Tomatoes!

I’ve had tomatoes on my mind since a friend shared this New Yorker cartoon that has the caption, “Summer’s here. Do you want to start talking incessantly about tomatoes or corn?”

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While I don’t truly love tomatoes like some people do, I realized there’s a handful of tomato-centric recipes that I really like, and that I figured are worth re-upping as tomato season approaches!

First, there’s this Claire Lower/Lifehacker post that is nothing short of life-changing: Marinate Your Tomatoes for Extra Flavorful BLTs. I can’t say with 100% confidence that this will make even tomato-haters like tomatoes, but I do think if you’re not, like, actively repulsed by tomatoes, this marinade might be enough to get you to a place of real enjoyment. I made a batch of these last night and even though the tomatoes I got aren’t even that good, they were still great! (I’m extra thrilled because I just bought a bottle of the much-loved Kewpie mayo, making these BLTs even more special.)

Next, up: Nora Ephron’s tomato sauce, via Kelsey Miller/A Cup of Jo. After I read this for the first time, I went on a farmers market trek to find the perfect tomatoes, and when I finally secured them and made the recipe, it did not disappoint. I’m looking forward to making this one in August…it’s not time just yet.

Moving on to cherry tomatoes…I love the roasted tomato, feta, and chickpea mix in this recipe.

Finally, if you can’t choose between tomatoes or corn, I humbly suggest NYT Cooking’s summer shrimp scampi with tomatoes and corn. We use canned corn for this, and have made it without the shrimp on several occasions, and always get great results. 🍅

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Just Good Shit: 06.27.21

Image: A woman wears a white “Promote Homosexuality” T-shirt and black Levi’s dad jeans and holds an iridescent fan

It was another great week! I love being vaccinated!! We managed to get super last-minute tickets to NightGowns, Sasha Velour’s fantastic drag show; went to Drag n Drive; hung out with friends on our rooftop; visited a newish very cute/gay grocery store; went to the gay beach; made new friends; saw old friends…really just 10s across the board!

That said, the cops are literally pepper spraying and arresting people celebrating Pride in Washington Square Park as I write this (!!!!), so…there’s still a long way to go in this fight.

Here’s what else I had going on…

Reading

I finished another Ann Bannon novel (which I didn’t love as much as Beebo) and am now reading the rom-com Something to Talk About.

Also:

Rachel Lindsay Has No Roses Left to Burn, NY Mag.

Airbnb Is Spending Millions of Dollars to Make Nightmares Go Away, Bloomberg.
TBH, I was kind of already out on Airbnb, at least for traveling alone with my gf, after our last few trips, when I felt very freaked out and vulnerable, and this article made me feel like that’s probably the right move.

The mRNA Vaccines Are Extraordinary, but Novavax Is Even Better, The Atlantic.

How to Organize Your Fridge, Wirecutter.

‘I Don’t Drink, But My Friends Still Want to Split the Bill!’, The Cut.

Drag March Kicks Off Pride Weekend In Spectacular Style, Gothamist.

‘We Really Don't Have Time to Waste’ — Coming Out in a Pandemic, NYT.

19 Unforgettable Ways to Make Up for Lost Time With Friends This Summer, VICE.

A few other recs from this week…

Wig, a documentary about NYC drag on HBO.

NYT Cooking’s Creamy Chive Pasta With Lemon recipe —remarkably simple/fast to make, and really delicious.

A bunch of mesh pouches + a pack of carabiners, which gave me the beach bag organization I’ve been craving.

Queer Crosswords, which is great, and also has a comprehensive list of LGBTQ charities worth your time and money, if you’re looking for a nice way to honor Pride before June ends.

Have a nice night! 🧚🏽‍♀️

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Just Good Shit: 06.20.21

It was another good week around here! Our morning glories are growing at a borderline-alarming speed; we met up with friends at Riis yesterday; we had new friends over on Thursday night and had so much fun; and I did a massive organization project today that I’m so happy about. We also voted (early — the primaries are Tuesday in NYC), which is always a pleasure. And a box of the best peaches I’ve ever tasted arrives this week!

Here’s what else I had going on…

My shit

How to Tell if The Way You and Your Partner Fight Is Actually Not OK
“Carol, Bound, and Other Queer Movies Worth Your Time” (new ep of the podcast)

Reading

I’m currently reading I Am a Woman by Ann Bannon, and really enjoying it! Also:

The Road to Terfdom, Lux Magazine.

Living Nonbinary in a Binary Sports World, Sports Illustrated.

Do You Want to Be Sad, or Skinny? The Slippery Solution of Wellbutrin, VICE.
(Just a head’s up that this article centers on eating disorders.)

‘A Family Like Ours’: Portraits of Gay Fatherhood, NYT.

The Housewife and the Hustler Is a Necessary Yet Flawed Portrait of Erika Jayne, Tom Girardi, & American Greed, Jezebel.

Let's Talk About In the Heights and the Erasure of Dark-Skinned Afro-Latinx Folks, The Root.

The #gaycopsoftiktok are barely even trying, All Cops Are Posters.

