late winter: small pleasures
movies, treats and recipes for earl grey syrup and hot cocoa with matcha whipped cream.
hello february, and Happy Black History Month. the start of a new spring is slowly approaching (texas is fooling me, it’s 80 degrees as i write this) and i wanted to take some time to check in with y’all.
how are you? are we all just hanging in there? what’s your week looking like?
did you feel january? it was such a long month. the first half felt like a completely different year. it started on a positive note for me with a cabin trip in broken bow, ok (with my friends, we are madly in love). when i got home, i was able to enjoy even more time off thanks to some texas snow. i spent days on the couch, indulging in old hollywood movies, contemplating the tiktok ban so fun, and writing for concha emoji.
the second half of the month, the energy shifted swiftly. each day, there seemed to hover a heavy cloud of uncertainty and anxiety. i caught myself spiraling and catastrophizing - permanently seated on the doomscrolling train. eventually, i ended up setting an app timer for the clock and photo apps. it needed to happen anyway.
it's been a bit of a painful year so far, and i know we're all feeling it. but the good news is there are still so many wonderful things around us waiting to be enjoyed—by you and me.
so, here are some movies, treats and recipes that have been bringing me comfort.
just to preface, i am not a film critic. i’m just here to yap. everything below is something that i would suggest you watch.
paris blues (1961)
sidney poitier. diahann carroll. paul newman. boy oh boy. american jazz in the city of love was all i needed to hear to know i’d fall hard for this movie. complicated romances (the chemistry between newman and carroll is insane, it’s a damn crime they don’t end up together), young and motivated artists pursuing their passions (whether it be love or music, all while trying to maintain artistic integrity - REAL) and sweet louie armstrong blasting away all the talent in a jazz night club. paris blues, and what better day to watch than this upcoming valentine’s day?
in my opinion, this is what la la land should have been.
claudine (1974)
james earl jones plays a garbage collector roop who finds love with claudine played by diahann carroll, a single mother of six living in harlem. i love claudine’s relationship with her protective children - every single one of them skeptical of any man that enters her life due to the shortcomings of her earlier husbands. so you can imagine how ruthless these kids are toward roop as he sort of weasels his way into claudine’s life, and it’s quite honestly, hilarious.
though a romantic comedy i’d say more dramatic comedy, this movie does have a lot to unpack: social welfare system, criminalization of the poor, institutional racism, marriage & family. community. the 70s were hard, harder than we have it now, yet there’s Black Joy interwoven throughout this film, despite the characters’ circumstances. the film chooses empathy over pity, and stereotypes.
the shots in this movie are rich - the colorful and bustling streets of harlem set charmingly to a soundtrack by curtis mayfield along with gladys knight & the pips. and that ending…that ending!
claudine is on youtube by the way, i’ll link it here.
the wiz (1978)
oz is back in the spotlight again and i am so here for it. i was an oz kid growing up, and spent a lot of time in front of the tv watching 1939’s wizard of oz.
then there’s 1978’s the wiz, starring diana ross as dorothy gale.
i really had to grow into this movie, but i’m glad i took the time to do so. as a child, the many, many metaphors in the wiz (pro-Blackness, anti-Blackness especially as experienced in larger cities such as new york, gentrification and more) just didn’t click, and i wouldn’t really expect them to for super young audiences. as an adult, it’s an entirely different experience.
now, diana ross is my favorite dorothy - she seems so happy to be there as in both the land of oz and in the movie itself, yet constantly on the verge of tears relatable, and that made me believe in the wiz more than the original wizard of oz. simply too much heart to ignore.
diana’s dorothy is also older, and she’s a school teacher. like many of us, she’s just trying to figure out how to navigate adulthood. when she misses home, i at thirty-two years old, also miss home. my childhood bedroom, my neighbors who were also my babysitters and tutors, and my grandma watering her plants next door. what they say is true - there’s no place like it.
i don’t really have the words to describe just how bewitching this movie looks. the dance sequences, the costumes, the soul - it’s a fabulously funky motown production that deserves a place on your watchlists.
if you don’t have access to the film or choose not to watch, you at least have to see the emerald city sequence, here.
youtube videos: my recent background amusements
the world of peter rabbit & friends: the complete collection
do you like the idea of soft matcha clouds? clouds that you can spread onto toast, swirl into milk, drizzle over ice cream or layer between crepes? matcha milk jam is truly unliiimited.
my friend gifted me this strawberry gochujang for christmas, and y’all…it’s so freaking good. i recently used it in caramelized gochujang tomato soup - the flavors. were melting. on my tongue. it honestly reminds me of chamoy but more savory and balanced. i have this chamoy pink cake recipe tucked away (abandoned, actually) that i want to bring back because imagine pink cake with a layer of roasted strawberry gochujang jam??
a little while back i made a double-batch of earl grey syrup to add to my morning coffees, matchas and hot cocoas. you can use it to flavor cold foam, soak cake layers, or add to fruit jams and macerated strawberries as well.
earl grey syrup
240 grams water
200 grams cane sugar
2-3 earl grey tea sachets i’ve been enjoying art of tea’s earl grey creme it’s strong and requires less tea for strong flavor
combine 240 grams water, 200 grams sugar and the earl grey tea leaves from 3 sachets in a small pot. set the pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer. reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
after 15 minutes, remove from the heat and cover. allow the syrup to sit for another 15 minutes before straining into a clean jar. allow to cool before placing into the fridge, or feel free to use immediately. syrup will keep for 1 month.
during our lil’ texan snow storm, i made a whole lot of hot cocoa. i’ve experimented with ratios over the years, but lately the recipe below has been my go to. classic cocoa with a hint of cinnamon, topped with a sweet matcha whip and flakey sea salt.
hot cocoa with matcha whip for two
2 oz or 60 grams semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
25 grams dutch process cocoa powder
75 grams light brown sugar
large pinch sea salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
60 grams water
480 grams milk of choice
½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract
matcha whip
60 grams heavy cream
10 grams cane sugar
¼ teaspoon matcha powder
flakey sea salt for topping
prepare matcha whip
in a small bowl, combine heavy cream, cane sugar and matcha powder. whisk by hand or with a handheld milk frother until soft peaks are achieved and transfer to the fridge while preparing the hot cocoa.
hot cocoa
to a small saucepan, combine chopped semi-sweet chocolate, dutch process cocoa powder, light brown sugar, sea salt, cinnamon and water. set the saucepan over medium high heat, and allow the contents to melt together just until simmering.
stir in the milk. continue to cook until the milk is hot, but do not boil. remove from the heat and stir in pure vanilla extract.
carefully pour the cocoa into 2 mugs. top with matcha whip, flakey sea salt, and a dusting of matcha powder. sip until your belly’s content.
thank you so much for reading. i hope this month surprises you with little unexpected pleasures. channey <3
I've always wanted to make hot cocoa from scratch, and would kill for an earl grey syrup handy at home!
& I'm here with you, January was the longest 🫠
Can’t believe we’re on the same Oz wavelength today😭