Fancy Friday: Pop Culture Podcasts

When you work in an office environment where you could sit for 5 hours straight in the dearth of Excel, you need some audio pick me ups. Because glancing to Twitter every 10 minutes is not generally appreciated by management.

Surely this is where you listen to every Spotify playlist they’ve ever made, but you could also laugh along or learn some stuff while you’re “working.” And pop culture is my bread and butter: TV, movies, celebrities, books, stuff that’s headlining, all of the above.

Podcasts that Cover Today’s Trending Topics

Pop Rocket is hosted by comedian Guy Branum, who has worked on amazing shows like Chelsea Lately, The Mindy Project, Awkward and does stand-up! He has a power panel consisting of Margaret Wappler (journalist), Oliver Wang (academic and DJ), Wynter Mitchell (digital strategist), and occasionally Karen Tongson (academic). It’s smart, hilarious, and it feels like you become best friends with them after a couple listens.

Fancy Friday: Cooking for One

This is the second post in my new post series called “Fancy Friday”, where I talk about what I’m fancying that week. Enjoy!

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I’m living solo in a studio apartment, which means when I cook there is no one to pawn off leftovers. (To be honest, I was always THAT roommate that ate everyone’s unwanted leftovers — don’t want to waste food!) I’ve made the mistake before of not scaling down recipes, which are often 4-8 servings! That’s turkey chili for a whole straight week, which is delicious but tiring after awhile.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t get a chance to flex my culinary muscle! Cooking for one means I only cook what I want to eat and not have to tone down the spices. Food is an important part of culture and you have the ability to explore other cultures through their cuisines.

I’ve made everything from Indian chicken korma to Mexican tinga to Greek gyros. It’s exciting to buy ingredients I have never used before and transform mealtime into an experience! Truly I need to read up on some food photography tips, but for now I share on my Instagram with photos taken from my rickety iPhone 4.

What I’ve found is that certain recipes that are automatically portioned out (tamales, stuffed peppers, ramekin dishes) seem to be easier to scale down, since you can accurately imagine how much food you are making. But for all other recipes (soups, stews, pasta), scale down the recipe to 2-4 servings depending on how much you like leftovers. My trouble is always when purchasing meat, which is usually at least a pound. If you want smaller purchases of protein, head to the meat/seafood counter! They sell cuts by the piece and you can get smaller amounts of seafood for your “just for one” recipes. I spoiled myself with those bay scallops above, about $5 for 1/2 lb.

And I am a big fan of farmers markets! Fresh, local produce is the way to go. And when you live in a wonderful produce state like California (and Michigan), you have to take advantage of what is in season. It also gives you an opportunity to try something new as well! Find a farmers market closest to you here.

And even if you’re not a cooking aficionado, you can try your hand at a new recipe! Perhaps an old favorite tweaked with new ingredients or something completely unfamiliar using things you already have. You don’t need anything fancy to make a good meal! Just love and patience 🙂

My Go-To Cooking Implements:

• Rice Cooker: I’m half Asian, so it’s a given. The first thing my parents gave me for my college dorm was a rice cooker. Asian priorities.
• Slow Cooker/CrockPot: A machine that sits and cooks a whole meal while you’re at work? Win! Just peruse Pinterest & Buzzfeed and see all the people who rave over slow cooker recipes.
• Wok: Hello? Stir frys for days! And fried rice. And a million other things.
• Cast Iron Skillet: A pan that can go on the stovetop AND in the oven; that means frittatas, skillet brownies and more.
• Panini Pan: My dad gifted this and I was ready to get my pressed sandwich on! Primo grilled cheeses, toasted wraps, and the ability to put grill marks on anything without a grill.

My Go-To Recipe/Food Sources:

• Martha Stewart: The queen of the craft and kitchen, she is my source for trying out seasonal produce and what I can do with it. Also, if you want to make gourmet and beautiful food, she is key.
• Food Network: Want to learn some basic cooking techniques? Try the recipes you’ve seen in your favorite show?
• Iowa Girl Eats: A healthy lifestyle blogger, Kristin is a Midwest girl (holla!) who loves using fresh food to make healthier recipes. Stellar food photography, btw.
• All Recipes: Got a taste for something or have an idea of what you want to make? Search here from tons of user submitted recipes and find which one suits your fancy.

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Hopefully this post maybe inspires you to get creative in the kitchen, or just watch Food Network on end and be insanely jealous of their skills. But just like in the Pixar movie Ratatouille (which I’ve made before!), “Anyone can cook.”

Cheers Internet, Amelia

Fancy Friday: Books About Comedy

So I want to start a themed-post day again. Last year it was my “Motivational Monday” posts with quotes from various people. This year I’m inspired by one of my fave podcasts, Pop Rocket, where they have a segment where each contributor shares what they’re obsessed with in pop culture this week.

My riff on it is “What I Fancy” Friday, shortened to “Fancy Friday”. So, if anything catches my fancy that week, I’ll share with y’all!

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What I have been OBSESSED with for over a year now are books about comedy. I most recently received Judd Apatow’s new book for Christmas:

I’ve always been fascinated with how people get to where they are today — Wikipedia “early life” sections are my go-to’s sometimes — and Judd Apatow has fun interviewing the greats of comedy and those who have been impacted by his work. He always knew he was a comedy nerd before it was a term and started his interviews as a teenager for his high school’s radio station. To reiterate: he interviewed young Seinfeld as a teen with a radio show. That’s determination!

And the title’s byline is true, he has conversations with these people. They’re fun chats, full of tangents, quips, and sarcasm — and reflections from Judd too. Although it’s not a book with a purpose of being biographical, you do see Judd’s journey into and through his comedy career thus far.

It’s a great book to read while traveling and is granted to make you chuckle — and make people curious to what you are reading!

Already read this book? Try…

Poking a Dead Frog: Conversations with Today’s Top Comedy Writers is a similarly formatted book where comedy greats are interviewed about their craft, their humble beginnings, and their journey. This book is probably more focused for the comedy nerds and aspiring comedy technics, but it is still entertaining and engaging.

Again, a great travel book and will make you chuckle!

Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling is her sophomore book of essays that hit it out of the park. She dives deeper into her experience of her show The Mindy Project (it being canceled and being promptly picked up by Hulu), her childhood experiences, and her becoming a role model for young girls and women. When you read it, it’s like getting advice from a friend that’s a few years older: you laugh and you trust that she wants the best for you. Recommended for the young feminist’s bookshelf!

Yes Please by Amy Poehler was on my Most Wanted Booklist last year and I read through it in 24 HOURS. Probably a record for me, considering it’s a 300+ page book, but it absolutely sucked me in! You can hear Amy’s voice and soul through this book, which is tireless positivity and support for herself & her peers. Also, contrasts so well with Tina Fey’s book in showing their different comedic styles (Tina’s snappy wit to Amy’s all-in comedic commitment). Hard to believe she’s a momma, but I bet she’s killing it as a mom!

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This is just a mere sample of my favorite books about comedy/from comedians. I’ll definitely need a part II of this post! And I probably need another post just for young feminists (shout out to Emma Watson’s new feminist’s bookclub, Our Shared Self).

Now with future posts on the to-do list, I’ll keep reading away — and I hope you are too!

Cheers Internet, Amelia