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LIZ HEATHER

June 1, 2022

May Musings 2022

by Liz Heather in Beauty, Best of NYC, Food, Links, Movies, Personal, Products, Recipes, Television


How is it June? Halloween is practically tomorrow. Here’s what went down last month!

  • The best tweets of May can be found over here and here.

  • I wrote an essay about my hated for the Kard***ian family.

  • Nathan’s show Trapped got reviewed in The Globe and Mail!

  • I visited the insanely disappointing part two of the costume exhibit at The Met.

  • I also revisited part one of that same exhibit because new pieces were added and they are spectacular. (And quick note: there’s no rooftop exhibit at The Met this summer! I emailed them to see why and they told me that it “has been delayed per the artist’s request“ which is complete bullshit! If the artist couldn’t make it work for this year, why the hell didn’t they commission someone else to fill the space for this year? The fuck?)

  • I read and reviewed Christopher Reeve’s memoir.

  • I never use face cream, but the texture of my face was weirdly rough for about a week so I lathered on the belief aqua bomb cream each night and it smoothed me right out back to normal within two days. It also works really well on elbows if ashiness is ever a concern for you.

  • So intensely in love with these new shorts I got from Banana Republic Factory.

  • I made this tomato, zucchini, caramelized onion & feta tart with puff pastry that was too, too good.

  • I made these flourless chocolate brownie cookies and they were truly disgusting.

  • I’ve tried many foot masks, but this Holler and Glow one from Target is my absolute favourite. It’s even better than that baby foot mask everyone loved a few years back.

  • Went to Bar Crudo in Brooklyn and it was incredible. The crab cakes were perfect, everything we ordered was phenomenal (except the ricotta toast). Have to go back.

  • I’ve been making individual iced teas each day and this month solely consisted of the Trader Joe’s pomegranate white tea. It’s so fruity, but not at all too sweet.

  • Two new discoveries! I have a moderate dairy allergy and a possible pollen allergy! Sweet! This is what your late thirties looks like I guess?

  • I tried a sample of the silk peony eye cream (eyes are rolling at that name) from Tatcha and it yes it was good. But no it should not be $62. All creams should be max $20 and that’s even pushing it a bit.

  • Links I’m Loving:

    • If you’re still spring cleaning, this is such a great guide.

    • These sandwiches look so wildly good. Can I please just be invited to this woman’s house.

    • The best SNL sketch of the season. (It’s called Old Enough! Longterm Boyfriends if you need to search for it in Canada.)

    • I badly want to make these chocolate toffee cookies (below).

  • Things I Watched:

    • I’m in the middle of a rewatch of Friday Night Lights (Hulu), it’s not as good as it was the first time around but Riggins can still get it.

    • Also rewatching Undeclared (YouTube!) and it’s as good as I remembered it.

    • Our Father (Netflix) was pure chaos. It’s so disturbing and awful, I kind of want to tell you not to even watch it? It’s not worth it. Awful people who get away with doing awful things is such a weird thing to recommend to watch.

    • Inventing Anna (Netflix) was irritatingly bad. A lot of the acting was terrible, the scripts were awful. Why on earth was this longer than a 90 minute made-for-TV movie? This is one of those times the Wikipedia page is more interesting than the final product.

    • The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes (Netflix) was, again, hard to watch. I’ve seen dozens of movies about this woman and every new thing I learn about her is more depressing than the last. God, the Kennedys were awful people.

    • St. Elmo’s Fire (Hulu) was terrible! I’d never seen it before but UGH. There are so many good people in it, I had such high hopes. Not one likable character in a cast of what seemed to be fifty people. Also, I know it was the ‘80s but no friend would ever put another friend’s head in a toilet, it just wouldn’t happen. Terrible script.

    • Everything Everywhere All At Once (theatres) was good! There were definitely parts that were a smidge too corny, but as a whole it was really good.

    • Flamingo Kid (streamed online) is such a good summer movie, I can’t believe I haven’t seen it before. It’s light and low maintenance and a young Matt Dillon is very pleasant to look at.

    • Big Night (streamed online) was so good. I’ve wanted to see it forever because of how food centric it is and it was perfect.

    • Top Gun: Maverick (theatres) was actually really good. Even I surprise myself sometimes. Love Tom Cruise. LOVE that he insisted on little to no CGI.

  • It’s amazing that spring garlic is still in season, I’m begging you to find some.

The main thing I’m looking forward to this month: I’m going on my big postponed-from-2020 trip! I’ll definitely be posting about it on my Instagram stories and (and highlights section) if you have any interest in seeing what I get up to. I could tell you some of the things planned, but where’s the fun in that?

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in April over here.

