that's the good stuff
please take a lactaid pill before reading this
What a year February 2025 has been. But hey - look at us. We’re still here.
Even as the world burns around us in the dumbest ways, what keeps me going are the moments of joy sprinkled throughout every day.
Every day is an opportunity to live deliciously. Living deliciously looked like the following this month:
eating an entire box of Tate’s Bake Shop Chocolate Chip Cookies with a face mask on in my hotel room
using Collin’s back massager on Martini
asking the DJ at Nathan and Vanessa’s wedding to play Abracadabra and subsequently losing our shit on the dance floor with Martha and Franny
feasting at Chili’s with Billie and Cameron
spending an entire day with Collin doing what they write love songs about
going to a writer’s open-mic night and reading Propagation in front of dozens of strangers
getting beers after book club with new friends
eating pizza and watching reality TV with my sister and her entire family on the same couch
giggling on the phone with people from all over the country
Please take a moment and reflect on how you lived deliciously this month.
Inhale. Exhale. That’s the good stuff.
Now, please send me a screenshot of the meanest text you sent this month.
February Book Reviews
Pure Innocent Fun: 3 stars
What I liked about this book: This book was fine. I agree with around 50% of Ira’s takes, but what lost the stars for me was how choppy the audiobook experience was. The rhythym of the reading was rough, which was a suprise since this was written by a podcaster. I used to be a devout Keep It! listener but they lost me after Kara left.
Who I’d recommend this book to: listeners of Keep It!; people who liked the soap Passions; anyone who is the most annoying member of a friend group.
Medium of the book: Audiobook
Judging a book by its cover: Truly fine, deeply whatever.
Piglet: 5 stars (Nominee for the Golden Martini for Book of the Year)
What I liked about this book: this book made me feel seen in a way I have never read in a book before. This book was absolutely delicious, but also made me squeal with second-hand embarassment. I have been Piglet before, both the good and the bad.
Who I’d recommend this book to: anyone who enjoys window shopping at Sur La Table or Williams Sonoma; anyone who has ever eaten emotionally; anyone who can appreciate fine dining and the Chili’s Triple Dipper appetizer.
Medium of the book: Collin’s hardcover copy
Judging a book by its cover: Gorgeous and haunting within the context of the novel.
We'll Prescribe You a Cat: 3 stars
What I liked about this book: I think a lot of the world’s problems would be solved if we prescribed more cats. Whimsical, charming, and lovely.
Who I’d recommend this book to: cat people; anyone with a trip planned to Kyoto;
Medium of the book: Audiobook
Judging a book by its cover: OBSESSED! How could I not love a book with my own cat on the cover?
Butter: 5 stars (Nominee for the Golden Martini for Book of the Year)
What I liked about this book: Everything! This was the literary equivalent of cooking something low and slow. It has inspired so many meals and it made me even more excited to visit Japan.
What made this such a satisfying read was the balance of themes throughout the story. This is a book about shame, grief, gluttony, the patriarchy, and feminine pecking orders.
Who I’d recommend this book to: anyone who knows Kerrygold butter is always worth it; anyone who’s ever received an unsolicited comment about their body; people who learned how to cook as adults; anyone looking for a change.
Medium of the book: Paperback
Judging a book by its cover: OH, THIS BOOK WAS A DELIGHT OF SENSORY PLEASURE. I think the cover art is beautiful and the blood and butter graphics have a satisfying sheen on them. This book was a good size, both my dimension and weight. Heft with a sturdy spine.
My Favorite People’s favorite things.
I love the Celebrity Shopping lists on The Strategist and the “10 Essentials” videos on GQ’s YouTube channel. I think you can learn a lot about people based on their favorite things. This recurring segment highlights some of My Favorite People’s favorite things.
February 2025 is the month of Simone. How decadent! What a treat for us all.
You met her earlier this month when she wrote the very first guest edition of Well-Read and Overfed. I was blown away when she shared it with me and I immediately called Collin to thank him for bringing Simone into my life.
I’ve described some Favorite People in the past as aspirational and I extend the same adjective to Simone. She is the coolest girl in every room she enters. She is what happens when a witch turns a chic cashmere sweater with a fun print into a person. That sentient chic-as-fuck sweater is Simone.
Now please enjoy her Favorite Things (Original Flavor) after this gorgeous photo of her.
If you are reading this newsletter, you probably already know that Alberto has a knack for making you feel like you are the most interesting and important person in the room, no matter how long he spends with you, no matter the circumstance, no matter anything. It is a talent I am studying and attempting to cultivate as beautifully. That said, because I believe I am so interesting to Alberto and vicariously to all of his fans, this list is extremely long and self-indulgent. This is the significantly pared-down and theme-sorted version, if you’ll believe it. Let’s go:
Routine
The NYT Games: The correct order is Connections, Wordle, Strands, then the Mini. Gotta start and end strong. I’ll throw Worldle in sometimes, too.
Specialty Coffee: I worked at one uh them third wave coffee shops during my gap year. It instilled in me a snootiness inescapable to no one more than myself. I have an incredible partner who wakes up to make me a pourover at 5:30am Tuesday through Saturday, despite his much more normal work schedule. Needless to say, he is one of my favorite things. Other than him, my coffee setup is a good scale with a timer, a burr grinder, electric gooseneck kettle, Kalita wave, and vacuum-insulated travel mug. I also inherited a Breville Barista Express from someone moving out of town, but rarely use it. It’ll never be as good as the shot someone spent all morning dialing in on a machine worth as much as my car. But when the cortado craving hits (you’ll need this steam pitcher) or I want a proper espresso martini, it’s nice to have this best-reviewed home espresso machine.