The improbable true story of Judge Judy and the reporter who made her a star, LA Times.

Casey McQuiston Will Remind You What It Feels Like to Be Alive, The Cut.

#1338: “*surprised Pikachu face* Another friendship that stresses me out!”, Captain Awkward.
“Life is too short for this NiceGirl™ shit where seeming polite is more important than being honest, kind, or happy.”

Watching

Explant, a really interesting documentary about the history of breast implants and the thousands of women who say theirs are making them sick. The aforementioned The Housewife and the Hustler. But I’m a Cheerleader, a classic. And Luca, the new Pixar movie.

Have a good evening! ☀️

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Just Good Shit: 06.13.21

Two people sitting at a march for Black Trans Lives in Brooklyn holding signs that say “None of us are free until ALL of us are free” and “Protect Trans Kids/”

Two protest signs: One says “Protect Trans Youth” and the other says “Stop policing kids’ genitals, you weirdos.”

Whew, what a weekend! Yesterday I spent the day at Good Judy, a newish (and, now, vaxxed-only) queer bar in Park Slope. They closed the block down and had a bunch of amazing drag performances throughout the day. The vibe was just so good — mellow, communal, welcoming, fun. The DJ was playing banger after banger; when he put on “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” we all absolutely lost it.

Today I spent the day at the March for Black Trans Lives, an incredibly moving (and impressively well-organized) event that started with a rally at the Brooklyn Museum and ended in Ft. Greene Park. It centered on trans youth and trans liberation, and featured several young speakers, all of whom were incredible. (I recommend checking out all of the speeches; you can see two of my favorites here and here. NYT also covered it, and there are lots of great photos.) Coming together in solidarity and community, taking to the streets, chanting in unison, protecting each other, and making time to celebrate the fact that we’re still here… it’s just kind of the whole thing, you know?

Here’s what else I had going on this week…

Reading

This week, I read The Killer Wore Leather, a very funny murder mystery that I discovered via this list of queer beach reads that I edited recently!

And a couple other articles worth your time:

The New York Times’ Culture-War Definition of Free Speech, The New Republic.

I Asked My Rapist For $10,000, Lux.

Two Black Students Won School Honors. Then Came the Calls for a Recount., NYT.

I’m using NYT’s new “gift articles” feature to share the NYT links in this post; basically, subscribers can now share 10 articles per month, and if you use a “gift” link like the ones above, it won’t count toward your free article total.

Have a good night! ✊🏽

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Just Good Shit: 06.06.21

Hiiiii! Tonight’s edition is a little late because I spent most of the day lying tits-up on the gay beach reading Beebo Brinker — truly an ideal way to spend a 90 degree Sunday at the beginning of June!! Here’s what else I had going on this week…

Writing

How to Have the Queerest Summer of Your God Damn Life if You're Newly Out

And there’s a new ep of Oh, I Like That: Homosexual Tendencies (Let’s Talk About Pride!).

It’s time for me to re-up these

Pride reading list (updated with some great newer stuff)
It's OK To Feel Sad In The Summer

Reading

Along with Beebo, I read Casey McQuiston’s new novel, One Last Stop, which is great. And…I didn’t read much else actually, because it was a short week and I was writing/editing a bunch. Also it’s hard to read when you’re playing “Love Again” on repeat!

Have a good night! 🌡

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Just Good Shit: 05.30.21

Hi, friends! Here’s what I was up to this week…

Reading

What the Tulsa Race Massacre Destroyed, NYT.

A Day With New York’s Bird Paramedics, Curbed.

I’m a Vaccinated Transplant Recipient. I Don’t Have Antibodies. Now What?, NYT.

The man who didn’t invent Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, L.A. Times.

Cruella Is the Girl-Bossification of the Madwoman, Vulture.
OK, we decided to watch this out of morbid curiosity/boredom (it’s been pouring non-stop for three days) and had low expectations…and yet were still shocked by just how bad it was! Totally joyless, incredibly obnoxious, with too many plot holes to count, and it just, like… does not connect to the 101 Dalmatians villain/story at all. So weird!

Cruella shows that Disney is still struggling to get its “first gay character” right, A.V. Club.

If Cruella’s Ending Left You Confused, You’re Not Alone, Slate.

She Put Her Unspent Love in a Cardboard Box, NYT.

Bowen Yang Is Changing the Late-Night Comedy Landscape, Slate.

How to help coworkers who have been in the office all along, Ask a Manager.

Have a good night! 🌥

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Just Good Shit: 05.23.21

Hello! Here’s what I had going on this week…

Writing

How to Date During Horny Vax Summer if You're Looking for a Relationship

And Sally and I answered some listener questions about friendship on the podcast!

Reading

What Happens When Americans Can Finally Exhale, The Atlantic.

Covid Killed His Father. Then Came $1 Million in Medical Bills., NYT.

My Grandfather Bought a Home in Gaza With His Savings. An Israeli Airstrike Destroyed It., NYT.

Chipotle Is a Criminal Enterprise Built on Exploitation, Jacobin.

