Quaintrelle Weekender
Four ways to a better weekend
Welcome to Quaintrelle Weekender.
This is a short list of things I am currently loving to make eating, drinking, and hosting easier and a lot more interesting.
I don’t want to seem alarmist, but we only have six weeks left of summer.
Yes, yes, I know summer technically runs until the end of September, but you know as well as I, that realistically, as soon as school starts, the lazy, hazy days are done for the year.
I’ve already started seeing the pumpkins and fall paraphernalia line the shelves at home decor stores. Even as a dedicated fall lover, this egregious display of autumn makes me want to go Full Karen and speak to the manager because, it’s too soon.
A quick update to my thoughts on Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín. In the last Weekender I mentioned how it was tough going for me, despite Brooklyn quite potentially being The Book of Summer. I’ve finished it; it was good. But I still don’t see what all the fuss is about. I have a nagging feeling that maybe I’m just not intellectual enough to appreciate it? Plus the ending bugged me. Regardless, I’ve got the sequel, Long Island, on hold at the library, maybe it will shed some light on what I’ve missed. Have you read it? Did you love it as much as the rest of the world?
Alright, summer lovers. We haven’t got time to lose. Fire up those mosquito-repellent tiki torches, alight the barbecue, and buy the extra ice. We’re having a party.
To Drink
Yottam Ottolenghi’s White Sangria with Peaches and Lemongrass
You know if Yottam puts something on his Instagram, it’s going to be a home run. This recipe video popped up on my feed and went straight to the saved folder.
I’ve long petitioned that sangria can be great, but usually isn’t. Too often restaurants use it as a dump bucket for old fruit, stale booze, and flat wine. Inspired? I think not.
Yottam’s (by way of a man named Jake) starts with a syrup base made with refreshing lemongrass, lemon, peppercorn, and few other flavourful bits and bobs, and blends in complimentary fruits and herbs to really make a cocktail that’s light, airy and refreshing for these sweltering days.
To Lounge
Guys. When
, the author behind the newsletter Home, posted this on her Substack a few weeks ago, I literally swooned. Swooned. Thanks to her, I am now following Collagerie, the website who curated this whimsical, airy outdoor space in collaboration with Zara Home.I immediately started scheming how to update my city balcony to resemble this bohemian escape. Even if I can’t make it work this year, the gears are turning for next.
To Eat
You heard me right.
I was listening to the Good Food podcast, hosted by
, where was a guest. Swetha had written an article for Serious Eats about an ingenious hack for stress-free cheese melting. You simply use flattened, aspirin-free Alka Seltzer (yes – the plop, plop, fizz, fizz gas remedy) as a base. The link above will take you to her article which explains the science behind it, but if you’ve ever struggled with stringy or separated cheese that just won’t smooth itself out into a sauce, Swetha’s got your back.Veggie Wash
The brilliantly obsessive minds at Cooks’ Illustrated showed how a 30 second bath in a mixture of baking soda and water will wash away surface pesticides.
I used to buy specific veggie wash that was a little on the pricey side for what it was, but now that I’ve got this knowledge bomb in my back pocket, I can save my pennies for something better. Like Alka Seltzer.
Hey – would you mind spreading the word about Quaintrelle?
If you like reading , it would mean so much to me if you could share it with a few like-minded party hosts. Or you could simply check the little heart below to boost this up through the algorithm.
And if you feel like saying hi, I love to hear from you.
Thanks, as always, for your time and attention. I’m grateful you are here.
Now go out and live this weekend like you mean it. We’ve only got five more to go.
xo – Erin
Wait! Where’s your voiceover?? 😍
That sangria! Can you ship some over???