Pen and Paper: The biggest lie I tell myself is “I don’t need to write that down, I’ll remember.” HAH. And if you think I have the object permanence to recall something I put in the notes app, you are a fool. I steal lined, 4x6 sticky notes from work, and here’s my favorite 0.38mm ballpoint pen if you’re interested.
Vitamin C Facial Products: This cream is pretty solid and is often discounted at Costco, and this serum got rid of my melasma. However, this NourishMax serum (part of a set of products my mom got me for Christmas) is, as they say, goated with the rizz. I normally love The Ordinary, but their serum made my face burn for some reason. Beware.
Home
I want walking into my apartment to feel like a hearty exhale. I have built my sanctuary not unlike a lizard terrarium. Lots of warm lights and plants and lounging areas. So, what is needed to build this?
Used Furniture: Currently, most of my furniture was found on the streets of San Francisco. The less-nice pieces I am slowly but surely replacing with FB Marketplace finds or bespoke items from my woodworker brother. The gaps are filled with Wayfair sales and Ikea. That said, all the furniture we need in the world has already been built. You just have to be patient and invest a teeny bit more for the quality, solid wood stuff that will last you the rest of your days. If you’re in the bay area, may I recommend thrifting at Poor Honey’s (affordable statement pieces), The Katz Meow (smaller items, fun to peruse), and Stuff (curated, pricey, beautiful).
Warm, Soft Lighting: You don’t have to ban the big light if you set it to orange and 15% brightness! Smartbulbs, plus a sunset lamp and recessed, warm-toned, under-cabinet light strips for the kitchen have made all my landlord-special apartments feel very luxe. Oh, and a rechargeable table lamp on the bathroom counter.
5-Disc CD Changer: Growing up in LA, the cool thing to do on a date – friend or romantic – was to hit up the Hollywood Amoeba (RIP). As such, I have an extensive CD collection. Rather than let all those go to waste when my boombox broke, I purchased a 5-disc CD changer from the Novato Goodwill and have never looked back. It’s hooked up to a Bose SoundLink speaker I got off ebay in college (discontinued, but better than any other speaker I’ve come across in this price range and still going strong over 10 years later). Benefits of a CD player in your home include: looking at your phone less, preventing randos from hijacking the aux at your function, and the transformative experience of listening to albums all the way through.
Hobby
A Sharp Chef’s Knife: Most of my hobbies are food adjacent, and I could say a lot about pickling, breadmaking, cocktail supplies, wine glass shapes, etc etc. But even if you have no interest in kitchen activities, you have to eat. Therefore, every home needs a decent quality, sharp, multipurpose knife. A dull knife is much more dangerous than a sharp one. Just invest in one good knife! I beg of you! This one has a great weight and quality for the price. It’s basically all I use and it’s all anyone needs. I store it on this magnetic knife rack with my bread knife and bench scraper. That’s it.
Cotopaxi 35L Backpack: I love to travel, but you will never catch me paying for a checked bag. I went to Europe for three weeks (twice) with just this beauty. Even the stingiest of budget airlines consider her a carry-on. She also makes a great weekend trip bag, has a lifetime warranty, is made relatively sustainably and ethically, is paranoia-proofed with zipper guards and minimal exposed pockets, and is comfy and ergonomic. Loml.
Postcards: Postcards are probably the most ubiquitous and affordable souvenir there is. I love them. I collect those trending toward the more stylized/artistic side and display them on a rotating basis in my home. I highly recommend becoming the postcard person. It forages connections, it sparks conversation, and it keeps alive the art of the hand-written note. Here are a few postcards I’ve been gifted on custom display shelves built by my brother (he found the medieval one for me while on tour – I recommend zooming in to inspect):
Golden Brick of Light: a love letter to salted Kerrygold Butter
If my years spent living in San Jose had a taste, it would be Kerrygold salted butter. That butter was the only thing that got me out of bed sometimes.
I had never dreamed of living in San Jose, but a professional opportunity (and a beautiful boy named Stephan) led me to the valley of silicone. It was nothing like I expected it to be and I began to withdraw into my studio apartment cave.
This was also around the time when I had two eye surgeries. Eye surgery is a terrible sensory experience and unfortunately I now know what my own eyeball burning smells like now. ANYWAYS,
I spent my time in recovery at my parents’ house and it was there that I was reintroduced to an old friend, the waffle iron.
Waffles soothed me while I sat on the couch with an eyepatch on. I made waffles for myself every morning and went through all of the nice butter my parents had stacked in the refrigerator. I was gifted a waffle iron for my birthday from my parents’ a few months later and that’s how the official Waffle Period started.
I consumed at least 2-3 waffles per week during the Waffle Period, which lasted around a year. Sometimes I’d make eggs and bacon, too, but more ofen than not it was just me sitting in my apartment alone, eating waffles covered in butter and listening to a podcast.
I made waffles for all of the men that visited me in that cave. Nothing says, “I have my shit together, please come back” quite like a waffle with nice butter.
Waffles and their butter were there for me when my texts went unanswered. Waffles and their butter were there for me when the initial cracks that eventually became canyons started to appear in a friendship. Waffles and their butter fueled me for an interview that changed my life.
Oh, delicious brick of Irish dairy science. You are the coolest girl in the kitchen and you are always worth the price.
