Return to Guyville & Thanksgiving 🦃 recipe recs [Like You Know Whatever]

Sagittarius season beckons.

Hi friends!

How are you? I’m doing pretty well. It’s very early in the morning as I write this, and I just spilled iced coffee all over myself. I was coming back from a Starbucks run and trying to balance a venti for my husband and a trenta for myself while unlocking our front door, and it did not work out so well. I ended up dumping freezing cold coffee down the front of my shirt, and I walked into my apartment looking like a contestant in the world’s least sexy wet t-shirt contest. I had to throw out my shirt! Let’s just hope this is not an indicator of the quality of the day to come.

Basically me this morning

Next week, my husband Ross and I will be flying out to New York to celebrate Thanksgiving with my in-laws on Long Island and spend some time with my family in New Jersey and hopefully get to catch up with some friends in the city. I’m excited for bagels, hanging out with my little niece and nephew, and getting to see my brother and brother-in-law’s new house. They have a French bulldog named Donut [sic] who signs birthday cards quite regally as “the Donut,” and it’s always fun to watch my parents awkwardly interact with a dog. (They don’t really “get” pets, but they try.)

We’ll be back in L.A. for one week after New York, and then we’re off to JAPAN!!! Needless to say, I am very excited. I have a favor to ask, though: do you have any recs for a bingeworthy TV show I could watch during the collective 24 hours (GULP) that I’ll be flying to/from Japan? I will really need a distraction. As you know, I love reality TV featuring deranged egomaniacs (more on that later), but I also love prestige dramas, high-quality comedy, and shows where they’re trying to solve a murder or disappearance and every episode ends on a cliffhanger. I have all the apps and am willing to pay for content if it will suck me in enough to save me from my flight anxiety for a little while. Please hit reply or leave a comment if you have any suggestions! Thanks!

Ross and I went to see Liz Phair at The Wiltern last Friday night. It was part of her tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of Exile in Guyville, and she played the whole album front to back. I was so excited for this show because that is one of my favorite records of all time, and to this day I believe it’s a piece of female genius. I am happy to report that Liz did NOT disappoint! She was fucking great! I really liked how she made small changes to some of the songs to make them work better in the flow of a live show. For example, she did a poppy, fuller-sounding version of “Fuck and Run” that had everyone dancing. (She has many more dates to come in the U.S. if you’re interested in catching her. Her opener, Blondshell, was great, too, very moody and grungy.)

Actually, I was quite surprised at the energy of the crowd, given that we were some of the youngest people there who were not accompanied by their parents. It’s funny, on the way to the venue, we were chatting with our Uber driver, and when I mentioned we were seeing an artist play an album from the ‘90s, he asked me if I was really into the album when it came out. Well, I was seven years old when the album came out, so not really, but luckily I found it about 10 years after its release. Anyway, I thought for sure it was going to be a “sitting” concert since that seems more the vibe of Gen X at shows these days (no shade–I love to sit!), but everyone stood and danced the whole time. This is why live shows sometimes feel like church to me: it’s such a communal experience, with everyone singing along to words you thought only you knew.

I love a good sit.

I’m not sure how I feel about The Wiltern, though (so named because it’s at the corner of Wilshire and Western). It’s one of those gorgeous old art deco theaters that’s been repurposed into a music venue, of which there are many in L.A., and all the ornamentation and painted ceilings kind of reminded me of a Las Vegas casino. Another thing that reminded me of Vegas: there was a bar maybe every 12 feet. I quickly understood why once I got our drinks: it was 26 fucking dollars for a vodka soda and a can of Liquid Death! And that’s before tipping! (Getting ripped off also reminded me of Vegas, haha.)

