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dreamy.

[elsewhere-mag]

Stuff We Like: How we’re finding chill lately

People have been tweeting things along the lines of “I’m at the coup / I’m at the pandemic / I’m at the combination coup-pandemic” recently. It’s not particularly funny, but it’s gesturing half-heartedly towards a joke, which sort of sums up the current moment: we’re all aware of the absurdity of the situation, but even absurdity is kind of boring by this point and we’re just limping along, weakly attempting to make each other laugh when we can.

In truth, humor is just another method of coping with our very unfunny reality. But it has its limits, and sometimes we need to enter other modes – more vulnerable ones, restorative ones. When I’m not making sardonic jokes or yelling into the void of the internet, these days, you can probably find me in the bath. What started as a treat has become somewhat of a daily ritual, wherein I use lots of things that smell good and promise to do good things for my skin. I usually listen to a podcast, or maybe music if I just want to vibe. I’ll often bring a drink or something herbal, and I usually soak for at least an hour. Listen, I was an only child – I benefit from some sustained alone time.

If you’re looking to dose up with some more non-psychoactive means of pursuing chill, allow me to recommend some of the things that have brightened my evenings lately. 

Brooklyn Escapist Candle by Brooklyn Candle Studio ($28)

A lovely friend who knows I’m both a sucker for fancy candles, and terribly homesick for New York, sent this to me for Christmas and it’s fantastic. It smells indulgent, a little fruity, warm, and intriguing. It’s meant to allude to late nights at jazzy cocktail bars with culinary cocktails, and indeed, it does. 

Paradisio Perfecting Mask by Mizz Bloom ($44)

I love the idea of food as medicine (perhaps naïvely). So when a photog and a chef get together and use mostly organic, all vegan ingredients to create a skincare line...I’m listening. The pineapples and papaya enzymes in this mask promise to resurface skin by chemically exfoliating dead skin cells. Just a tip: avoid the sensitive and often dry corners around your nostrils. Unless you’re into that.

Homemade candles...yes, really.

When it became clear that my bath habit was causing me to burn through my candle supply rapidly, my roommate tried her hand at making some soy wax candles at home. By chance, she had a brief obsession with bespoke fragrances a couple of years ago, so she has a plethora of tiny vials of fascinating and lovely scents. If you feel like getting pre-industrial, you can buy soy wax flakes and wicks online or at most craft shops. If you don’t have your own collection of designer perfumes, you can combine essential oils to your liking.

Glow Body Oil by Mizz Bloom ($50) 

Understand that I grew up on the damp East Coast, several of those years spent as an oily teenager. Lately, as an adult living in Los Angeles, the desert heat has been drying my skin out and I sort of haven’t wrapped my head around it yet (ask my roommates how many times I’ve compared myself to that Doctor Who stretched-piece-of-skin woman). Hot tip: sometimes I’ll mix this body oil with a few drops of essential oils in my palm for aromatherapeutic purposes. Mint + lavender + the glow oil’s sweet orange scent, in combination with some good old Dr. Teal’s...heck yeah.

Dr. Teal’s Bath Tea ($7.99)

Speaking of the good doctor. Their epsom salts are a staple for post-Barre baths, but for an extra treat, their bath teabags combine epsom salt, oats, and aromatic herbs in one pouch. They’re sizable and packed full of nice-smelling, skin-soothing ingredients, so they work particularly well for obscenely long baths. No shame in topping up the bath a couple of times.

- Ariana DiValentino

[elsewhere-mag]

“I’d suck dick to be at the Palace right now drinking a vodka martini that some finance bro bought me.”

Wouldn’t we all, Tina. Unfortunately, since a pandemic is still harshing our lifestyles, free drinks at the Palace aren’t on the agenda anytime soon. 

Since all our martinis for the foreseeable future are going to be homemade, fortunately Bob Nolet, master distiller and VP of marketing at Nolet Spirits, shared some expert tips for a pro-quality vodka martini.

First thing: “It starts with a quality vodka, which to me means a base spirit that is crisp instead of sharp or overpowering. It stands on its own in flavor, with only a splash of dry vermouth,” Nolet said. 

Beyond that, make sure your glass is chilled and your vermouth is fresh – fortified wines oxidize once opened, and, you know, use it up promptly. But that shouldn’t be a problem, hm?

The Ketel One Perfect Martini

Ingredients:

1.25 oz. Ketel One® Vodka

0.25 oz. dry vermouth

Lemon twist

Method:

Stir vodka with ice in a mixing glass

Strain into a martini glass

Garnish with a lemon twist

- Ariana DiValentino

Photos and headline by Tina Serrano

Recipe courtesy of Nolet Spirits

[elsewhere-mag]

Melting down into fall.

