Wild weekends & art shaming [Like You Know Whatever]
Hi friends!
How are you doing?? I’m in a much more positive mood than the last time I wrote to you. I think that’s because I’ve actually left my house. Sometimes I forget to do that and then I wonder why I feel anxious and depressed and it’s like, bitch, your face has not felt the sun in four days, LEAVE YOUR APARTMENT!!
Two weekends ago I had the most ridiculous, silly Saturday where I went to the Banksy expo with some friends in the afternoon, followed by a boozy late lunch at Father’s Office, and then a last-minute decision to go to see Belle & Sebastian at the Greek Theatre, followed by a brief hang at our friends’ place and finally, a late night grilled cheese sandwich in my kitchen. It was stupid fun and I drank way too much rosé and believe me, I very much felt the effects of that the next day. But it’s been a while since I had a day like that, and I think I needed it. As a childfree couple, my husband and I have a lot of flexibility to stay out late or do things on a whim, which is definitely part of the appeal of this lifestyle. But if I’m honest, we also spend a lot of weekends on the couch, catching up on TV like a regular old boring married couple, which is not exactly the “fly to Paris with an hour’s notice!” of my fantasies. So, that weekend was a real treat!
I was undecided about going to the Banksy expo because I just kind of felt like, is he even cool or relevant anymore? But then my husband museum-shamed me by asking, “When was the last time you went to see art?” and I had to admit that the last time was when I went to Meow Wolf in Denver in October of last year, so, of course, I ended up going. It was actually really cool! There was one room that had a 360-degree video projection going in it that was really immersive and felt like experiencing Banksy’s art in a new way. And of course, there were many prints and videos and some sculptural pieces he’d created. I was surprised to see some children there because I thought that some of his pieces that tackle war and military and police violence could be a bit scary to a kid, but maybe I’m being prudish. I suppose that I was lucky enough to be able to go to a lot of the art museums in New York City as a kid, and some of the pieces at the Met or the MoMA were probably scary or went over my head, but it wasn’t like I was watching a Tarantino movie for Christ’s sake.
Anyway, after spending about an hour at the exhibit, we went and got some food & drinks at Father’s Office (a restaurant which my husband and I also jokingly call “Daddy’s Study”). I had their signature martini on a whim and it. Was. Delicious!! I’m not a big martini person, they’re usually too much straight alcohol for me, but theirs was exquisite. And yes, the second I picked up the glass I spilled at least 15% of it, and then I remembered the second reason why I never get martinis: guaranteed spillage from those stupid impossible glasses. But ya know what? It was worth it. As a table, we ordered, without exception, All The Fried Things on their menu: pork rinds, regular french fries, sweet potato fries, and these incredible salt and vinegar tater tots. Without conferring, Ross and I also both ordered the grilled octopus salad. Why are all the most delicious animals so smart and wonderful?? I love eating octopus and pork, and I feel just awful about it.
While we were eating all these fried potato products (and aioli, so much aioli), a friend of ours found out that there were some great seats available for that night’s Belle and Sebastian concert for a very reasonable price. I was hesitant because I’ve never really listened to them, but then my husband live-concert-shamed me (“When was the last time…”), so I said, why the hell not? We met up with some other friends at the Greek (which, if you don’t know, is a gorgeous outdoor music venue inside a huge, hilly park in Los Angeles).
This is where I kind of got into trouble, because my friends realized that it was cheaper to buy an entire bottle of rosé and split it than to buy individual glasses… so they kept buying bottles of rosé and pouring me glasses of it. I’m not proud to admit that after a while, I kind of lost track of how much I was drinking. It was one of those nights, you know? Anyway, when we got to our seats, I was SHOOK. They were dead center, in section A! Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever had better seats for a show, and when I was Music Editor at BUST for three years, I got comped all the time and even was a VIP a few times. But these seats, they were just insane. It was a shame that I didn’t know a single damn song they played, but I had a great time anyway. And better than those seats sitting empty, right?
After the show, we walked down the hill, past all the bacon-wrapped hot dog vendors that are a staple outside L.A. concerts. That smell of grilled onions is such a killer! Before the show, another friend told us that the first time she’d had one of those hot dogs, she’d shit her pants, so I managed to avoid that temptation this time, and probably will for the rest of my life. We walked all the way to our friends’ place in Los Feliz, where we hung out for a bit before finally calling it quits and heading back to Highland Park. Finally at home, I decided to drunkenly make grilled cheeses for me and my husband with shredded gruyere and sharp yellow cheddar and, duh, lots of butter. I passed the fuck out after only eating half of mine, which delighted my husband because nothing makes him happier than unexpected free food.
The next day we were both supremely hungover at a co-ed baby shower. It felt very Throwback Liz Galvao – I haven’t been hungover at a shower since my twenties! Why do they always have to hold these things on Sunday mornings? I guess because pregnant people aren’t out raging on Saturday nights, drinking their body weights in rosé. I mean, neither am I, usually, they just caught me on a bad day. The shower was at this gorgeous house in Glassell Park, but we had to park down a hill and walk up to get there, so by the time we made it to the house I was basically a puddle of sweat in a polka dot sundress. Very classy, Liz, very classy. Anyway, I got to catch up with some comedy friends and I was glad we made the effort to go (lol, “effort” – it was a 15 minute drive and we went and got eggs afterwards).
This past weekend was much more chill. My husband flew out to New York for a childhood friend’s wedding and I stayed at home to take care of our cat. We’ll both be back in NYC over Fourth of July weekend for ANOTHER friend’s wedding (when will the weddings stop? I love our friends and I love their weddings but it literally does not end), and I’m taking a full week off then, so I thought that taking a long weekend two weeks before would be pushing it at work, considering I’m still pretty new. Plus, I secretly kind of enjoy getting the house to myself once in a while and getting to indulge in what Carrie Bradshaw would call “secret single behavior,” or what I would call “binge-eating Pizza Hut and watching The Real Housewives of Dubai” (more on that later).
I was also overdue for a haircut & color update and I decided that it was the perfect time to spend half a Saturday at the salon. I have that wedding in a couple weeks and I always think my hair looks best when I let my color “settle” in a bit. Do you know what I mean? When I first get it done it’s like the color is just sitting on top of the hair, and it’s too bright and shiny, like I’m wearing a wig or something. After I get it dirty and wash it a few times it starts looking more natural. My stylist is amazingly meticulous with my highlights and I love the results, but my god, does that shit take forever and cost a bundle of money!! Men truly have no idea. At least this time I didn’t buy any Aveda products on the way out, which saved me approximately $1000.
And that’s what I did during the past two weekends! I hope that wasn’t terribly dull to read. What were you up to? Hit reply or let me know in the comments!
Let’s get into Some Things:
Cooking. My husband hates truffles, so while he was away, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to cook with the black truffle-infused olive oil I snapped up a while back from Imperfect Foods and have barely used. I got a lot of great ideas for what to make from polling my Twitter and Instagram, and I ended up making baked truffle macaroni and cheese. It was sooo yum! Whenever I make mac & cheese, I use my mom’s classic recipe from McCall’s Cookbook, which I have tweaked just a tiny bit and shared here. I love that recipe so much because it is endlessly adaptable, and I included some options for customization with it. I also took inspiration from Ina Garten’s truffle mac & cheese recipe and topped my mac with some mushrooms that I’d sauteed in the truffle oil with fresh garlic, rosemary, and sage. I didn’t cook the mushrooms in the oven with the mac like Ina does because I was afraid they would either release too much water or get all dried up. Anyhoo! The fresh herbs were sooo good with the richness of the cheese, I will definitely be using them in the future.
Creamy dreamy bucatini
Another rich pasta dish I made last week was Eric Kim’s creamy bucatini with roasted seaweed. It’s basically just pasta in a simple garlic cream sauce sprinkled with crushed up seaweed snacks. Super easy and super delicious, but it felt very fancy and gourmet! I followed that recipe to the letter, although if I make it again, I think I will sub half and half for the heavy cream just to lighten things up a scooch.
And then, this week, Imperfect Foods had wild sea scallops, so I decided to try my hand at cooking scallops for the first time! Like most seafood, they were very quick to cook, and the hardest part was not overcooking them, but I think I managed. It’s kind of dark in our kitchen because this one light went out months ago that we still haven’t gotten fixed, so I don’t try to eyeball when protein is done, I time everyyyything. (I also have to use a flashlight to check on food in the oven, but that’s another story.) I seared the scallops and then made a lemon garlic butter pan sauce to go with them (here’s a good recipe). I also made a parmesan and herb risotto with some of the leftover fresh herbs from my mac & cheese adventures (I just used the recipe on the back of the rice package and added the cheese & herbs at the end). This was only the second time I’ve ever made risotto, and I love it, but man, it’s a pain in the ass. Risotto is so fussy, it’s like babysitting a toddler: you can’t do anything else while you’re watching it except make sure that it doesn’t set itself on fire.
You know what? I just realized that I made the ultimate Top Chef get-sent-home meal: scallops and risotto. The judges are always so picky about both of those things. I’m sure they would have nitpicked mine to death, but my husband and I enjoyed them, so fuck you, Tom Colicchio! (I’m just kidding Tom I love you and I love your hats.)Kosas Air Brow. I have been using Glossier’s Boy Brow eyebrow pomade for years, but lately, I’ve been dissatisfied with it and have been looking for an alternative. I feel like the product spreads unevenly, it dries up and runs out too quickly, and I don’t like that it only comes in five shades. Enter Kosas Air Brow, which I decided to try after reading great reviews and loving their Cloud Set setting powder. I really like this product! The formula is thinner than Boy Brow so it’s easier to manipulate and gently build to the place you want it at, and it comes in 10 different shades! I have it in Dark Brown, which matches my brows so much better than either Glossier’s Brown or Black shades, which never really fit. This is a good reminder to myself that makeup is making advancements all the time, and just because I’ve used a product for a long time does not mean that it’s still the best version on the market today.