This show concluded The Great Dodge Neon Tour of 2023, during which I only went to see artists that played heavily in my first car, which I owned from ages 17 - 23. It was a used car, naturally, and had a lot of quirks: no ABS, there were power windows in the front seats and manual windows in the back, and sometimes when you unlocked the trunk, the horn would honk. What a jokester! I remember when my dad was negotiating with the guy at the dealer to buy it, he was worried because it was a black car, which he said is the least visible color at night. “But it’s also the most visible color during the day,” the salesman said. “That’s true,” my dad said. It was not! I had a pair of furry yellow dice hanging from the rearview mirror until I found out that that meant you’d “gotten lucky” in the car. I just thought they looked cute! (I had had sex in the car, of course, but I didn’t need everyone else at the Rockaway Mall to know that.) Anyway, the artists I saw this year were: Le Tigre, Weezer, The Ataris, Everclear, and now, Liz Phair. You can see some pics here, but you’ll have to wait for my year-end wrap-up to find out which was the best show.

Let’s get into some things:

- Next Wednesday marks the official beginning of Sagittarius season! Sags are adventurous, optimistic, playful, thrill-seeking, brutally honest explorers. They are known for their varied interests and constant pursuit of knowledge – they are prone to Wikipedia rabbit holes and dilettante phases. They kind of remind me of Geminis in the way they love to collect facts and information. As a fire sign, Sags are passionate and go ALL IN on their interests and hobbies… until another one catches their eye, and the cycle repeats. They are blunt to and beyond a fault, but also don’t take anything too seriously, including themselves. They can have a bit of a “charming asshole” vibe. They love to travel and have an insatiable wanderlust. To that end, they are also pretty commitment-phobic. But they’re funny and interesting and overall make it pretty hard to dislike them.

I’m going to be honest, because I don’t like when astrologers pussyfoot around and say that they “love all the signs equally” and blah blah blah: I find Sags to be very irritating at times. Like music genres, I don’t think any signs are “bad” necessarily, but gun to my head, I would say Sagittarius is probably my least favorite sign in the zodiac (sorry!!). They can come off as condescending or as know-it-alls, and I sometimes find them to have a hard time thinking outside of themselves. I’m from New Jersey, so my people are blunt (I’m WORKING ON IT, okay??), but Sagittarian bluntness is on another level. That said, I do have people I love and care about very much with Sag placements! My dad is a Scorpio-Sag cusp, and my husband is a Sag moon and Sag rising. I also have a couple great friends who are Sags. One quality these friends share is that because they go in hard on their interests, they’re fantastic at teaching people new things. It’s an underrated skill and one I admire for sure.

A classic Sag

Famous Sagittarians include Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, Britney Spears, Jane Fonda, Bruce Lee, Jay Z, Mark Twain, and Diego Rivera. One thing I will say about Britney based on her tumultuous Instagram feed is that she is fascinated by many different things. Mark Twain was a witty traveler who chased different whims through his life. And Diego Rivera was by all accounts most definitely a charming asshole. 

So, how best to celebrate Sagittarius season? Pick up a new hobby, then drop it a month later for something else! Get real deep in a niche subreddit! Solve an unsolved mystery! Go bungee jumping off a bridge, then decide it’s not for you! Tell your friend your honest opinion on their new partner, couched in wit! Hop on a bus without knowing where it’s going! Hit “I’m Feeling Lucky” on Google! It’s all good, everyone likes you!

Since there are only a few more signs I haven’t written about yet in this newsletter, I would love to know: which signs are your favorites? Which ones don’t you get along with? And what sun sign are you? Leave a comment and let me know!

- Cooking. I’m going to share some Thanksgiving recipe recs in a bit, but first, I thought I’d share what else I’ve been cooking lately. I think I may have found a solution to my breakfast problem: mini frittatas baked in a muffin tin! I made these broccoli and cheddar ones last week and they were fabulous, and kept well for several days in the fridge. All I had to do each morning was grab a couple and microwave them for a minute, and voilà! Hot, delicious, protein-rich breakfast! They are similar to the sous vide egg bites at Starbucks (I’m addicted to the bacon gruyere ones – iykyk), but a little firmer in texture. I also made some with bacon, mushrooms, spinach, and a mix of Swiss and gruyere cheese this week. I like that you can put pretty much an endless variety of fillings in them.

