A time for comfort

The day has finally arrived where I can no longer shove down my election anxiety. There’s too much at stake and too little time left to change any minds. I think it’s the perfect time to shore up on things that comfort and calm. So, this week I’ll be sharing some of my favorite comfort providers—books, recipes, shows, bits and bobs. Here’s hoping we can all hold it together until whatever will be comes to pass.

Books

When things get tough (and when they’re good, too!) I always go back to the endlessly readable Discovery of Witches trilogy by Deborah Harkness. It has everything—adventure, romance, magic, plot twists, history, and world building. It’s perfect fantasy written at a great pace.

The Sweet Life in Paris has the same spirit as a good night out with friends. It’s hilarious, entertaining, surprisingly poignant in places, and packed with new ideas (in this case all about food). Chef-turned-author David Lebovitz writes about his blunder-filled move to Paris, his struggles to assimilate to a nuanced culture, and shares his favorite recipes along the way.

In the Company of Women is a great book to pick up whenever you need, well, a pick-me-up (it also makes a great hostess gift/coffee table book). Each 2-page spread features a mini interview and gorgeous photos of female entrepreneurs, makers, and artists. Their answers to the questions are genuine and unfiltered and every interview has inspiring nuggets that I love to revisit.

I’ve mentioned it before, but Jamie Beck’s An American in Provence just takes my breath away. It’s almost unfair that one person can be such a deep well of talent. She’s an American artist and expat who left a skyrocketing career and socialite lifestyle in NYC for a quiet life in Provence, France, in pre-Covid times. Her still-life photography is stunning, her personal essays are raw and moving, and she even includes recipes from around France that she loves to make. This book is comforting and inspiring.

Food

This White Chicken Chili is healthy comfort food you’d never know was healthy. I cut way back on the cream cheese (I know, know but the rest of the ingredients are healthy!) and add extra chicken stock to mine.

Nothing says comfort to me like this classic Ina Garten pasta dish. I think I’ve made it 25 times at this point. I make it almost every holiday season and often for company in the winter as well.

I know I mentioned this recipe in last week’s issue but this instantly shot into my best comfort dishes list. It’s so savory and rich.

If you want to bury yourself in chocolately comfort look no further than these unbelievable brownies from queen Ina.

Movies & TV

If your first thought when you thought about comfort movies wasn’t Pride and Prejudice with Kiera Knightly…..maybe rethink that. Brooding! Romance! Annoying siblings! Drama! That one one moment when He stutters and says, “I love, I love, I love you.” Come ooooooon.

An influencer I’ve followed for years recently posted a hilarious reel about how she ALWAYS watches Crazy Rich Asians on planes and I can’t argue—it’s a phenomenal and fun rewatch.

Nothing settles the nerves like a familiar comedy. The newish ones I’ve loved include Ted Lasso and Shrinking (dark but funny and sweet). Oldies but goodies: The Office, Friends, and New Girl never disappoint.

If you’ve never watched Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy series, now it quite literally THE TIME. He goes to various regions in Italy to learn about food and taste it as well. His voice is so hypnotizing and the whole show has a very 2-glasses-of-wine type sleepy feel that is juuuust right.

Speaking of food, I LOVE Top Chef. It’s so watchable and gloriously free of anything but food talk.

A sleeper hit for me in the comfort watch category is Definitely, Maybe. It’s a very watchable and underrated little romcom featuring Ryan Reynolds being very Ryan Reynolds-ish.

Fashion is my escapism so The Devil Wears Prada is forever and always on my rewatch list. I also recently watched The Idea of You (on the subject of Anne Hathaway) and it was actually decent brain candy.

If you want to really dig in, a trilogy or series over the weekend might be just the thing to forget our election troubles: Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and the Mission Impossible movies are my favorites.

Newsletters:

Speaking of fashionable escapism, I get a ton of joy and blessedly zero politics from the fashion newsletters I read religiously. Anna’s has such a calming friend-to-friend tone. Sarah Shapiro’s has me opening tab after tab on my screen to digest all her immaculate recommendations. Emilia’s is so witty and delightful. Amy puts together such a readable POV on fashion’s latest happenings, and Irene’s outfit selfies are always inspiring.

Music and ambience

Our latest obsession is to turn on Youtube as soon as we get home and set a relaxing mood for ourselves and the kids with ambience, music, and scenery. We’ve loved this and this lately it’s a good non-show option if the kids stop and stare and they love the music and changing scenery. Music-wise, my current go-to is Alabama Shakes radio on Spotify.

I hope a few of these help you all get through the next week. Happy Halloween and I’ll see you on the other side!