The Simpler Times #03
reporting on references, recipes & reminiscing for real life
Welcome back to…
In this issue:
Couple’s Closet is Back!
Me, You, & Serendipity III
What’s In Their Basket?
A *new* Rom-Com Worthy Recipe
Soundtrack Playlist 03
Couple’s Closet: Iman & David Bowie
It’s possible that there is no couple cooler than this. The pair met in 1990 at an LA party, introduced by Bowie’s matchmaking friend and hairdresser, Teddy Antolin. According to Teddy, Bowie arrived in a white car, wearing white jeans and a white jacket, all denim. As if it were preordained, Iman then showed up in a black car, fully dressed in all black leather. They were clearly the perfect complement to one another from the start, marrying just two years later and never not smiling together in almost every photograph from then on.
The two flexed their born-fashionable muscles at any given opportunity, making their way round the ‘90s global party circuit and very much earning their title as one of the most stylish couples of all time. This is a title I may have made up and awarded to them just now, but I’m sure you can see why. Where Ziggy Stardust had flair, Bowie had swag (which is very much missed). The kind you can’t force, it’s simply innate. Iman remains a breathtaking icon of style and powerhouse, continuing to build from her formative fashion industry start.
If there’s anything to take note of from their his and hers wardrobe, it’s the coordination that doesn’t sacrifice their individuality. Bowie, of course, knew how to wear a good suit, finding ways to make them still feel characterful and not fallback into a regular dullness. See the pale beige palette with a high waisted trouser and brown detailing, for a classic casual with effortlessness emphasised by a round neck plain white tee. Seems so simple but leaves its mark. Countering his light tones, and possibly harking back to their first meeting, Iman is in all-black, allowing the paparazzi camera flashes to create light and texture on the matt leather sheen of her jacket. In every outfit they reference each other, sometimes in unexpected ways like his hair colour matching her dress. No one set the bar for couple style and notions of romance higher than these two, and I think I can safely say that no one has since.
All I Want is a Frrrozen Hot Chocolate™
Serendipity 3 opened on the upper east side seventy one years ago and I have still never been. What I’ve been doing in that time, besides not yet being born, I do not know. Some might go as far to say that I have not yet truly lived because of this. I’m hoping that will all change when I land in NYC this October.1
Though I may not have graced the iconic establishment yet, I’ve pictured myself there many times thanks to its cinematic legacy. The movie of the same name, Serendipity (2001), starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale is a top favourite of mine and although it has christmassy themes, I tend to watch it all year round. Rebellious of me, I know.
I’m not dreaming of their dramatic $1000 golden sundae, or any of their other guinness world record breaking offerings that have to be ordered in advance. All I want is the infamous frrrozen hot chocolate™. I have a memory, so faint that it might be fabricated, of following a recipe for a frozen hot chocolate when I was a kid. I remember that it definitely did not work. In the end it was too gelatinous. Come to think of it this may have been a very mundane nightmare of mine.
I just want to sit at one of the tables upstairs, where Cusack and Beckinsale each order the drink and proceed to cross paths for the rest of their lives. Except in my version I’m not hoping to mess with fate, though I wouldn’t say no to some serendipity of my own. But that might be too much to ask from a chocolatey drink.
Supermarket Step, Repeat & Sweep
Now for celeb-watch time! Today we’re looking back at invasions of Hollywood’s privacy across multiple grocery store locations, most notably the heavenly aisles of Whole Foods. I was on Pinterest last week—shock—and noticed a comment on a below image that read, “what is she buying?”. At first I was flooded by thoughts of parasocial online obsessions with public figures who don’t know us and frankly, don’t want to. And then I decided to perpetuate that instead by doing a little basket snoop via zoom-in. So here are my findings because it became quite fun and I thought I’d share the silliness:
Mary-Kate Olsen, in the most perfect summer grocery shop outfit of big blue shirt, little shorts, and flip flops, buying: a few bags of kettle chips, honey, some kind of cheese in three tubs, a massive jug of juice (?), mustard, apples, bonne maman jam, simple mills crackers, a multivitamin, and kitchen roll.
Eva Mendes, in what looks like two layered jumpers, is buying: a small bouquet of white Lillies, a multipack of ginger ale cans, lots of oranges and lemons, cheese pizza by Amy’s Kitchen, and what appears to be a pack of biscuit ice cream sandwiches.
Jessica Simpson, with sweats tucked into boots, is buying: cans of Minute Maid light lemonade, bananas, a giant bag of crisps, twelve pack of diet Dr Pepper, paper plates, a couple rolls of kitchen foil, some kind of multivitamin, and oranges.
Forever deer in the headlights, Amanda Seyfried is buying: two bottles of Evian, one bottle of orange juice, quaker’s maple syrup instant oats, a cucumber, and white wine.
