Morning Miso Cod: High-Protein, Prep-It-Ahead Breakfast
Plus! Artist designed towels, lavender eyeliner, punk rock dance aerobics, and Armenian flatbreads
This week I was navigating a couple of big professional moves and needed to take a match to my floating anxiety. Exercise is my only stress management tool; if I could pay someone to meditate for me, I would. As I wait for mindfulness to penetrate the gig economy, I am returning to Pony Sweat, the East Los Angeles Queer Dance Aerobics class that has long been my salvation. It’s exercise, but so much more. Instructor/creator, Emilia Richeson-Valiente reminds us at the start of each class that jumping around and swiveling our hips is a “fiercely non-competitive practice.” She encourages dancers (aka “Ponies”) to take up space as they follow along, but more importantly, to “fuck the moves.” It’s a small but potent gesture towards dismantling hierarchies big and small, in the studio, within ourselves, at home, and in our professional lives.
Personally, I don’t find it easy to receive a series of steps while being told that, “doing it ‘right’ is missing the point.” I suspect I’m not alone. As a mother, a perfectionist, and as a 42 year-old former dancer with a body that refuses to comply with her own muscle memory, I need to hear this on repeat. It’s silly, it’s joyful, it’s sweaty, and it’s a little bit of freedom.
Emilia shares her playlists on Spotify — less Top 40, more Punk/Post Punk, it’s not your typical workout soda pop. Classes are available in-person, but also virtually.
And! We still have Limited Edition Salad for President x Frog Hollow Farms Salad Kits available, featuring their regenerative organic pluots, and my Thai Coconut Crisp Salad Toppers. For you, my loyal subscriber, I am offering 10% off. Click here, and use SFPXPLUOT at checkout.
And now, my recommendations for this week, including discounts from eco T.P., PlantPaper, and artist designed towels from Plunge Towels. As promised in last week’s newsletter on High Protein Breakfasts, I am sharing my Morning Miso Cod recipe for paid subscribers. Love you.
BEAUTY
When I was in my 20s, a “smokey eye” was the height of sophistication. In my 30s, the shadow above started to merge with the dark circles below, and a dramatic eye was my friend no longer.
These days, if I am going to use eye make-up, I reach for a light but bold color eyeliner to brighten my eyes. With one stroke it says, “She’s fun! She’s unpredictable! She doesn’t look as tired as she feels!” The effect is far less brash than you might imagine, especially if the rest of your make-up is neutral.
Pastel eyeliners can be hard to find (shocker, lavender and baby blue are not best sellers), but MAC makes a gel liner in lavender and cobalt blue. Gucci has an icy blue that I love too.
EAT
I have been exploring the vast world of Armenian flatbreads from the thin, round, sauced and baked Lamajeun, to the herb-stuffed Zhengalev Hatz. This entire category is a solution for my distaste for takeout. These breads don’t suffer in transport, and there are a variety of flavors to choose from: some with za'atar, others with mushrooms, red pepper paste, or spiced tomato sauce (there are meat options too). They freeze well, making them an excellent choice for parties and lunchbox filler.
At Old Sasoon Bakery in Pasadena, you can call ahead to order khachapuri, a Georgian, oval flatbread with a pool of melty white cheese and an entire egg baked within its low walls. Other notable Armenian bakeries include Byblos in La Crescenta, Zhengalev Hatz in Glendale (they only serve vegan flatbread stuffed with 12 types of herbs), and Koko’s Bakery (his mini, vegetarian Lamajeun are nicer than his attitude).
SWIM
A fancy beach towel is not something I would buy for myself, which makes it a great gift. At Plunge Towels, “high art” meets “beach day” when emerging artists are commissioned to make limited-edition towels. I love a framework that invites visual artists to make something at an accessible price point ($45-$85).
Artists take note: their annual call for submissions will be announced later this Fall. Plunge Towels is offering 15% off for my paid subscribers down below.
WIPE
Everyday I learn that another integral product is drenched in PFAFS or heavy metals (in case you didn’t catch it, there are heavy metals in your tampons, and “forever chemicals” on your child’s raincoat). Conventional toilet paper is no exception. In fact, T.P. is the source of most of the “forever chemicals” that show up in our water system. Formaldehyde strengthens conventional tissue and chemical bleach makes it white -- you don’t want either of these in daily contact with your gorgeous grundle.
PlantPaper to the rescue! A subscription model, they deliver bamboo, eco-friendly toilet paper to your door, hold the yucky stuff. And for my subscribers, they are offering 20% off your first subscription with the code JULIA20.
Morning Miso Cod
Black cod is sustainable and low in mercury, two things I look for when buying and consuming fish. I prep three portions and hold them in the marinade in the fridge. Simply toss one piece under the broiler in the morning, and repeat on days two and three. The fish you cook on day three will just be more deeply seasoned than the one you cook on day one.
In Japanese cuisine, sake is used to neutralize fishiness, to infuse the fillet with umami, and to firm the flesh (the alcohol cooks off, so don’t worry about that). I like having sake around for use in lieu of white wine when I want a milder flavor for deglazing a pan.
Set the brown rice in the rice cooker the night before and you’ll have a Japanese breakfast, high in protein and fiber. (My recipe for mixed up Crazy Rice with all kinds of healthful grains is coming soon). Some nice additional toppings include an umeboshi plum, furikake, seasoned seaweed, avocado, kimchi, or some chili crisp.
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