The return of a favorite drama series, two cookbooks about pasta, because . . . why not? Many more books about an array of topics – fiction and non-fiction – French food and building a happier life, as well as a unique caper and much more. Shopping finds I love and recommend, fine cotton pajamas made in Italy, a fun comedy film that will definitely be in my upcoming plans to watch and much more.

Books

—Build the Life You Want: The Art & Science of Getting Happier by Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey

Being released next Tuesday on the 12th is a book by Atlantic contributing writer Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey. A book that invites you “to begin a journey toward greater happiness no matter how challenging your circumstances. Drawing on cutting-edge science and their years of helping people translate ideas into action, they show you how to improve your life right now instead of waiting for the outside world to change.”

—The End of August: A Novel by Yo Miri

Released in August, from the National Book Award winning author Yo Miri, an epic multi-generational novel about a Korean family living under Japanese occupation. “In 1930s Japanese-occupied Korea, Lee Woo-cheol was a running prodigy and a contender for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. But he would have had to run under the Japanese flag. Nearly a century later, his granddaughter is living in Japan and training to run a marathon herself. She summons Korean shamans to hold an intense, transcendent ritual to connect with Lee Woo-cheol. When his ghost appears, alongside those of his brother Lee Woo-Gun, and their young neighbor, who was forced to become a comfort woman to Japanese soldiers stationed in China during World War II, she must uncover their stories to free their souls. What she discovers is at the heart of this sweeping, majestic novel about a family that endured death, love, betrayal, war, political upheaval, and ghosts, both vengeful and wistful.”

—Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone: A novel by Benjamin Stevenson

I was reminded again that Benjamin Stevenson’s new novel is one I might be picking up soon as it was the mystery of choice for our local independent bookshop’s mystery genre book club read for September. Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone has been described as Knives Out and Clue meet Agatha Christie and The Thursday Murder Club, and breaks the mold of a typical caper. Needless to say, I am curious. And perhaps you are as well. 🙂

—Find Yourself at Home: A Conscious Approach to Shaping Your Home and Your Life by Emily Grosvenor

Released in June, design journalist and interiors consultant Emily Grosvenor introduces her five steps to align your home to suit your purpose and your path: PHILOSOPHY: Connect with the mystery and power of your home; SPACE: Prepare your environment for your story; BUILD: Discover design tools to cue your behavior; DESIRE: Bring your aspirations into your space; and DESTINY: Take your purpose into the world
 
“Drawing on ancient wisdom and modern science, along with examples from Grosvenor’s groundbreaking research and work with clients, Find Yourself at Home is a philosophical and practical guide to making spatial shifts that will help you cultivate a more meaningful life by shaping your space so it shapes you back.”

British Finds

—The Great British Bake-Off, Series 14 Premiere!

So there is still no official word as to when the 14th season will begin, but I would rather give you the heads up that it may be Tuesday September 12th in the UK and on Friday September 15th in the states on Netflix as they tend to announce fairly close to the premiere date; however, if it isn’t this coming week, it will most likely then be the following. Now you may already know (but just in case you don’t) that there is a new co-host who is replacing Matt Lucas, and her name is well-known. Alison Hammond joins Noel Fielding, and with her infectious laugh, I have a feeling we’re in for a riotous good season. The trailer is shared below.

Cookbooks

—Green Kitchen — Quick & Slow: 80 Joyful Vegetarian Recipes to Make Busy Weekdays Easy and Long Weekends Fantastic by David Frenkiel

While released last year, I thought this cookbook would be one to explore as we step into autumn and schedules speed a bit, yet we still want to eat well. In Quick & Slow, the quick options focus on the weekday dinner “when you don’t want to spend the whole day in the kitchen but still want to eat something delicious, to the SLOW moments when cooking becomes the best part of the day, these recipes will teach you how to cook great tasting, modern vegetarian food and show you how to find joy in the process.”

—Pasta for All Seasons: Dishes that Celebrate the Flavors of Italy and the Bounty of the Pacific Northwest by Michela Tartaglia

As someone living in the PNW, this cookbook will hopefully be added to my cookbook library soon. The recipe below alone has me convinced. ☺️ Released this past spring, Pasta for All Seasons includes “favorite ingredients such as salmon and clams and foodie favorites like nettles and chanterelles and offers home cooks dishes that are as comforting as a favorite spaghetti or fettucine dish but as bold and exciting as a hot new restaurant entrée. In addition, a pasta primer helps home cooks make fresh pasta at home and choose the right pasta shape for the right sauce or dish.”