Rihanna, wearing only a fifth of her gold necklace collection, is buying: three packs of raw chicken fillets, two lots of fresh fish, oregano, pesto, large bag of rice, large bag of potatoes, parmesan block, broccoli, bananas, and three pans.
Angelina Jolie, basket holding and pushing pram all with the one arm, is probably not buying but instead laughing at the audacious length of “Cool Whip” ingredients taking up an entire side of the can.
Jessica Alba, who judging by the two images might not be far behind Jolie, is not obviously buying but likely admiring a text on her phone behind the Bing Cherries stand.
Oh celebrities, they’re just like us!
A Rom-Com Recipe (from my parents): Melty Goat’s Cheese Salad
It’s chucking it down outside as I write this so forgive me if I get a little sentimental, but this salad is the perfect meal for it. The smell of the goat’s cheese rounds as they’re pan fried on the hob is one of those scents that will never leave me. It will connect me to every kitchen I’ve grown up in because it always moved when we did. I didn’t like goat’s cheese for a long time, probably until last year when I finally gave it a fair chance. But I’ve always loved the smell of it frying so really I should’ve known I would be a huge fan eventually.
This is a recipe for those nights when you need dinner quick. When you cannot bear the thought of another shop pizza or uber eats or pesto pasta. It’s simple and it’s fast but it requires all of your attention to get it just right. So start with your rom-com kitchen playlist, prep and chop like you’re auditioning for The Bear, and let the fried goat’s cheese fill your home and melt in your mouth.
Serves 2*
Ingredients:
1 stick of hard rind goat’s cheese, cut into 6 rounds
1 bag and a half of crispy lettuce, chopped a lot
3 slices of sourdough loaf, cut out 6 circles slightly bigger than the rounds
possible add-ins for the salad include chopped walnuts, cranberries, chopped pears
*you can serve this with any extras you like, e.g. well-salted fries or roast chicken, it’s up to you
For the dressing (kind of my go-to generally):
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp vinegar (I like apple cider for the benefits but balsamic would work well here too)
2 tsp maple / honey / sweet alternative - if you use sugar, use a bit less
1 generous tbsp of dijon mustard
pinch of salt & pepper
--
Lightly toast your sourdough rounds
Prep your salad in a big bowl
Mix your dressing ingredients well
(you can wipe a little oil around the pan beforehand depending on how much it may need to avoid sticking)
Place your goat’s cheese rounds face down onto a pan, pref. non-stick, on a high heat
Mix your dressing through the salad
Wait until the rounds can slide before turning onto the other side to fry
Make sure both sides are a golden brown to medium brown
Plate up the salad, adding three bread rounds each on top
Place one goat’s cheese round on each bit of bread and enjoy that first melty bite!
Soundtrack Playlist 03
track 1 / it ain’t over til it’s over - lenny kravitz
track 2 / schoolin’ life - beyoncé
track 3 / goodnight and go - imogen heap
track 4 / i’m your dirt, i’m your love - yung lean
track 5 / rewind - stereophonics
Reality Check
Bring it to life with this checklist:
Consider the characteristics that can elevate an otherwise basic look like waist height, colour palette, jacket/leg fit. If you’re in a relationship, schedule a date night to dress with subtle coordination. Someone might find it so cool that they’re compelled to take your picture. Take one fashion risk this week and wear something you’ve always dreamed of but shied away from—this is how you channel your inner Iman&Bowie.
If you’re in New York, get yourself to Serendipity 3 for a frrrozen hot chocolate™! What are you waiting for? Take a friend or someone you want your destiny to be forever entangled with. If you’re not in New York, find a recipe online for any beverage you really want to try and get making. Or try a fancy new drink as a treat on your next outing and look for someone who ordered the same thing to catch eyes with.
Dress for the grocery store run. I’m so serious. Put on an outfit that would be hard for paparazzi not to shoot because it’s just that good. Then fill your basket with your favourite things and wander around aimlessly, posing every now and then and maybe freaking a fellow aisle dweller out with your celebrity aura. Pick up a multipack of canned drinks and some bananas because apparently those were a popular choice.
You know the drill. Add the melty goat’s cheese salad to next week’s meal ideas. Probably best to choose the night where you might be working a little late, or hosting your mum after her long journey. Hunt down the best goat’s cheese for the job because it’s worth it. Be a little heavy handed with your dressing favourites, you deserve it.
Add the soundtrack playlist songs to the queue for your morning commute and see if they evoke any feeling, or cause you to break out into dance wherever you are. Decide you hate them and ignore the playlist or discover something that makes you feel like you’re in a movie montage.
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See you soon.
I say this with bated breath because I’m not too sure what getting into the US will look like by then. Keep fingers and toes crossed for me, thanks.
the me, you, and serendipity III part really got me 😭😭💓