TAGS: May, May Musings, May Musings 2022, Liz Heather, Baby Dog, Nathan Macintosh, spring, The Met, Belief cream, Tatcha, eye cream, SNL, best SNL sketch, shorts, Banana Republic Factory, Banana Republic Factory shorts, tomato zucchini onion feta tart, puff pastry, good recipes, flourless chocolate brownie cookies, Holler and Glow foot mask, Target, Bar Crudo, Brooklyn, Brooklyn restaurant, crab cakes, homemade iced tea, Trader Joe's, TJ tea, pomegranate white tea, dairy allergy, pollen allergy, silk peony eye cream, chicken caesar sandwich, Ina Garten, Old Enough, Longterm Boyfriends, chocolate toffee cookies, Friday Night Lights, Undeclared, Out Father, Netflix, Hulu, Marilyn Monroe, Inventing Anna, The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe The Unheard Tapes, St. Elmo's Fire, 80s movie, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Top Gun Maverick, Tom Cruise, Flamingo Kid, Matt Dillon, Big Night, Stanley Tucci movie, green garlic, spring garlic


October 4, 2021

September Shenanigans 2021

by Liz Heather in Advice, Beauty, Best of NYC, Food, Halloween, Ideas, Links, Movies, Music, Personal, Products, Recipes, Reviews, Television


spooky house gif haunted house lightening stikes
spooky house gif haunted house lightening stikes

So long, September! I can’t believe it’s finally here. And look, I try not to base my entire personality on the fact that I love this time of year so much but every year it’s getting harder and harder to deny it. There’s just something so electrifying about rainy nights and pumpkins on stoops, I’M SORRY. In any case, here’s what went down in September.

  • You can find my favourite tweets of the month over here and here.

  • I’ve been using the greatest eyebrow growth serum OF LIFE and wrote a bit about it over here (with photographic proof!).

  • I recapped what I did from my summer list.

  • So obviously I had to create an autumn list because this is my life.

  • New podcast alert!

@rulaibraheem

##fypシ

♬ оригинальный звук - Anna Bruni
  • I made this chocolate zucchini banana cake with coffee frosting for Nathan’s birthday and we both fell in love with it. This will now be the only birthday cake I ever make for him, it’s incredible.

  • I went to the Italian restaurant Lilia in Brooklyn again because they always have the best focaccia (right now it’s cherry tomato with green garlic butter), so I got that as well as the corn-filled cappelletti with black pepper and pecorino and yes it was good but the pasta definitely lacked some sort of different textual element which would have sent it over the top in deliciousness. Am I being harsh? No. If you’re paying upwards of $20 for one plate of pasta, there has to be standards.

Cherry tomato focaccia with green garlic butter

Corn-filled cappelletti with black pepper & pecorino

  • I tried the pumpkin cream cold brew at Starbucks (with one pump of vanilla instead of two because they go nuts with their pumps) and it was only okay. Why do people love it so much? The salted caramel one looks good but I can’t bring myself to go back and try it. I have such a hate-hate relationship with Starbucks, so what the hell am I even doing going in there? The last time I brought my laptop in to work in a Starbucks was in 2019 and they played the whole Hamilton soundtrack on a loop TWICE and I almost lost my mind it’s such a terrible album. I feel like an alien for not being mesmerized by Lin-Manuel Miranda, but like… he sucks?

  • I ate at Forsythia again and it only confirmed its place in my mind as one of the best new restaurants of this past year. I finally tried and loved the short rib agnolotti as well as the pappa al pomodoro, which was like a beautiful tomato tartare, so summery and perfect.

  • I bought these pajamas from Banana Republic Factory because they’re soft as hell and I haven’t had matching pajamas since… never.

  • Links I’m Loving:

    • Okay, this is the cutest autumn sweater on the planet, COME ON.

    • Untold Horror is “a behind-the-scenes look into development hell to find the most frightening horror movies that never were, from unmade Re-Animator sequels to alternate takes on legendary franchises like Frankenstein and Dracula!” - this sounds like such a great read.

    • I Never Knew How Golden My Summers Were - a great piece on remembering the best summer of your life.

    • Creative Ways To Start Your Morning On A Good Note

    • Halloween Craft Idea For Kids: Pumpkin Stamps with Apples

    • Reason #214 Never To Get CoolSculpting

  • Tuesdays at Regal Cinemas are now offering $6.25 movie tickets! This definitely can’t last, so I’m going to make the most of it while it’s offered.

  • New seasonal candles are finally at Trader Joe’s.

Autumn candles at Trader Joe’s, September 2021

  • So it’s been established how much I love and support Milk Bar… but the new funnel cake soft serve is truly one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever ingested. Just shockingly gross. If you’re nearby, get a free sample and tell me how right I am.

  • I went for a late summer walk through Central Park and why don’t I do this once a week.

  • I can’t get over how beautiful this song is (thanks for introducing it to me, Jessie!), it’s toooo good.

  • There’s a sale on Aerie underwear right now IF you’re into that sort of thing.

  • I made a zucchini lasagna that was very good but in no way better than a meat lasagna.

  • Speaking of zucchini, if you own a deep fryer: please make this zucchini spaghetti or these cider battered chicken fingers and then ask me over.

  • I took this (free) (actually helpful) intro to SEO class online if you’re interested in that sort of thing.

  • I made these apple pie bars that are ridiculously easy, fast and incredible. I was feeling ambitious, so I made this quick caramel to pour on top.

  • I fell down a rabbit hole of researching all of the Broadway theatres in New York and I might get tickets to Girl From The North Country purely to sit inside the gorgeous Belasco Theatre.

  • Finally had the steak at L’Artusi and it was delicious. Best steak ever? God no, but good. They will, however, hold the title of best steak tartare in all of NYC though.

