Loved learning more about Val Kilmer. I read that whole (NYT?) article. Fascinating. I also enjoyed the "read the recipe" part. And you do, do, do need to read it several times as one always misses something. My biggest pet peave is when recipes do not state that an ingredient is to be "divided" and you have just thrown all of the ingredient in, so make sure you are aware of any "divisions". And, yes, when I get a new cookbook, I read a lot of it before I make anything.
I’m curious to hear more of your thoughts about Val. I watched it this week while I was working, so I admittedly wasn’t thinking too critically about it, but I found it really enjoyable.
That admittedly might have something to do with watching it the same week he died, though.
It's good, I just don't think it's GREAT. I liked the style, but I think it could be trimmed and tightened. (I think that about almost all docs, though)
I really appreciate you sharing your creative ideas, art, ideas to ponder, books to read etc. You have an incredibly deep mind and heart. I save your newsletters with the hope of reading many of the suggested books and to refresh myself with the bounty of your inspirational concepts! Thank you!
I totally forgot that you were the one who recommended Deb's book -- I had her on my show a year and a half ago. What a wonderful book, human, and convo.
1. Read Nott’s “Hidden Systems” not too long ago, thanks for the recommendation!
3 & 4. Speaking of exhibits making their way across the Atlantic, I saw that the Tate’s Yoko Ono exhibit is coming to Chicago in the fall, I will definitely try to make to make it down there for that.
7. I need to be better about RTFRecipe myself as I’ve been cooking more the last few years! Always stinks to find a complicated step you haven’t prepared for.
Related (and I’ve been too lazy to investigate myself) but I would love to know if *annotated* recipes exist to explain why things are done a certain way. Why “roughly chopped” instead of “thinly sliced”? Why these proportions for the spices? Why this cooking order? etc.
P.S. Is there a tool you’re using to import/export your playlists to the different platforms? I’ve used SongShift and have been generally happy with it but I’m wondering if there’s a better app.
Yeah, I probably need to seek out one of the book you mention—thanks! My thought was that in the NYT Cooking app that I use, a little link to a pop-up note would be nice for some of the steps.
I do like reading about the whys, and I’m finding cookbooks from another generation were better about that.
Shizuo Tsuji’s Japanese Cooking (1980) is great at this. The typesetting is beautiful, too; the kind you can’t find anymore.
For whys in general, Cooking for Geeks (1st edition only; the 2nd edition is a completely different text) is fun. Also Samin Nosrat’s Salt Fat Acid Heat. Both modern.
I’m very loose about following recipes myself, but my brain has a bunch of techniques already sorted into it.
Older pancake recipes talk about letting the batter sit for hours or
overnight. Now that I’m cooking with older wheat (etc) varieties and true whole grain flours, I’m starting to understand this: otherwise you’ll have rather gritty pancakes. Only with these grains did I need to sift the flour too, to get out the big bits that will still be gritty.
I watched Real Genius over and over as a kid. I'd join my voice with the few smart people and encourage you to check it out. And don't forget the popcorn!
Greetings from Poitiers in France. I'm a big fan of your website and your comments on AI and creativity struck a chord with me. I thought you might be interested in this letter from Nick Cave
Loved learning more about Val Kilmer. I read that whole (NYT?) article. Fascinating. I also enjoyed the "read the recipe" part. And you do, do, do need to read it several times as one always misses something. My biggest pet peave is when recipes do not state that an ingredient is to be "divided" and you have just thrown all of the ingredient in, so make sure you are aware of any "divisions". And, yes, when I get a new cookbook, I read a lot of it before I make anything.
I’m curious to hear more of your thoughts about Val. I watched it this week while I was working, so I admittedly wasn’t thinking too critically about it, but I found it really enjoyable.
That admittedly might have something to do with watching it the same week he died, though.
It's good, I just don't think it's GREAT. I liked the style, but I think it could be trimmed and tightened. (I think that about almost all docs, though)
That makes lots of sense! Thanks.
This letter just makes me smile. 😊
You have to watch Real Genius. It may not be a Top Gun or Heat action movie, but the action in Real Genius is just fantastic.
I really appreciate you sharing your creative ideas, art, ideas to ponder, books to read etc. You have an incredibly deep mind and heart. I save your newsletters with the hope of reading many of the suggested books and to refresh myself with the bounty of your inspirational concepts! Thank you!
Thank you for reading!
I love your Newsletter Austin!
Thank you!
I totally forgot that you were the one who recommended Deb's book -- I had her on my show a year and a half ago. What a wonderful book, human, and convo.
https://podcast.importantnotimportant.com/do-you-know-where-your-water-comes-from/
She’s great!
1. Read Nott’s “Hidden Systems” not too long ago, thanks for the recommendation!
3 & 4. Speaking of exhibits making their way across the Atlantic, I saw that the Tate’s Yoko Ono exhibit is coming to Chicago in the fall, I will definitely try to make to make it down there for that.
https://visit.mcachicago.org/exhibitions/yoko-ono-music-of-the-mind/
7. I need to be better about RTFRecipe myself as I’ve been cooking more the last few years! Always stinks to find a complicated step you haven’t prepared for.
Related (and I’ve been too lazy to investigate myself) but I would love to know if *annotated* recipes exist to explain why things are done a certain way. Why “roughly chopped” instead of “thinly sliced”? Why these proportions for the spices? Why this cooking order? etc.
P.S. Is there a tool you’re using to import/export your playlists to the different platforms? I’ve used SongShift and have been generally happy with it but I’m wondering if there’s a better app.
No tool, I just do it manually. TBH I usually build them on Spotify and then make them on Apple because the sound quality is so much better for taping
Yeah, I probably need to seek out one of the book you mention—thanks! My thought was that in the NYT Cooking app that I use, a little link to a pop-up note would be nice for some of the steps.
Often recipes are just “this is how I did it”.
I do like reading about the whys, and I’m finding cookbooks from another generation were better about that.
Shizuo Tsuji’s Japanese Cooking (1980) is great at this. The typesetting is beautiful, too; the kind you can’t find anymore.
For whys in general, Cooking for Geeks (1st edition only; the 2nd edition is a completely different text) is fun. Also Samin Nosrat’s Salt Fat Acid Heat. Both modern.
I’m very loose about following recipes myself, but my brain has a bunch of techniques already sorted into it.
Older pancake recipes talk about letting the batter sit for hours or
overnight. Now that I’m cooking with older wheat (etc) varieties and true whole grain flours, I’m starting to understand this: otherwise you’ll have rather gritty pancakes. Only with these grains did I need to sift the flour too, to get out the big bits that will still be gritty.
I watched Real Genius over and over as a kid. I'd join my voice with the few smart people and encourage you to check it out. And don't forget the popcorn!
Noted!
I'm really loving this weekly newsletter of things you've enjoyed. I always find a new book or film I haven't encountered that sounds fantastic.
Love to hear this!
Hi Austin
Greetings from Poitiers in France. I'm a big fan of your website and your comments on AI and creativity struck a chord with me. I thought you might be interested in this letter from Nick Cave
on the subject
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGJcF4bLKd4
Best wishes
Mick Sheahan
Wrote about it in this letter —> https://austinkleon.substack.com/p/where-you-look-is-where-you-go?publication_id=304543&isFreemail=false
Another great newsletter! That “Sketch” movie sounds like the Doodlebob episode of SpongeBob.
I vaguely remember that one will watch with the kids this weekend