picks vol. 23
what we’re wearing
this week we're leaning into spring neutrals with pink — silk, satin, lace-trimmed hems, polka dot crepe de chine. lighter fabrics, longer lines, and a palette that's warming up.
looks linked here — [liketk.it/5YPw9]
what we’re sipping
the vesper
gin and vodka shaken cold with lillet blanc, strained into a coupe, finished with a wide strip of lemon peel. drier and more complex than a classic martini — the lillet brings a subtle floral sweetness that softens the gin's botanicals, and the vodka smooths the edges just enough to keep you reaching for it.
cold, clean, botanical, with just enough complexity to hold your attention through the last sip.
ingredients
3 oz gin
1 oz vodka
½ oz lillet blanc
lemon peel
create
shake all ingredients hard with ice — one of the few martini-family drinks that benefits from it. strain into a chilled coupe. express a wide strip of lemon peel over the surface, twist, and drop it in. serve immediately.
what we’re making
pea & ricotta tartine
whole peas tossed with lemon and olive oil, spooned over a thick layer of ricotta on good toast, finished with lemon zest, torn mint, and flaky salt. ten minutes from counter to table — the kind of thing that tastes unmistakably like the season turning.
ingredients
1 cup fresh or frozen peas, blanched and drained
¾ cup whole milk ricotta
zest of 1 lemon
juice of ½ lemon
1 small clove garlic, minced
fresh mint leaves
good sourdough or country bread, toasted
olive oil
flaky salt and black pepper
optional — a pinch of chili flake
method
blanch peas in salted boiling water for 1–2 minutes, then drain.
toss while warm with olive oil, lemon juice, a small clove of minced garlic, salt, pepper, and a pinch of chili flake if using. let sit briefly so the peas absorb the seasoning.
spread ricotta generously onto toasted bread.
spoon the peas on top — pile them high, don't press down.
finish with lemon zest, torn mint, flaky salt, and another thread of olive oil. serve open-faced.
what we’re reading
claire mccardell: the designer who set women free by elizabeth evitts dickinson
most of what hangs in your closet traces back to claire mccardell — though her name rarely gets the credit. she invented ballet flats and mix-and-match separates and introduced the wrap dress. she insisted on pockets when male designers saw no need for them and made zippers easy to reach so a woman could dress alone. elizabeth evitts dickinson's biography restores mccardell to the center of fashion history and feminist history at once. a story about the right to choose how we dress, and the right to choose how we live.