The steak at L’Artusi in the West Village

The best steak tartare in NYC at L’Artusi

  • New things I’ve watched and rewatched:

    • Searching For Italy: so, so great. I already wanted to travel around Italy and eat everything so watching this was a delight. It’s also just so enjoyable to watch people who love their jobs. The Tuscany episode was my favourite one, mostly because I love any and all panzanella talk.

    • I attempted to watch Basic Instinct but I was in a very specific mood and had to turn it off after the rape scene. Nah thanks.

    • Never Have I Ever (season two): Love that Common is in it, hoping he becomes a regular. I can’t stand the way the writers write the teen dialogue, it’s so cringeworthy, but if you can get past that it’s an absolutely okay show. That scene in episode nine with her & Paxton when he comes in from window? Shiiiiit.

    • Broken: it’s an episode about makeup and the lesson? Watch out for counterfeit cosmetics. Got it.

    • The X-Files (The Squeeze episode): Someone told me to watch this one because it’s supposed to be scary, but it wasn’t anything special. A waaay better episode is Pusher. Watch THAT one.

    • The Witches of Eastwick: How the hell have I never seen this before? So many parts are good. Would definitely rewatch. I’ll never get over how gorgeous Michelle Pfeiffer is. Just maddening.

    • Scanners: boooooooooo. They shouldn’t make the cover look so good, it’s terrible.

    • Nightmare on Elm Street: Really holds up well. Always love it.

    • I’m rewatching Sabrina the Teenage Witch and kind of loving every minute of it. The episode where she becomes addicted to pancakes? A gem.

    • Was Dharma & Greg, like, a great show? I never cared about it at the time because I think I was too young to get into it but I just watched their Halloween episode and it was so good. Might look into this further.

    • Awkwafina is Nora From Queens (season two): With the exception of the blackout episode and the extremely hot cameo from original Reggie (Ross Butler), this season has really sucked. And this is insane to me because I loved the first season, what the hell?

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: I created an autumn highlight on my Instagram incase you care to see the fun things I’m planning on doing this month, excited to read Stanley Tucci’s new book, definitely going to make these pumpkin scones with a maple glaze, I will likely buy something from this year’s Halloween Lush collection, I’m gonna do a post about my recent trip to Salem (!), and I’m in the final stages of costume planning. God, I love this month.

If you have any interest in reading what went on in August, come on over here.

TAGS: September 2021, September Shenanigans 2021, Liz Heather, monthly roundup, monthly post, Lilia, Lilia Brooklyn, rainy night, best tweets, eyebrow growth serum, new podcast, best of TikTok, chocolate zucchini banana cake, coffee frosting, Nathan Macintosh, green garlic, corn pasta, focaccia bread, best focaccia NYC, best steak tartare NYC, L'Artusi, restaurants NYC, pumpkin, pumpkin cream cold brew, Starbucks, Hamilton soundtrack, Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Forsythia, pajamas, Banana Republic Factory, links I'm loving, autumn sweater, Untold Horror, I Never Knew How Golden My Summers Were, Creative Ways To Start Your Morning On A Good Note, Halloween craft idea, pumpkin apple stamps, kids craft Halloween, coolsculpting, Tuesdays at Regal Cinemas, Regal Cinemas, Regal Entertainment, cheap movie dates NYC, seasonal candle Trader Joe's, vanilla pumpkin candle, honeycrisp apple candle, Trader Joe's, Trader Joe's candles, Milk Bar, funnel cake soft serve, Central Park, Baby Dog, Canada geese, zucchini lasagna, free SEO class online, apple pie bars, quick caramel sauce, best recipes 2021, Broadway theatres NYC, Belasco Theatre NYC, steak NYC, Searching For Italy, Stanley Tucci, panzanella, Basic Instinct, Common, Never Have I Ever, Broken, cosmetics, The X-Files, The Squeeze, Pusher, The Witches of Eastwick, movies, Michelle Pfeiffer, Scanners, Halloween movies, Nightmare on Elm Street, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Aerie underwear, Dharma and Greg, Awkwafina is Nora From Queens, Ross Butler, TV


June 11, 2021

May Musings 2021

by Liz Heather in Beauty, Best of NYC, Food, Ideas, Links, Movies, Music, Personal, Products, Recipes, Reviews


Citi Field, May 2021

Citi Field, May 2021

Forgive the lateness of this post! I am excuse-less. Here’s what went down last month!

  • Here are the two lists of the best tweets of the month.

  • I perused Jessica Merchant’s new cookbook and some of the recipes are definite must-makes this summer. Garlic confit, stone fruit halloumi salad, tomato pie, BLT corn salad, scallops with tomato cream sauce, and the list goes on. Sometimes I like to browse the cookbooks in book stores just for inspiration when I’m in a cooking rut.

  • I bought the Dr. Teal’s foaming bath Vapor Bath scent and it’s underwhelming! I mean, it’s good, but nothing like the vapor heaven I was anticipating.

  • I made the ramp butter from Missy Robbin’s (of Lilia fame) recipe and it tasted fine but was nothing like hers. No idea where I went wrong. Maybe I was supposed to use salted butter? Maybe the butter quality wasn’t good enough? Maybe my food processor was inadequate?

