Setting the Table
Weekends are bananas around here, so typically my Thursdays are for planning.
By Friday, it’s too late…plans are made, grocery lists are started, and it’s always LIFE GOALS for me to avoid grocery shopping on weekends in NYC (literal hell in those lines…looking at you, TJs).
But Thursday? Thursday’s the sweet spot. The quiet before the storm…the moment we get to think about what we want the weekend to feel like. Those two days off are precious and they always feel impossibly short, so I do what I can to make the most of them.
Setting the table is one of my favorite parts of hosting. It’s the pause before the chaos, when you decide what kind of vibe you want. What goes where. What gets highlighted. What makes people feel taken care of before they even sit down.
So here’s what Thursdays will be in this ‘stack space (Substack’s cool enough to have its own lazy abbreviation already, right?). Each week, I’ll set the metaphorical table…the reads, the listens, the tools, the mess, the sweet things that have gotten me through the week and pieces I’m excited to dive deeper into over the weekend.
So, pull up a chair. Share your finds if you want.
Let’s plan the weekend together!
THE GRAZING PLATE
These are the quick bites, short reads, things to nibble on…
Indivisible and Common Cause - I know it all feels hopeless & helpless, but here are some actual, actionable steps to participate instead of just watching the dumpster fire.
5-Minute Mental Reset - Handy little Chrome extension for when you need a quick reset after you’ve made all those calls & battles for human rights.
Your Weekly Hippy-Dippy Tarot Reading - Because why not. And, it’s dang fun.
THE UTENSILS
These are the literal tools, recipes, etc., the things that help you do the work…
Kuhn Rikon Swiss Peeler Set - My most-used kitchen tool. When I ran the restaurant, I personally bought color-coded ones for each of my line cooks to keep MINE from "accidentally" ending up in their knife rolls...which kind of worked...sometimes.
A little treat for paid subscribers: Southern Bangla Twist: Mac & Cheese with Garam Masala Crumble - A little recipe from our Desi Fusion wedding this past fall. The perfect comfort food for snow storms & 5-degree weather with a spiced crumble that gives it some sass.
Join today as a paid subscriber for exclusive content like this recipe above (& more!), meal plans & whatever else I can make to help lighten your load!
THE VESSELS
The good things…what holds us, what gives our chaos shape and space…the things that feel like containers that help make sense of the mess and protect what's tender while letting it breathe.
Everything Must Go - WrongHouse - My girl Lila’s latest issue is out and this piece about dealing with our boomer parents' "things" and what actually qualifies as keepers really spoke to me…especially the "Death Cleaning" concept, it hit hard and true.
There's No Replacement for Text - On the longevity of the written word. Text reigns supreme, always has.
Finding Her Way Back - Yewande Komolafe’s incredible moving story following her journey from losing limbs and finding her way back to the kitchen and to herself. Fucking inspiring.
THE GLASSWARE
The super fun things…the bubbles, the refreshment, things that quench when you didn't realize how thirsty you were.
Admin Night Trend - My girlfriends and I had a tarot night earlier this month (how Gen Z of us), but I think the next gal pal night should be an Admin Night. Who's in?
My Daylist on Spotify and Good Hang w/Amy Poehler and Mattering Yas has been running a pretty intense propaganda campaign to get me to switch completely to Apple Music. I've migrated my playlists over already, but honestly…to his dismay… I simply cannot fully leave Spotify. The audiobooks! The podcasts! The Daylist compilations curated just for me! This one's been on repeat.
Yellowjackets - I don't know what rock I’ve been hiding under, but I just discovered this show and binged the first two seasons during the snowpocalypse. Obsessed. (and promptly texting my mom for her paramount + login to watch season 3😉)
THE NAPKIN
For wiping away the week's mess, the reset…the things that help you clean up before the next week. The permission to make a mess and the grace to wipe it away.
Why Goals Fail - Mark Manson - If you're the goal-setting type (recovering resolution-addict over here) but it's not working, maybe we're asking the wrong questions.
Brain Dumping Instead of To-Do Lists - My new therapist blew my fucking mind this week. We talked about how my Virgo/ADHD-self lives and dies by to-do lists, and she suggested maybe I've been using them to set myself up for failure. My lists are vast, far-reaching, and honestly impossible to complete in the given hours of the day. There’s intense pressure, anxiety & stress when I can't check everything off. Her challenge: instead of to-do lists, do a mind dump. Get everything out of my brain and onto the page as a reference list for when I have time, not a mandate. Join me if your lists stress you out more than they free you.
THE DESSERT PLATE
The sweet stuff, pure joy, no justification needed
Indoor Winter Hobbies and The Book of Alchemy by Suleika Jaouad - Need some new hobbies to beat the winter blues? I just started listening to The Book of Alchemy, and it inspired me to restart my daily journaling practice—the one that has kept me sane for my entire life.
Fishs Eddy Warehouse Sale - SALE of all SALES. First annual warehouse sale, up to 50% off, now until January 30th. In-store only, you're welcome NYC.
Culinary Industry Night w/The Libi Project - Calendars have finally aligned and I’m so excited to go to the event this Sunday, Feb 1…can’t wait to meet other industry folks & hear from the lovely panel exploring culinary entrepreneurship (*yes yes yes). Holla if you’re going so I can say hi!!
And that’s a wrap, turkeys!
Stay tuned for my next post on Sunday.
It’s a doozy😉
XO, Jess