WiLS Staffers’ Joyous Recommendations

In addition to working with our member community, we wanted to take this opportunity to share other things that are bringing us joy. Maybe you’ll give some of these things as gifts or maybe you’ll enjoy them on an upcoming snowy, cozy day.

 

Jeff Brunner recommends Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Qwirkle:

“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is a Netflix Original series starring an incredibly funny ensemble cast. The show focuses on a young woman rediscovering her life after years away from the world. The absurd adventures that she and her adopted family of misfits get up to in the East Dogmouth neighborhood of New York City are a continuous source of comedy gold. The writing is excellent, the performances are hysterical and the show has more heart than anything else I can think of in recent years.

Qwirkle is a tile-laying game of matching shapes and colors. It’s easy to learn and fun to play. It’s great for almost all ages and beautiful to boot!”

 

Jennifer Chamberlain  Whereabouts, and Ina Garten’s recipe for Midnight Spaghetti:

“My husband gave me Jhumpa Lahiri’s latest book, Whereabouts: a novel for my birthday this year and I finally had a chance to dig into it over the Thanksgiving weekend. The novel is set in a nameless Italian city and grapples with the notion of place and our relationship to the ordinary places in our lives. Translated from Italian by the author, Lahiri builds a story that relishes in the small moments – each short chapter takes the reader to a mundane location in which the narrator compels the reader to think deeply about community, relationships, and family. I found myself simultaneously arrested and calmed by the narrator’s window into her solitary life filled with routine and intentionality, and it was just the balm I need to tackle the hectic weeks ahead. If you’re looking for a smart page-turner to pick up over the holidays, I highly recommend this one.  

If you need a break from elaborate or rich holiday menus, this is the ideal recipe to have on hand (assuming you like garlic). According to Ina Garten, Midnight Spaghetti is the favorite dish for many top chefs to make after a long day of cooking. I discovered this simple recipe during the early days of the COVID-19 shutdown and it’s become a staple recipe in our house as the perfect combination of comfort and simplicity. Made from just a handful of ingredients, this easy recipe is a great dinner when you’ve just had too much holiday fun.”

 

Melody Clark recommends the Murdoch Mysteries and Up and Vanished: 

“Murdoch Mysteries is based on the book series of the same name by Maureen Jennings. It is the most delightful murder mystery show set at the turn of the 20th century in Toronto. It’s ridiculously wonderful because the main character is an incredibly intelligent detective/inventor and the show works in all sorts of real, famous people like Nikola Tesla, Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Alexander Graham Bell, Henry Ford, and Emma Goldman. I just love it.

I’m currently obsessed with Up and Vanished. Just as the title indicates, this podcast explores missing person cases. The creator, Payne Lindsey, does a wonderful job of researching the stories and conducting interviews. Go and listen. It’s so very interesting.”

 

Andi Coffin recommends The Detroiters and this recipe for Spicy Miso Chicken Katsu Ramen:

“I’m always shocked at how few people have seen The Detroiters. It’s charming, goofy, sweet, and features guest appearances from beloved Michigan-rooted actors. Sam Richardson steals the show and that’s saying a lot against a (wonderful) ham like Tim Robinson. 

I made this ramen recipe with my sister-in-law over Zoom at the height of the pandemic. It’s now an oft-requested menu item in my household and among my 12-year-old daughter’s most requested meals. Be warned! It takes a lot longer than 30 minutes to make so don’t be misled by the title but after you make it once, you’ll want to include this chicken in everything.”

 

Laura Damon-Moore recommends I Saw What You Did, Plain Bad Heroines, and Rhino Hero:

“I Saw What You Did with Danielle Henderson and Millie DeChirico is a film podcast that highlights two movies each week around a loosely organized theme. Expect good conversation with lots of swearing and real talk, not to mention solid film notes from two very funny, smart women.

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily Danforth scratched so many horror story itches for me. I grew up obsessed with Ghost Story by Peter Straub and Danforth’s book takes many of my favorite aspects of Straub’s work and not only updates but expands on them in a really elegant way. 

Rhino Hero is a simple riff on Jenga. My six-year-old loves it, and I never have to be talked into playing it!”

 

Sara Gold recommends Six Spices, The Rise, Simple Thai Food, and Ramen for Beginners:

“Neeta Saluja, author of the Six Spices cookbook, is a Madison area chef and cooking instructor who makes delicious South Asian Indian cooking easy. I took a class with my best friend and have gifted my own copy to people time and again. The majority of the recipes are vegetarian and my favorites are Aloo Gobhi (potatoes and cauliflower) and Chole (curried chickpeas).

Marcus Samuelsson is an Ethiopian- born Swedish chef who owns the Red Rooster in Harlem. In The Rise, he compiled a delicious array of recipes from Black chefs around the United States that reflect the diversity of our country in terms of ingredients, cultures, and history.  The annotated recipes and beautiful photographs make this a joy to read and cook with.