Ramps

My sad ramp butter

  • In other ramp news, I ate the ramp, cheddar & poppyseed croissant from Mel The Bakery and it was delicious. Great bakery. Must return.

Ramp, cheddar & poppyseed croissant from Mel The Bakery, NYC

  • So I made the Milk Bar crumbs (without the cake) because I thought that’d be a fun treat to just keep in the fridge. But without the cake and the icing? Suck city. Such a waste of time. Tastes useless on its own.

  • I watched the movie Riding The Bullet (why, I don’t know) and of course it was terrible, what was I thinking. Proves that you don’t have to be talented to make a movie, so there’s really hope for anyone in this world.

  • I reviewed the NARS birthday gift from Sephora.

  • I tried a sample of Chanel’s Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Sunscreen Makeup Broad Spectrum SPF 15 and it’s luxury in a bottle. I might have to buy it since they discontinued the Amore Pacific tinted moisturizer that I used to love.

  • I made focaccia for the first time! I had some leftover green garlic so I incorporated that into it and it was a raging success.

Before

After

  • I watched the third and final season of Shrill and it was perfect. I hate that it’s over since every season was better than the last, but life must go on. No spoilers, but I loved how it ended. Best character of life = Em.

  • Went to Momofuku Noodle Bar again and finally tried the buns (not pork, but mushroom) and wow. I wish I knew how to cook a mushroom like a restaurant quality chef. It’s a mystery I’ll never crack.

  • New goal: to swim in the sky pool in London.

  • Sometimes there is no greater joy than getting to experience a new potato chip flavour. And the Lays ones this summer… are wonderful.

  • I can’t stop making this chicken caprese pasta salad. There’s something about the idea of a cold pasta salad that sits in the fridge and gets better each day, I just love it. It always reminds me of a staple food that white people would take to a picnic in the 90s, but I don’t know what I’m basing that on. Wasn’t that a white person thing? I remember mentioning the idea of a cold pasta salad to one of my West Indian cousins at a get together and she gasped at the idea, “Why would a pasta ever be served COLD???”

  • I only ever want to read new stories like these.

  • I rewatched Mad Man and this is probably the best scene in the whole series. The line “the moon belongs to everyone” will always make my knees weak.

  • I listened to the Martin Short / Charles Grodin episode of Julie Klausner’s podcast and it only reaffirms how I feel about podcasts. They’re so fucking boring, I’ll never know what people get out of listening to them. Absolutely not for me.

  • That being said, I do love being a guest on them.

  • There’s a new Danny Meyer restaurant opening in the fall, sign me up, obviously.

  • I bought these high waisted shorts, this gorgeously neon orange crop, and these printed shorts: all from Zara because their summer collection is actually good this year.

  • I went to a Mets game and it was wonderful to be back in a stadium. I also got the Mrs. Met Wonder Woman bobblehead I’ve been eyeing for over a year now.

  • I ate a white chocolate apricot scone from Il Bambino in Astoria and it was insanely good. I always forget about scones. You can’t sleep on a scone. I also always forget how much I love apricot. It’s never IN anything, why is that?

  • The teaser for Last Night in Soho makes it look really good.

  • I revisited The Beekman and it continues to be just a solid ass place to take someone from out of town for a drink. It’s so beautifully designed and I’ll never get over what a great job was done in restoring it.

The ceiling at The Beekman, NYC

Look at the stairway details at The Beekman, NYC

  • Okay, I know everyone knows about the cookies at Levain Bakery, but the dark chocolate peanut butter one might CHANGE YOU SPIRITUALLY.

  • I got some great British food gifts from Myers of Keswick in the West Village for my dad, it’s just a great little shop.

  • I finally went to the Dame pop-up! Exquisite fish and chips. I did sneak in my own gravy from Pommes Frites down the street since they don’t offer any, but no one seemed to mind (and by no one I mean that I hid it with a napkin anytime someone walked by). I understand this isn’t behavior I should exhibit, but fish and chips without gravy should be illegal. Anyway, I’m so excited they’re expanding into a full blown restaurant. Must return to see the new menu items.

Look at that fry and TELL me he isn’t screaming out for sip of gravy

Secret gravy tastes better?

  • So I was all excited to go see the new Little Island in the city, but then I realized that this goddam area was the one that I was so against a few years ago because it meant that they’d tear down the Pier 54 remnants! I can’t believe time had made me forget this fact! Those dirty fucks! So I may not visit it now. Debating all my options. Mentally I don’t know that I even need to escape to a new floating island.

  • I bought these black flats for my new part time hostess job (more on this in another post) and they’re so comfortable, it’s shocking.

  • Tried the new(ish) Key Lime Pie Kit-Kats and, what a shock, another winner.

  • I finally reviewed the KKW lip liner set that I mentioned months ago.

  • Of course I listened to Olivia Rodrigo’s new album Sour and the best songs are by far traitor and driver’s license (duh).