I had a craving for a really good cheesesteak, like, the platonic ideal of cheesesteaks, like, one made with really high quality ingredients and love and time. I like Boo’s and even Jersey Mike’s cheesesteaks pretty well, but I figured I could probably get the best result if I bought a nice ribeye and made it myself. I ended up using the Serious Eats recipe, and it was super delicious, although maybe even too cheesy for me, which is really saying something. I added a thinly sliced green bell pepper to the meat and onions, because I just like those on a cheesesteak. I know that’s probably not authentic. I know that Philadelphians can have strong opinions about cheesesteaks and lord knows those people like to fight, so I’m not trying to set any of them off because I didn’t use cheez whiz or whatever. But I thought it was really fucking good! I served the sandwiches with parmesan herb roasted potatoes and these outrageously good brussels sprouts with bacon that I’ll talk more about in my Thanksgiving recs. 

Same, Ron Funches, same.

I also made a couple more recipes from Smitten Kitchen Keepers, which I’m sure you’re all quite tired of me recommending, but man, that cookbook slaps! Luckily, both of the recipes I made from the book are on the internet, so I can link them for you! I made the cucumber salad with garlicky dill yogurt, to which I added some sliced grape tomatoes, and my husband could not stop eating it! The way that man kept sneaking back to the serving dish to grab spoonfuls of it, you would think it was a dessert, not a salad! And then I made her one-pot chicken with rice, chorizo, and tomatoes, a delicious twist on chicken and rice with paella vibes. The fat from the dried chorizo gave it just a hint of richness without being overpowering, and the tomatoes and onions formed a light, aromatic sauce that gave the rice so much flavor. I also made some roasted cauliflower that I’d tossed in smoked paprika to give it a bit of a Spanish feel, and later added garlic and lemon juice. I thought it was quite simple, but Ross kept raving about that, too! Overall, quite a hit of a dinner with my husband, if I do say so myself.

- Selling Sunset, season 7 (Netflix). I was pretty surprised when I saw that there was a new season of Selling Sunset out already. It’s only been six months since the last one! Is that the clip at which they’re going to be pumping these shows out? Jeez, let it breathe a little bit!

Every season, the cast of the show joins in a shared delusion, and this season, it was that the O group is a “family.” I know: how very Michael Scott of them! Here are some of my thoughts on the season (with SPOILERS, so please consider yourselves warned):

• I am starting to be able to tell Jason and Brett apart, and it scares me. So far, I can only tell them apart by their voices and how they dress, but even that indicates a concerning amount of time spent watching these men on my TV.
  

• Has a villain ever villained harder than Nicole? Truly, what a wretched person. And what’s up with her husband? I would die of embarrassment if my husband ever texted a friend of mine to cuss her out because I was mad at her. We manage our own relationships, thankyouverymuch.
  

• I must admit I never thought much about Marie-Lou (Jason’s 25 y/o girlfriend) before this season, but wow, she is a piece of work. That sit-down with her and Chrishell was great television. Marie-Lou was so out of her element trying to go toe-to-toe with someone who is not only level-headed and logical, but has been on reality television for seven years. I don’t tend to be someone who judges others based on their age, but in this case, the difference in maturity levels was very apparent. And later, it was wild to watch Marie-Lou straight up lie about what went down. I can’t decide if she is manipulative or just dumb. It was also SO cringe how many times this season Marie-Lou “joked” about Jason proposing. Like hun… please be serious. If he didn’t put a ring on Chrishell, he’s not putting one on you.

  

  I feel this facial expression in my bones.

• It was honestly fucking WILD how much flack Chrishell got from the other agents for setting healthy boundaries for herself. I 100% understand why she chose to remove herself from uncomfortable situations in Cabo. I would have done the same.
  

• I actually felt quite bad for Ms. “we’re a family” Amanza. She obviously has a shit family of origin, and I’m a big “friends are family” person, but boundaries are so important when it comes to work, even if their work is just “being on a reality tv show together.” Also, like… sometimes we have to accept that a friendship means more to us than to the other person, and manage our expectations.
  

