I call them french press moments
chef wear cozy chic and giardiniera are the vibe
The onset of fall has always felt like a new beginning. There’s something about the crisp mornings, cold rain, and freezing nights that bring about this profound appreciation for the little things that invoke a sense of excitement and meaning for me. I call them french press moments.
The idea was born out of COVID isolation and the general crisis that any 22-year-old fresh out of college experiences during a global pandemic. Even though life felt notably difficult during that period, every morning I’d wake up excited to make coffee with my french press. I loved the way the steam would fill the air followed by the smell, and then pouring it into my favorite mug before the work day. I forced myself to find the tiny moments that made me excited when all the big things felt daunting- even if that tiny moment was as mundane as making coffee.
But the term stuck and I now look for french press moments in as many things as possible.
The point of a french press moment is that they exist anywhere and everywhere as long as you let yourself see them. They are the little things that go unnoticed when you get so caught up in the big stuff. Help you help yourself…ya know?
This week, I want to share all of the things that make this fall feel exciting or rather, my french press moments.
Orange wine
Orange wine screams fall to me. Maybe there’s something to say about the color orange and its symbolic presence during pumpkin season. Or maybe it has to do with the fact that orange wine pairs best with strong, warm, and pungent flavors that serve us so well in the Fall. Or maybe because I love to explain what maceration is to my mom’s wine club? It’s all of the above.
Orange wine is called orange not because it tastes like an orange but because of its color due to the maceration process. That means the grapes were fermented with their skins on giving the wine a funky fresh color and flavor.
Orange wine pairs best with Indian food, Ethiopian food, strong cheeses, cinnamon, paprika, saffron spices, Moroccan dishes, anchovies, and grilled meats.
Vitamix 5200
Some silly goose on Facebook marketplace was selling their Vitamix 5200 blender for $150. Normally, these top-of-the-chain blenders sell for a whopping $500 so of course I bought it before they realized they scammed themselves (the blender is good as new btw). It was on my list of things I wanted to buy when I became a millionaire. Thankfully I got to cross that off the list to take a little bit of the burden off my future millionaire self.
But you will not believe how this blender has already changed the game. The soups, pulses, nut butters, smoothies, and sauces I can make with this thing have opened up new possibilities I was not ready for. I’m convinced I could put nuts and bolts in the thing would still puree it perfectly.
(Sourdough) Bread season
There’s nothing like waking up on a cold morning and starting your oven for the loaf that fermented overnight in the fridge. Since good bread is so hard to come by these days (for my American fellas) it’s just another thing you have to take into your own hands. Luckily, baking bread is therapeutic and relatively free, AND sourdough bread baking is proven to make you hotter, more likable, more interesting, and all-around smarter because you can create bread from only salt, water, and flour. It’s called self-development.
[Birkenstock] Clogs
So- there are kitchen clogs and lifestyle clogs. But the differences between the two are merging closer and closer together as each day passes. The chokehold that Birkenstock workwear has on the culinary industry should be studied by designers and marketers alike because the aesthetic is seeping out into the general civilian public that it’s now looking like everyone and their mother works in a kitchen.
I've already called it and I’m calling it again- chefwear cozy chic is becoming more and more of a thing out in the wild. You have to admit it’s a VIBE.
Very much intrigued by their BLUE Boston Suede Leather Clogs
Giardiniera
This s*** SLAPS. And guess what? You can ferment this yourself it’s so easy. Giardiniera (Italian pickled vegetables) was introduced to the US by Italian immigrants predominately in Chicago. This stuff is everywhere and goes on everything. Especially in Chicago. Sandwiches, pasta, pizza, antipasti, soups, salads, you name it. It’s tangy, a little spicy, and adds this alive feeling to everything it’s eaten with.
Brad Leone & the Bon Appetite squad already beat me to it with the recipe
Short ribs
To hell with soup season, that’s a given. What about short rib season? And also short ribs that don’t include red wine? I love a classic red wine short rib but sometimes it can be so dang boring. I eat red meat sparingly so when I do, it better be worth it. Red wine in a short rib is overused. Like just make beef bourguignon instead?
My favorite short rib recipe is by Yotam Ottolenghi- Braised Short Ribs With Butter Beans and Dried Figs
Zojirushi Electric Rice Cooker
A big french press moment is watching the steam rise out from the rice cooker as I spoon out a heaping bowl of mixed grain rice. I am eternally grateful.
Let me tell you. This baby should be the recipient of a Nobel Peace Prize. With the amount of hangry-induced meltdowns it has prevented, it should be given the highest of honors. I can put on a large pot of mixed grain rice in the morning and it’ll stay warm all day long perfectly cooked.
Doubanjiang
The Chinese (like most other societies) have been using fermentation to enhance flavor for thousands of years. Most of the things the Western world knows today about fermentation can be credited to Asia, especially China. Dobanjiang is a fermented pepper paste that adds perfect spice to just about anything. I put it on eggs, veggies, rice, noodles, most things actually.
To really make doubanjiang the star of the show make some mapo tofu. I like this recipe by Doobydobao
A fun educational video about Chinese traditions of fermenting beans for doubanjiang by Sandor Katz. Put it on while you’re cooking, peeling potatoes, or a 15-minute procrastination session. Remember, the more you learn the cooler you are!!!
Further (french press moment) reading
🥴 The Man Who Thinks He Can Live Forever
Charlotte Alter spends three days with Brain Johnson. A man who has made it his life purpose to not die. His diet consists of 100 supplement pills, vegetable gruel, powders, serums, etc. Read if you’re in need of a proper giggle.
📚 Big Swiss by Jen Beagin
A novel about a transcriber for a sex therapist who falls in love with one of her patients. I haven’t actually laughed from reading a novel in a long time. Maybe ever? Take a break and enjoy this wonderfully odd and deep novel.
🧀 Formo
Check out the website of this Berlin-based cheese startup (they have raised $54 Million in funding already). Formo said it better than anyone so far: “The food system smells like cow shit.” In their mission to reboot the system, they are trailblazing the future of dairy products by using microorganisms instead of cows to produce the cheese humans love. On another note, their website is amazing. 10/10
smore small little fp moments <333
What are some of your french press moments??
~fin~