Weekend Recs #63: Embracing boring, fancy mac and cheese, and good socks
Featuring a cozy recipe from viral food content creator Carolina Gelen's new cookbook, PASS THE PLATE.
This is the Friday post at Downtime, a feel-good weekly roundup of recommendations and delightful distractions. If the email cuts off, you can view it on the web.
Happy Friday!
A mom I follow on Instagram posted a Story last week that stuck with me. “I’m sorry this is all so boring. This is what my life is like now,” read her slide. That day, she had started the morning at her son’s play gym, then went home to fold laundry and listen to an audiobook during his nap — all of which she captured in photos to share with her followers.
I had been following along, enraptured by every slide. “Look! Here is a woman whose life kind of looks like mine!” I felt connected. Understood. When I got to the apology slide, I paused. Because I too have felt this way: “I shouldn’t share this on my social media. It’s so boring. I’ve become such a bore.”
Earlier this week, for instance, my day included a grocery store run, picking up a prescription, answering a few emails, riding the Peloton, and daycare pickup. None of it made it onto social media—partly because I post less often now, but mostly because I thought it was boring content.
In contrast, I made it a point yesterday to do what I deemed were “not boring” activities. I commuted into the city. I had lunch with a friend. I popped into a few shops. I went to the bookstore. I shared most of it on social media.
Sharing the highlights of the day felt good in the moment, but it was the relief of coming home, sinking back into my ordinary routines, that brought me real contentment. After a day of curated moments, it was in the ordinary rhythms of home that I felt a deeper sense of peace. Home is a safe haven for these unexamined, quiet moments.
Scenes from my home life may seem boring, but they’re what my life is made up of right now: disassembling the high chair tray and dumping uneaten bits of broccoli and chicken into the sink, scrunching up dirty onesies and bibs and placing them by the basement door, clicking on the lamp on my desk after the baby goes down for the night so I can wrap up my work.
These scenes cycle in my head, repetitive but beautiful as poetry. Monotonous but soothing as meditation. It’s boring but it’s real life, and maybe that’s enough.
I wanted to end on a grand takeaway, to say that I’m above all the thrill-seeking, but I can’t say for certain that I am. I think where I’m landing right now is that I need both — the excitement and the quiet — in balance. xx Alisha
Are you a new-thrills-seeker or do you find peace in your everyday routines?
Before we get to today’s recs, a quick sponsor spotlight!
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Four quick recommendations…
WATCH: KAOS (on Netflix) has been our go-to show every night lately, thanks to a strong recommendation from friends. It’s a modern take on Greek mythology, starring the one and only Jeff Goldblum as Zeus. The vibe of the show is a mix of the absurd, dark humor from The Good Place with the unsettling tension of Severance. It’s also got shades of that office-comedy parody feel like in Loki (for any Marvel fans out there)—think Hades and Persephone overseeing the Underworld via fax machines and conference calls. If you’re into any of these shows, KAOS might be right up your alley.
LISTEN: If you're a Sally Rooney fan or just curious about her, I recommend checking out her recent NYT podcast interview. Rooney talks about her new novel Intermezzo and stays true to her famously private nature, keeping the focus strictly on her work (despite the interviewer’s several attempts to ask even the most basic of personal questions like “what do you like to do?” lol). In fact, Rooney questions why we feel the need to "humanize" artists beyond their work. It’s a thought-provoking conversation, and well worth a listen.
DO: A quick reminder for my U.S. readers to make a plan for early voting if it’s available in your state. Take five minutes to confirm your voter registration, locate your early voting center, and get it on the calendar.
LAUGH: My social media feed has been taken over by this adorable little creature and I am all for it. 🥺
Last week’s most-clicked link was: This pair of buttery-soft loafers.
One thing that caused me outrage this week was: This terrible casting choice for Wuthering Heights.1
…and 5 cozy discoveries:
If you’re looking for taller socks to wear with sneakers or loafers, I have and love this 3-pack.
This would look so pretty peeking out above loafers or ballet flats. (I like this brand in general for jewelry and wear this bracelet every day.)
A sheep plate? A sheep plate!
I need the temps to drop a bit more so I can wear this cardigan on repeat.
I was gifted this soft navy blue sweatshirt from Donni and will be wearing it on weekends. The quality of their fabric never disappoints. (Similar for less).
💬 Join in: Give a rec, get a rec in our subscriber chat.
The Cook With Millions of Followers on What Really Matters in the Kitchen
whips up what should be the definition of “crowd-pleasing” recipes: her wildly popular recipe videos on social media often rack up millions of views.
When I asked her what it's like to cook with all those eyes on her recipes, I expected some dazzling response. Instead, she gave me something much more heartfelt: “It’s humbling,” she said. “When people tag me in their photos or stop me on the street, it makes me so grateful to be a small, small part of their world.”
What I love most about Carolina’s approach is the balance between these grand moments and the simplicity of her kitchen. Her favorite tools? A good bench scraper, “at least three Microplanes,” and, surprisingly, good-quality black peppercorns. (I told you: simple but effective!)
It’s this simplicity and accessibility that’s helped her recipes gain so much traction and her new cookbook, Pass the Plate: 100 Delicious, Highly Shareable, Everyday Recipes, a must-read. They’re easy to follow, feel like big weeknight dinner wins, and are just delicious. (It’s worth noting that the cookbook includes a photo for every. single. recipe. Huge!)
A Cozy Recipe from Pass The Plate (and a Book Giveaway for Downtime Readers!)
As a special treat, I’m excited to share one of Carolina’s most comforting recipes from her upcoming cookbook: Brie Mac & Cheese with Crunchy Panko. There is nothing I want to eat more than spoonfuls of this straight from the pot.
Downtime subscribers can access the full recipe after the jump. You’ll also be automatically entered to win a copy of Pass The Plate. Enjoy!
You can follow Carolina on Instagram @carolinagelen. Purchase Pass the Plate from Bookshop, Amazon, or your local bookstore.
Reprinted with permission from Pass The Plate: 100 Delicious, Highly Shareable, Everyday Recipes: A Cookbook by Carolina Gelen. Copyright © 2024 by Gelen Media LLC. Photographs copyright © 2024 by Nico Schinco. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.
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