There may be nowhere to go, but you still have to look at yourself. Lately we’re playing with the tools we have on hand in new ways. There are no rules anymore: heart-shaped freckles, eyeshadow on lips, lipstick that no one will see. Find some color where you can.

- Ariana DiValentino

Products used:

Fenty Beauty Mattemoiselle in Freckle Fiesta

Cargo Cosmetics ‘Let’s Meet in Paris’ Palette in colors Louvre, Bastille, Beret, and Crème Brûlée

Ulta Sculpting Brow Pencil in Medium Brown

Starlit Studio Ink Me Liner/Stamp

[elsewhere-mag]

Seeking home in San Diego.

Six months of staying at home, and it feels like you’re the only one. Did the three of us hallucinate all of it? Are we the crazy ones? Nothing has been easy. 

A weekend away, still avoiding the breath of strangers. Trying, as we have forever, to feel safe. Your functional little family unit, which you’ve scrapped together, through recession and depression and college and pandemic. 

Grasping onto home. Breathing deep. Trying to feel the sunlight, as always.

- Ariana DiValentino

[elsewhere-mag]

Sparkling sauv blanc that doesn’t taste like green bean cat pee.

In fact, it tastes very, very good. But that shouldn’t really be a surprise, given that it’s made by Chris Christensen, a hot name in the wine world and the maker behind Bodkin Wines. Christensen’s sparkling sauvignon blanc is actually a major reason for his prominence.

Sparkling sauv blanc wasn’t much of a thing, really, before Christensen. He found that some winemakers in New Zealand had attempted to make some, but it was....not excellent. According to Christensen, those wines tended to have an “underripe green bean, cat pee, vegetable vibe” due to the grapes being harvested earlier than usual, in line with normal sparkling wine-making practice. But after finding some especially promising, citrusy sauv blanc grapes in Lake County, CA, he went all in. 

And this wine, distributed by Maker Wines, is indeed sippable and citrusy. It’s not particularly sweet; the notable tartness is balanced by the carbonation, which actually comes from an in-line carbonation method in the canning process rather than just natural fermentation. Fittingly, it might actually remind you of soda. A very grown-up, elegant, but still fun and thirst-quenching soda. 

And if you’re wondering why all the pictures show the wine still in the can, rather than a glass, that’s not just because I’m lazy. (I mean, I am, but that’s not why.) Per Christensen’s recommendation, the wine is best enjoyed straight from the can – so as not to lose any of the carbonation by pouring. This is canned wine, but it’s no spritzer. It’s a fun drink that takes itself seriously. 

- Ariana DiValentino

[elsewhere-mag]

Breaking open the special occasion wine

For no occasion other than “continuing to live through this pandemic.”

In LA, bars were (ill-advisedly) open for just about a week before Gov. Newsom ordered them closed again in several counties across the state, including LA. It was an admission, of sorts, that the reopening never should have happened in the first place, and we can only hope that only minimal damage was accrued during that time. In any case, it’s a reminder that we’re still in this lockdown lifestyle for the long haul.

I don’t have too many expensive things, so when I do, I can get a little precious about them. I picked up this bottle of The Prince in His Caves, 2014, from Farina Vineyards and The Scholium Project back in February at an event curated by sommelier Doreen Winkler of Orange Glou, and I had been hanging on to it in anticipation of a special circumstance or person to impress. I opened it last night to share with the friends I’m bunkering with. 

It’s a delicious wine, strong and structured by tannins with the psychedelic funkiness you’d expect from an orange wine, with some tartness on the back end. It’s gorgeously floral on the nose and a cloudy golden-orange color and tastes juicy yet subtle at first sip. 

It’s a wine that I wish I were enjoying under better circumstances, but maybe it’s just as well. There’s so much in our lives that we have no choice but to delay right now – maybe savoring the “special occasion” wine at home, in our underwear, is exactly what we need.

- Ariana DiValentino

[elsewhere-mag]

A whole mess of cuisines in one tortilla.

I’m almost embarrassed to tell you what this is. Actually, no, I am embarrassed. By the sound of it, you would think this dish is something made up by The Pioneer Woman or someone equally cringey and Caucasian.  

It’s sort of...Korean and Vietnamese-inspired tacos? Yeah, ok, I know that sounds horrible. But I wouldn’t be shoving it in your face if it wasn’t actually really, really good. It’s a take on the "Korean Taco” recipe by Local Crate, edited to reflect the ingredients we actually had on hand. Since we swapped gochujang for sriracha and added some more fresh, crunchy vegetables, the end product actually reminded me more of a Bánh mì, just in a flour tortilla instead of a baguette. 

