Zeen - 001

I spend a lot of my time alone. It’s always been that way.

I consider my introverted nature to be a core part of my identity, but even so, exploring that part of myself often feels like I’m having a conversation (or a fight) with someone else rather than with myself. Not in a dissociative way; it’s just that I don’t really feel in control of when I want to be alone, when I want to hang out with someone, when I want to leave a party or when I want to be the life of it.

This isn’t unique, right (right)? We can’t predict or control our social needs. They exist as a part of us, but they’re just that: a part. Sometimes our disparate parts have different desires, and whatever I call “me” is really just a mediator whose job is to facilitate a conversation between those disparate parts and move the lips, arms and legs once a decision has been reached.

This is the first edition of something (I guess a newsletter?) Sophie and I are calling “Zeen.” The entry above both helps explain why I want to send it to you and also serves as an example of what I hope the newsletter will be. To wrap it up:

1. I don’t want to be so introverted that no one knows what I’m doing, where I’m at, or if I still exist.
2. I want people to know what‘s on my mind.

Ultimately, I don’t want this to be a “My Struggle” style journey of self reflection where I bring you into the deepest, darkest parts of my brain. For me, the goal is more to write about something I’m currently finding interesting, something I think you might find useful or both. For example, I’m currently really invested in and spending time learning about self hosting, which I’d describe as the process of hosting your own instances of services normally provided by the cloud (media streaming, email hosting, etc). Before that, I was spending a lot of time learning about construction so that I could build an enclosed patio behind our house. I aim to write something friends and family will be interested to read; not a deep dive on a topic, but why I’m spending time on something and why someone else might want to learn about the same thing.

That’s me, but Sophie will be just as involved. Since food is near the top of her list of passions, it was natural that she would write about it. She’ll be putting something together for you exploring whatever excites her most at the time: restaurants, recipes and the like.

We’re looking at this as a creative project that we can both be involved in, which is something we’ve been wanting to do together, so hopefully you enjoy! As far as frequency, we’re thinking this will be sent out monthly.

Thoughts? Questions? Feedback?

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Zach

Foxy the Food Critic

[DISCLAIMER: This was written in the dead of summer. The heat has subsided after several weeks of waiting for Z to press send and this to hit your inbox. It is no longer this hot , but peaches are still good maybe? Or maybe it’s best to just pocket this one until the next time it is so gosh darn hot.]

Let’s talk about how hot it was this summer.

It was so hot.

Okay, now that that’s clear, what do you eat when it’s so hot? We are wanting fresh, we are wanting crisp, we are wanting juicy. Well, humans who are reading this, we are in luck. I have tasted and seen, and she is giving fresh, crisp, and juicy. To continue making you hold your horses for just a few more minutes, I will give a back story. I love a back story, don’t you? 

Back story #1: It’s my birthday, I go to Lyla Lila in the Midtown neighborhood of Atlanta, GA. It’s gorgeous in there, for real. We are having a blast. We ordered a fresh peach and heirloom salad with a pesto dressing and a mysterious little kick. It is goooooood. The table loves it, and for some strange reason it reminds me of eating pizza.

Back story #2: I just passed my MFT licensure exam, I got to Staplehouse in the Edgewood neighborhood of Atlanta, GA. I walk in and see some friends who have ordered something gorgeous, I spy my pal in the kitchen whipping up something delicious. You guessed it, they were eating / making a peach salad. This time we get a little crunchy string bean action and some house-made salami bits. It is living its very best life. 

Back to the front story…so you just know I gotta make me a peach salad of my dreams now. One where I know all the ingredients, one that I can replicate whenever I have the unexpected craving, and one that I can share. In my own personal kitchen collab with Lyla Lila and Staplehouse, I made a spunky peach salad — which I will share with you, now, today. I hope you find that it is attainably delicious, casually fancy, and easily pleasing. Here’s what it has in it:

• 3 medium chunks of really good peaches or nectarines 

• 3 medium chunks of really good tomatoes1

• 3 shishito peppers, raw, sliced in rings 

• 1 handful of fresh basil, roughly chopped

• 2 tbsp pine nuts, stove top toasted with butter or oil, + s & p 

Top with some crumbled goat or sheep feta (Meredith’s Dairy is my favorite). Coat with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic, salt & pepper to taste.

Serves roughly 4 adult sized stomachs. Savor every bite of life.

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Foxy