new frankie writing + a vlog + foods of summer + ginger scallion noodles 🥢

Hello & happy Friday everyone! What a plump newsletter I have for you, I'm so excited to be sending this your way. Well January zoomed by in a flurry of cat sitting, writing work, recipe-trials and magnified summer-y experiences. We're finally having some warmer weather and I hope to fit in a few trips to the beach soon (now that they're saying the Bay's no longer full of shit... literally (from all the rain we've had making it flow right in!)). This week I worked on a recipe feature for a magazine which will include this Pear Frangipane Tart pictured above. I added notes of fresh ginger, lemon and apricot and it taste's like the best centre of an almond croissant (in tart form) you ever did find.

I did a 10 day cat sit with the lovely Rollo at the end of January and found a lot of peace during that (bar the cat allergies). Attitude aside, he's incredibly affectionate. It's so special continuing to gain his trust and growing that relationship. I wrote a fantasy-horror short story about ageing & relinquishing control that had been on my mind for a while. I ate well, watched some tennis in the evenings and pitched a lot with this fluff ball sleeping close by.

RECIPE.

As a Lunar New Year-nod, I have a new recipe for you – Ginger Scallion Noodles 🥢 This is punchy comfort food that will make you talk with your mouth-full about how good it is! The recipe makes enough ginger scallion oil for a round two (phew) or to pour over dumplings, tofu etc. One of my favourite noodle dishes, I hope you like my rendition!

KITCHEN.

I have been on a cooking ROLL my friends, and gosh it feels good to put this compilation together. It's giving colour, Variety & JOY! I attempted The Very Hungry Coeliac's Ramen Noodles (that's what I used in the Ginger Scallion Noodles pictured above, but you can use any ramen-esque noodle). They were quite an arm workout to roll out, but a satisfying experiment none the less. I tried making ANIMAL FRIES for the first time and a fast-food-esque spiritual experience I most certainly did have. In the fibre department I made my Miso Brussels Sprout Tofu over Soba Noodles (from Big Mouth) and tried a spiced mince with coconut raita dinner I definitely will be repeating!

Mini Okonomiyaki's with a supermarket bought vegetable mix done in the air fryer. Vegan ham, potato rosti salad wrap which I inhaled! And my favourite fragrant noodly thing – Lemongrass & Butternut Laksa. Just writing this is making me salivate lol.

A Green Goddess Tofu Sandwich (will be repeating), Spiced Banana Cake with Coffee Frosting and perfect mango cheek after perfect mango cheek because tis' the season!

WRITING.

I'm in the latest frankie magazine (issue 118) with an essay on my neighbour Sue and a piece on the joy of quiet solo travel.

I absolutely loved writing these two and was so excited to see my name crop up in the Letters to frankie section for the second time about my piece in the previous issue on cinema sitting: my favourite summer sport. What a hoot! Actual people reading my words !!!

YOUTUBE.

I've returned to YouTube! A little vlog full of thoughts, feelings and of course cosy safe spaces enjoyed whilst cat-sitting :)

WATCHED.

The Holdovers soooo pleasantly surprised me. I didn't know I would enjoy it as much as I did – but what a cosy, heartwarming, tender, well made film. And funny! Oh my god I was the only person in the cinema bursting out laughing at the awkward, off-beat humour lol. It was so up my street.

It's probably the first small-town American film I've watched that never felt sweatily claustrophobic and distant. I will watch it again!

Umm... OF COURSE I was going to see Andrew Scott having his moment of moments in his second starring role feature film, All of Us Strangers. I LOVED the premise of this, but I think I would have executed the story slightly differently if I was shooting it – the style caught me a bit off guard. It didn't bump This Beautiful Fantastic as my favourite Andrew Scott film of all time.

What I did love was the use of fantasy, dreams and blurring of reality to address the topic of grief. It reminded me of A Monster Calls (2016), which also employs fantasy to explore similar topics. And I should say as warning that film is SO painful to watch (you'll feel wrecked afterwards). But how the brain and body copes with unimaginable pain is perfectly suited to the fantasy genre if you ask me, I'll always be here for it!

READ.

I loved most of the essays in this book about chronic illness, feminism, consumerism and womanhood. It follows Gamble's experience living with Crohn's disease and how it's shaped her view of the world. I loved the part about her relationship to her bed and her thoughts on spending money when you're in so much discomfort day in-day out.

Sonny's book has been on my radar for a while, but I kind of wish I skipped right passed. Only because I didn't find it to offer anything new. A two page summary could have given me the gist. While it's of great value, this is definitely a neurodivergent-related read for someone at the beginning of their neurodiversity journey.

Thank you for reading & supporting my work,

Phoebe (they/them) x

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