  • I took Baby Dog on a mini day trip to Coney Island and it was too fun. We walked along the pier, got my prediction from Grandma, spent three seconds in the sand and then sat by the water. We also went to the Coney Island Brewery and the best things about that place? The music is so perfect and late 90s, there’s a free tap that has still & sparkling water, they have beer flights on the menu to try different kinds (such a great idea), the grilled cheese was NUTS, and the alcoholic pink lemonade was summer in a can.

Smiling at the ocean

Wonder Wheel

Baby Dog at a brewery

Can I install this in my house, PLEASE

Some things I’m looking forward to doing this month: I’d really love to make this garlic jam that sounds incredible, I’m making it my mission to get to Mama’s Too on a Wednesday this month to try one of their legendary Wednesday sandwiches, and I’m so excited that casual street fairs have returned (check below for some upcoming ones).

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in April over here.

TAGS: May 2021, Liz Heather, May Musings 2021, best tweets May 2021, Jessica Merchant, cookbook, How Sweet Eats, Dr. Teals foaming bath, vapor bath, Missy Robbins, Lilia, ramp, ramps, ramp butter, ramp butter recipe, butter, Mel the Bakery, Mel the Bakery NYC, NYC, best of NYC, bakery NYC, croissants NYC, Milk Bar crumbs, Riding The Bullet, NARS birthday gift, NARS birthday gift Sephora, Sephora, Chanel, Amore Pacific, Chanel sunscreen makeup, makeup, focaccia bread, green garlic, Shrill, Em from Shrill, Fightmaster, Momofuku Noodle Bar, mushrooms, sky pool, sky pool London, swimming pool London, Lays, Lays summer flavors, chicken caprese pasta salad, cold pasta salad, white people food, picnics, picnic food, Mad Men, The Best Things In Life Are Free, Martin Short, Charles Grodin, Julie Klausner, podcast, podcasts, Nathan Macintosh, Danny Meyer, new Danny Meyer restaurant 2021, Zara summer collection, Mets, Citi Field, Mrs. Met, Mrs. Met bobblehead, Wonder Woman, Mrs. Met Wonder Woman bobblehead, while chocolate apricot scone, Il Bambino Astoria, Last Night in Soho trailer, movies, movie, The Beekman, beautiful hotel NYC, Levain Bakery, dark chocolate peanut butter cookie NYC, Myers of Keswick NYC, British food store NYC, Dame, Dame NYC, West Village, fish and chips NY, fish and chips NYC, gravy, fries, Pommes Frites, Little Island, Pier 54, Pier 55, black flats, Key Lime Pie Kit-Kats, chocolate, Olivia Rodrigo, Sour, traitor song, drivers license song, Coney Island, Grandma's Predictions, Baby Dog, Baby Dog Macintosh, Coney Island Brewery, grilled cheese NYC, Wonder Wheel NYC, Brooklyn, Queens, monthly post, monthly roundup


April 5, 2021

March Magic 2021

by Liz Heather in Advice, Beauty, Best of NYC, Food, Ideas, Links, Music, Personal, Products, Recipes, Reviews, Television


Cherry Blossoms are in bloom at the University of Washington right now - Photo By Kai Wang

Cherry Blossoms are in bloom at the University of Washington right now - Photo By Kai Wang

Am I alone in thinking that was the longest March of all time? It truly felt like it would never end. Usually I love my birthday month, but with everything still the way it’s been for the past year, there really didn’t feel like much of a reason to celebrate. Also, Nathan got COVID. It was awful and scary and I was worried about how he’d be, but all is well and he just got his vaccine this past weekend, which is incredible. So a real roller coaster type of month, but thank god it’s over.

Here’s everything that went down last month.

  • I recapped how my winter list of things to do went.

  • Forever an optimist, I made a list of spring things that I’d like to do. One of my favourite things to do is get a pedicure on the first day of a season. I don’t get them very often at all, so it’s a nice way to usher in some new weather.

  • I finished watching Superstore, which is such a great show. I would’ve never watched it on my own, so this is why you have to listen to your best friend’s recommendations sometimes. They know more than you. Also, it was weird as hell to hear the Smashing Pumpkins song Today in one episode. Just seemed like a strange pairing, them and this show. Or any show, really. But I mean they did lend a song to that Apple ad, so I guess the old days of Billy Corgan complaining about everything are over.

  • I read and reviewed Joan Rivers’ book Enter Talking.

  • I made my way back to Lilia with Irene to devour their seasonal leek focaccia & green salted butter, which is always heaven on a plate. (Me and focaccia have had a pretty strong love affair going on for some time now. I plan on making it at home soon, but I can’t decide on the flavouring I’ll want to add to it. There are too many possibilities.) We also shared two pastas: the corzetti with pine nuts, marjoram & parmigiano reggiano as well as the sheep’s milk cheese agnolotti with saffron, dried tomato & honey. Always a good meal here. Might benefit from some new pastas, though.

My sweet baby girl, leek focaccia & her green salted butter

Stunning Irene & pasta

I’m very excited for bread

  • I got my first Moderna shot! I usually have tons of anxiety around needles, but somehow it wasn’t a problem this time (maybe because I had the kindest nurse on the planet). It sounds so simple, but she told me to look away, to take a deep breath and while I was taking that breath she put the needle in and THAT WAS IT. So grateful for that advice. Must remember that for life now. I have my next shot on April 8th! (I did get COVID arm, but it went away in 24 hours so it really wasn’t a big deal.) Also, I’ll definitely ask a medical professional, but if it’s allowed then I’m definitely getting my card laminated for free.

  • There’s this great, cute new store called Gift Box on Broadway in Astoria. It’s very similar to Lockwood, only better. Lots of cards, gifts, beauty products, candles, that kind of thing.

  • It’s green garlic season and we must all celebrate! I’ve also decided that I might devote my life to compound butters. Making them, eating them, giving them away as gifts potentially. Maybe this is what’s been missing.

  • Google image search the vagar faroe islands and let’s go.

  • I can’t stop putting this Esti vegan feta on everything, it tastes exactly like regular feta only slightly less salty.

  • Everything from the brand Umbra is gorgeous.

  • These are officially (and my niece Layla can attest to it) the greatest socks on the planet. Not too tight, not too short or high, and soft as a cloud.

  • Best kale caesar dressing I’ve had in months. And I love the idea of using breadcrumbs instead of croutons to liven things up a bit.

  • I made this roasted winter citrus and wow was it hot fruit. It should be a crime to make something look this good, but taste average as hell.

  • I started using the app Google Keep to organize all of my lists and tasks and I love it. It’s so much better than using Notes.

  • HOW have I never even HEARD of Shake Shack’s Innovation Kitchen?! AND HOW HAVE I NEVER BEEN. It’s moved to the top of my current Must Visit list.

  • I may or may not have fallen down a rabbit hole of incredible Melissa Clark recipes. Love this woman.

  • If you live in Englewood, New Jersey, how do you not just LIVE at this bakery? My god. Every item. In my mouth. Now.

  • And listen, I’m no scientist, but this seems like huge news…?

  • If you find yourself anxious or unsettled, this video of lasagna being made from scratch is the most soothing thing I’ve come across in months.

  • Target sells candles?! I’m the last person on earth who learned this. $4 for an actually great mini candle is wild.

  • Tried a slice of the red velvet cake from Milk Bar and it was unexpectedly good. I don’t usually care about red velvet (because it’s a scam?), but honestly their cakes always find a way to taste amazing.

  • I made this cajun linguine and it was so lackluster, I hate when a pasta recipe doesn’t work out. It’s so upsetting. Also, cajun seasoning can blow me.

  • They’re opening a Sonic in Manhattan, which I’ve never been to before, is it worth going?

  • I know Eataly is for tourists, but once in awhile I like to stop in to peruse. I tried one of their prepackaged foods (the eggplant parmesan) and it was a hard pass. Just no flavouring at all. The only thing that saved the day were their individual little Italian chocolates. Always amazing. I do want to eventually try their dried pasta Afeltra since I’ve heard such good things about it.

  • I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely not ready to watch documentaries about the pandemic yet. I don’t know if I’ll ever want to. I mean… we’re still IN IT, for christ’s sake. HBO needs to just sit down.

  • Tell me that you know the song Sea of Love.

  • You had me at “cheese-oozing focaccia.”

  • Great piece on diet culture by Julia Turshen.

  • When I was in Seattle in April a few years ago, I wandered onto the University of Washington’s campus and was blown away by their gorgeous cherry blossoms. They have a livestream of them right now, if you’d like to take a look.

  • With plastic bags officially banned now, I desperately need a basket bag to take when I go to the farmer’s market. So f-ing lovely. Everyone will think I’m Belle or some shit.

  • I don’t think I’ve ever had a fresh Jamaican patty in my life, so I’m definitely going here the next time I’m in Mississauga.

  • I love this chickpea salad, especially after adding basil.

  • Some of these are actually really great tips.

  • How on earth have I never heard of the restaurants Dell’anima or Anfora?! They’re both under the Joe Campanale umbrella (of L’Artusi fame)! I’m so excited to go. Just look at those menus.

  • Speaking of, I can’t go for too long without eating the wagyu steak tartare at L’Artusi. It’s a problem. (It also makes me want to buy a really great finishing olive oil, so I’m looking into that. I’m thinking either Monini or Frantoia.)

Wagyu steak tartare at L’Artusi

  • One thing I’ve started to do that you should too: buy good butter. I stopped buying margarine many years ago and thought I was a better person for buying regular grocery store butter. But sweetie, you can do more. The butter (specifically European butter) in specialty shops or some bakeries or markets is EONS better than the run-of-the-mill basic grocery butter. And it enhances literally everything that you use it in. Right now, the butter in my fridge is beurre de baratte butter and it’s ridiculously good. Obviously I’m not going to use this butter when I’m baking because I’m not a millionaire, but when I’m making something savory for dinner? Or a compound butter? Or on top of asparagus? On some bread as a snack? It’s unreal.

  • Speaking of food advice: don’t buy your parmesan at the grocery store either. I’ve never had amazing parmesan from there. It’s always the same, even the expensive stuff. Get your ass to a cheese shop. Enough already, you’re an adult.

  • I tried a CBD chocolate and just as I thought: it’s a scam. Just like red velvet. It did nothing for nobody.