I’m sure this would also be delicious with tofu or mushrooms in place of the Beyond Meat. Also note that the seasoning proportions are very approximated – taste frequently as you cook and add more or less to the mayo and meat as you see fit. With a pound of Beyond Meat, this should serve 4-5 people. 

Here’s the run-down:

Bastardized Bánh mì-inspired tacos with spicy mayo

1 lb. Beyond Meat, ground

3-4 radishes, sliced thinly (we used fresh, but pickled would be nice)

About half a cucumber, sliced thinly

Half a head of red cabbage, sliced thinly

About half a cup cilantro, stemmed

1-2 tsp. sriracha

1 tbsp. soy sauce

Pinch of brown sugar

4-5 tbsp. Vegan mayo 

1 tbsp. olive oil

8-10 flour tortillas

Heat up the tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan. Once it’s hot and spread around the base of the pan, add the Beyond Meat and use your spatula to crumble it (really get in there). Stir frequently.

While the meat’s cooking, you can chop the veggies and start on the spicy mayo. You’ll be mixing the mayo with *about* a teaspoon of the sriracha, a teaspoon of soy sauce (we used low-sodium), and a pinch of brown sugar. If you’re using tamari instead of soy sauce, you probably won’t need the brown sugar. Add more soy sauce or sriracha to taste. 

Once the meat has been on for about 5 minutes, add in the remaining teaspoon of sriracha and up to a tablespoon of soy sauce, and another pinch of brown sugar – start slow, and add more of each if desired. Taste as you go. I can’t tell you how to season things, you’re on your own here, if we’re being honest. 

Toast tortillas on a dry frying pan or over an open flame to get them warm and slightly charred (if desired). Throw everything on the table (including more sriracha) for diners to build their own tacos. Take pictures. Enjoy.

- Ariana DiValentino

[elsewhere-mag]

The wonderful world of vegan cheese.

Maybe it’s a “want what you can’t have” thing. Maybe it’s a need to prove something, or maybe it’s just comfort food. But in any case, vegan cookbooks and grocery store shelves nowadays are lined with vegan re-imaginings of cheese.

Daiya shreds are probably the most commonly carried vegan cheese product, and they’re a convenient way to add some comforting, cheesy flavor to a meal (though they’re admittedly not the healthiest, being super processed and high in fat). They’re much, much better when melted than cold, so they tend to work best in dishes like lasagna where they have plenty of time to heat through and melt. 

But other store bought options are next-level. Treeline’s aged cashew cheeses are top-notch and give purpose to a vegan cheese plate. Violife and Miyoko’s, famously, have several cheeses that are good enough to eat on their own. Violife’s feta (made primarily from coconut oil) is one such cheese – good enough to eat on crackers, amazing in a Greek or watermelon and feta salad. Violife’s parmesan wedge, while it can be eaten on its own as pictured here, is best shaved over a bowl of pasta. Trust me – it makes the simplest meal known to man just that much better.

And then, of course, there are a million ways to make cheese-inspired sauces and the like. The ricotta you see oozing out of the lasagna here is made of tofu: squished and stirred into smoothness, with a touch of lemon juice, nutritional yeast, olive oil, salt, basil, and oregano. Make it to taste, but mine was a hybrid of Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s and Simnett Nutrition’s recipes. 

But often the tastiest iteration of vegan cheese can come in the form of a cheese sauce. Often made with cashews, though sunflower seed-based recipes are great if you can’t find or afford ethically-sourced cashews, these sauces can be infinitely customized with seasonings and toppings, and made to suit different dietary needs. Moskowitz, for example, has no fewer than seven published mac and cheese recipes. If your kitchen is lacking in one critical ingredient, another recipe might have you covered. The mac and cheese pictured here is based on this latest of her recipes, but regular white miso subbed for chickpea miso and a few tablespoons of tomato sauce instead of roasted red pepper – because that’s what we had on hand. And you wouldn’t know it from the taste, but this recipe has no added oil. Once again, vegan cheese proves to be both an art and a science.

- Ariana DiValentino 

[elsewhere-mag]

Pour yourself another quarantini.

As we celebrate World Cocktail Day, I’d like to share with you the five simple steps to the craft I have worked on mastering in my 62 days of quarantined solitude: drinking alone.

1. Since there’s nobody to impress, have as many “bitch” drinks as you want! Make it pink! Make it sparkly! Add juices and syrups and fruits! Garnish with tiny flowers and edible glitter because nothing matters.

