the weekly r.e.p.o.r.t.
unhinged meditations on dopamine hits of the last 7-ish days
If you’re reading this, congrats you’re still alive! And part of living is finding things that give you a serotonin boost to placate you until your next payday (if you’re my employer and you’re reading this- it’s a joke!) So behold, the weekly r.e.p.o.r.t., a highly curated and totally myopic list of my last week of
-reading
-eating
-playing
-obsessing
-recommending
-treating
Enjoy peeps!
R-Reading
“Notes from a Young Black Chef: A Memoir” by Kwame Onwuachi. This is a memoir about Chef Kwame, who (I realized from reading the book) was a semi-regular on cooking competition shows like Iron Chef and Chopped. Nowadays, he is probably more widely recognized as the chef owner of NYC hotspot Tatiana (which I realized after reading the book is named after his sister). This is not to be confused with the Brooklyn Russian mainstay Tatiana, which I thought people were referring to up until I read this book and then was subsequently confused as to why celebrities were going to the ends of the earth (i.e. Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn NY) for a restaurant.
Chef Kwame’s memoir chronicles his tumultuous upbringing in The Bronx, ranging from an abusive father (who he eventually severs ties with completely as a young adult), to Kwame’s time in the Webb projects in The Bronx with his childhood friends, to his eventual epiphany as an amateur drug dealer that he wanted to go legit and pursue his first love- cooking. Some may boil this down to a simple ‘rags to riches’ story but I think it’s more nuanced than that. Humble beginnings only represent half of life’s challenges; the other half occurs once you’ve left your environment and still have to deal with a unique set of challenges.
For Chef Kwame, that entailed the challenges of being a black person who wants to put their spin on fine dining and dealing with the reality of a more subtle form of racism in the culinary space that is rarely talked about. This book was a contemporary black story, which I think America needs to see more of. A lot of us are still caught up in the black experience of almost 2 generations ago and while those will always be valid, it’s important to understand the contemporary black experience in its different forms. This book is one illustration of that and I enjoyed reading about it.
E-Eating
Salads. As already mentioned in our last weekly report, I am so burnt out on cooking that it’s not even funny. (The irony is not lost on me that I am saying this in the same breath as I’m encouraging folks to read a chef’s memoir). My general burnout coupled with the fact that I now go into an office 4 days a week (pray for me to win the lotto) has me looking for simple and healthy meals; salads definitely rank high on the list. And I have been LOVING this Panera Bread Fuji Apple dressing for my leafy bowls. This stuff is so good, it could make a piece of tree bark taste edible. Nuff said.
P-Playing
“I Can’t Wait to Get There” by The Weeknd. I haven’t heard the whole new project yet but I did hear this song and I absolutely love it. The Weeknd is an artist I have complicated feelings about….I’m by no means a hard core stan, but he does have a decent number of records that I like and this is one of them. This song feels Michael Jackson inspired, like something that would have been on Invincible (A CRIMINALLY SLEPT ON RECORD!) if it was recorded this century. I’m always looking to add to my chill music playlist and this song has definitely made the cut.
O-Obsessing
Over bowling bags. No real reason, I don’t have any desire to own one at this time but I love the shape. They’re so fun. And this vintage one from Dior is super fun. I guess it’s just part of my general longing for a time where we didn’t take ourselves too seriously. (Even though I’m currently on a kick where I wear all black pretty much 5 days a week. It’s OK to contradict yourself.)
R-Recommending
Lego flowers. I have a small collection of them and they’re just the perfect tactile hobby that also adds to the beautification of my space. I’m always looking to do things that keep me mentally sharp and that also allow me to pry my phone out of my hands and Legos do the trick. I like the flowers in particular because they’re not super ambitious (I find you can finish them in one weekend with breaks in between) and they’re more functional in my space then say, a Lego recreation of a Star Wars scene. Highly recommend!
T-Treating
Myself to Sunday coffee. There’s something about a ritual that just feels so special in this day and age. I guess in a world that feels so uncertain, it’s nice to have a standing appointment to do something. For me that something is taking myself out for coffee and (sometimes) a pastry. I’m no barista so during the week, I just make my lil’ drip coffees and do what I can but on Sunday mornings I indulge myself. I go to a nice cafe and get a quality espresso drink and bring my Kindle so I can get some reading done. It’s so simple but I consider it to a be a luxury that I allow myself to have on a weekly basis. It sets the tone for the rest of my week and I love it.
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-xoxo Jenn