Quaintrelle Weekender

Excellent parmesan medallions for impromptu visits

My sister called me saying she would be by in a few hours. She had something to pick up in my neighbourhood and said she might as well join me for a rosé and snack on the lanai.

I see my sister easily once a week, often more, so this impromptu visit wasn’t anything to stand on ceremony over, but it’s anathema to me to not have something delicious to welcome people, no matter how familiar they may be.

With rosé chilling in the fridge (I always, always have at least one bottle of white, rosé or sparkling lying in wait in the fridge. Usually I have all three.) My thoughts turned to snacks.

Frozen gougère ready for deployment.

Past Erin was smart enough a few months ago to make extra gougère and freeze the unbaked cheese puffs for Future Erin, so Present Erin took full advantage of this strategic planning and set the oven to 450°F.

I still needed an extra little nosh, something super quick, so I settled on Parmesan crisps. These are reminiscent of the 90’s when all the fancy chefs were serving caesar salads in parmesan bowls or topping some kind of pasta with a parm toile.

Maybe I’m still thinking about Love Story, or perhaps Rivals has infiltrated my consciousness, but I think parm crisps bring sexy back.

The best part is that these are pretty forgiving, so you can eyeball everything, and swap out flavours to your preference – thyme in stead of rosemary, add red chilli flakes for spice etc – or leave them plain.

For about a dozen parm medallions:

• 2oz good quality parmesan

• 1 Tbsp flour

• Sprinkle freshly ground black pepper

• Sprinkle smoked paprika

• 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced

1. Set the oven to 350°F

2. Grate the parmesan (I put mine in my Nutribullet and give it a quick blast).

3. Toss the cheese with a sprinkle of flour and the herbs and spices.

4. Pile the cheese mixture into flattened circles about 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking tray. Bake for about 10 minutes, until melted and deeply golden.

5. Allow the parm crisps to cool for about 10 minutes on the baking tray before using a metal spatula to move them to a wire rack to crisp.

Hello and welcome to Quaintrelle Weekender, my weekly postcard of what’s on my mind.

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Give this ballerina an Oscar! Or whatever ballerinas win.

This Week’s Big 3

A Cat Upstages Romeo and Juliet. Possibly the cutest thing you will ever see.

Carley Fortune on Books, Beach & Beyond Podcast. Carley Fortune is a new-to-me author, despite having incredible break-out success. She released her first novel in 2022, which became an NYT bestseller and has now been adapted for a series on Amazon Prime, and she has released a book every year since then. I have yet to read any of her books, but I’m obsessed with her meteoric rise.

Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth. I clearly live under a rock. I had never heard of esteemed British journalist and politician Gyles Brandreth until today (I know, embarrassing), and I certainly wasn’t aware of his marvellous podcast. A clip of him interviewing Christine Baranski (love her) was advertised on my Instagram feed, and that was all I needed to smash that subscribe button. What a treasure chest! Graydon Carter! Fran Lebowitz! Richard E Grant! Mary Berry! There are 244 episodes I have never heard. I’m diving in.

The Weekend Menu

I know a lot of you are wilting under heat waves, and aren’t you the lucky ones, but here in Toronto, we’re still waiting for the Hot Girl Summer to truly arrive. (Either that or my HRT is really nailing it.) Anyway, menus for rainy, windy, and somewhere between cool and warmish days.

Last Sunday’s Dinner: Chicken Parm

Tonight’s Dinner: Feta Gnocchi with Lemony Yogurt and Spring Peas

The Weekend Cocktail: Whisky Sour

The Weekend Wine: Olianas Cannonau 2023, Cannonau di Sardegna, Italy $25

Back on Monday …

I hate coy teasers, so annoying, but Monday’s premium post is something I’ve been working on for a while and gets deeply personal. That may be incentive to read, or it may be enough to keep you away, but I hope it’s the former. We’re all friends here right?

Maybe I’ll see you there.

Until then –

xo – Erin

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 on the weekends, I share some thoughts on stylish living.

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