Monthly Review: June 2022
- r.m. allen
- Jun 30, 2022
- 3 min read
In the yard of my childhood home, my mother grew peonies. The bushes (were there four or five?) would explode with blossoms every June––creamy white, vibrant pink. She would snip enough stems to fill a vase, careful to flick off any stowaway ants, and the bouquet would perfume the kitchen for a week. Is any flower's scent more divine than the peony's?
I thought of those bushes last summer, the first summer that house belonged to someone other than my parents. I may have even driven by it once to see if they were still there, although I can't say for sure whether I did or whether they were.
A few weeks ago, however, I went out to the yard out behind our own home (officially ours as of June 3), and I trimmed a few buds from the peony bushes that are now mine. I filled a vase with water and then flowers, so beautiful that my husband was surprised to discover I hadn't bought them.
A driving storm came the next night, battering the bushes to shreds and leaving only a few flowers salvageable. But for nearly a week, my vase of peonies remained vibrant on my kitchen island, their delicate petals and heady fragrance a decadent affirmation that I am home here in this hundred-year-old house with the wood floors and the black trim and the laundry chute and the 20-something windows and the bushes that produced such bounty. This kind of beauty feels like a luxury and a necessity all at once. It feels like a gift––it is a gift. No matter what form it takes, beauty always is a gift.
Here's what I read, cooked, and created in the month of June.
What I Read
The Astonishing Color of After, Emily X.R. Pan (★★★★★)
Speechless: Controlling Words, Controlling Minds, Michael Knowles (★★★★)
Skin of the Sea, Natasha Bowen (★★)
Kate in Waiting, Becky Albertalli (★★★)
Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students, Zaretta Hammond (★)
Any Way the Wind Blows, Rainbow Rowell (★★★)
If you want to hear the rationale behind my rating, head to my Goodreads for full reviews.
What I Cooked
I wanted a nice ranch dip to go along with a veggie tray, and since I love making my own dips and dressings when I can, I wanted to find an easy recipe that did not include anything weird. This one uses all pantry staples, and it tastes great. A good recipe to have in your back pocket!
I love a good giant sandwich, and while I've never had real spanakopita, I like the frozen ones from Trader Joe's, so I figured this one would work well. (Enough melty cheese, and anything can be good, right?) And while it was okay, the sandwich was mostly wilty spinach, which is not the most appetizing substance. I wanted more texture and more depth of flavor. I'm not sure what would be the best way to do that––maybe some caramelized onions or bacon (very inauthentic, undoubtedly)––but I'm not sure whether I will give it another try to find out.
This recipe came with high praise from my mother-in-law, and after having tried it, I can affirm that such praise is warranted. Its flavor was similar to my favorite butter chicken, but it was so much faster. I'm sure it will become a go-to for using up leftover chicken.
My arsenal of taco recipes is vast. I rotate between chicken, beef, turkey, pork, and shrimp tacos, and I love them all. But I've never tried to make anything resembling a fish taco until I came across this recipe, and as soon as I saw it, I knew I had to try it. It did not disappoint. The salmon itself was perfectly flaky and spicy, and the combination of the mango salsa and the jalapeño cream cheese just took it to the next level. This might be more of a special occasion taco, but it is definitely a keeper.
What I Created
Original blackout poem "Becoming Something"
Original blackout poem "Valley of Death"
May your days be filled with beauty, and may your heart be filled with the willingness to see and give thanks for it.
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