Billy Porter Breaks a 14-Year Silence: “This Is What HIV-Positive Looks Like Now”, The Hollywood Reporter.

Sorry, Bella Poarch, this IS ‘Build a B*tch’, The Kids Aren’t Alright.

It Is Unconscionable That The Gay Community Has Ostracized Me Simply Because I Was Born A Cop, Defector.

Eating

This weekend, I got motivated to deal with the ongoing problem of lunch, and I’m returning to sauce theory. I’m doing perfect chicken + roasted vegetables + ready rice, and then I whipped up two sauces from Simply Julia. I already feel so much better about the fact that tomorrow is Monday.

Have a good evening! 🌇

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Just Good Shit: 05.16.21

This week, I celebrated the first anniversary of The Art of Showing Up! My girlfriend got me an amazing (and delicious) cake to celebrate. We also had two (!!) friend hangouts this weekend and watched Showgirls, a movie viewing experience that I…frankly was not prepared for. At one point, we paused, in a state of awe and confusion, to discuss what we had just seen, and she pointed out we were *not even seven minutes into the movie*. It’s nonsensical, baffling, and so shockingly bad, and I kind of already want to watch it again? (Instead we’re watching You Don’t Nomi, the documentary that seeks to figure out why Showgirls…is this way.)

Here’s what else I had going on this week.

Reading

Sara Yasin, my former coworker, is a good follow for news/insight on what is happening in Israel and Palestine right now. And Democracy Now and US Campaign for Palestinian Rights are two good resources (h/t Sally).

Also:

5 People Describe the Emotional and Financial Tolls of House Arrest, VICE.

Texas Is About to Pass a Radical Anti-Abortion Bill and It Should Scare You, Jezebel.

Why We Speak More Weirdly at Home, The Atlantic.

Called by God, Slate.

How To Affirm the People in Your Life Who Use Multiple Sets of Pronouns, them.

And I’ve been reading a galley of The Housewives and really loving it!

Have a good one! 🌷

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Just Good Shit: 05.09.21

Hi! I’m getting this one out late tonight because we just had our first in-person friend hangout since March 2020! Terri came over for a visit and it was such a treat. I’m simply beaming!

Here’s what else I had going on this week…

Writing

What to Do if You're Feeling Especially Bad About Your Body Lately

Reading

Bridging the Divide Between the Police and the Policed, The New Yorker.

Grief is overwhelming India. My family was no exception., Washington Post.

What Licensed Massage Therapists And Former NFL Players Have To Say About Deshaun Watson, Defector.

How to Talk to Your Kid About Bodies When You Have an Eating Disorder Yourself, Slate.

An oral history of the Dawson crying GIF and its outsized legacy., Vox.

For the Love of Real Housewives: Casey Wilson on an Obsession That Never Quits, Vanity Fair.

An oral history of Tom Holland's sensational 'Lip Sync Battle' performance, Insider.

What If Everything We Know About Gymnastics Is Wrong?, The New York Times Magazine.

Eboni K. Williams Was Born to Disrupt The Real Housewives of New York City, Vanity Fair.

Starbucks Baristas Are Sick of Your Ridiculous Custom Orders, VICE.

How A 4-Year-Old Brooklyn Boy Bought Nearly 1,000 SpongeBob Popsicles Online, Gothamist.

Finally, today’s a great day to donate to the #FreeBlackMamas National Bail Out fund. ✨

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Just Good Shit: 05.02.21

Hi, pals! I’m officially vaccinated and ready to party aka have 1/2 of a beer with friends and then go to bed at a sensible hour! I feel beyond grateful to have made it to this point, but the current COVID situation in India is dire. I donated via GiveIndia, and NYT has more ways to help here.

Here’s what else I had going on this week…

Reading

This week, I read Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York, which I highly recommend. It’s true crime, which is usually not my cup of tea (and I had to kind of skim through the descriptions of the crimes), but it really focuses on the victims and their lives as opposed to centering the killer. It’s ultimately a book about community organizing, incompetent/bigoted policing, and gay New York in the ‘80s and ‘90s, and I just thought it was so well done. I also read Crying in H Mart, which I thought was fantastic.

Also:

I Was 12 When We Met, Slate.
Note: this article deals with grooming and rape.

Post-vaccination Inertia Is Real, The Atlantic.

The Slander Industry, NYT.

‘The Relief Outweighed the Regret’, Vulture.
I loved this! (Content note for diet/weight loss talk.)

Pixar’s Troubled “Soul”, The New Yorker.

Is This the End of the Leotard?, Slate.
I will click pretty much any story about athletic uniforms.

The Complicated Reality of Thrift Store 'Gentrification', Jezebel.

Has Online Retail’s Biggest Bully Returned?, NYT.

Ryan O’Connell’s Coming-of-Age Story, Told Through Polaroids, Interview.

Love Weed, Hate the Scaries? This Legal Bud Promises the Mellowest Buzz Ever, VICE.

Can confirm, this stuff is great and I love their branding. BTW, if you shop via this link, we’ll both get $10 off.