• Jason’s decision to pour millions into a new office space that is basically a giant man cave when HE KNOWS the market isn’t great and the luxury real estate business in L.A. is in trouble this year is just… wow. Beyond that, putting the onus on his employees to “work harder” and make up for that investment is just really shitty management. I have unfortunately been in a similar situation as an employee and all I’ll say is that it did not work out for anyone, but the employees were ultimately the ones who paid the price. 🫠
  

• Oh, how I laughed when they were pulling down scaffolding as people were arriving to the grand opening party for their new offices! The paint was still wet! I kept waiting for someone to lean on it and ruin their rented outfit! Just stunning. (Angelenos: do you know what space they took over? Was that the Blue Mercury?)

- Thanksgiving recipe recs! I am not making Thanksgiving dinner this year. Instead, we will be celebrating with my husband’s family on Long Island, and I can’t wait to see all of them (and to just chill out and play with our niblings while someone else does the work!). However, I have made a few Thanksgiving dinners in my time, so I wanted to give those of you who will be cooking some ideas. I’m going to focus on the sides, since those are the best part, anyway, and one pie-alternative dessert. Enjoy!

• Autumnal Salad. Personally, I feel pretty strongly that Thanksgiving is the one day a year when I can live without eating a fucking salad. However, Thanksgiving is not just about me, it is also about everyone else sharing the table with me, and many of them like salad. So I always make one. I think it’s nice to have something with some fruit, maybe some bits of a roasted root vegetable, nuts, and an acidic dressing that will cut through some of the richness of the rest of the meal. This one seems nice. Or this one.

• Herb & Apple Bread Pudding. This is the best stuffing (or I guess technically dressing?) you’ll ever make. If you even dare to think about the calories involved, I will slap you. It’s stuffing! It’s not supposed to be nutritious! The best thing about this dish is that you can assemble the whole thing the day before Thanksgiving and keep it in the fridge overnight, then just throw it into the oven an hour before you need it. I would actually encourage you to do this, because the bread will have more time to soak up all the other ingredients, and you’ll get a better result. I love the pancetta, but when I had guests who didn’t do pork, I subbed smoked turkey sausage for it and it worked pretty well. You could also make this vegetarian by subbing a veggie sausage or veggie bacon and using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. And maybe you should? When I was vegetarian, I could never eat the stuffing at Thanksgiving, and it always bummed me out.

  

• Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon. Roasting is my favorite way to make brussels sprouts because the insides get soft and tender and melty while the outsides get crispy and crunchy. This is the recipe of my dreams because it involves roasting the sprouts with bacon all in one pan, and what could be easier than that? Then you lightly toss them with a tablespoon each of maple syrup and apple cider vinegar, which adds wonderfully salty-sweet fall flavors. There are a lot of ways to do brussels sprouts and bacon, but this is the easiest and tastiest way I’ve found. You could sub turkey or veggie bacon, but in that case I would cook the bacon separately from the sprouts and toss everything together at the end, because those have a lot less fat than “real” bacon and would dry out in the oven.
  

• Cauliflower Cheese. I always like to have something cheesy as a side at Thanksgiving. I think that’s more of a southern U.S. thing, but in my opinion, it’s a tradition we should all adopt. Cauliflower cheese is a British dish, so consider this a nod to the Pilgrims. Or not. It’s basically just low-carb mac and cheese, and it’s delicious. You can add crumbled bacon if you want to get really crazy.
  

• Maple Butter Roasted Baby Carrots. These roasted carrots could not be more simple (three ingredients + salt and pepper!), but you will not be able to stop eating them. You could add a tablespoon of finely chopped fresh herbs if you want extra flavor, but they really don’t need it.

• Cranberry Crumb Bars. My father-in-law is addicted to these, so now I make them every year. If you have a food processor, you can pulse everything together in there in step two to make it even easier. I really love the flavor that the almonds give the dough. These make a great day-after-Thanksgiving breakfast, too.

And that’s it! If you are in the U.S. and celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you have a fantastic holiday weekend. If you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, totally get it–I hope you have a great weekend anyway!

I’m not going to be able to write to you all until after I get back from Japan (how fucking cool did I just sound saying that? Eee!), so the next newsletter will go out on Friday, 12/22. I hope you have an absolutely magical holiday season and are able to cultivate joy during this time, and I can’t wait to talk to you when I get back!

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Until next time—I’m thankful for all of you.

Love,
Liz
XOXO