Ft. ‘The Little Things’ & Deep Dish Cookie Bowls For Two

January 29, 2021 by Sydney Grant

Where were you during the Great GameStop Stock Manipulation of 2021? Last week it was Bernie and his mittens, this week 20-year-olds on Reddit outsmarting hedge funds, what’s next?? Jewish-billionaire funded space lasers??? Yes, you read that right. SMH. In other news, it’s somehow almost February, which means Valentine’s Day, or the worst day of the year (depending on who you ask) is nearly upon us. If you panicked after reading that because you haven’t ordered anything for that special someone yet, don’t worry — I’ve got you covered this week with links to gifts for every type of Valentine below. You’re welcome!

However you’re planning on spending your weekend, enjoy these quarantivities!

Quarant-streams

‘The Little Things’

Watch this if you love not spending $15 on movie theater popcorn:

One of the only perks that have come of the pandemic is the fact that I don’t have to leave my house to see some of Hollywood’s ~hottest~ films, like John Lee Hancock’s The Little Things. Originally written in 1993, the movie is a classic crime psychological thriller and follows a Deputy Sherriff with a dark past (Denzel Washington) and an LAPD cop (Rami Malek) who decide to join forces to try and solve a string of grisly murders.

They immediately zero in on repairman and resident creep Albert Sparma (played almost too convincingly by Jared Leto), but can’t seem to find evidence to prove it. Kind of like when you know your Postmates driver ate some of your fries on the way over… I’m onto you, Darian!! The whole thing is very Se7en and Zodiac Killer, but will most definitely be one of those movies the entire internet is talking about for a few weeks. So, if you pride yourself on being up-to-date on those types of things, watch The Little Things during the 30 days it’s available on HBOMax.

Stream it via HBO Max.

‘Big Mouth’

Watch this if the public school health education system failed you:

Raise your hand if you were ever personally victimized by puberty! Everyone? Cool, thought so. I know that animated shows aren’t for everyone, but with a subject matter as universal as this one, it’s nearly impossible to watch Big Mouth and not relate in some way. As you can guess, it centers around a group of adolescents voiced by some of comedy’s finest, as they attempt to navigate the horrors of puberty one disastrous period and inappropriately timed erection at a time.

What sets this show apart from its pubescent counterparts, such as Hulu’s also hilarious Pen15, is its personification of everything from pillows to puberty itself. Each of the young protagonists is assigned their very own “hormone monster,” who act as the kids’ fearless leaders on their journeys to embracing adulthood. It tackles everything from mental health to all types of sexuality, using side-splitting humor (okay, and also lots of penis jokes) as a vehicle to do so. If you’re a fan of adult animation, or you were ever a 13-year-old, then this one’s a no-brainer.

Stream it via Netflix .

Quarant-reads

‘Black Buck’ by Mateo Askaripour

Read this if you order the same thing from Starbucks every time:

What if a Starbucks order could change your life? Yes, my fellow caffeine addicts, I am aware that a particularly good cold brew is life-changing on a regular basis. However, in Mateo Askaripour’s debut novel Black Buck, this question is posed in a more literal sense. Four years after graduating as valedictorian from his high school, Darren is 22 and has spent the last four years, not in college, but working at his local Starbucks on Park Avenue. He’s a self-proclaimed “Starbucks prodigy,” but his mom and girlfriend are hardly impressed.

So, one day, he decides to challenge a regular customer and high-profile businessman, declining to give him his usual Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew, insisting that “I don’t think you want that today.” Inspired, the businessman offers Darren a job as his company and just like that, Darren’s new life begins. But is it everything he dreamed it would be? A satirical examination of racism in corporate America, Black Buck is both hilarious and horrifying. Behold: the perfect book to tear through this weekend while avoiding the list of errands you’ve been putting off for the last month.

Purchase now via Amazon.

Quarant-eats

Caramelized Shallot Pasta via NYT Cooking (Alison Roman)

Make this to re-create the scene from Lady and the Tramp with your dog:

Photo: Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott for The New York Times

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup olive oil
6 large shallots, very thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, 4 thinly sliced, 1 finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
1 (2-ounce) can anchovy fillets (about 12), drained
1 (4.5-ounce) tube or (6-ounce) can of tomato paste (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup)
10 ounces pasta
1 cup parsley, leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
Flaky sea salt

PREPARATION

Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium high. Add shallots and thinly sliced garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots have become totally softened and caramelized with golden-brown fried edges, 15 to 20 minutes.
Add red-pepper flakes and anchovies. (No need to chop the anchovies; they will dissolve on their own.) Stir to melt the anchovies into the shallots, about 2 minutes.
Add tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly to prevent any scorching, until the tomato paste has started to cook in the oil a bit, caramelizing at the edges and going from bright red to a deeper brick red color, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer about half the mixture to a resealable container, leaving the rest behind. (These are your leftovers to be used elsewhere: in another batch of pasta or smeared onto roasted vegetables, spooned over fried eggs or spread underneath crispy chicken thighs.)
To serve, cook pasta according to package instructions in a large pot of salted boiling water until very al dente (perhaps more al dente than usual). Transfer to Dutch oven with remaining shallot mixture (or a skillet if you are using the leftover portion) and 1 cup pasta water. Cook over medium-high heat, swirling the skillet to coat each piece of pasta, using a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any bits on the bottom, until pasta is thick and sauce has reduced and is sticky, but not saucy, 3 to 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine parsley and finely chopped garlic clove, and season with flaky salt and pepper. Divide pasta among bowls, or transfer to one large serving bowl, and top with parsley mixture and a bit more red-pepper flakes, if you like.

Deep Dish Cookie Bowls For Two via Pinch of Yum:

Bake these for the ultimate Friday night in: