July 15, 2021

It’s a week of homecomings. Phoebe Philo is returning to fashion with her own namesake label. Kate Moss is modeling underwear again—this time for Skims, not Calvin—and Richard Branson is safely back on planet Earth. Everyone, sleep well tonight.

1.

You know you’re living in a state of utter bougie woo-woo (Bougie-woo?) when a selling point for your apartment complex is an in-house “spiritual concierge.”  With offerings that go well beyond physical fitness centers and work lounges, there’s growing spate of new residential developments taking on-site amenities to a whole other realm. 

2.

If it feels like you’re seeing apparitions of Anthony Bourdain everywhere, you’re not alone. This spring saw the arrival of “World Travel: An Irreverent Guide,” a posthumous book by Bourdain and his longtime assistant Laurie Woolever.  “Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography,” also by Woolever, drops in September, the same day as “In the Weeds: Around the World and Behind the Scenes with Anthony Bourdain,” by Bourdain’s longtime TV producer and director Tom Vitale. And opening tomorrow: “Roadrunner,” a documentary examining Bourdain’s legendary mystique, rebellious persona, as well as some of the darker, more haunting factors that might have contributed to his untimely suicide. It’s a veritable tasting menu of Bourdain…which I’m pretty sure he’d hate. Still, all this speaks to how profoundly his influence and tragic death still looms over our culture. 

3.

Lately I’ve been asking myself and friends if California needs a new rebrand of sorts. Look, the state still has a lot going for it (and some of my favorite people live there), but droves of Silicon Valleys tech companies are decamping for other states, Hollywood is setting its sights on less-costly production towns, and the exhaustive list of potential natural disasters (fires, droughts, earthquakes) is pretty scary. So the answer is…maybe? It seems like Cali’s working on it, though, starting with a new logo for the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, by Shepherd Fairey. It’s a style that evokes all the retro, beachy fun of California, and one that’s definitely trending right now. From Electric Burrito’s neon-lit signage and branding, to Vacation’s “excessively good” sunscreen, the California dream doesn’t just live on—it’s a selling point.

4.

I’ve been cooking a lot of versions of this beans and seafood recipe lately. The part of me that normally glances at a recipe, then proceeds to do her own thing, actually respects this one. It comes together quickly, it’s nearly impossible to overcook, and the streamlined ingredient list leaves room for variations (it’s encouraged!). Try chickpeas instead of the cannellini beans, capers instead of olives, and any other handful of herbs for the oregano. 

5.

Set Boundaries, Find Peace: It’s become an irksome habit of mine to hear or read about a new book and recommend it effusively to friends and peers without ever reading it myself. This one is on my desk, though! And as I’ve already started to lay out some healthy boundaries—with work, friends, family, even myself—I feel I’ve gleaned enough from it to confidently endorse.

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