Alchemical Sundays — edition #6
Hello Friends,
Welcome to edition #6 of Alchemical Sundays. It is Memorial Day Weekend here in the United States and that typically means travel, barbecues, camping, gatherings…all the things in the way of time off, relaxing, seeing friends and families and taking a break from our busy lives. The American way is such that a 3-day weekend (with time off — not everyone is off for the holiday it depends on your industry) is considered a luxury. In other parts of the world true time off means a month (or more) where you leave your job behind and rejuvenate through whichever pursuits call to you. I’ve been lucky enough to travel and spend some good time in places other than the United States, where the badge of “busy” doesn’t translate to being successful but where long stretches of rest are the norm. I feel so much gratitude for those experiences and I’m longing to revisit them with time spent in those countries again. Soon, I hope.
In the meantime, while I’m staying in the US, I’m currently in the Sonoran Desert and plan to be here for a good stretch of time. I do realize we are headed into summer, which is the hottest time to be here, and I’ve been on the receiving end of head-scratcher questions as to why I’ve picked here and now. To be honest, I feel like I was called here. Summer in Tucson translates to slowing down for me. Getting up with the sun to walk or hike and enjoy nature is the norm. Long hikes in the sun, in beauteous Sabino Canyon, lead to afternoon naps. Being inside during the hottest parts of the day gives me focused time to write. And the loveliest of evenings that Tucson offers, with the temps diving down from around 100 to about 80 (which is damn near perfect in the desert) offers me time to watch the sunset while walking through my quiet neighborhoods. The desert is alive and there is so much to see in the way of nature: as a matter of fact, a lizard is laying lazily right outside my French doors on my patio at this very moment. Birdsong fills the air and so far I’ve seen roadrunners, quail flocks, coyotes, a snake, and have a family of owls living mere steps from my front door. It is hot and slow and wonderful and I’m soaking it all up. My goal is to make some serious progress on several projects while leaning into a routine of slow living.
Is there a place that calls to you to rejuvenate your body and soul?
This weekend's offerings pay tribute to travel and slow experiences. I hope you enjoy and find some magic in it. Thanks for reading.
Word Alchemy: “People can be profoundly changed by the places they have visited — and isn’t that why we travel to begin with?” — NYT Travel Desk — ’52 Places
Alchemical Food: We are barely into June and I’ve recently dubbed Summer 2021 ‘the summer of sardines’. The reason being is that in the last week alone I’ve purchased 3 tins of sardines and had them in a multitude of ways and they are oh so satisfying.
In the spirit of the quote above and the summer of sardines, here is a story. In July 2019 I was lucky enough to live in Portugal for the month. I had never visited Portugal before and made my home base in the most well-known city in the country, Lisbon. I was lucky to live in the very lively, and historic, neighborhood of Alfama which is a great central place to explore the city from. I walked miles and miles (up lots of hills!). I road bikes down at the shoreline and discovered the best ceviche of my life at A Cevicheria and had long talks with new friends over Aperol Spritz in the parks at midnight. There is so much AWESOME in Portugal overall that I think that I have to dedicate a whole Alchemical Sunday to it in the future sometime but today is about my life-changing food discovery while living there: sardines. I had never really given much thought to sardines and cannot, for the life of me, remember really eating them before my time in Portugal. Early on in my time there, within days of arriving, at the last minute I accepted an invitation to lunch from a group of fellow travelers. We went to a little local restaurant in the Chiado neighborhood, which is a bit less hectic and a bit more local than Alfama can be. We had two Lisbon locals with us so I let them guide me on placing a lunch order. I was in for trying something new. The something new turned out to be grilled sardines. However, before my lunch dish arrived, down the table we had baskets of bread and little platters of tins to choose from which included sardine and tuna, respectively, patés. I had never heard of such a thing and I don’t know what prompted me to try them but doing so changed my life. I fell in LOVE with sardine paté. I must have had two tins (don’t @me they are small!) Spreading the paté on the soft rolls, before my lunch came. Grilled sardines are one of the most wonderful things I have discovered in my life. Being someone who has made a career in food and wine for the last 20+ years I am sad to say that I had been missing out on something pretty magical. Sardines are small, oily fish packed with flavor. I love them plain or with some nice olive oil and chopped olives or an artichoke spread — there are so many ways to enjoy them!
Unfortunately, sardine and tuna paté are hard to find in the US in even specialty grocery stores. However, I have found a supplier to ship me these tin cans of deliciousness: Tin Can Fish.
Fortunately, most grocery stores, like Whole Foods, carry tinned whole sardines. I like the Matiz brand.
