Issue #136: A Massive List of My Holy Grail Kitchen Essentials and Recipes
The best $50 ginger shot maker and spices.
Morning Person is a weekly newsletter packed with obsessively-curated recommendations and ideas—let’s get to it!
📺 “3 Body Problem” on Netflix: This new, bingeable Netflix adaptation of Liu Cixin’s bestselling sci-fi epic (not to be confused with the Peacock series that came out last year) kicks off with an intensely ominous beginning: Decades after a Chinese scientist is publicly executed, present-day scientists start killing themselves at alarming rates. It may be related to the fact that all of their experiments are failing, or the mysterious countdown some see… or is the video game console arriving at their doors?? The lose threads—and the roads they lead down—make this series, from “Game of Thrones” creators (and actors), extremely captivating. Well worth a watch.
📚 Rabbit Heart by Kristine S. Ervin: In 1986, the author’s mother, Kathy Sue Engel, was abducted from an Oklahoma mall, while returning a dress. Days later, police found her violently murdered and left in an oil field. Kristine was only eight-years-old, left to grapple with the unfathomable cruelty, sexism, and lost possibility of her mother. If this were a crime podcast, it would be a “simple” whodunnit; instead, Kristine’s ultra-personal memoir reconstructs her mother from details about her life and death, while grappling with “injustice,” in every sense of the word. A devastating and gripping story.
💿 ‘Tigers Blood’ by Waxahatchee: It’s likely no surprise, given my devotion to Plains that I’ve been listening to this new album from Waxahatchee nonstop since its Friday release. Like Kacey’s recent release, it’s creative release of someone who has come into her own after a period of deep self-searching and sobriety. The first song, 3 Sisters, reads like a poem, about escaping a sister or an ex’s (I could be projecting) narrative of her “I'm defenseless against the sales pitch/Am I your moat or your drawbridge?” Regardless, I’m leaning into my Americana music spring. Also great: Adrianne Lenker’s tender, yearning album ‘Bright Future’ about being “now 31.”
While I consider myself a minimalist when it comes to my home and closet, I am a full-blown maximalist in the kitchen. I adore single-use appliances, collect spices, and keep my pantry and freezer stocked to the point of nearly-overflowing. Like my mother, I take comfort in being able to whip up anything at a moment’s notice. Coconut curry? Risotto? Baklava? I’m ready. That isn’t to say I’m not discerning. In my previous life as a food editor, I quietly amassed impassioned opinions on the best kitchen essentials.
Below are 37+ things you’ll always find in my kitchen. These aren’t items I’m assuming you already have, like forks and knives, but the “fun essentials,” like the functional decor my friends always compliment, the purchase that just made my mornings better, and my nostalgic countertop companion. They’re organized by categories like:
Can’t Live Without
Solo Cooking Essentials
Decor Must-Haves
And, don’t miss the new recipe archive at the end…
As a reminder, I never use any affiliate links. These are all genuine recs I’m excited to share from items I’ve purchased and love! Feel free to comment with any questions and I’ll share my honest thoughts. Okay, let’s get to it!
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