Leftovers #70
Opening this up for all subscribers because I cannot gatekeep The Effect!!
In 2012 I went to see Lucy Prebble’s third play, The Effect. I had already seen a version of The Sugar Syndrome and had missed Enron but I knew The Effect was special because it was to be staged at the Cottesloe Theatre at the National and to me, a 21 year old aspiring playwright, the National was god. It dazzled me. And just over a decade later, it did the same but to an even greater – perhaps even pathological – degree. On the surface it’s a play about mental health or even love, but dig deeper and it’s fundamentally about a terrifying question we try to avoid asking too often: how can we trust ourselves? And while the intensity and intimacy of the two protagonists’ connection was palpable (I saw so many gleaming faces during any moment there was a slight flirtatious giggle or lustful moment), I was grateful that I did not leave the play asking, why am I not in love; instead I left the theatre wondering, why am I not writing more? The play is on until 7th October - please go see it!!
I’ve been waiting for Rambutan to open and after an hour long wait stood outside sipping their signature spicy tequila cocktail at one of their folding tables, we finally made it in and ordered a hefty meal for two. Highlights include: a dry pork curry that was so unctuous and perfectly spiced, a daal that sums up the taste of Sri Lanka for me, dosa dough balls with a bright green chilli dipping sauce, and a crispy swirl of roti to clean up a bowl of spicy prawn curry. Go!
Whilst waiting in said queue I tucked into a long-read on Mother Jones (Boy Problems) about the cult of toxic masculinity and the manosphere that’s been prevalent since Trump’s presidency.
As a true lover of tomatoes, I could not escape this colour chart that’s been circulating on social media:
Some dishes to cook: mushroom pappardelle showered in parsley/parmesan toasted breadcrumbs; a slow-cooked tomato and salmon dish – love the way it’s slightly cured, scaled and washed in an ice bath because it makes it seem v pro; the look of Kitty Cole’s beach-side courgette and feta salad is on the menu for my trip to the coast next weekend; this shandong-style roast chicken and rice which is quite literally my love language.
Speaking of chicken and rice, here’s my latest recipe-not-recipe for a comforting dish that is part congee, part Hainanese chicken and rice.
You cannot escape The Bear’s omelette; here’s The Guardian on why it’s one of the most discussed parts of season 2.
If anyone else has watched the final season of The Summer I Turned Pretty please message me because I need to discuss everything, including the allusions to The Great Gatsby and Belly’s Daisy-like character.
I am weirdly terrible at cooking bacon, but I was reminded that when you mix crispy salty fat with just ripe tomatoes, lettuce and shiso leaves grown in your mother’s garden and a healthy dollop of mayo in crispy pitta, it’s hard to go wrong. BLTs are for summer and I’m eating them until the sun runs out.
Every time I go to the theatre with my mum, she brings homemade gimbap for dinner before we head in, and it’s so lovely and delicious and perfect as a ritual!
For anyone who emotionally bought into the athleisure moment circa 2016, you might be interested in this Cut profile on Ty Haney, the former founder and CEO of Outdoor Voices. I don’t think it necessarily paints her in a good or bad light (nor should it need to) but I found it interesting to hear her perspective on being ousted from a business she started.
Very interesting branding for a new Google AI tool (TextFX) that helps generate interesting writing prompts – saw a great video on how writers can use this to help their work rather than feel like it will replace them. The marketing is v clever – they’ve got Lupe Fiasco on board to record videos using the tool to write songs and raps.
Track of the week mirroring the summer weather we all deserved:
