Supermodels, dragon's blood, and red hot chili tarts
…aka my Thanksgiving playbook.
1.
This one’s going on my Christmas list: Growing up, the supermodels of the ‘90s were my superheroes. Even after the decade passed, Naomi, Cindy, Linda, Christy, Nadja, and Kate remained the ONLY supermodels in my book (I mean, look at how many of them are still around!). They’re the only supermodels in this book, too: Captivate! Fashion Photography From the 1990s, edited by Claudia Schiffer, is the ultimate tome featuring my pantheon of idols from that era.
2.
After having a pretty intense (but ultimately cathartic) session with my medicine woman a few years ago, I haven’t been able to smell burning sage without feeling nauseated. My friend Robin recently brought me a box of this white sage and dragon’s blood incense from Paris, and it’s actually been ok! Not half as potent as its ingredients suggest, but there’s enough of a powdery-musky punch to clear the bad juju out.
3.
Speaking of odors— The scent wood-fired smoke in the fall always conjures up all sorts of nostalgic memories from childhood…and burning things? Yes, we cherished playing with matches. Anyways, several new chef-driven restaurants here in NYC, including Ci Siamo, Sweetbriar, now Zou Zou’s are conceptualizing their menus around open-fire set-ups, and you can smell these eateries from blocks away. Intentional of not, it’s as though they’ve adapted the smoky, fiery aspects of backyard dining that so many of us relied on during the pandemic—loaded-up grills, fire pits, and propane pizza ovens—for dining indoors. Maybe I’m not the only one fanning the flames of nostalgia.
4.
Return Brewing Company, the effort of four craft-beer vets, just launched this fall, not far from where I grew up. The founders haven’t opened their Hudson headquarters yet—a brewing facility and taproom in a former auto and tire depot—but in the meantime they’ve been carrying out production in a temporary Catskill space, and cultivating an assortment of collectible-worthy label art that’s unique to each beer.
The brand’s creative director/co-founder Jack Liakas (former head designer for Sixpoint), draws inspiration the Art Nouveau styles of the belle epoque, psychedelic rock posters/album covers, and fine-line tattoo art; and each label’s design stylistically diverges from the last. I’m smitten with the latest release: Found Art. The label’s delicate floral motifs and hidden double imagery of a woman’s face gorgeously complements what’s inside: an imperial stout, with layers of citrus and cedar from a unique infusion of fresh juniper boughs.
5.
For some convention-contention: I think I know what I’m bringing to the Thanksgiving table this year, and it’s not at all traditional. (Hard-core purists: try a slice before you come at me). Or maybe I’ll make this riff on creamed spinach, which is really just the standard dish, only with a puffy little roof over its head. But my Thanksgivers and I are also toying with the idea of going wildly off-script and celebrating the holiday out at a vegan restaurant this year. Any recs?