Weekend Recs #16: Cozy knits, setting boundaries, and a giant skillet cookie
Plus: No plot, just vibes.
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This is Weekend Recs, a weekly send of ideas and diversions for your downtime. Not subscribed yet? Here you go:
Editorial note: Alisha is on maternity leave. How exciting! In the meantime, Downtime is edited by Aliza Abarbanel.
Four ideas for your weekend…
Profound friendship, ‘90s youth culture, and the Asian American experience collide in this beautiful memoir by New Yorker staff writer Hua Hsu, which won the first-ever Pulitzer Prize for memoir earlier this year. Stay True was just released in paperback last week and I gulped it down. (Here’s an excerpt of the first chapter to get a sense for it.) It’s an unforgettable coming-of-age story that transcends the genre.
🧶 Getting back into knitting
Cooler weather is settling in, and I’m finally ready to pick up my knitting again. First up: Finishing the balaclava I started for a friend (and shamefully abandoned) last spring. Once that’s done, these patterns are at the top of my list:
The most perfect schoolboy-style sweater vest
Beginner-friendly fingerless gloves/mittens
If I crocheted, I’d be all over this pansy tote
🍪 Recipes to cook right now
Giant. Skillet. Chocolate. Chip. Cookie. Gooey goodness, best eaten straight from the skillet with a dollop of ice cream on top. Here’s a cute video of how it comes together.
Mushroom Madame. A very cheesy, meat-free take on the classic French sandwich. Perfect for a satisfying vegetarian lunch or dinner.
Sheet Pan Chicken Meatballs With Tomatoes and Chickpeas. I make this every fall/winter and it’s supremely comforting. A one-sheet pan meal that yields crispy chickpeas, melty feta, jammy, tomatoes, and tender harissa meatballs.
Simple Eggplant Parm. No breading or frying, but still deeply satisfying. A perfect celebration of eggplant season.
A podcast for music lovers of every genre. Every episode features a different musician breaking down the intricacies of making a different song, from Billie Eilish on “Everything I Wanted” to Seal’s “Kiss From a Rose.” The archive is rich and vast—there are even episodes of a spin-off called “Book Exploder,” like novelist Celeste Ng discussing her book Little Fires Everywhere.
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What paid subscribers got this week: The start of Bookmarked, a new interview series where our favorite bookish people share recommendations and rituals for reading. This one featured lots of great recs from writer Becca Freeman of The Christmas Orphans Club.
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A grab bag of links and reads worth sharing with the group chat.
Who Needs Plot When You Have Vibes? [Elle]
A piece on what BookTok calls the “no thoughts, just vibes” canon—novels that are heavy on vibes and character dynamics, light on action. Featuring quotes from novelists like Marlowe Granados and Coco Mellors.
Casual Relationships Need Boundaries Too [Refinery29]
A guide to making casual relationships (ahem, situationships) healthier.
She Chased 'Ego Death' — First in Religion, Then in Parenthood [NPR]
Jia Tolentino went on All Things Considered and had a fascinating conversation about choosing to have children—plus God, psychedelics, and finding comfort in chaos.
The New York Times 2023 Restaurant List *gift link*
50 exciting restaurants all across the country…start setting your Resy alerts now
Take a Visitor’s Approach to Exploring Your Own City [Vox]
The case for (occasionally) skipping spontaneity
🌼 And more fun fluff…
A cozy new Netflix romcom rec from Alisha. // My favorite topping for avocado toast right now. // How to turn your shower into a spa with some cheap eucalyptus. // An inspiring new book highlighting Black women and femmes in food // An actually genius way to cut and cook zucchini.
Links continued below…
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