The Real Housewives of Dubai. Have you been watching this latest series in the Real Housewives franchise? I have been fascinated by the UAE since they released that official tourism video back in 2010; you know, Sex And the City 2? Anyway, I think that Dubai was a very smart choice for a new Housewives series. It has all the components that make up a good one: wealth, beauty, egos, and a unique culture. It’s exciting to me to learn more about a city whose population is 85% expats. Every single one has a story about what drew them to Dubai, and I hope we get to hear them all. So far there is very little drama other than supermodel Chanel Ayan being upset that she wasn’t invited to Caroline Stanbury’s hen party, but it’s still early yet.
I would like to call your attention to one issue, however. So, in an incredible scene, Ayan brought a live goat as a gift for Lesa when she was invited to Thanksgiving dinner at Lesa’s house. She explained that goats are very important in her culture (she’s from Kenya), and she wanted to give a meaningful gift. And I think that that is a lovely thought. But what the fuck is this rich maternity fashion designer slash former Miss Jamaica going to do with a goat in her modern-ass house with barely any backyard?! We got to watch the goat jump into Lesa’s beautiful in-ground pool and start swimming around (lol), but then after they got it out of the pool, we didn’t see the goat again. What happened to the goat??? I mean, there’s no way they can keep it, I can’t imagine they would butcher it on their perfectly manicured back patio, and it’s not like there are goat rescues all over the place. I checked Lesa’s IG and there isn’t a goat to be found. So where did it go??? I don’t know, but I will keep watching this show just to find out!!
The goat in question. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Gosh, this season has had so many highs and lows so far! In the first episode, Dorit Kemsley’s house is broken into one night while she’s home alone (without her husband) with her children. The burglars held a gun to her head; it sounded absolutely terrifying and traumatizing. Luckily, her children didn’t wake up (can you imagine??), and she was left physically unharmed. It sounded scarily similar to what happened to Kim Kardashian in Paris. It is extremely rare for me to tear up at a Housewives episode, but when Dorit describes fearing for her children’s lives and dealing with the after effects of that trauma, it really gets to me!
Then there’s Crystal basically threatening to ruin Sutton’s reputation by sharing something “dark” and “problematic” that she said, which is like, either tell us what she said and why it’s bad or STFU. Right?? I’m not a Sutton supporter, but I do feel like people expect her to be racist just because she has a Southern accent. Plus, Erika is pretending like she’s been exonerated when no such thing has happened, Lisa Rinna’s super lovable mom Lois passed away, and Kyle’s dog keeps stealing food off of everyone’s plates, which looks super fucking annoying. Did I say there were highs and lows? I guess I meant that there were a lot of lows. What was a high… hmm… well, Kyle opened up another caftan store in Palm Springs, I guess? I don’t know. It is always weird when Beverly Hills deals with real issues, because these women can drag out an entire season’s worth of drama from the smallest possible thing, like when Lucy Lucy Apple Juicy bit PK’s face and went back to the pound. (For people who don’t watch these shows: does it sound like I’m speaking a foreign language to you?)Severance. Okay, first of all, NOBODY TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT THIS SHOW. I am only a few episodes in and I went in without knowing anything and somehow have avoided any spoilers on social media (great job, everyone!). So, I will pass the same courtesy on to you and tell you nothing except: it’s terrific! Watch it! Mostly, though, I want to give a shoutout to actor Michael Chernus, who plays Adam Scott’s brother-in-law on the show. Mr. Chernus workssssuh! He is to brothers and brothers-in-laws what Judy Greer is to best friends. He played Piper’s stoner brother on Orange is the New Black and was goofy and hilarious, but I really got to see the depth of his acting skills in Joe Swanberg’s Netflix series Easy, which is kind of a series of vignettes about various interconnected Chicagoans in relationships. It had some weak points, but overall I thought the performances and the direction were fucking fantastic, and Chernus was a real highlight. Also, it was super Chicago-y, so if you’re from there, you would probably like that. (Can you believe I’ve still never been to Chicago? I need to remedy that, but I have too many weddings to go to this year.)
Players. The company where I work (my day job) actually produced this show. It’s a comedy mockumentary about esports players, and when I first heard what it was about, I was like, “mm… not for me, thanks.” But then we watched the first two episodes in an early, office-only screening, and when it was done I was like, “Wait… but I want to keep watching!” I was so into the show that I totally forgot to eat the Mendocino Farms catering they got. Anyway, three things you need to know about Players: A) It’s by the same team that made American Vandal B) You can watch it on Paramount+ (I know I know, but you should really have an account to watch Drag Race anyway) C) You can get a whole FREE MONTH of Paramount+ by using the code PLAYERS, which is good until July 31st. The first four eps are available now! Check it out!
OK, that’s enough outta me this week! A quick reminder that this weekend is Juneteenth in the U.S., so if you can, take some time to honor the holiday by supporting your favorite Black creators, organizations, and local businesses. If you have recommendations specific to Los Angeles, I’m all ears! You know I love to spend that money, honey.
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Until next time—when was the last time you took in some art or music?
Love,
Liz
XOXO