  • I bought this tea tree toner on a whim from The Body Shop and I might keep buying it for the rest of time. I use it on my face right when I get out of a hot shower and it’s kept my face feeling incredible lately.

  • A new coffee shop opened up in my neighbourhood called Coffee Avenue and I can’t recommend it enough. The macadamia milk hot chocolate blew my face off.

  • I finally ate at Bar Primi in the city and it was spectacular. We had the ricotta crostino with hazelnuts & truffle honey (which is almost like a dessert, it’s so good), the linguine with 4 cloves of garlic & breadcrumbs as well as the penne ragu alla bolognese with ricotta which was the very best. Can’t wait to go again. Loved the atmosphere of the place, too.

  • The seasonal candle is out at Trader Joe’s and it’s grapefruit, which smells perfect. I’ve finally stopped hoarding their candles and have started burning them. Only took me a year of lockdown to realize I should try to enjoy my life.

  • Lemon Kit-Kats exist and all is right with the world. Delicious.

  • I don’t go very often, but I’ll always love The Dutch. Perfect cornbread. Perfect tartare. You can’t go wrong.

Housemade scallion-chipotle cornbread with whipped butter

Wagyu steak tartare, capers, bearnaise aioli

  • *Note: if it seems like I eat a lot of steak tartare - I do. Good observation. It’s incredible.

  • Controversial opinion but the Dove chocolate peanut butter eggs are one millions times better than Reese’s peanut butter cups. I couldn’t believe it either.

  • This leads me to another declaration: Easter candy might be better than Halloween candy. Hear me out. Halloween candy is almost chaotic when you think of the candy options, it’s overwhelming and more often than not, disappointing. Easter candy, however, is usually always new and fresh each season. They’ve got to work harder to get you to notice Easter candy, so infact you’re getting a more well thought out product, which usually tastes better. Anyway, can you tell I’m depressed…?

  • I went to the new Ulta location in NYC in Herald Square and it’s great, it seems bigger than the UWS one and it’s way more convenient to visit. Must remember. Oh! But speaking of Ulta, remember how last year they had such great birthday gifts? They really dropped the ball this year. They’re trying to give a $5 Mario Badescu facial spray as the March gift?! Are you fucking serious?! That’s the worst. Literally the worst gift of all the months. Fighting every urge in my body to write them a strongly-worded letter about this. Just insanity. I didn’t even go claim it. Keep your damn gift, no spray can calm me down from this.

  • New love: macadamia milk in my iced coffee in the morning. Just heavenly.

  • I rewatched Wall-E and what a great movie. For all ages. Too perfect.

  • Love the song Team by Lorde.

  • I watched the Woody Allen & Mia Farrow documentary on HBO and it’s obviously a must watch. So many things I didn’t know about that story were shown, this man needs to be stopped.

  • If you ever get a new phone and you want to transfer over all of your WhatsApp messages to your new phone (and you’ve never backed them up), you can pay $40 and use this site to do it.

  • The new Super Mario World in Japan looks incredible.

  • Do not judge me, but I ordered (and returned) a SKIMS bralette. I was swayed by a few photos of women wearing it and wanted to see for myself what it felt like. Verdict: crap. Sure, the material is soft but only because it’s so poorly made and unsupportive. An immediate return. The beautiful colours of the bras are what sells the product, in my opinion. It’s so hard to find well made, beautiful browns and neutrals in undergarments.

  • Speaking of what’s her name, I also ordered this KKW mini lip liner set that I’m unfortunately in love with. I use it as a lip liner and filler, and each fucking one is gorgeous. I’m going to do a post to show you. You’ll see what I mean.

  • I came across this wonderful stationary store in Chelsea, City Papery. I could spend hours roaming the aisles in there. Made a mental note to go back to get some really beautiful envelopes (why on earth am I still buying the basic-ass white envelopes at CVS??), such a great store.

  • I’m proofreading a book right now about the idea of living with intention and I’ll post a link to it as soon as it’s released later this year. It’s honestly one of the best self help things I’ve read in a long time.

  • I’ve had a Pinterest account forever and I recently organized a lot of the recipes into seasonal categories, which has inspired me to make so many new meals this season. Check it. Also, I haven’t tried these yet, but these spring recipes (below) sound delicious.

    • Blueberry Ricotta Cake with Lavender Glaze

    • Banana Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

    • Lemon Almond Pudding Cake

    • Asparagus Quiche with Hash Brown Crust

    • Apricot Shortbread Bars

    • Buttermilk Lavender Scones

    • Carrot Cake Bread with Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting

    • Lemon Olive Oil Cake with Lavender Mascarpone

  • I’ve mentioned my filmmaker friend Dusty before (his film Violation was at Sundance this year), well his movie is a Critic’s Pick in the The New York Times this month, which is amazing and so well deserved. Truly could not happen to a better person.

  • I have eaten approximately five pounds of asparagus since spring began and I can’t see myself stopping anytime soon. It’s so fucking good. One grievance: that huge, fat asparagus. Why’s it so big like that?? Unnatural as hell. Give me that thin, beautiful asparagus that’s increasingly so hard to find any day. And to anyone who’s like, “Don’t you hate how it makes your pee smell?” - why you gotta go smell your pee? Be normal, weirdo.

