A love letter to broccoli rabe (rapini, rabe, rapi)
Or is it a love letter to Alison Roman, or both? Also, heaps of book chat.
Hello, you. Hello, SEPTEMBER. HELLO VIRGO SEASON.
Since the imaginary dinner party (thank you all for your warm enthusiasm), I’ve fallen off the planet. Sold my house(!), bought a bakery(!), balancing a full-time job with bakery and life(!), not writing(!), reading at an all-time high(!), bookmarking recipes(!).
It feels like a lot and not much all at once – maybe because I’ve prioritised rest/reading over writing. When things are ‘on’, I’m all in. It’s a good balance. For me, anyway. One of the funniest things someone has said about me recently is “Diem is an OK friend, but a better baker”, and lol (thanks Don), truly there has never been a more apt description (sorry, it me).
I started this post many months ago – the opening line, before I started writing again, read JUNE. But now we’re in my favourite month so it doesn’t matter.
In June, I was buying bunches of broccoli rabe (pronounced ‘rah-bee’?) whenever I could, letting it wilt in the fridge before putting the bunches out of their misery by adding them to soups and pasta. I started to compile all the rabe recipes I’d been referring to while I was learning the flavour profile of this winter leaf – so I won’t harp on, because if I do, spring will be upon us (spring is upon us), and rabe will be gone for another year. If you can find rabe, are rabe-curious, or are already a rabe addict, here are my favourite ways to consume (thank you very much to Alison Roman for being a rabe advocate, and mazel tov on your recent nuptials!):
Broccoli rabe pasta with chorizo breadcrumbs (is it worth making your own Italian sausage mix? Yes. Is it worth making orecchiette from scratch? Also yes)
Over the weekend, I turned the broccoli rabe and chilli sausage pasta into a focaccia/pizza-adjacent party food offering for Mum’s bday surprise lunch. It was a lot of fun. We made too much food, my cousin made Beatrix Bake’s carrot cake and cut it into the shape of the number 21 (because my mum will be forever 21), and mum merch (10/10 would recommend).
Outside of bakery life and being a class-A troll to my mum, I’ve been enjoying (read: becoming mildly obsessed with) the following:
Private chefs working in The Hamptons - new to me content (as is my TikTok account that I created purely to tune in). I love that there are fake reality ‘shows’ of all the chefs working through the American summer. Meredith Hayden (@wishbonekitchen) and Rob Li (@broccoliraab) are my go-to’s for aesthetics, the actual food, their editing styles and their voices aren’t annoying (there I said it, sorry, not sorry)
Lol anyway, I'm keen to moonlight as a private chef if anyone would have me (yes, I’m a weirdo but would you have my any other way?).
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I’ve been baking a double quantity of this cinnamon-crisp coffee cake from King Arthur Baking almost every week for… weeks. Months.
Nodding my head vigorously reading through this article about dinner parties (shall we have another virtual dinner party soon?)
Books I’ve loved so far this year (somewhat predictable, but I went in with zero expectations for the books listed here and had a great time):
Demon Copperfield, by Barbara Kingsolver – my first Barbara Kingsolver, picked up on a whim in late 2022 and finally devoured in March this year. The spine of my copy will tell a story of how engrossed I was, how I made space for this book in my life, how much I wanted Demon to win. It’s since been named co-recipient of the Pulitzer and won numerous awards – this book reminds you about the magic of reading.
Tom Lake, by Ann Patchett – I credit the heavy publicity around this book and the cover (I mean, cmon) for the initial purchase of this book. Tom Lake met me at the right time and mindset – and I do love a character-driven book (as opposed to a plot-driven book). A beautiful (pre)summer read or if you want to live in the summer of your inner world.
Fourth Wing, by Rebecca Yarros – dipped back into the fantasy genre with this absolute ripper. Some of the character development and dialogue was a teeny bit juvenile (and annoying) but the world-building and dragons make this book. ‘Make’ being an understatement. Believe the hype. Sexy dragons await. If I remember correctly, I got this recommendation from ‘Reading Through Life’ podcast.
Romantic Comedy, by Curtis Sittenfeld – I’ve never read any romance or romance-adjacent novels but the behind-the-scenes SNL-heavy influence drew me in. It was light, fast-paced and fun, and I’ve recommended this to friends who also have little-to-no romance reading experience and they loved it too.
Chain-Gang All Stars, by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah – this book comes with the most content and trigger warnings (violence, deaths, weapons, prison, etc.). It follows Loretta Thurwar, a modern-day gladiator of sorts, set in a dystopian slash prison slash reality show sort of hell. Maybe this will give you a better idea:
Stars of Chain-Gang All-Stars, the cornerstone of CAPE, or Criminal Action Penal Entertainment, a highly-popular, highly-controversial, profit-raising program in America's increasingly dominant private prison industry. It's the return of the gladiators and prisoners are competing for the ultimate prize: their freedom.
It’s a lot. It’s entertaining and thought-provoking, in a perverse way. You can expect to explore human relationships, question your moral judgement in a twisted and sadistic setting, and I dunno, revel in the terrifying reality of this being real in some capacity.
Books on standby (i.e. books I’m hiding in the boot of my car heh):
Shark Heart by Emily Habeck – I heard Bobby Palmer mention this book on the Book Chat podcast he hosts with Pandora Sykes and was like, yup, that would be a good book for a good time. I’ve read the blurb of the book to everyone – it’s gonna be a fun and beautiful read. I can feel it.
For Lewis and Wren, their first year of marriage is also their last. A few weeks after their wedding, Lewis receives a rare diagnosis. He will retain most of his consciousness, memories, and intellect, but his physical body will gradually turn into a great white shark. As Lewis develops the features and impulses of one of the most predatory creatures in the ocean, his complicated artist’s heart struggles to make peace with his unfulfilled dreams.
When I Sing, Mountains Dance by Irene Sola (translated by Mara Faye Lethem) – a recommendation from Gavin, one of the owners of Matilda Bookshop (my favourite bookshop) in the Adelaide Hills. I have loved everything the team at Matilda have added to my book stack – they’re books I’d never choose for myself, and Gavin was particularly taken by this one. So, of course, it came home with me… and possibly a holiday read so I can be fully immersed.
That’s it, folks. Wherever you are, I hope you’re revelling in the changing of the seasons. Hope to see you here again, soon.
Your newsletters are always a treat. x
I’ve read Romantic Comedy & Fourth Wing (loves them both) & I have Demon & Tom on my TBR list :)