Sarah Fay | Less of More and Sarah Fay | Writers at Work
🍭TREAT YOURSELF
Kohv Eyewear 🕶️ I am so into Kohv’s new Palm Gold Polarized shades. I have coveted geometric frames for quite sometime — these look delicate but are durable and sturdy. Bonus: Kohv is a local and family owned business based out of New Hampshire.
[locals] DRINK at Woods Hill Pier 4
another branded ice cube finds me in a drink aptly named Balance & Composure with mezcal, tequila, cynar, amontadillo sherry, maple syrup & lemon. just take all my favorite spirits and bitters and flavors and put them into one drink, why don’t you!
out in Boston’s Seaport with three of my college girlfriends, we started the night early at WHP4 (long time fan. this spot has never disappointed) with east coast oysters, charred broccoli, smoked ham croquettes, and a riveting pork belly with carrot and habanero, plus anadama crumbles(!) in a bay leaf vinaigrette.
[locals] EAT at Nautilus Pier 4
a few hours (and cocktails) later it was a feast for a tipsy foursome at The Nauti. All Nautilus virgins here, I was told (by multiple sources) to get the whole roasted peking duck but we did not. we wanted order everything else on the menu, in typical shareable plates fashion.
the Roasted Beets were alll beets in a striking combo of goats milk ricotta, rhubarb espelette and red currant emulsion. A dish I would not have ordered at an Asian flavored restaurant proved one of my favorites.
shishito peppers a must, nauti’s rendition blisters them with bonito salt, black garlic oil and sesame seeds. very good.
the sneaky spicy szechuan dan dan noodles were another most-liked. a simple dish with heritage pork and peanuts, it was for me the lush house made noodles.
loved the delicate jumbo lump crab and crispy fried egg in the blue crab fried rice with a sticky thai lime nam jim sauce. (Feeling like the sauce deserves a “say that 5x fast” tongue twister nod!)
charcoal prawns in their fragrant and heady black lime + coconut vinaigrette, with roasted chili paste and fried garlic spoke to me on the menu and IRL.
a few more great dishes proved there were no bad decisions to be made. not even the one where four forty year old women on the walk back to their hotel decided Lucky’s Lounge was a good idea, for old times sake. Oh the single, sweaty, spilled on 20 somethings only a bad hangover away from meeting the one. No matter which suburb you withdraw to, appreciate where you came from — and the friends who have been with you the whole way up and out.
📺 // WATCH //
Shows on Apple TV
Loot — Maya Rudolph in some rich a$$ settings doing extremely rich things. Where it starts is not where I expected it to go. I am entertained! A fun watch!
Palm Royale — Kristen Wiig has an excellence factor here. Josh Lucas looks good as always but his character is totally wacky! Ricky Martin looks even better! But perhaps the best looking celeb is Kaia Gerber and you get a few glimpses of her throughout. Allison Janney is the woman defining Palm Beach Royale, in her foothills and with great acting too is Leslie Bibb. Laura Dern is the hippie chick best friend you need. And Carol Burnett? Well, she’s here! Making weird noises. There is fashion and treachery, comedic relief and irreverence. There are scenes that lost me (as in, a few episodes were zone-outers). For the overall setting and rolling in the deep cast, it is worth a watch. And I’d love a Grasshopper, thanks for asking!
Shrinking — Harry Ford + Jason Siegel are equal and maximum parts funny and heartwarming. Lukita Maxwell is cool and adorable. I could not love Christa Miller more. You will laugh loud and cry hard. A definite yes from me.
🧹HOUSEKEEPING
In this post I included some warm tea behind the paywall. Substack only allows paid subscribers to comment on paid posts, no matter where the paywall lives in said post.
I was reading articles with a similar format thinking: too bad the writer doesn’t let everyone comment on what is surely enough comment-able content! Now I understand: it’s not the writers choice. This is an embedded setting we can not adjust. When you are small and audience building that’s not necessarily the vibe you want. On simpler terms, I want to share more personal thoughts behind the paywall because it feels safe, plus time consuming, to do so.
I’ve spent solid hours editing posts, like this one, where you want (some of) your writing to feel refined, classy and inoffensive, yet you don’t have all the time in the world. The post behind the paywall feels a bit more raw, honest, and flowy! Like a bonus round. As more happen in the future, please be mindful I am not blocking comments on purpose.
In closing — it is May, you guys! As spring re-awakens, lets start fresh with gratitude.
how are you doing?
let me know in the comments.
Cute sunglasses! I’m ready for warm weather. Bring it on, May. ☀️
Lucky's! I used to work next door. That was my spot.