Staying in : May Journal
Each month, I share a few things that have been meaningful lately - from recipes, books, films and artists. This journal is a quiet celebration of shared meals and meaningful dialogue. A sacred, delicate practice of connection through food and art.
Recipes
Asparagus Spring Risotto
Inspired by Sunday market visits and warmer days, this risotto is made with spring produce. Click here to download.
Lychee Cheesecake
A floral take on cheesecake. Lychee folded into the filling, a homemade Speculoos crust, and topped with a smooth lychee curd. Click here to download.
My Grandfathers Biscuits
Passed down from my grandfather, these biscuits bring back quiet weekends, Easter traditions, and the comfort of honey-butter just like my mom made. Click here to download.
Each of these recipes invites you to slow down and enjoy the process. Both in making and sharing.
Books
Women Destroyed (La Femme rompue) by Simone de Beauvoir (1967)
Three stories of different women, each devastating in their own ways. This collection is raw. It traces the inner experience of women as they come to terms with the disappointments of love, age, and independence.
Outline by Rachel Cusk (2014)
This book is apart of a trilogy, though I read them completely out of order. (I collect secondhand books when I can, so I’ve followed the sequence in the order I found them.) Cusk’s writing is fluid. Her work reads a bit like someone thinking out loud, it’s conversational but precise. She captures the way women speak and how our inner dialogue. Each book in this series captures the everyday life of modern women, giving the reader a personal and honest reflection.
The Masterpiece (L'Œuvre) by Émile Zola (1886)
This novel follows a painter struggling to live up to his vision. Exploring tensions between artistic ambition, public rejection, and the loneliness of being misunderstood. It is’ often associated with the French Impressionist movement, and many believe the main character was partly inspired by Zola’s close friend, Paul Cézanne. After the novel was published, Cézanne felt exposed and their friendship never fully recovered. I do want to note: this book is # 14 of Zola’s larger Rougon-Macquart series, though I haven’t read them in order (if you’re new to his work, it’s worth looking up the suggested reading sequence).
Films
Un Chien Andalou by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí (1929)
Something of a 17-minute dream. Noir and blanc, silent, without logic. This surrealist film has no real plot. It’s more a sequence that feel like fragments of memory and emotion. Some scenes are disturbing, others oddly beautiful. Buñuel ran out of funding and edited the film in his kitchen. I really like the rawness of that process, and adds to the magic of this experimental type film. (If I’m not mistaken, you can watch the film on YouTube.)
Cluny Brown by Ernst Lubitsch (1946)
Lighthearted, clever, and outspoken. Jennifer Jones plays Cluny, who gives the character an almost childlike freedom. There’s a scene where she’s running, completely uncontained, and the message of what that scene represents felt so simple and equally powerful. On the surface, it’s a romantic comedy, but beneath that, it says something meaningful about class, gender, and how we make space for individuality in an overly defined society.
Tonari no Totoro by Hayao Miyazaki (1988)
This film left me emotional for days. It captures the joy and vulnerability of being young. Of inventing whole worlds to cope with uncertainty. There’s a softness to it that’s comforting. I felt a strong connection to the film, as someone who grew up in the country side with an older sister. It left me feeling soft and wide open.
Artists
Saul Steinberg : Described himself as "a writer who draws"
An artist and illustrator who used simple lines to say complex things. There’s something refreshing about how loose and unpolished it can seem at first glance, but the longer you look, the more precise it feels. His work reminds me that simplicity can still be rich with meaning.
Philippe Starck : Industrial architect and designer
A French designer known for creating everything from chairs to buildings, always blending function with imagination. I visited his exhibition in Paris last year, recently I’ve found myself reflecting and drawn to the way his creative thinking stretches across different mediums. What interests me about Starck isn’t just the objects themselves. It’s the way he talks about design as something emotional and philosophical. Even in his industrial work, there’s a sensitivity to space and how people move through it.
Thanks for being here. If you make any of the recipes or pick up one of the books, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Until next time,
- Jessie