I LOVE Thai food but was always intimidated by the ingredients required. Simple Thai Food breaks down some of my favorite dishes like squash curry, mango sticky rice, and Thai ice tea into manageable endeavors.

There’s ramen from a package and then there’s Ramen for Beginners. This book pretty much changed the way I cook. I now am confident roasting pork belly and making Tonkotsu (bone) broth and both are so worth the effort. The soy sauce soaked eggs are one of my favorite recipes in the book.”

 

Erin F.H. Hughes recommends The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, I Hope This Finds You Well, How to Stop Time, The Midnight Library, The Beach Read, The People We Meet on Vacation, Castle Panic, and Ted Lasso:

“I have books that I carry in my bag with me all the time right now are two short poetry books and are easy for me to pick up and put down during my busy days. They are The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy and I Hope This Finds You Well by Kate Baer. I think they are both really inspiring and beautiful. They have been a great comfort. The fiction books that I read this year that I loved were by Matthew Haig How to Stop Time and The Midnight Library. I also really loved Emily Henry’s The Beach Read and The People We Meet on Vacation.

We play lots of games in our house, but Castle Panic is a favorite with adults and kids. We are a family of competitors, so we like to play games where we work together. We all leave the game time much happier with cooperative games.

Lastly, the show I enjoyed the most this year was Ted Lasso. For those of you who know me well, I just don’t enjoy watching soccer, so it took me a while to warm up to the idea of watching the show. I am so glad we did. It brought so much laughter to our evenings!”

 

Lisa Marten recommends Falling by T.J. Newman, Soft Strawberry Licorice Twists, and Celine Dion’s That’s the Way It Is:

“Falling by T.J. Newman was such an intense read that I could not put down! 

Trader Joe’s Soft Strawberry Licorice Twists are delicious goodness and are really hard to stop eating. Speaking from experience, don’t eat the whole bag in one sitting, no matter how tempting it is!

I recently started listening to women’s power ballads on my walks and Celine Dion’s “That’s the Way It Is” came on. Took me back in time, but I love that song! I’m sure my neighbors thought I was crazy as I danced down the street.”

 

Melissa McLimans recommends the Twitter account of Blair Braverman:

“Blair Braverman was a competitor in the 2019 Iditarod and is also an adventure writer, advice columnist, the leader of the ‘Ugly Dogs,’ and a provider of top-notch dog content. One of the only reasons to be on Twitter, quite frankly. Although her husband, Quince Mountain, has an equally interesting background and is a thoughtful Tweeter. He was the Iditarod’s first transgender dog musher. They live in Northern Wisconsin with so many dogs and are known collectively as BraverMountain Mushing. There’s more on their Patreon page. ‘We live on our farm with 21 huskies, and every year they run hundreds of joyful miles through the national forest by our home. Our priorities are happy huskies, involvement in our local community (as well as the literary/artist community), and plenty of dog-powered adventure in the wilderness.’”

 

Emily Pfotenhauer recommends The Velvet Underground, Summer of Soul, and Get Back:

“Music documentaries! A bunch of good ones came out this year, including The Velvet Underground, directed by Todd Haynes, and Summer of Soul, produced by Questlove, about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival (aka “Black Woodstock”). I’m about a third of the way through the Get Back documentary, about the making of The Beatles’ Let It Be album – it’s very slow but fascinating!”

 

Nick Smith recommends some new music!

“Here is some music that’s made me feel things this year:

• ШУМ (SHUM) by Go_A – 10/10, high-quality dancing in the kitchen material, my favorite at Eurovision this year, and hands down my favorite song of the year
• Fresh Concrete by Bears in Trees – This one I encountered about halfway through the year and it’s exactly the energy I want in my life—Bears in Trees has quickly become one of my favorite bands for the incredible warmth and love they have for the world and everyone in it, and that really comes out in their music
• Teatro d’ira: Vol. I by Måneskin – My go-to album this year for when I need some energy in my life, featuring Måneskin’s winning Eurovision entry Zitti e Buoni
• Keiino – I’ve gotten into this Sámi-Norwegian pop band big time this year, I very highly recommend their recent set of singles, Monument, Unbreakable, Summer of My Life, and Addjas, as well as their super fun Halloween song, End of Time
• Canguro by Fulminacci – I found this song just a few weeks ago and I haven’t stopped listening since
• El Baile del Kkoyaruna by Pascuala Ilabaca y Fauna – I had this song on repeat at the beginning of the pandemic and lately I’ve been listening to it a lot more again—there’s just an incredible warmth and life to all of their music that keeps me coming back”

 

Kristen Whitson recommends Schitt’s Creek and Blokus:

“Schitt’s Creek! I discovered it when the pandemic started because it was light and sweet enough that I could handle it in those first heavy weeks and months. Everyone says you have to get through the first season to get to the really good stuff, and that’s true. It’s well worth it, and you need the first season to truly appreciate the character development throughout the series. 

Blokus is a game that’s fun for almost any age, good for spatial awareness and thinking.”