2. Time no longer exists so you can have a cocktail at any time. Moscow mule for breakfast? Fine. Bloody Mary for dinner? Makes sense. Extra dirty martini for dessert? Absolutely not – as I said in step one, we are not trying to impress anyone so have something that tastes GOOD.

3. Don’t tell your mom. She will worry that you’re becoming an alcoholic which you are 100% definitely NOT. You’re drinking a totally normal amount!! And you’re FaceTiming friends so you’re not exactly drinking ALONE.

4. Acquire as much citrus as possible at every opportunity. It holds well in the refrigerator and is a good base for most good cocktails.

5. Don’t skimp on mixers. Remember, we are no longer drinking to get drunk, we are drinking so that maybe a drip of serotonin will come of this overly aestheticized little beverage, so don't put 69 cent tonic water in your $60 gin. My favorites are Fever Tree, but get what you can, as we are in a PANDEMIC.

That’s it. That’s what I’ve learned in the last 2+ months. Oh, and also that if you have a celery juice with your cocktail, your liver hits a net neutral. (There is no evidence to back up this claim it’s just what I tell myself as I numb my little brain to the hell that is happening outside. Have you guys heard about murder hornets?).

- Tina Serrano

[elsewhere-mag]

The desert heart of MidMod.

You’re a celebrity living in Hollywood in the middle of the last century. You already have the beach and the city at your disposal, so where do you go when you want to get away without going too far? The middle of the desert, of course. Palm Springs was known as a playground for stars in the 50s and 60s, with several of their former residences open to the public for tours now. Even more so, the small getaway town is a design oasis, known for its concentration of midcentury modern-style architectural works. 

As someone coming from the East Coast, this sunny valley reminds me a bit of the beach towns I used to grow up visiting around New England. Palm Springs may be dry and arid, but there’s plenty to see – and, one suspects, plenty to do, if you’re in with the right crowd.

- Ariana DiValentino

[elsewhere-mag]

January defrost in Koreatown, Los Angeles.

After spending the holidays in New England and New York, returning to perpetually sunny LA was a welcome change. 69 degree weather, palm trees, golden light. The north may be frozen over, but there’s life in the center of LA.

- Ariana DiValentino

[elsewhere-mag]

Breweries bring frozen Connecticut to life.

In the winter, the northwestern corner of Connecticut always seems to get hit two or three times harder than the rest of the state anytime it snows, hails, or freezes over. The foothills of the Berkshires tend to be not only colder, but slightly more rural than the rest of the state – the towns are smaller, the attractions farther apart. But dotting the icy region are a number of warm and inviting microbreweries, many of which are located, appropriately, on farms.

Little Red Barn Brewers in Winsted has expanded beyond the its titular little red barn of origin, but the atmosphere in the taproom is just as cozy as you’d expect. Sitting in the farmhouse-style establishment, you can enjoy a solid range of beers that generally includes several New England IPAs – exactly what you’d hope for in a New England brewery. The aptly-named Freshly Squeezed IPA is what NE IPA fans will likely love the most, with its juicy, hazy body. The Raspberry Truffle Shuffle stout is a pleasant surprise – it’s fun and the name is accurate, but it doesn’t have the cloyingness of a pastry stout. And at 10.2% ABV, it’s dangerous.

Norbrook Farm Brewery in Colebrook is set on sprawling land, and has a charming outdoor patio overlooking the grounds. But when it’s freezing out, like it has been so far this winter, you’ll want to cozy up inside the well-lit and comfortable farmhouse taproom. Their beers are primarily farmhouse and American ale styles, with a few deviations, but the best one we had the pleasure of sampling was the Date Night Belgian Dubbel – sweet and full.

Up in North Canaan, you’ll find Great Falls Brewing, which also has a cozy and rustic but surprisingly sizable tap room located inside an old railroad depot. Their beers have character but balance; the core lineup is pale ales. Our favorite, however, was the Peach and Plum Fruit Snack Berliner Weisse – the kind of hard-to-find truly tart sour that yet-to-be beer fans and diehards alike will love.

Brewery Legitimus is located in a strip mall in New Hartford, but don’t let its unsuspecting exterior fool you: the brews are world-class. The tap list is fairly diverse, with not one but two fruited sours at the time of our visit, a solid brown ale, and of course, plenty of IPAs and other core styles. The absolute winner was the truly memorable Sundown 5.0 IPA – juicy and hazy, of course, with an excellent balance of fruity flavor and careful hoppy bitterness. It’s the kind of IPA that makes beer geeks love IPAs.

- Ariana DiValentino

[elsewhere-mag]

Every city has its prized bookstore.

