Products |
Weekend Butler: I see sick people. How to upgrade your yacht. Lavender fields forever. A feel good song. The obvious recipe: Julia Child’s onion soup.
Published: Mar 16, 2023
Category:
Weekend
LET’S START WITH A FEEL GOOD SONG
Early Beatles. Great footage. Steve Van Zandt, foundational in Springsteen’s band, found it, calls it “the greatest.” My favorite moment: Ringo smoking a cigarette as he plays. Click here.
IMAGE: A FIELD OF LAVENDER IN FRANCE
From “The Next Dalai Lama,” my not-yet-published novel:
She didn’t say that lavender’s fragrance made it a favorite in wedding bouquets, and that she’d had that bouquet at her wedding, and it was the one enduring good memory of that brief marriage. She spoke of Queen Elizabeth using it in jam in the late 1500s, and how it became a commercial product as a tea and then in sachets to promote calm at bedtime.
He had a fantasy about lavender, he said. He hoped to die in a whitewashed bedroom in the south of France, with the window open and a view of fields of lavender. A woman of exquisite kindness would hold his hand. He didn’t know her, and it didn’t matter. The symmetry did. A kind woman brought him into the world, a kind woman would see him out.
I SEE SICK PEOPLE
I see a close friend, husband ill and now better, just in time for one of her closest friends to sink. My daughter, coughing and fevered, sharing her sickness with her mother. And there are others. The message seems to be that March came in like a lion, and at the halfway point, it’s a cold, ill wind that’s worn out its welcome and is determined to stick around.
Me? I haven’t had even a cold in six years, in part due to my inheritance — Jewish men die first, because, as the joke goes, “they want to,” while my mother hung around until she was 103 — and because I take the highest-quality Vitamin C daily. And in part, because I believe, no doubt wrongly, that I must be a foundational friend, ready to provide support and actual help when a lifeboat friend is in trouble. Breaking news: a close friend laid low, hibernating, getting tested, getting updated prescriptions, they kick in fast, and she’s herself again. Let her be a harbinger.
EMAIL OF THE WEEK: HOW I CAN UPGRADE MY YACHT
from a Florida publicist:
As the world continues to grapple with the pandemic and challenging mental health issues, it’s more important than ever to find ways to bring joy and beauty into our lives. One way to do this is by infusing our living spaces with personality, whether it’s our homes, offices, or our boats. For refined yacht owners, it’s natural to diverge towards things that bring comfort on-board – including art!
Not falling short on sophistication, the real value of art lies in its ability to inspire and uplift us. In practicality, however, when it comes to decorating a yacht, there are a few key concerns to keep in mind.
It’s important to consider the amount of art one wants to display. While it might be tempting to fill every inch of wall space with your favorite pieces, it’s important to strike a balance between aesthetics and functionality. An overcrowded space can be overwhelming and distract from the overall design. Equally essential, durability is a crucial factor to consider as art on-board will be exposed to elements like water and must withstand rough seas. Fortunately, there are experts in yacht customization that can deliver art in the most practical way.
For yacht owners, the key areas where art can really make a difference are the master bedroom, living area, and bathroom. In the master bedroom, a carefully chosen piece can create a calming and relaxing atmosphere, while in the living area, a bold and eye-catching piece can be the perfect conversation starter. In the bathroom, a fun and whimsical piece can add a touch of lightness.
Etc….
WEEKEND RECIPE: IT’S COLD AND WINDY HERE, THIS IS WARM AND COMFORTING
Julia Child’s French Onion Soup
The onions need a long, slow cooking in butter and oil, then a long, slow simmering in stock. Count on 2+ hours from start to finish. Julia notes, “Though the preliminary cooking in butter requires some watching, the actual simmering can proceed almost unattended.”
serves 6-8
1.5 pounds yellow onion, raw
4 TBS olive oil
French bread, about 8 slices
2-3 TBS Cognac (optional)
4 ounces Parmesan Cheese
12 ounces grated Swiss Cheese
Salt and Pepper
1/2 typo ground sage
1 bay leaf
I cup white wine, 1 cup
6 cups beef stock
3 TBS flour
1/2 tsp sugar
2 TBS butter
1 TBS cooking oil
Heat a heavy, oven-safe, stock pot over medium-low heat and add the cooking oil once the pot is hot. Melt the butter into the hot oil. Stir the sliced onions into the oil/butter mix, ensuring they are evenly coated. Cover the stock pot and cook for around 20 minutes, checking to make sure they aren’t burning. Onions should be clear and very tender once finished. Turn up the heat to medium-high, and add the sugar and 1 tsp salt. Continue cooking while stirring until onions are thoroughly browned (caramelized).
Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in 3 Tbsp flour. Cook 2-3 minutes until flour forms a thick paste (add more butter if needed). Stir in 1 cup of beef stock, and stir heavily for a few seconds.
Add the rest of the stock, wine, sage, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Drizzle both sides of french bread slices with olive oil, and place on a baking sheet. Cook the bread in the oven for 15 minutes on each side.
Taste soup, and add salt and pepper as needed, then remove the bay leaf.
Add cognac, and grate the 1/2 raw onion into the soup. Add a little bit of the swiss cheese to the soup, preserving most of it for the top. Cover the soup mixture with the bread, forming a single layer bread top. Sprinkle the rest of the Swiss cheese over the top of the bread, forming a thick layer. Drizzle melted butter or oil over the cheese, and place the pot into the oven uncovered. Bake for around 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Turn the broiler on and brown the cheese.
Remove pot from oven and let stand to cool.
THE WEEKEND POEM: RANDALL JARRELL
from Randall Jarrell: Complete Poems
“Well Water”
What a girl called “the dailiness of life”
(Adding an errand to your errand. Saying,
“Since you’re up . . .” Making you a means to
A means to a means to) is well water
Pumped from an old well at the bottom of the world.
The pump you pump the water from is rusty
And hard to move and absurd, a squirrel-wheel
A sick squirrel turns slowly, through the sunny
Inexorable hours. And yet sometimes
The wheel turns of its own weight, the rusty
Pump pumps over your sweating face the clear
Water, cold, so cold! you cup your hands
And gulp from them the dailiness of life.