Some of the recipes you will find:
• Conchiglie Rigate with Pacific Northwest Wild Fiddlehead Fern, Leek, and Walnut Pesto, Fiore Sardo, and Aleppo Pepper
• Orecchiette with Pacific Northwest Spot Prawns, Purple Asparagus, and Lemon
• Pipe with Pacific Northwest Morels, Pancetta, Walnuts, Ricotta, and Saffron
• Bucatini all’Amatriciana with Billy’s Heirloom Tomatoes
• Creste di Gallo with Eggplant, ’Nduja, Supersweet Tomatoes, and Ricotta Salata
• Pappardelle with Golden Chanterelles, Sausage, and Thyme
• Spaghettoni with Red Beet Pesto, Burrata, Basil, and Calabrian Chili Oil

—Pasta Every Day: Make It, Shape It, Sauce It, Eat It by Meryl Feinstein

And since we are talking about pasta, a brand new cookbook being released on the 12th is Pasta Every Day. “Meryl Feinstein has created the world’s easiest-to-follow guide to making pasta doughs, shapes, fillings, and sauces. A celebrated pasta instructor, professional pasta maker, and founder of Pasta Social Club, she has years of experience helping thousands of cooks bring the pleasure of fresh pasta home. 
 
“Step-by-step photos and videos (accessible via QR code) illustrate how to make every shape, eliminating the intimidation surrounding this centuries-old craft. And because Meryl knows just what you need to achieve success, she shows how to recover when something goes wrong and how to make your dishes look as good as they taste. Plus, she shares dozens of sauces to take all kinds of pasta to the next level—including the dry stuff from a box.”

Films

—My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3

The film to conclude summer well. Written, directed and starring Nia Vardalos, the entire cast of the previous two My Big Fat Greek Wedding films return to take us to, well, Greece! Have a look at the trailer below and find it theaters beginning today. Enjoy!

Francophile Find

—Bleu de Chauffe Jordi Leather clutch bag (three colors, this one is honey)

Last year I shared that I found the crossbody bag I had been looking for from French brand Bleu de Chauffe, and I do love it, using it every day for errands or going to casual evening events. Their new collection has just become available and it is their Jordi clutch bag (which can be a crossbody bag as well) that caught my eye. Be sure to take a look if you are in the market for understated, yet quality timeless bags.

—Histoire du Paris gastronomique: Du Moyen Age à nos jours by Patrick Rambourg

Begin in the Middle Ages to discover how Paris became to be defined by its cuisine. “It quickly became the place of debates and culinary revolutions: cuisine was intellectualized there, new gourmet literature was created, restaurants were invented. Gradually, the art of “good food” was established as a dogma and Paris became the world capital of gourmets. Now cosmopolitan and endowed with international influence, the City of Light is at the forefront of innovation: after bringing out “new cuisine” in the 1970s and bistronomy in the 2000s, it is reinventing and modernizing gastronomy. (thanks to food trucks and other “ready to eat”) since the 2010s.”

Available currently only in French, if you are curious to explore the cuisine of Paris, this is the book for you.

—My French Country Home Box, November release

Sharon Santoni recently announced the theme of the next MFCH box and it it Elegant French Soirée. If you or someone you love would enjoy this box, be sure to place your order soon!

Shopping

—Anthropologie’s Paris cap, ivory

Earlier this week I stepped into the new Anthropologie store that just opened in Bend (last week). Not necessarily looking for anything, but when I saw this ivory cap (it says white in the description, but this hat is definitely ivory) with navy ‘Paris” embodied on the front, I scooped it up. Why? Mainly for walking outdoors with the pups to protect my skin and eyes, but also because I only have a black cap, and I have been gradually been swapping all of my white and black accessories and clothing for cream/ivory and navy. Why? to brighten the visage and complement my skintone and hair a bit better. I notice a difference, but again, this has just been my experience and observation of what works for me.

