Quaintrelle Weekender

Four ways to a better weekend.

Guys. I stuck it to the man the other day.

I went to the grocery store to buy a red cabbage and was charged $10!!! So I put it back. I then wrote about it on Instagram and here, on Notes. But then the grocery store wrote to me and I immediately panicked that I was getting sued.

I mean, nothing I said was untrue, and I had the screen shots and receipts to back it up, but holy smokes, when Big Corp looks in your direction, that stare is withering.

At the time of this writing, I am still not in jail. If next week’s post does not come, you know my fortunes have turned for the worse and I am likely on the lamb.

But enough about the pesky details of social justice.

Let’s talk about more festive matters.

Hosting Q of the Week

Gifting Wine

Tis the season! I have received soooo many questions about what bottle to bring to a dinner party, I can’t in all fairness attribute it to one person. If you are among the many who have asked, this is dedicated to you, with love.

First thing’s first: your host is under no obligation to open that bottle. Presumably, especially at this time of year, the dinner has been planned for weeks, if not months, and that includes the wine pairings. Fully expect your bottle will be added to the gift table with everyone else’s.

With that in mind, I like to tie a note to the neck of the bottle with a little quip about the wine itself, drink by date, and potential food pairing. (And don’t forget to sign your name!)

Other tips:

• Spend between $30 – $50… about the same cost as what your entree would be at a restaurant.

• Scout out their favourite bottle with a little reconnaissance on social media. Otherwise known as creeping their profiles when you should be working.

• If they’re weirdly private and don’t share pics of their lunch everyday, maybe they’re a psycho. But if you still have to go to dinner, bring your favourite bottle and explain why it is in that thoughtful little note you’ve attached to the collar. And stay alert.

• Finally, it ain’t original, but it is solid. Bring a bottle of bubbly. It’s festive, fun, and classy.

Have you got a query about hosting, drinking, or eating? Lay it on me!

Good Scents

Simmer Pot

There’s a reason realtors tell you to pop a batch of cookies in the oven before an open house. We love coming into places that smell good: nostalgic, fresh, cozy… what we don’t love is the highly personal smells of old cooking, four dogs, or the musty basement. I’m also not partial to fake scents of room fresheners and highly perfumed candles. That’s where simmer pots come in. (However if you want to read a fantastic article about quality scented candles, check out my co-substacker

JP Clark

’s latest piece.)

Bring a small pot of water to a boil (you can also use a crock pot), add some highly aromatic herbs, fruits, and spices and lower to a gentle simmer to infuse your house with the comforting and clean aromas you want in a home. Keep an eye, of course, adding more water as necessary.

I like the uplifting, spa-like freshness of rosemary, grapefruit (or lime), and bay leaf, but there are other great scents for the season:

• Cozy Fall: orange slices, apple peel (or a splash of apple cider), clove, and cinnamon stick

• Woodsy Winter: lavender (dried or essential oil), sage, black peppercorn, nutmeg

• Spicy Chai: ginger, clove, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods

Another Bounce Bites the Dust

Dryer sheets for dusting baseboards

Remember when I told you I ditched the toxic, environmentally harmful dryer sheets in favour of wool balls? Well, what I didn’t tell you is I hung on to my dryer sheets because … well… throwing them away without putting them to use seemed equally irresponsible. I reasoned they would just sit on my laundry shelf until I moved and would be forced to make a decision. (I’ve lived in my place for 18 years.)

Anyway, I have found a use for these weirdly textured polluters! Friends, meet your new duster. Apartment Therapy posted this as a hack to keeping dust from settling on your baseboards, and wisely mentioned only baseboards. The freaky chemical the sheets leave behind is what repels dust and pet hair from settling into those tiny crevices, but as tempting as it is to use everywhere, you want to limit your exposure to the residue.

I wash my baseboards first (with my handy electric brush I shared last September) to get rid of the surface dirt, and then give my boards a nice massage with the dryer sheets. Not sure what I’ll do when I run out of sheets.

Stylish and Simple Snack of the Week

Savoury Goat Cheese Spread

This punchy spread has been a staple of my cocktail hour offerings for years. I’ve shared it before, but it’s been a while (I think the last time was 2020 – but, hand on heart, I have people who still mention this recipe to me.)

The olive oil dressing can be made days in advance, and, as long as you remember to take the goat cheese out of the fridge about an hour before you want to serve it, it comes together in minutes. And you can play with flavourings. Don’t like spice? Leave it out. Prefer thyme over rosemary? Use that instead. Only have green olives in the house? No sweat.

Makes: about 4-6 servings
Chef level: easy

Ingredients:

• 300g log of chèvre goat cheese, softened

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1 small sprig fresh rosemary, left whole

• 1 large garlic clove, peeled and lightly crushed but left intact

• 1 thick strip of lemon peel

• ¼ cup sundried black olives, pitted and roughly chopped (the salty, wrinkly ones)

• ¼ cup sundried tomatoes in oil, sliced

• 2 Tbsp hot, sliced Calabrian peppers in oil

• 1 Tbsp capers

• 2-3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

How to Make It:

1. Using clean hands, smoosh the softened goat cheese on a rimmed dinner plate, about one inch thick, allowing your fingers to create uneven grooves in the chèvre.

2. In a small sauce pot over ow heat, warm the olive oil and add the garlic, lemon peel, and rosemary. Allow to gently steep for at least 15 minutes, and up to an hour.

3. Remove the lemon peel, garlic, and rosemary sprig (some rosemary leaves will have fallen off and that’s ok), and add in the remaining ingredients.

4. Stir to combine and remove from the heat allowing to cool to room temperature, or barely warm, then spoon over the goat cheese.

5. Reserve the rest for pasta, salads, or your next cheese plate!

Thank you for reading Quaintrelle.

This newsletter is written by me, Erin Henderson, journalist-turned-sommelier-turned-entrepreneur. I literally drink and throw parties for a living, and every Saturday, I share some of my favourite finds for better weekends.

This weekend edition of the newsletter is remain free, while Wednesday’s posts are for paid members. If you would like to upgrade your subscription, just hit the button below to join the premium tier for only $6 a month (or $1.50 a post)

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Until next week, raise your fist, burn your bra, and defend the cabbage.

xo – Erin