  • I did Nathan’s podcast and we talked about how it’s been so beneficial to get some intentional offline time each Sunday.

  • Here were the best tweets of the month.

Some things that I’m looking forward to this month: I’m trying so hard to find a way to stream the last three episodes of Stanley Tucci’s Searching For Italy which has been impossible to find, will definitely go check out Little Island, excited to maybe go to the Kusama exhibit, I’d really like to make the Carbone garlic bread, I want to locate and try milk bread, my brother Robbie told me to mix balsamic vinegar & mayo and put it on a burger so I’ll try that soon, I bought some dried Rao’s pasta so I can’t wait to make it, I’m so excited that movie theatres are opening on the 2nd here (I’ll be fully vaccinated very soon so this is great), and I’m adding a resolution: I’d like to do one new thing on the first of every month (examples: buy stock in something, eat ramen, etc.).

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in February over here.

TAGS: monthly post, monthly roundup, end of month post, Liz Heather, cherry blossoms, University of Washington cherry blossoms, spring, March Magic 2021, March Magic, March, Nathan Macintosh, COVID, COVID vaccine, Regal Cinemas, Superstore, TV, television, Smashing Pumpkins, Billy Corgan, Apple, Apple ad, Today song, Joan Rivers, Enter Talking, focaccia bread, Lilia, Lilia Brooklyn, pasta NYC, pasta, leek focaccia, Irene Morales, Moderna shot, Moderna vaccine, needles, COVID arm, lamination, Gift Box Astoria, Lockwood Astoria, gifts Astoria, green garlic, compound butter, vagar faroe islands, Google, vegan feta, Esti vegan feta, vegan cheese, Umbra, best socks, greatest socks, DSW socks, best kale caesar dressing, best recipes, roasted winter citrus, Google Keep, Google Keep app, note taking app, best note taking app, Shake Shack Innovation Kitchen, best of NYC, Melissa Clark, New Jersey, Englewood, bakery Englewood, lasagna video, Target, Target candles, Milk Bar, red velvet Milk Bar, cake, cake NYC, cajun linguine, Sonic Manhattan, Eataly, Eataly NYC, Afeltra pasta, pandemic documentary, Sea of Love, cheese focaccia, Seattle, plastic bags, basket bag, fresh Jamaican patty Mississauga, Square One patty, chickpea salad, great tips, Dell'anima, Anfora, L'Artusi, Joe Campanale, steak tartare, wagyu NYC, wagyu steak tartare NYC, finishing olive oil, great olive oil, Monini, Frantoia, good butter, European butter, beurre de baratte butter, salted butter, asparagus, parmesan, CBD, CBD chocolate, red velvet, tea tree toner, The Body Shop, The Body Shop tea tree toner, Coffee Avenue Astoria, Bar Primi NYC, ricotta crostino, seasonal candle Trader Joe's, grapefruit candle, lemon kit-kat, The Dutch, steak tartare The Dutch, cornbread, scallion cornbread, Dove chocolate peanut butter eggs, Reese's, Easter cande, Halloween candy, Ulta Herald Square, Mario Badescu, facial spray, Ulta gift, Ulta March gift 2021, macadamia milk, Wall-E, Team by Lorde, Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, HBO, HBO documentary, WhatsApp, transfer Whatsapp messages, transfer Whatsapp texts to new phone, Super Mario World Japan, SKIMS, SKIMS bralette review, KKW mini lip liner set, Chelsea, Kim Kardashian, City Papery, best stationary store NYC, CVS, stationary NYC, living with intention, Pinterest, blueberry ricotta cake with lavender glaze, banana carrot cake cupcakes with coconut cream cheese frosting, lemon almond pudding cake, asparagus quiche with hash brown crust, apricot shortbread bars, buttermilk lavender scones, carrot cake bread with nutella cream cheese frosting, Nutella, Nutella recipe, Nutella Easter dessert, lemon olive oil cake with lavender mascarpone, Dusty Mancinelli, Violation, Critic's Pick, The New York Times, spring asparagus, Positive Anger, no internet Sundays, best tweets, Stanley Tucci, Searching For Italy, Little Island, Kusama exhibit, NYC, things to do in NYC 2021, Carbone garlic bread, milk bread, Rao's pasta


March 25, 2021

Green Garlic Toast

by Liz Heather in Recipes


Photo By Andrew Scrivani

Photo By Andrew Scrivani

It’s officially late March, which is the second greatest time of the year produce-wise (first being corn season, third being tomato season). My absolute favourite vegetable to get ahold of right now is green garlic (also known as young garlic or spring garlic). It’s a bit sweeter than regular garlic and in a whole other world of flavour. I just came across this recipe from Melissa Clark (I love her, remember she’s the one who made this incredible tomato sandwich) that incorporates it into a compound butter for toast. Since I just got my first handful of green garlic at Union Square Greenmarket yesterday, this baby is getting made TODAY. If I can also get my hands on some good ricotta, this might be the best day of my life.

TAGS: green garlic, green garlic recipe, Melissa Clark, spring recipe, garlic toast, garlic bread, green garlic bread, green garlic toast, spring recipe 2021, Liz Heather