My sardine plate of choice includes: sardines packed in water, drained. After plating them I drizzle some of my to-die-for lemon olive oil over the top and let them sit for a bit. I have an artichoke spread and some Finlandia Original Crackers (the perfect flavor and crunch!). Smear the artichoke over the cracker and top with oily sardines. So. Damn. Delicious.
Magic.
Alchemical Wine: Since I am relaying food stories from Portugal I will continue this theme into the wine feature this week with a Vino Verde.
It was at the same lunch where I discovered my love of sardines that I discovered that I did not, in fact, hate Vino Verde. Vino Verde is a wine that originates from the Vino Verde region in Portugal and literally means “green wine” for both its color and age. Many years ago I had tried a couple of Vino Verde’s in the US and I didn’t like them — they were too spritz and sweet for me. However, not all wines are made equal, as I have discovered throughout my career. At this lunch, I initially just ordered water but one of my mates was all into ordering some green wine with lunch. When she asked if I would have some I found myself saying yes. In that moment, my world was changed. The wine we had, which was in a label-less bottle and came from the owners vineyard home in the north, was SO delicious. Fresh, only ever so slightly spritzy, not sweet but dry and minerally and only about 8% alcohol…whaaaat?!?! The wine was also perfection with my oily fish and salad.
Heaven.
I can say oh so much more about Portugal wines but I think I’m going to save it for another post. In the meantime, here is an excellent Vino Verde that you can get in the US that I find consistently tasty: Broadbent Vino Verde. At typically $10 a bottle and 8% alcohol, this is a summer porch pounder with class. Get after it.
Go Deeper with Wine: If you are keen to know more about wine in general, or specifics on certain wine, I’m going to share an excellent site to visit: Wine Folly. Madeline Puckette is the creator of this site about all things wine. She combined her experience as a designer with her love for wine and while pursuing her sommelier certification launched this site. I interviewed her for a podcast in 2015 and she’s very unpretentious and funny, as well as being very talented. Wine Folly is the answer to your wine questions.
Book Alchemy: Currently, I am trying to stretch out the final chapters of ‘Finding Freedom’ by Erin French. I mentioned this book in an earlier edition before I started reading it and wowsa — it has not disappointed. Finding Freedom is a page-turner of a memoir. I’m finding it to hit home for me personally as well. Not so much in that my life struggles mirror Erin’s but the theme’s humming beneath them of harsh internal and external voices of family and living other peoples versions of success strikes at my heart. Trauma woven in with stories of the creation of beautiful food and experiences and finding salvation have kept me up at night turning pages.
My summer reading list continues with ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ by Patricia Highsmith. I’ve put together a list of books that I have never read and feel called to read — how did I let them slip by?? Ripley is one of them.
Desert Alchemy: Feeling called to the healing vibes of the Sonoran desert? Here are some places to check out that will certainly seal the deal:
Magic In Your Ears: Here are two of my all-time favorite episodes from the ‘this is love’ podcast. Phoebe is a fantastic host. Nature is unpredictable. Awe-inspiring. Jaw-dropping.
Episode 31 — Something Large and Wild
Neither episode is too long and SO WORTH the listen. Magic. Wild. Excellent storytelling.
The magic of lifelong learning: I’m back with another (unsponsored) plug for MasterClass. This time it is Joyce Carol Oats that I’m swooning on. She is a magnificent teacher. Her masterclass is so thorough. Joyce herself works in some pretty dark places. Her works are tragic and sometimes it is hard to find the light in the darkness but she is a vivid masterful writer (hence her many, many awards). One of her assignments was a miniature narrative and I produced this.
Watch: This is not news of a ‘hidden gem’ of a show.
No. The internet is just as obsessed with ‘Mare of Easttown’ as I am.
Tonight is the finale.
This show is a masterclass itself in expertly interwoven stories and intent pacing. It is awesome.
I have watched the show in real time on HBOMax and have done something I’ve never done before: I’ve watched each episode twice before the next. There is so much going on!
I have my theories on whodunit but watching the entire cast just slay is the real pleasure. Kate Winslet is amazing. As the internet has pointed out, she expertly delivers the very specific regional accent and I never see the actress only Mare. I fell in love with Kate the first time I watched “Sense & Sensibility’ in 1994 (along with Alan Rickman, who was taken from us far too soon). In anticipation of the final episode of ‘Mare’ Vulture released the Kate Winslet essential performances to watch. Check it out here.
Are you watching? What do you think??
Tarot Pull For The Collective:
9 of Roots
Accomplishment
Satisfaction for a job or project completed. A sense that past sacrifices and actions were ‘worth it’.
This is a beautifully balanced card and I love the details of the lush tree tops and the perfectly aligned trees. The red-bellied woodpecker has her beak and claws full of grubs — a job well done.
Where can you create balance and feel a sense of accomplishment — for yourself and the greater good?
Have a magical week! Thanks so much for reading.
