Heart Eyes, Vol. 72: Two Fun Articles, Stasher Bags, and Fondue
Heyyyy, you did it! It's Friday afternoon, and here we are! I hope that whatever you're up to in the next few days, it's just what you need: the right amount of sunshine, the right amount of rest, the people and food and activities that give you life. Here are some things that might help.
What To Read: Two Fun Pieces, from The New Yorker and The Cut, Respectively
This piece from a few New Yorkers back embodies one of my very favorite pastimes: reading about reading and its place in our lives. It's about The Stack, a book pile in the writer's late father's bedroom that grew over time into an epic semi-intentional sedimentary book-storage system/literary sculpture. It's funny and poignant, not too long, and will give you the chance to mentally check off the books mentioned that you have and have not read, which is another of my favorite things. It's lovely. You'll like it.
Also! This week, The Cut went all in on marriage in all its many forms and expressions, publishing a series of When Harry Met Sally-style reflective interviews with married couples; they're all interesting, but this one is a particular banger, in a good way. They seem very happy! Good for them. Also, New York in the 70s sounds like a LOT.
What To Put Your Food In: Stasher Reusable Bags
Welcome to another chapter in the long, slow story known as Liz Gets Rid of Plastic! I think it's a good one, though: a few weeks ago, I bought myself the first of what I hope will be several Stasher reusable silicone food-storage bags, and I really, really like it so far. Mine is the 7.5"x 4.5" snack size and it's translucent hot pink, though they come in lots of other colors and patterns. According to the label, it can do basically anything one can imagine needing a food-storage container to do: it's dishwasher-, oven-, and microwave-safe, freezable, fridge-friendly, and boilable. Apparently you can microwave popcorn in them? Mine is sturdy and seems reliably airtight, and I like how well it holds up to the hustle and bustle of being in my giant work bag. It's also cute and pleasant to use. And most importantly, I haven't used a single plastic sandwich bag since I got it.
Stasher bags are, for sure, an investment—this one cost $9.99, the sandwich-sized one is $11.99, and the half-gallon is $19.99. I personally have a goal of buying a variety of sizes over time, as I can afford them. If you're also looking for ways to use and throw out less trash in the long run, you might see how you feel about a Stasher.
What To Cook: Fondue
I did not grow up in the 70s, but I can thank my parents for passing on to me a deep love for dipping things in hot cheese and alcohol. My family regularly ate fondue for dinner, and though I don't seem to own my own fondue pot anymore, I still stand by it as a fun, somewhat luxurious party or dinner-with-friends thing. I did just that last weekend, with my cousins, and it was pretty great. Maybe you'd like to give it a try sometime? We had a traditional Swiss fondue, plus this beer-and-bourbon variation and this Irish-cheddar-and-stout one (and chocolate for dessert).
Now, as for logistics, you don't need a fondue pot to serve successful fondue. In fact, I'd argue that trying to regulate the intense heat of a tea light or can of Sterno isn't the best way to go keep your cheese evenly warmed anyway. A slow cooker will do the job just fine—just make the fondue over low heat on the stove, pour it into your (ideally preheated) slow cooker, and you're good to go. Long, skinny fondue forks are great if you can find them, but regular forks work, too.
Also: the thing nobody tells you about fondue is that it makes great leftovers. Yes, you can (and should) melt your leftover fondue back down and dip, dip, dip to your heart's content. But many is the day my dad sent me off to school with a fondue sandwich—cold fondue slathered between two pieces of bread—and as a person who's happily spent all week eating fridge-cold fondue on baguette slices (with salami, shhhh) for lunch, I can tell you that re-melting is absolutely not necessary. Pull your new cheese-and-wine spread out of the fridge and go for it (and don't think too much about whether you're shaving a day or two off your lifespan; you'll only regret the fondue you DON'T eat, right?).
And one last unrelated thing: I feel VERY vindicated.