It’s true, I think; in New York, there’s the Strand, a must-see for any literate tourist. LA has The Last Bookstore, another popular spot that’s as aesthetically pleasing as it is full of popular, uncommon, and discounted books. Whether or not you’re in the mood to read, there’s plenty to look at.

- Ariana DiValentino

[elsewhere-mag]

San Francisco born and brewed.

If anyone can tell you about the interconnectedness of the environment and culture, it might just be brewers. Beer is made from water, hops, grain, and sometimes fruits or herbs. And as craft beer continues to explode throughout the U.S., with brewers looking for ways to work with and build mutual relationships with their local communities, those ingredients are often being sourced close to home. And sometimes the end product gives back to its birthplace, as well.

Anchor Brewing, which claims to be the oldest craft brewery in the country, dating back to 1896, is in and of San Francisco. Its name comes from the importance of maritime activity in the Bay, which shaped the city and surrounding region. Today, the Bay remains significant both culturally and ecologically, which is why the nonprofit organization San Francisco Baykeeper exists. The organization, which celebrates its 30th birthday this year, patrols the Bay, seeking out major polluters and holding them accountable to clean water laws. And as the Trump administration continuously throws out environment regulations and ignores scientific data, Baykeeper’s work remains, unfortunately, more relevant than ever.

And fittingly, Anchor Brewing does its part to look out for the organization looking out for its home. Anchor’s Baykeeper IPA is a golden-colored, clear and delicately flavored fruity and hoppy brew with a slight tang; it’s described as a “San Francisco-style IPA.” The unique moniker might be appropriate, too, considering just how local the beer is – one of the major malt components is family farm-grown barley from across the Bay. And as the name would suggest, a portion of proceeds from the IPA – which is newly available in cans – will be donated to support Baykeeper’s work.  

Beer and accountability, both for local communities and the environment, make a strong pairing – and in fact, it’s what we craft beer fans are coming to expect from our favorite breweries. “Drinking responsibly” is coming into a whole new meaning.

- Ariana DiValentino

[elsewhere-mag]

IPAs between the coasts.

The Northeast and California may both have their signature styles, but they don’t have a monopoly on craft beer. The midwest may be the home of PBR and Miller, but it’s a nest for indie brewers as well.

A free afternoon in Columbus, Ohio, let me sample just two of the midwestern city’s breweries (leaving several out, sadly). The first was North High Brewing, which is located in a beautifully renovated early 20th century Ford dealership building. It’s a lovely place to sit, with all sorts of local antiques and memorabilia decorating the walls. 

The tap list is surprisingly wide, covering hop lovers with lots of IPAs and pale ales, a generous handful of malty amber and wheat beers, and even a couple of shandies thrown in for good measure (this is a college town, after all). Fly, a hazy pale ale, stands out as a winner, and adventurous palates might enjoy sampling the sweet Tree Tapper, made with Ohio maple syrup, and the Wayne Grodzkiskie, a smoked wheat ale with a distinctive flavor. 

The next destination was Seventh Son Brewing, which has ample space for entertaining both inside and out. The spacious and sunlit taproom serves up a roster of beers that are also primarily hoppy styles at the core, rounded out with a few others like the Blue Jay Way porter and Kitty Paw, their very own hard seltzer. I had the pleasure of trying their Capra Nova, a fresh-hopped IPA that’s memorably delicious and makes you sort of feel like you’re drinking pure nature. The Rime Winter IPA is also a tasty and rich choice that’s seasonal without bashing you over the head with it. 

- Ariana DiValentino

[elsewhere-mag]

Autumn in a real college town.

Columbus, Ohio, is perhaps best known as the home to The Ohio State University (yes, the “the” is part of it). Having just been in town the weekend before Halloween for a horror film festival, the setting couldn’t have been more apt. The fall foliage was picturesque; one of the other filmmakers present described it as “the way movies say fall should look.” Golden orange and red hues everywhere, usually under austere grey skies. That, combined with the distinctly collegiate, Midwestern feel – college students dressed in school colors, out partying until 3am on Friday only to be up at the bars again by 11am for game day – made it seem like a movie setting indeed. Maybe about college women seeking revenge against a fraternity?

- Ariana DiValentino

[elsewhere-mag]

Livin’ it up at the Hotel California.

The Beverly Hills Hotel is symbolic of wealth, play, and Hollywood, and it looks the part to this day. The guests who walk through seem wholly accustomed to its level of luxury, but the design itself – midcentury modern in pink and green stripes and script – is playful. Undoubtedly, at least some of its guests are here to live it up.

- Ariana DiValentino