Sunday Smörgåsbord #055
Irish rap, spicy scallops and Honest Greens. Plus the tastiest dessert I've tried in ages.
NB: [PW] signifies a paywall, though some providers allow you to read a set number of articles for free.
Happy Sunday, friends.
I have a shorter than usual Smörgåsbord for you all today, and probably until Christmas to be honest, as I’ve started a new writing course which runs until mid-December. I’m already getting so much from the teaching - and working with my fellow students, but it does mean that most of the time I usually dedicate to watching random TV shows and falling down article rabbit holes is being redirected to course exercises and related reading.
That said, a few cultural morsels really stood out this week. If like me you’re pushed for time and want to head straight for the best stuff, make sure you prioritise ’s article on why she’s been sober since 2014. It’s a tough read, but the only article which made me sit up straight this week, not least because I’m in week one of Sober October.
Have a wonderful week ahead.
Emma x
🍳 Recent servings, in case you missed them…
❤️ If you liked this post don’t forget to hit the heart to let me know and help others find my writing.
📮 And if you’re not yet subscribed, all editions of Sunday Smörgåsbord are free forever. Sign up for free and get next week’s in your inbox
📰 Features & Podcasts
‘Alcohol killed my dad — how I stopped it doing the same to me’, The Times [PW]. What a read. This searingly honest piece by Hannah Betts was first published on her Substack, The Shit, and tells the story behind her sobriety through that of her father’s struggle with — and untimely, awful death from, alcoholism. The piece is funny, moving, and really, really shocking in places. I mean it: when you reach the part on how her father died, the outcome of his life choices - and Hannah’s subsequent one to stop drinking, takes your breath away with its horror. But it’s precisely because of Betts’ honesty that the piece is so powerful: as she says herself, ‘his body couldn’t be put to medical use, but his story might’.
🎨 Arts, Culture & Entertainment
Kneecap, dir. Rich Peppiatt (2024). Andy and I had managed to catch Kneecap, the Northern Irish rap group, at Mad Cool festival in Madrid this summer (see Sunday Smörgåsbord #48), so we were excited to see this fictionalised biopic of how they came to be. Performing in a mix of Gaelic and English, the film is as ferocious, fresh and full of energy as their musical material — not a surprise given the amount of mentions of Class A’s in both. The film tells the story of two low-level drug dealers, Naoise and Liam, navigating Belfast life as the ‘ceasefire generation’, and their fateful encounter with an Irish teacher that leads to Kneecap’s formation. It also features Michael Fassbender as the sainted IRA father of Naoise, who faked his own death but can’t seem to stay dead. The film was a real wheeze, and the most original thing I’ve seen in ages despite being leaning heavily on Trainspotting for some components. The scene where the group do their first performance off their heads on Ketamine to an empty working men’s club is hilarious, and we loved the subplot of Catholic Liam and his Protestant girlfriend. At times I felt it was a bit too heavy-handed with what it was trying to say about both drugs and terrorism (the final part in which Fassbender features seemed unnecessary) but maybe I would say that given I’m a Brit. On the whole it was a perfect Saturday night film, and we watched the credits tapping our feet like the Boomers we felt.
📺 What have you seen lately that’s worth a read, watch or listen? Let me know in the comments.
🍹 Lifestyle
Quina, Carrer d'Antoni Suárez, 29, Valencia. The best thing about going to the cinema late in Valencia is the last showing only sets you back 4.50 euros. The second best thing is that it’s usually perfectly timed for after a 9pm dinner (still pretty early for Spain!) And the third best thing is that said cinema (Cines Babel) is stumbling distance from a whole range of great restaurants. This time we decided to try Quina, a Peruvian restaurant with a small menu but plenty of flavour. We were welcomed with an amuse bouche of ceviche on lettuce, topped with samphire, before we tucked into a spicy scallop, alongside a big bowl of mixed seafood ceviche, wonderfully tangy with the taste of lime and tigernut milk. For mains we shared the most melt-in-the-mouth pork rib on a cloud of pureed sweet potato studded with peas. We could have easily eaten another. Instead we decided to share a lemon tart for afters, topped with caramelised, meringue and on a proper homemade biscuit base (ginger snap flavour and all). No pisco sours this time sadly (we are both on Sober October), but they looked fab. Three dishes and non-alcoholic drinks came to just under 30 euros a head.
Honest Greens, C/ de Pascual i Genís, 15, Ciutat Vella, València. After a false start last week (see Sunday Smörgåsbord #54) I finally made it to this very non-Valencian lunch spot Friday to meet a friend. I’ve never seen an opening like it: three weeks since launch and the place is still heaving, with lines out the door. Luckily we found a table and discovered you can beat the queue by ordering via their app. It’s exactly what I’ve been missing from the city, though it does feel like we’re hurtling through the gentrification checkpoints here (and yup, I’m aware I’m part of the problem). Heading off an hour later, satisfied with the flavour if not the whole hurried ambiance, I spotted a working lunch take place on packed terrace opposite. White tablecloths, crisp workwear, sunnies, hearty plates, and a bucket of sauvignon blanc next to them - no one was rushing back to work on that table. As much as I enjoyed my salmon salad I did feel a pang of envy: maybe lunchtime in Valencia just isn’t meant to be rushed!
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.
📮 And if you’re not yet subscribed, all editions of Sunday Smörgåsbord are free forever. Sign up for free and get next week’s in your inbox.