Issue 10: Recipe for a Perfect Night In
Homebody so hard.
*hits snooze button*
With the holiday season coming up, my boyfriend and I have both decided to cool it on the dining out, outdoor cocktail parties, and booze for the next three weeks. That means a lot of cozy nights in on the immediate calendar, about which I am not complaining in the least. I am most definitely what Casey Wilson calls a “bed person”. (Her book is a freakin’ riot.) That is to say, one who treats lounging as though it were an Olympic sport.
I haven’t spent a lot of nights by myself lately, but when I was single, it was during those evenings that I’d subsist solely on popcorn and red wine for dinner — very Olivia Pope, if I do say so myself. I relied upon this meal so regularly that I pretty much perfected my own riff on stovetop popcorn. I call it “Dinner Popcorn”. Here’s how I make it.
I get my dutch oven warmed up with a heavy glug of olive oil in the bottom (I like Bariani and Sardel), throw in about a cup of popcorn kernels, and put the lid on. I really think the heirloom varieties taste better, but a good ol’ bag of yellow kernels from Trader Joe’s suits just fine. Once the popping has slowed to 2-3 seconds between pops, I kill the heat, wait for the popping to stop, and dump the warm popcorn into a big bowl. A BIG bowl is key here, otherwise, you’re just going to make a mess when you try to toss it in a minute. From there, I give the popcorn a generous drizzle of chili-infused olive oil and lemon-infused olive oil (both Brightland), season it with Kosher salt (Diamond brand!), and douse the whole pile in a big scoop of Nutritional Yeast. Then it’s time for the tossy tossy! I toss it in the bowl until the kernels are nice and coated — and then I dive in, preferably with a glass of red.
More thoughts on staying in well. My lazy rotation lately has been a pair of $8 Hanes sweatpants from Amazon (truly, perfection — no pockets, not too bulky, no waist pinching), socks, bougie clogs, and the new Sally Rooney book, which I am trying to savor but am really just devouring in two marathon binges. After I finish that, I’m planning to crack open a new Man Ray biography — I’m kind of romanced by anyone who expatriates to Paris in the 1920’s — to dive a little more into a photographer’s work I often reference, but realized I know very little about.
That’s not to say I don’t love a *proper* matching pajama set, too. I think Desmond & Dempsey pretty much cannot be touched when it comes to prints. Just be warned, the cotton is very thin and they’re better suited for milder climates.
And blankets? Ummm, would you like my dissertation now or later? I am a throw blanket connoisseur, and I will tell you right now the softest and coziest are also the cheugiest — Barefoot Dreams and Ugg. I have a huge, creamy Barefoot Dreams blanket that I curl up on the couch with almost nightly. I’ll usually light a candle (still stuck on this one) once I change from work clothes to my cozies.
If I’m really being extra, I’ll do a face mask before I take a hot bath: Clarins if I need to de-puff, SK-II if my skin’s dry or I want to #treatmyself, or hippie grocer staple Aztec Healing Clay if my pores are congested. Self-care Sunday, but make it weeknight!
I asked Instagram their own requirements for a perfect evening in — lots of replies about wine, comfy PJ’s, and soft blankets. Head over to Stories today where we’re talking about it.
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