Tinned tid-bits, puffed pastry fandom, and a ceramicist goes big-time

Well, Succession's over. Let's all go stare at the Hudson river.

Welcome to A Few Good Mentions, a weekly (or so) toss-up of five random, share-worthy things I might come across, see, read, do, or eat in a given week. You can find me on Instagram, and my website, which I try my best to update with latest published works. Ok, let’s go!

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1.

I know a lot of us (myself included) who have been getting off on tinned fishy goodies (aka conservas) as the starring bites during our aperitivo hours. For something equally satiating to chat about the next time happy hour rolls around, this short film highlights a family-run conservas shop in Portugal, and one of the country’s last remaining artisanal canneries.

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2.

Now that she’s moved into an expansive new atelier once owned by her artist-idol Roger Capron, the French ceramicist Olivia Cognet has upped the volume of her sinuous lamps and bas reliefs in every way (both quantity, and in scale). As she told me for this story I wrote in WSJ Magazine, “It went from crazy to hysterical.” Or seriously surreal. To anyone in LA: check out her undulating sculptural chandelier aloft in the new Ulla Johnson boutique when it opens next month.

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3.

I spotted these on someone in my P.Volve class recently and was intrigued enough to ask her the brand. It seems like Sorel is trying to bottle some of the same magic that reignited Solomon, another once-uncool brand that’s suddenly in demand, but is it working? Yay or nay, gang???

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4.

I’ve been really, really attracted to the confidence of this bag by Harper. It’s the perfect mid-size, in an interesting but simple shape, and there’s no adjustment to the strap (I mean, you could knot it, but yeah.) So yes! This bag has confidence! It says, ‘I’m comfortable with who I am, how about you?’ Take it or leave it. But truly, I’d take it.

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5.

In case anyone’s wondering why puff pastry is so hard to find in the freezer aisles these days, blame TikTok. Not that it’s going to stop my from making these or these as soon as I get my hands on some dough.

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Bon weekend, everyone! Xx