issue #51 - the one about dinner

If you haven’t seen this episode of Ugly Delicious or the entire first season of Never Have I Ever, you should watch them first.

Okay? Okay.

Indian food is meant to be eaten with your right hand. The food takes on a whole new taste, texture, and experience when you mash it together with your fingers and slurp every last morsel.

It’s an experience - and one that’s just not the same with a spoon or fork.

There are certain foods I’ve always eaten with my hands - dosa, mostly. But rice and my mother’s dishes, I would mash and mix together with a fork and eat. Which I did for the past 20 years.

Last night was different.

I mixed my mother’s bhangala dumpalu vepadu (spicy fried potatoes) with freshly cooked basmati rice and her homemade ghee. The combination of the crispy and mealy potatoes, the soft rice, and the creamy fat of the ghee melded together beautifully. And each bite was better than the one before.

Why it took an American media conglomerate to make me feel comfortable with such a familiar and alien ritual is beyond me. But to see something so natural for me - mixing your food and eating it with your hand - so normalized on my television screen - changed how I eat dinner.

For the better. Dinner was delicious.

If this is your first e-mail from me, welcome! In addition to writing the book How To Pack, I'm an entrepreneur and angel investor, an avid reader, and a mom of two boys (a 5 year old and a 10 month old).

Every Saturday, I share the 25 best reads from the Internet (culled from the daily shares on my Instagram), the books I've read that week, and things I'm generally loving at the moment. You can join the conversation on all these articles - and more! - in my Facebook group.

Looking for my packing list template? Here you go!

#ThingsILove This Week

  • My favorite moments these days are when I’m reading to both boys. Llama Destroys The World is a new favorite, as is this Spider-Man book. This edition of 5 Minute Stories arrived just in time for Star Wars Day, and this book was perfect for explaining viruses to kids in an approachable way.

  • I swapped reading this week for TV, and I don’t feel badly about it because there is SO MUCH GOOD TELEVISION. Watching Never Have I Ever felt like giving 16 year old me a giant hug, The Baker And The Beauty was the screen version of the romance novels I love so much, and Mrs. America is pure genius. Was I the most present mother this weekend? No. Am I a more rested and happy mother? Absolutely.

  • I think all of us are drinking more caffeine and wine than we normally do, and I’ve found that a hot cup of tea helps trick my brain in being satisfied without the actual coffee or wine. I ordered a massive stash of Harney & Sons - Birthday Party, Vanilla Comoro, and Wedding are absolutely delicious. It’s not quite the same as a shot of espresso or that glass of wine, but it does soothe and sometimes helps me forget about the original craving.

  • This is super random, but this Twitter thread on multiplication had me crying from laughter and also made me feel so vindicated in my decades long strong feelings about 7x8=56.

  • I’m pretty loyal to my Latuza pajamas, but my friend Angie gifted me this set and this one from Adore Me and I’m obsessed. The tank tops do go quite low, so layer accordingly!

Mother’s Day is coming up, and here are my 5 favorite things to gift the motherly figures in your life.

  • I own a drawerful of Latuza pajamas, and end up purchasing a pair for the mother figures in my life every Mother’s Day. They’re insanely soft, super breathable, and affordable. Hence why I own a drawerful.

  • Selecting a gorgeous, thoughtful hardcover book and having it delivered to your door is the best gift I can think of, which means Book Of The Month the best gift you can give someone else or give yourself.

  • There is a direct correlation with the age and how hot your beverage needs to be, which makes a Yeti mug an ideal gift. Maybe pair it with this delicious Mother’s Day tea?

  • When you don’t know what to give, a Small Package is the perfect gift. Every single item is thoughtfully curated, and it’s been my go-to gift since my friend Julie started the company. I am a proud investor in Small Packages.

  • Since facials aren’t possible right now, some new skincare products can certainly help. Naturopathica is offering at-home facials that would be an amazing gift. My favorite mask, anti-aging serum, and eye masks would make for a wonderful gift as well.

What I read this week

  • Majesty (ARC provided by NetGalley, out September 1) - rarely is a sequel as good as the original book, but Majesty was EVEN BETTER than American Royals. Watching Beatrice, Samantha, Daphne, and Nina navigate the fallout from the first book is addictive and engrossing. I absolutely love how Katharine McGee continued their stories and introduced new characters, and wove I read the book in a single sitting, and I’m already itching for the final book in the trilogy.

  • The Last Flight (ARC provided by NetGalley, out June 23) - I’m not much of a thriller reader, but my MO for this genre involves some kind of powerful family, someone going missing, and usually some kind of accident. Cristina Alger is my go-to in this genre, and I’m adding Julie Clark to the list. The Last Flight had ALL of these elements, plus a mysterious woman and perfectly executed flashbacks and present day storytelling. Highly recommend adding this one to your reading list.

I’m building outmy Bookshop store, which will house all my favorite books in all the categories. Please consider purchasing your books throughBookshopandLibro.fm(use code HITHA for 3 free books when you start a membership) to support independent bookstores!

Hitha’s Favorite Things

The Top 5

  1. Young and middle-aged people, barely sick with covid-19, are dying of strokes (Washington Post)I know this is a terrifying article and can make you feel helpless, but exercising andwearing compression socks, consuming a lot of anti-inflammatory foods like raw garlic and ginger can help. You can also call your doctor and ask about other options - a baby aspirin regimen, or other supplements you can take to help lower your risk.

  2. If the coronavirus pandemic marks the collapse of civilization, would we know? Experts weigh in. (Yahoo! Life)

  3. Recipe queen Alison Roman’s popularity, explained by Alison Roman (Vox)If you’ve cooked through Alison’s recipes published in the NYT, definitely invest inDining InorNothing Fancy(or both, if you’re feeling inspired). And definitely stock up on your spices!

  4. 2010s Broke Our Sense Of Time (BuzzFeed News)

  5. Yoga With Adriene: how the YouTube star won lockdown (The Guardian)

The Catch Up

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

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