I’m sorry for being a day late with my May recap, but I got sick for the first time in years and have been completely useless. I’ve been sending many apologetic emails asking for extensions, and offering to attach images of my golf-ball-sized tonsils as proof.
Booked and Busy
Before being knocked out by tonsillitis, I was doing the most this month. To nobody’s surprise, books continue to be a theme. I made a sexy Spring Reading List for the hot girls over at Wonderland, and spent some time interviewing book boyfriends for TV show adaptations. I got my first cover story (eek!!!) at Imagine and got to chat with Stephen Kalyn, who stars in the new Amazon Prime show Off Campus. You can pre-order the issue here for the full interview, and a preview should be up online soon. Other activities for the month of May included going to the ballet, the choir, an 80s-themed dance class and a Conan Gray concert.
A Recipe for PTSD Pasta and Lessons in Starting Over
I’m including this here because I believe other people can learn from my mistakes. I have been making vodka pasta for ages. I was into vodka pasta before Gigi Hadid made it all the rage on TikTok. Vodka pasta is the perfect middle ground if you can’t decide between a tomato-y sauce or a creamy sauce. I decided to make this for dinner when my friend Claire was over because it’s sooo easy and we were long overdue for a catch-up. Everything was looking good. I sliced my shallots into tiny pieces, set my water, salty like the sea, to boil, cooked down my tomato paste, and then, disaster struck. Without thinking, I dumped my cream into the pan before de-glazing with the vodka. Surely it was fine, no? I added a shot of vodka and started stirring, hoping for the best. The resulting sauce elicited a visceral reaction. I was gagging as Claire tried to convince me it didn’t taste like throwing up a pizza after a night out. I was mortified. I’m not one to fumble in the kitchen. I also hate wasting food, but this vodka-vommy sauce was beyond saving. Thankfully, the off-licence down the street was still open (this happened on a Sunday night), and I sent Claire off to buy more cream as I started from scratch.
A Party Girl in Motion Remains in Motion, a Party Girl at Rest Remains at Rest
This whole month, I have been itching for a proper night out, and I regret to inform you all that the itch has not been scratched. It wasn’t from a lack of trying. I have been full of a specific kind of energy that can only be let out by dancing and singing your heart out with your girlfriends. I’ve been craving a late night, closing multiple places down and watching the sunrise on the way home. Maybe it’s a sign of ageing, the fact that I now struggle to mobilise the troops. My friends don’t rally like they used to. I chose to blame the multiple bank holidays and the fact that everyone was either out of town or at a festival (or both). Towards the end of the month, I was forced to slow down. I texted my best friend to let her know that I was feeling a bit sickly but would rally for our big night out that same night. A quick rundown of my symptoms had me sending her mom (an actual doctor), and my family group chat (because why should I suffer alone?) a close-up shot of my tonsils, which resembled two golf balls at this point. I was told to stay home and get on some antibiotics ASAP. The universe had many great things in store for me this month, but an evening of shaking ass, unfortunately, wasn’t in the cards. I’m hoping to have better news for all of you next month.
Julia’s April Recommendations - To Read, To Watch and To Eat
To Read - Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann
I picked this up on a whim and devoured it over a couple of days. We follow three beautiful and talented women’s rise and fall in New York and Hollywood. The descriptions are indulgent, and the parties are delightful. This was a best seller in 1966 (a special year since it was when my mom was born), and it still hits sixty years later. Pick it up ASAP if you enjoy the likes of Nancy Mitford, Elaine Dundy, Eve Babitz and Marlowe Granados. Another certified Hot Girl Book for the canon.
To Watch - Off Campus on Amazon Prime
I love the fact that I got to binge-watch this and call it work research. I have since rewatched a few random episodes with friends (also research?), and because I was interviewing one of the cast members for work, my entire social media feed has been taken over by hunky men, thanks to my research. I’m not complaining. Highly bingeable, I read the books in High School and wasn’t fussed about the changes to the storylines.
To Eat - Strawberry Spoon Cake from the NYT
This cake is incredible and dangerously easy to make. I made it on three separate occasions this month. I always have the ingredients on hand, and as I refuse to show up to a casual dinner empty-handed, I halved the recipe and used frozen raspberries instead and devoured this straight from the pan after dinner at my friend’s house. This might become my go-to dessert this summer (I love the Alison Roman brown butter cake, but it’s a lot more work). Make this for your family. Make this for your friends. Make this for your crush and feed them sensually. Brown the butter. Try out different fruits and let me know how it goes.
Honourable Mentions and Other Things Bringing Me Joy
I have been spending a lot of time in the kitchen this month. Some other highlights include:
This Persian Lentil Rice. It’s the perfect comfort meal. Be warned, this recipe can feed an army. I was eating lentils for days.
This Yoghurt Lemon Cake is not too sweet, and I can trick myself into thinking it’s healthy. Tastes like childhood goûter at my friend’s house, a familiar flavour for many a French child.
Making brownies with the Cadbury mix. I’ve gotten compliments I couldn't take credit for. I recommend switching out the water for espresso.
Gordal Olives straight from the jar. My dream is a Perelló partnership.
I’ve been bedridden for the past few days and have binge-watched the first season of Revenge. I feel like recent television has killed my stamina for watching seasons with twenty-something episodes.
Praise: whether it’s from teenage cousins telling me I’m so cool because I got to interview Dean from Off Campus, the instructor at my dance or yoga classes, or my best friend’s mom, who told me I got really good pictures1 of my tonsils.
What I Wrote This Month:
pictures that could be yours, for the right price
I LOVE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS