The Magpie Diary: Jan. 28, 2024.

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This week, we celebrated Mr. Magpie’s birthday by going out with buddies for drinks at Demise & Co (when you’ve learn Magpie for awhile, we think about their cocktail e-book Gospel, however we’d by no means been to one in every of their watering holes! — actually enjoyable program, however the lighting was distressingly dim), eating simply the 2 of us at lately reopened Chez Billy Sud (pleasant, with nice service, stunning meals, and a comfortable ambiance), and having fun with a particular meal at house.

I prepare dinner so sometimes today that I felt rusty — not a lot on the stovetop, however when conceptualizing the menu and coordinating my journeys to the groceries (sure, plural on each fronts). I usually take pleasure in baking, however this 12 months, I bought him a cake at Bread Furst so I may focus extra of my efforts on the meal itself. We’d simply had a red-meat-forward dinner at Chez Billy Sud (steak frites for him; tavern burger for me, preceded by a inexperienced salad and Coquilles St. Jacques gratin), so I wished one thing a bit lighter. I made Missy Robbins’ seafood stew from this cookbook, which proved glorious and was handy from a preparation standpoint, within the sense that I used to be in a position to make the stew base (a spicy and garlicky arrabiata sauce) Sunday afternoon, and was then in a position to pull off compiling the dish the subsequent night time (his birthday, a piece day!) in beneath an hour. I used to be nervous as a result of I hadn’t been capable of finding clams, so I doubled up on mussels, and marjoram (the star herb within the dish) was nowhere to be present in all of Bethesda, so I swapped in parsley (technically, oregano is nearer to marjoram, however that was additionally out of inventory at Complete Meals and Safeway alike!), and everyone knows how absurd it’s to swap out numerous components after which anticipate a stellar consequence.

However!

I pulled it off! I targeted on cooking with my senses, taking care to attend till every mussel was totally opened earlier than plucking it out of the broth; decreasing the quantity of chili flakes within the broth (she is a daredevil, calling for 2T of it! I halved it and it was loads spicy — I’d had superior warning on this entrance as a result of Mr. Magpie ready her arrabiata sauce a 12 months in the past to serve with meatballs, and it was very fiery then); adjusting seasonings. I even parroted Mr. Magpie’s pro-level strikes by filling our shallow stew dishes with boiling water a couple of minutes earlier than serving — this implies the dishes will hold the meals heat a bit longer (!). I served the stew with a sourdough bread from Bread Furst and a salad with Missy Robbins’ home dressing (additionally from the aforementioned cookbook), which is a flowery riff on the Wishbone traditional. You kind of confit garlic and shallot in olive oil, cool, after which combine in herbs and vinegar. It was scrumptious. One other professional tip: we prefer to shave recent parm over our greens for most straightforward inexperienced salads. The parm provides nice texture and salinity.

Earlier than the primary occasion, we loved some champagne and caviar! The caviar was a contented accident: the butcher (we’re loyalists to / evangelists for The Natural Butcher) had felt badly that he was out of the clams I used to be requesting (and he grew to become very concerned in the whole meal plan, suggesting blood orange citrus and serving to me estimate what number of mussels to incorporate) as he knew I used to be getting ready a birthday meal for a really tenured prepare dinner. He threw a jar of paddlefish roe into my bag freed from cost (!) and urged I both dot it on the highest of the fish stew or serve with potatoes and creme recent. I went the latter route, accessorizing with fancy potato chips (this model, which work effectively since they’re pretty thick) and was lastly in a position to make use of the caviar service dish and marble spoons we’ve used all of…as soon as in our lives. It was so considerate and beneficiant! P.S. – I all the time obtain questions on my coupes. They’re from Zafferano and simply one in every of my favourite possessions!

After dinner, Mr. Magpie opened his presents, which included fancy thermals and socks from French model Hemen; new ski goggles; Aesop incense (we’ve each been so obsessive about incense because of this little incense smoker we used over the vacations); this stunning handmade Japanese mortar and pestle; tickets to a live performance; and this card sport a number of Magpies have really useful. He was fully shocked by the goggles — had no concept I’d been listening to him complain about the best way his historic ones have been principally disintegrating. Mr. Magpie so hardly ever treats himself to something, so I really like showering him with presents, particularly ones which can be well-researched and related to present pursuits. (One present obsession of his is shopping for an out of doors, propane-fueled wok — I used to be too scared to dabble in that area. Subsequent-level cooking ambition!). P.S. The reward wrap under is from Pricey Annabelle — SO cute. I feel they’re offered out of this precise sample however they produce other nice prints, too. (Extra reward closet must-haves right here.)

What else? I wrote about this yesterday, however I actually leaned on my “simply transfer the dust” mantra this week. I’ve been dedicated to my health routine this month, nevertheless it felt a lot simpler on the prime of January. Now I’ve grown bored of indoor biking and mat workout routines, and it’s been too chilly and snowy to run outside. (I’m maybe over-skittish about slipping on black ice? I do not need a busted knee.) I’ve my private coaching periods as soon as every week, which supplies a pleasant change of tempo and surroundings, however moreover that, it was a variety of “simply get ‘er performed” sort self-coaxing. My new Nike duds helped on this division, too — glad and sizzling pink and extra practical than all of my running-oriented gear. The sneakers make such an enormous distinction! I had been doing facet stepping drills and lifts on one leg and my ankles had been wobbling everywhere in my trainers! The Metcons present much more stability.

Actually, is there something extra January than the final picture above?! Like, the grey ice and slush and the determined have to override that insipidness with sizzling pink?

Looking forward to February: Mini’s Valentines arrived! We’re bundling them with these little disco ball keychains.

And, Patchology despatched me a little bit reward field with these lip gels and this lip sleep masks (which is pleasant, and which I’ve toted round with me all week), and I instantly conceived of a cute Galentine’s card to ship out with these little playing cards from Store Surcie. They look like offered out of the xo playing cards, however you will discover comparable right here. Do you rejoice Valentine’s Day or Galentine’s Day? I all the time make February 14th particular for my kids (some ideas right here), however Mr. Magpie and I’ve a pleasant meal and name it a day. May be enjoyable to do a Galentine’s gathering one 12 months. I do know that is in all probability going to disgust a few of you, however apparently there’s this TikTok development of “sweet salads“? I heard about it from Katie, who’s making her personal for a Galentine’s gathering. I used to completely love gummy/bitter sweet, and once I lived in Lyon, I might go to the majority sweet store a number of blocks away a minimum of as soon as every week for a little bit bag of goodies — it was, maybe distressingly, a core meals group of mine on the time, together with Coca Gentle, baguettes and brioches from the native boulangerie, emmentaler cheese, and apples. (How did I stay?) Over the previous 5 years, although, I’ve discovered myself rather more excited about salty snacks, and regularly turned off, full cease, by sweet. What is that this?! Do our style buds change? Is it hormonal? Nonetheless — once I noticed Katie brandishing her pile of bitter candies, I’ve to say, my mouth watered, and I used to be tempted to order one in every of these Dylan’s Sweet Bar tackleboxes so I wouldn’t need to undergo the ordeal of assembling an assortment myself. So, Mr. Magpie, when you’re studying this…!

Final however not least: ah, the acquainted emotional whiplash of parenting younger kids. My kids wore my endurance skinny final week once they have been unexpectedly at house because of snow, however then I missed them horribly the minute the door closed behind them on Monday morning. I believed again, with heartburn, to my son sitting at my ft, not-so-quietly engaged on his sticker puzzles, whereas I pecked out some ideas on my pc. He chattered for hours. It was deeply disruptive, however footnoted by our hugging intermissions, the place he’d pause in his prattling, and climb into my lap. 4 is perhaps the perfect age? So candy and curious. After all, my research felt empty with out him at my ft on Monday, and but I used to be glad to clip again right into a routine, and so I sat there, half-full and half-empty, and questioned if that is, merely, the baseline situation of parenthood. As soon as your child enters the world, you toggle between sensations of over-fullness and incompleteness on a routine foundation. I miss him / it’s an excessive amount of / I’m so drained / I’ve by no means been so glad earlier than / I’m not ok / and so on.

Properly, as we are saying — onward —

P.S. Veronica Beard has my quantity today. I completely love all the things they’re releasing — elegant, stylish fundamentals with a twist. Presently obsessing over this vest and these sneakers. (Extra stylish sneaks right here.) The vest although…!!! AHHH!

P.P.S. On prayer.

P.P.P.S. A poem that all the time makes me really feel impressed.