Sunday Smörgåsbord #054
Dry sandwiches, juicy steaks, and trashy TV shows. Plus a new arrival in Valencia.
NB: [PW] signifies a paywall, though some providers allow you to read a set number of articles for free.
Happy Sunday, friends.
I write this edition half-squinting at the laptop: I got something in my eye about an hour ago and my eye hasn’t stopped streaming.
Somewhat like doing your makeup in a dark room then hoping you don’t look like a clown in daylight, I hope what I’ve written for you all today actually makes sense… I can barely see it!
If it doesn’t, be a love and don’t let me know.
Have a great week.
Emma x
🍳 Recent servings, in case you missed them…
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📰 Features & Podcasts
‘China mourns ‘Old Dry Keith’, famed for his bland sandwiches’, The Times [PW]. It’s stories like this which keep me paying my Times subscription even as it becomes filled with more and more rubbish with each passing day. I loved this touching story of Keith Brown, who became a sensation in Northern China for his wife’s videos of him making his daily sandwich lunch. Keith’s untimely death at the start of September caused an outpouring of grief on Chinese social media platform Douyin where users had connected their everyday troubles with Keith’s daily goal of making a half-decent lunch. I loved this one philosophical musing:
“We go from questioning the dry old man, to understanding the dry old man, to becoming the dry old man. The old man is us, and his dry lunch is our dry life. It’s the sandwich that holds everything together.”
‘How a very British steakhouse won over New York’, The Times [PW]. Two British food exports: one better than the other. I enjoyed this overview of how the Hawksmoor team went Stateside successfully (even as the opening of the piece questions the headline). I had no idea that the U.S palette was only used to corn-fed beef, and underestimated the power of the small but mighty sticky toffee pudding in scaling a new British invasion. Worth a read whether you’re a steak fan or not.
🎨 Arts, Culture & Entertainment
Nightsleeper, BBC iPlayer. What - and I can’t emphasise this enough - a load of old rubbish this is. The first sign that this may be more ‘ridiculous’ than ‘realistic’ comes in the very first scene of this six-part BBC series, when a woman’s bag is stolen on Glasgow Station’s platform, leading to a frenetic chase of the culprit across the famous Caledonian Sleeper. After a high-octane opening few minutes, the bag is returned to said woman, only for us to find she’s not even catching the train. Has anyone writing this been to a UK station lately? You can’t even take one step onto a platform without having a valid ticket worth at least fifty quid for the privilege. It doesn’t get any better from here… and yet I can’t stop watching.
Who do you think you are: Olly Murs, BBC iPlayer. I have a soft spot for this show, not least because half the time the stories of the ancestors depicted are far more exciting and interesting than of the celebrity themselves. It also speaks to the near-universal desire to understand where we come from, a desire that tends to transcend class, wealth and achievement. This story, though, stood out to me: that of Olly Murs’ grandfather, who migrated to the UK from Latvia as a twelve-year old, via a German Displaced Persons camp, leaving his Mother in Riga. My grandfather made the same crossing, albeit at a slightly older age, and never saw his family again. This was a hard watch as a result, and the ‘resolution’, when it came, was heart-breaking. One of the few WDYTYA that you worry may cause more anguish than answers for the family.
Guys and Dolls, The Bridge Theatre, London. Until Jan 2025. What. A. Show! I was lucky to be able to get us last minute tickets to this rather unusually staged production of the classic fifties’ musical and I’m so glad I did. It’s easy to take for granted the quality on offer in London’s entertainment scenes but when you see a show like this, you stop in your tracks and thank God we have this on our doorstop. It’s pricey but worth every penny, with a stunning, ever-changing ‘in the round’ staging, soaring vocals, and incredible orchestra. That said, if you want an up-close-and-personal experience, the best seats are the cheapest, with 35-45GBP tickets standing in the main right as the action unfolds. A five star show. See it before it goes.
📺 What have you seen lately that’s worth a read, watch or listen? Let me know in the comments.
🍹 Lifestyle
Margarito, Feliz Pizcueta 6, Valencia. Honest Greens has come to Valencia and the hype is sky high. For the uninitiated, HG is one of the first healthy food chains in Spain, where you can grab a protein alongside a veg or two and a salad for a decent price. Until very recently, the only lunch deal you could really get in Valencia was the typical menu del dia, a three course lunch with coffee and a drink for anywhere between 12 - 25 euros. It’s excellent value, but you need to dedicate at least ninety minutes to the pleasure and be prepared for a siesta after. As a Brit with a 9-6pm schedule and the sandwich lunch drilled into me, I usually eat at home hunched over my laptop. Today with a friend we decided to road test the new HG in anticipation of a new work option. Well, until we got there and saw the line out the door! I suddenly thought of Margarito two streets over: a very HG-like menu, with a cavernous, well-lit interior and at decent prices. We skidaddled over to find zero queue - perfect! I enjoyed succulent chicken with beets, roasted veg, and salad, with a mango and coconut creme brulee for dessert. This is the kind of quick, easy, and nutritious lunch I could leave home for.
That’s it for this week. I hope you find something in this list that sparks joy or curiosity.
If you’ve got any recommendations on articles, podcasts, Substacks or shows for me to dive into, please drop them in the comments. Until next time!
❤️ Thank you for reading. If you liked this post don’t forget to hit the heart to let me know and help others find my writing.
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Loved Guys and Dolls so much I saw it twice!! X
Guys & Dolls looked amazing!!
With Honest Greens, if you decide to go again - if you see a queue then I recommend joining as it moves very quickly. We joined the queue and were ordering food within less than 15mins.