This post originally appeared in my newsletter, The Sophisticate.
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Something to Try
It’s important to exercise caution around truffle-flavored items. The rich, umami fungus is among the most faked foods in the world given its rarity and extraordinarily high price. Many truffle oils, for example, are counterfeits made from synthetic flavors that come nowhere near the real thing. But when it’s real, truffle is a delicacy that adds unmistakable depth to pastas, potatoes, butters, and more.
I’m a big fan of high-low pairings, as you may have gathered from this newsletter (see: champagne and potato chips). Another such combination is truffle and popcorn. It’s a pretty common bar snack, but I rarely see it served at home. If you’re looking for a simple, relatively inexpensive snack that will impress your guests and pair beautiful at happy hour, this is it!
You’ll want to start with plain (ideally air-popped) popcorn. I’ve written before about my love for our Whirleypop – it’s a funny little old-fashioned popper for your stovetop that practically guarantees evenly-popped, scorch-free popcorn every time. If you’re looking to keep it uncomplicated, flavorless microwave popcorn will work just fine.
Drizzle your popcorn with a bit of olive oil or butter, then toss with truffle parmesan powder to taste. We buy ours at a local spice shop, but below are a couple I’ve found that come highly recommended. This salty, rich snack will be the perfect companion for anything from wine and beer to your favorite full-proof cocktails, and it will be a crowd favorite for a fraction of the price of cheese or charcuterie!
Truffle Parmesan Seasoning
- Spiceology, $18.99
- The Spice House, $13.99
Something to Know
An artist who likely needs no introduction, Claude Monet was born in Paris in 1840. From an early age, he was disinterested in school but passionate about art. At 15, he began sketching portraits and caricatures for money. Fellow artists and mentors soon introduced him to the en plein air (outdoor) approach to painting that would later become his signature, and he began to go on painting excursions in nature.
Painting across the region of Normandy, the river towns of the Seine, and eventually his floral gardens at Giverny, he is considered to be one of the fathers of Impressionism, a revolutionary art movement that was characterized by large visible brush strokes, everyday subject matter like landscapes and leisure activities, and an emphasis on the impacts of light on a subject. Impressionists sought to recreate their “impression” of their subjects rather than a truly realistic interpretation, lending an air of romance and whimsy to their art.
Monet became famous for his repeated studies of a handful of motifs, including haystacks, waterlilies, and the cathedral in Rouen. In painting the same subject repeatedly in different seasons and at different times of day, he was able to explore the effects of sunlight on color to shadow.
He painted many of his most famous works at his family home in Giverny, today a museum open to the public about an hour outside of Paris. The lush gardens and ponds proved to be beautiful subjects for his wistful interpretations of nature. If you ever have the chance to visit Paris, be sure to add Musée de l’Orangerie to your itinerary – it is next to the Louvre but sees a fraction of the crowd. It houses what I consider to be Monet’s most impressive works, his enormous waterlily panels painted at Giverny that span two oval-shaped white rooms – truly some of the most breathtaking art you will ever lay eyes on.
Three Good Things
First and foremost, The Sophisticate is not in the business of trying to sell you things you don’t want or need. This section is meant to share three things that have improved my life, and a little bit about why you might like them too.
These will occasionally contain affiliate links. If you click one and ultimately decide to make a purchase, I may earn a small commission of roughly 5-10%. If you want to shop using my links, great! Easy for you, teeny tiny paycheck for me.
However, it’s very important to me that you trust that I’m not just pushing links to make money, so if you’d rather purchase outside of my affiliate link, I completely get it! To do so, just be sure to shop from an incognito browser and type the product name into search rather than copy and paste my link.
That said, I hope you’ll find that some of these recommendations may be the solution to a problem you’ve been having, or are simply a fun little luxury to add to your daily life.
Copper Measuring Cups
I love the idea of slowly upgrading your daily essentials over time. Before the era of overconsumption, it was common for your everyday items to be beautiful because you were more likely to buy once and keep forever. I love our copper measuring cups for this reason – something as quotidian as cooking or baking can feel just a tiny bit more romantic when you swap out your tools for something more elevated.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer
My once-bold eyebrows have begun to thin out slightly over the years, which means I’ve recently started investing in brow pencils to fill them back out. This one is my favorite – a tiny bit of product goes a very long way, but I don’t find that it looks overbearing or unnatural.
Silver Plated Frames
Silver frames are such an easy way to add classic charm to your home. They feel almost like heirlooms, or at least the kind of decor you can feel confident you’ll keep around for decades to come. I think they’re especially gorgeous with black and white photos.
Recipe of the Day
Every fabulous woman I know has a signature salad dressing in her fridge. I love this shallot-forward French vinaigrette. It doesn’t have garlic so you can make a bigger batch and keep it in the fridge for a few weeks. Serve it the French way: toss with hand-torn mixed greens and sprinkle a tiny bit of sea salt. I like to add crumbled goat cheese when I have it!
Shallot Vinaigrette
Tasteful Living, As Told by You
One of the things that inspired me to create The Sophisticate was reading what other women online had to say about taste, style, and living well. This section is dedicated to tips and advice submitted by you, The Sophisticate subscribers!
Send us a message on Instagram @sophisticate.newsletter to share your favorite little luxuries, healthy habits, or other tasteful tips with us and we may include you in a future newsletter.
“I love perfume. I’ve started waiting to place Sephora or Nordstrom beauty orders until they are offering a fragrance gift with purchase, which is often a bag of 10-15 fragrance samples. The vials are big enough that I can wear the scent a handful of times and get a feel for whether I like it or not. It also allows me to be a little adventurous wearing a scent I would normally be afraid to purchase. And I get to try them all for free!”
Marianne, 38, Sonoma
Letter from the Editor
I have been so enjoying hearing from you all about ways that you eat, drink, shop, dress, and live well. If you have ideas to share or suggestions for this newsletter to improve, please do reach out!
I am excited to share that The Sophisticate will be getting a mini rebrand soon! The name feels just a tiny bit off to me, and since we’re still relatively new, I’m hoping that I can make some small adjustments without causing too much confusion or disappointment. Stay tuned for the new name, and bear with me as I transition the branding over the next few weeks 🙂
Abbie Leonardi
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