picks vol. 35
what we’re wearing
Contrast, texture, and a little light: three looks that move between afternoon and evening without asking permission. Looks linked here: [https://liketk.it/6eTFP]
what we’re sipping
cinnamon hibiscus mezcal margarita
Gather:
2 oz mezcal
1 oz hibiscus tea, brewed strong and cooled
½ oz fresh lime juice
½ oz agave nectar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon, plus a pinch for garnish
ice
tajín or flaky salt, for the rim
a lime wheel, to garnish
Create:
Run a lime wedge around the rim of a rocks glass and dip into tajín or flaky salt
Fill the glass with fresh ice and set aside
Combine the mezcal, hibiscus tea, lime juice, agave, and cinnamon in a cocktail shaker filled with ice
Shake well until cold
Strain into the prepared glass over fresh ice
Dust lightly with a pinch of cinnamon and garnish with a lime wheel
what we’re making
whipped eggplant dip with za'atar pita
Ingredients:
2 large eggplants
3 tbsp tahini
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for finishing
½ tsp smoked paprika
flaky sea salt and cracked black pepper
for the za'atar pita:
4 pita rounds
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp za'atar
Method:
Char the eggplants directly over a gas flame or under a broiler set to high, turning occasionally, until the skin is fully blackened and the flesh is completely collapsed — about 20 to 25 minutes
Let cool, then split and scoop the flesh into a colander; drain for at least 10 minutes
Transfer to a food processor with the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and smoked paprika; season well with salt and pepper
Process until smooth and a little airy, about 60 to 90 seconds; taste and adjust — more lemon for lift, more tahini for depth
Brush the pita rounds with olive oil and press za'atar evenly into both sides
Warm in a 375°f oven for 5 to 7 minutes, until fragrant and lightly crisped at the edges
Cut into wedges and serve alongside the dip
what we’re reading
the book of alchemy by suleika jaouad
There are books that ask you to sit down and finish them, and books that ask you to slow down and stay. The Book of Alchemy is the second kind. Structured around one hundred writing prompts organized into ten themes — beginning, memory, fear, the body, rebuilding, purpose — it gathers voices including Hanif Abdurraqib, George Saunders, and Gloria Steinem, each contributing a brief essay followed by a single question designed to pull something loose.
Jaouad, whose memoir Between Two Kingdoms traced her years of treatment for leukemia, built this project from the conviction that a journal is not a record of life but a tool for getting through it. What she's assembled here is less a writing guide than a sustained argument for paying attention. Worth having on the nightstand.