Either way, if you want to give a nod to your Francophile predilections as well, this hat is currently available in three colors (black and red are the other two options).

—Henry Rose fine fragrances

I recently learned about Michelle Phieffer’s fine fragrance line, a line inspired by her discovery that most perfumes are sadly not void of toxins. Enter her creation, Henry Rose, that is 100% EWG certified, meaning her fragrances include none of the toxic chemicals often found in other fragrances. She went fragrance free until she decided to create a perfume that was safe, and while it took 10 years of rejection, she finally accomplished what she set out to do. Released a couple of years ago, the name of the brand is inspired by the combined names of her two children.

There are many fragrance options, and all names of each are inspired by a particular memory or person in her life. They do sell this brand at Sephora, and while our local Bend store didn’t carry it, yours might, so be sure to stop in and check out the scents. I had hoped to have been able to do so. Either way, I am very intrigued by her approach and the scents available.

—Rothy’s Lace Up Sneaker in blonde (other combos available)

I recently have been filling some gaps in my travel wardrobe and have been wanting to add a narrow, yet comfortable sneaker that is affordable. As someone who already loves my Rothy pointed flats, they now have sneakers, so I picked up their Lace Up sneaker in blonde seen below. There are four other color combos available. Made with their unique recycled thread, their shoes are super soft, malleable AND washable.

—Schostal Originals, Pinstriped fine cotton pajamas (men & women)

If you are looking for a high quality cotton pair of pajamas, be sure to explore Schostal Originals. Made with Italian fine cotton, their pinstripe pjs come with classic colors, yet with playful piping. For both men and women, they also have other styles as well.

—Toteme Stripe turtleneck sweater (beige & black), black & beige also available

An investment item you will wear for years.

Television

—The Morning Show, season 3

Finally, the third season has arrived! Tune in on AppleTV+ this Wednesday for ten episodes running through November 8th, and enjoy the drama and star-powered cast. Check out the trailer below.

September weather has brought all of the good vibe feels, and I am soaking every moment of it up. From early morning until the evening at dusk, beauty abounds. 

While we are still waiting to pick the majority of the peaches as they are so close, I picked a few that fell off easily into my hand (seen in the basket above). I cannot wait to begin harvesting them. There are so many! 

With that said, I have been harvesting my oodles and oodles of blackberries, and it is the harvesting of the berries that partially inspired tomorrow’s premiere episode of the sixth season of the cooking show. 

I hope your first week of September went well, and you are settling into a groove that works for you.  Below are a few links you might enjoy, and just in case you haven’t seen the trailer for The Simply Luxurious Kitchen cooking show, I have included it below as well. 

Wishing you a wonderful weekend, and thank you for stopping by. Until tomorrow, bonne journée !

~To experience Paris up close, plunge into the public swimming pools [NYTimes, gift link]

~Thank you Deborah for sharing this article with me about decluttering! It’s not what you expect and I like it all the more because of that. Decluttering will not solve our problems. [The Washington Post]

~Read Jennifer Aniston’s interview in the WSJ magazine – How she went from sitcom star to Hollywood power player.

~10 things that fill introverts with joy [Introvert, Dear]

~Monty Don’s Tips & Advice post for September.

~10 Chic Fall Pieces every French Woman Owns [Leonce Chenal]

~A 17th century farmhouse renovation in Oxfordshire to swoon over [House & Garden UK]

~Perhaps you’ve heard – France has too much wine! [Forbes]

~18 Things creative people do differently [Huffington Post]

~How to be happier: proven ways to be more connected and content [Readers’ Digest]

~Tomorrow! Season 6 of The Simply Luxurious Kitchen cooking show (@tsllcookingshow) premieres. Check out the trailer below and look for the first episode to be inspired by what I was able to harvest from my garden (with the help of Norman and Nelle ;)).

~Explore last week’s This & That: September 1, 2023

So many books to share as with the start of September, the releases are aplenty. Along with the books, a film that won a grand prize at the most recent Sundance Film festival, set in London with a fun, yet feel-good plot created by a debut director and screenwriter, it looks to be a great watch. As well, cookbooks to tickle your tastebuds, a new book for lovers of the cottage garden approach, a woven basket I was tickled to find and share as I use my similar one all summer long, and still there is MUCH more. Enjoy!

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