Loose Connections Recommender #5

On Exes, Hacks, Tomatoes & Thyme

“First came ol’ sunglasses inside, Then the one who wouldn’t let me drive, Then along came the one with the long hair just like mine…”

1. All My Exes Live In LA: This crackerjack new tune from Lola Kirke should come with a warning that it will endlessly rotate in your mind for at least the next two weeks should you listen - and the music video is an absolute banger, with Lola strutting nekkid through the colourful streets of LA. The sassy Nashville lyricism harks back to the primo 70s country era, my favourite moment in musical time, and I’m calling it an absolute modern day classic. Especially love the nod to George Strait’s original classic All My Exes Live In Texas hidden in the chorus.

2. Hacks Season 2

   This came out last year but I feel like this show flies a little bit under the radar - if you haven’t heard of it but you enjoy tightly scripted dark comedy featuring self obsessed showbiz folk then this is for you. Deborah Vance (the brilliant Jean Smart) is a rich bitch famous comic recalibrating after an endless run in Vegas has finally come to an end, with Ava, a young entitled and exiled writer prone to making terrible choices while she’s drunk and high along for the ride. Fans of Larry Sanders will rejoice in this one.

   Streaming on Stan in Australia and Prime in USA.

3. I was thrilled to hear that a few people successfully whipped up my Pesto Arresto from my Loose Connections Recommender #4 so I’m going to share another of my favourite easy recipes. Round here we call this one Tomatoes & Thyme.

   It may sound like a 60s folk song but added to anything like rice, cous cous, tacos, potatoes, bread, pasta or salad leaves, it’s a quick and easy, very versatile and super flavoursome meal. If you manage leave any for the next day, this dish only gets better with age. Unfortunately you will likely eat it all cos it is very more-ish. This is what it looks like going into the oven.

   

   This is how you make it:

   Tomatoes & Thyme

   Ingredients

   Tomatoes - a full punnet of cherry tomatoes or probably 4 larger ones, any kind, and colour, will do.

   Feta Cheese - a full packet, cubed

   1 x Spanish onion, roughly chopped

   2 garlic cloves, finely sliced into slivers

   1/2 cup of kalamata olives

   A handful of fresh thyme - dried mixed herbs will work fine if that’s all you have

   A healthy generous helping of olive oil

   Sea salt, a hearty sprinkle

   Black pepper

   Zest of half a lemon - I zest lemon onto almost everything, its my secret hot tip to make everything better. I use a parmesan grater to do it.

   Chop tomatoes into one inch chunks if they are big or in half if they are cherry tomatoes). Spread into oiled baking pan. Mix in the rest of the ingredients, drizzle more olive oil over the top and bake in the oven at around 220 for around 20 mins, or until the tomatoes are starting to blister and have a few little blackened bits on them and its all sizzling and juicy.

   Use your own discretion here cos I am pretty bad with temperatures (and measurements and weights and heights etc in general). My family teases me relentlessly for putting the oven on ‘Carmo’ which means as hot as it will go, and then sometimes forgetting and burning things. Basically if you keep your wits about you and don’t get distracted, you will be able to smell when it’s ready because the aroma will fill your kitchen and be so intoxicating you won’t be able to wait any longer.

   Then add it to your carb of choice as listed above - stir through rice/cous cous/soft tacos (flour or corn)/pasta (something like small macaroni would work best), layer on top of toasted bread or roast veggies and serve with a simple green salad.

   Or if you don’t do carbs, let it cool til its just warm then work through a big bowl of salad leaves. You could happily add a cucumber and/or an avocado to this for a magical tastebud exploding dinner salad.

   If you make it, I’d love to see! I guarantee it will become a staple in your recipe rotations.

   Oh and you can also make it heartier by adding pumpkin - it becomes more like a vegetable stew… I don’t have any ‘after’ pics cos we eat it too quick and I forget, but trust me, really.

   

4. Bonus recommendations from Jimi Hendrix today.

   My favourites: Loves: Playing what I like and pleasing other people at the same time, Songwriting, Painting landscapes

   Hates: Having my hair cut, Pale colours, Cold Sheets, Seeing good musicians going to waste

   

   I hope you’re not travelling rough or in cramped cars or sharing your sleeping quarters with cockroaches and fleas and that you are instead watching or making great entertainment (sunsets count) and eating great food and wearing flowery shirts.

   Peacin' out and adiosin' x