OOO #98: Outfits, Ohio, and Other Things I Like
I actually really liked this outfit, the ballet again (and forever), and the long-awaited cheese power rankings
Outfits
“That shirt… it’s giving ‘80s.”
Ohio
Last month, I had the absolute joy of attending one of BalletMet’s performances of “Sleeping Beauty.” I’ve written about how much I enjoy going to the ballet before, and this performance only made me love it all the more. In fact, I have been listening to ballet scores (mostly Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev) daily since. I’ve also become fond of this “ballet warmup” Spotify playlist.
While obviously my favorite thing about the performance is indeed the dancing—the athleticism of ballet blows my mind—this particular production had a few details that I am still thinking about:
First, these costumes. I nearly gasped when they came on stage. Watermelon tourmaline is probably my favorite gemstone, and these tutus, combined with the black bodices, might be the chicest item of clothing I’ve ever seen? I’ve thought about ways to recreate it in my own life, but I think I just have to settle for enjoying them in BalletMet’s ig photos.
Second, the set design was sparse, but smart. When Aurora and her court fall into her 100 year slumber (this is not even a spoiler, the ballet premiered in 1890), someone decided the way to show everyone was sleeping for a century was to drop long, fuzzy vines from the ceiling, and honestly, it worked! The vines made me sleepy, and they gave the impression of an overgrown, untouched forest; this was a genius, effective detail, and as someone who is responsible for creative vision for my own little theatre troupe, I was impressed.
Third, these crows! Frankly, I don’t think the crows were give enough to do and should probably be featured in every BalletMet performance moving forward, regardless of plot. I would prefer them over Drosselmeyer ANY DAY.
Last, but not least, the Columbus Symphony performed the music during the performance (instead of the dancers performing to a recording), which always makes the ballet more special.
Other Things I Like
As you may have surmised from the last issue, I am tragically lactose intolerant, but like most people who are lactose intolerant, I don’t let that stop me from eating cheese. I cannot believe I’m almost 100 issues in and I haven’t done this yet; here is my cheese power rankings:
Feta. These rankings *are* fluid, but right now, I’m all about feta. My husband made this chickpea/tomato/feta bake for dinner a few days ago, and it’ll probably be the recipe of the summer. The tomatoes got all jammy and paired nicely with the sting of the feta. Also, I want to go to Greece. Is that too much to ask??
Parmesan. I probably eat parmesan more than any other cheese; I think I pull out the microplane and the wedge at every meal. Parmesan has been with me at every celebratory dinner, every pizza night in my adult life, every comfort meal. She’s a true friend.
Chevre. Perfection. With or without berries or truffle oil or herbs. It belongs on every cheese plate.
A really sharp, aged cheddar. Kerrygold is my grocery store go-to. The flakier, the better.
Mozzarella.* Do I need to reiterate my jealousy of Queen Margherita and her pizza? I think not.
Brie fermier. If you don’t need to wrap your cheese thrice to prevent your fridge from smelling like it’s rotting, what’s the point?
White stilton with apricots. I would probably eat the whole wedge without stopping. There is no guilt in that.
Halloumi. An underrated cheese. I am glad my local Kroger carries it, and I should probably cook with it more. Obviously the best halloumi I ever had was in the Middle East (Jordan specifically), but stateside my favorite halloumi dish is probably the seared halloumi with pomegranate and dates at Zaytinya. I miss the Middle East <3. While I’ve got you thinking about Jose Andres and the Middle East… make sure to donate to World Central Kitchen!
Gruyere. It’s pretty good? I don’t know what else to say.
The stinkiest barnyardiest cheese at Le Diplomate. The title of stinkiest barnyardiest cheese at Le Diplomate probably changes as the menu does, but whenever we go and order the cheese plate, I always go for whatever calls my nose first. Give me the most offensive cheese with fig jam, cherry compote, marcona almonds, granny smith apple slices, and honey, and I’ll never be happier.
Please note that obviously I grew up in America and live in America now, and do not have the experience of living in France** and trying every amazing unpasteurized cheese under the sun. Quel dommage/fromage!
*Okay, here is a confession: I thought burrata was a breed of mozzarella until my mid-twenties. I do love burrata, and it nearly made the list, but it does make me sicker than nearly any other cheese. That being said, I feel the need to defend it. A few months ago, one of my favorite podcasts declared burrata was out, and a few weeks ago, the same podcast similarly declared that aviator sunglasses are also out. I have stopped listening to this podcast. Burrata and aviators forever.
**On one of my trips to France, I stayed with a French/Australian family who kept a large wheel of hard cheese in their house. The way they harvested (?? You know what, I’m tired. I’m going with harvested) cheese from the wheel was this device that they stuck in the center of the wheel, and as they cranked it, this little knife rotated around the top of the cheese, scraping off a thin layer, creating a cheese floret in the process. A cheese floret! That’s as close to divine as we will get on this earth. I think about the device and the cheese florets all the time.***
***Thank God for the Internet. The device is called a girolle, and I’m going to put it on my Christmas list.
That’s it! Have a great rest of your week.