Heart Eyes, Vol. 95: Pachinko, Sushi Go!, and Apple Crisp
I know I said something last week about counting down to Thanksgiving—eight work days, if you’re wondering—but seriously, that leisurely long weekend with my people cannot come soon enough for me. Even worse: I keep finding myself surreptitiously prepping for the holidays beyond. If we’re going to have winter hours, I guess, we should also get to have cozy winter fun, right? Soon. That’s what I’m telling myself. Whatever you’re doing this weekend, I hope it’s just what you need. Enjoy.
What To Read: Pachinko, by Min Jin Lee
The last few weeks have been so good to me, reading-wise—if there’s one thing these suddenly long evenings are good for, it’s curling up with a book in my grandma’s old barrel chair and ignoring everything else. Lately, I’ve been deep in Min Jin Lee’s 2017 novel Pachinko—a multigenerational family saga about a Korean family living in Japan through the 20th century—and loving every second of it. It’s a big, immersive read, full of feelings, satisfying without being difficult, and perfect for camping out on the couch on a chilly evening. I’m enjoying it immensely; you might, too.
What To Play: Sushi Go!
You know what’s really great to have around? A good, easy party game—something you can play with friends or family after dinner that doesn’t take all night, have fifty pages of rules to learn, or distract too much from actual conversation. (My personal rule is that I don’t want to plan any fictional economies before dessert.) One of my favorites is the extremely cute board/card game Sushi Go!, in which players accumulate and play different combinations of whimsically illustrated sushi cards in hopes of winning the most points. It’s the best new party game I’ve seen in a while—it’s fun, it won’t suck up all your brain power, it’s relatively quick to play, and it’s good for all ages and different group sizes. And did I say that it’s cute? SO CUTE. I’ve had fun playing Sushi Go! at a number of parties lately; you might, too.
What To Bake: Apple Crisp, at The Kitchn
Hello. It’s November. Would you like some apple crisp? I know: What kind of question is that? To me, apple crisp is so often the answer—a simple, cozy crowd-pleaser, the leftovers of which just happen to translate seamlessly to breakfast. I love it so much that I served it at two different gatherings this week, though not before realizing I didn’t have a go-to recipe on hand. I ultimately landed on the extremely simple one from The Kitchn, and I’m glad I did; it’s delicious and uncomplicated (no coconut, nuts, orange juice, or inessential spices), and the topping calls for melted butter instead of cold butter worked into the dry ingredients. (They say it’s because melted butter yields a crispier topping; I say it’s because I don’t need the stakes of my apple crisp to be that high.) Consider this my new house apple crisp; maybe it should be yours, too.