Finally, employment!
And the greatest (and most problematic) bread-based dish in Canada.
Good afternoon, everyone. For those of you in university, the finish line is nigh— the end of classes is at hand. Take heart and fear not the unseen.
For everyone else, especially those with a real job: sucks to be you!
Here’s Philip, Briefly.
For Your Consideration
I got a real job.
Ah, that’s right. You have to work for a living.
Fortunately I got a job that’s really cool! I’m returning to the lab I worked at last summer, but I’m going to do less of the fun field work and more of the “sitting in a lab crunching data and answering Whatsapp” work. At least I’ll get another year of the Toronto city bike-share.
Seriously though it was a great gig. I am glad to have employment. And I am excited to be in the city for another summer.
An Eclipse is Upon Us.
We’re about to get eclipsed on in North America, as I’m sure you’re aware. Some of you reading this are planning to go to Niagara Falls to see the totality. Personally, I’m gonna give it a miss. (Not to flex, but I have seen the real deal before).
If you need glasses to observe the partial eclipse like the rest of us plebs, find a Warby Parker location! There’s one on Queen Street. They’re giving them out for free.
Do not use sunglasses. Do not use welding visors. Please do not look directly at the sun.
Hank and John Green have started a newsletter to compete with me.
You wouldn’t believe it. After the launch of Philip, Briefly, the Green brothers launched a newsletter of their own entitled We’re Here. It’s great so far, a far cry from the husk of the old Nerdfighteria Newsletter. Who knew that my presence in the newsletter space what rattle such titans?
Yes, I still consider myself a Nerdfighter despite the fact that it’s 2024. I received five seperate texts from concerned friends on 19 May 2023 when Hank announced his cancer diagnosis.
A Toast to Bannock
Years of undergraduate education have trained me to approach springtime with a certain attitude— living broke. At the end of the day you need to eat, and the costs of takeout and fancy groceries add up over time. I used to depend on kraft dinner and instant noodles when I was starving in my broke springs, but about a year ago I became familiar with a different dish: bannock.
Bannock, as Dan Olson so brilliantly explains, is a traditional indigenous dish that the first Canadians have been making in some form or another for thousands of years. The dish that is common in Western Canada these days had its origins in the meagre federal ration packages that starving indigenous peoples were given in the 1800s: flour, lard, baking powder, and not much else. But from these ingredients of the colonizers they were able to recreate their old recipes in a new manner, and the resulting “bannock” of fried quickbread became a staple in indigenou cuisine across this country as a sign of the first people’s resilience.
At least, so goes the story. FWIW as a white settler, I think that interpretation of history lends itself a bit to “bootstrapping”: the idea that the disempowered should help themselves out of oppression rather than demand reform. Certainly there are indigenous voices that could discuss this issue better than me; I’m just here to say that bannock has been extremely valuable to me and I’ve grown a fondness for it.
I am not trying to compare my life to those of displaced indigenous peoples. I didn’t even grow up on the stuff— I think it’s more common out west in Alberta and BC, maybe? I’m just here to say that this type of food is incredibly innovative, highly versatile, and is a testament to just how far you can stretch a not-huge amount of food.
As a little treat, here’s how I make it!
Bannock, Philip-style
Makes two servings.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup milk (any kind)
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp table salt
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
Combine dry ingredients in a very big bowl. Add in the milk very slowly, 1 tbsp at a time, mixing it in as you go and slowly incorporating the flour into a dough. Knead it— you want it to have a bit of chew— but don’t overmix. It should keep together but not be too sticky. Use your judgement! You might not need all the milk.
Get a wide pan going and melt in the butter and olive oil on medium heat. This is hardly traditional but I think it tastes better than the traditional vegetable oil or lard.
Break the dough into two equal portions and fry them together in the fat. Push them down with a spatula to brown as much surface area as possible. Fry for 10 minutes or so, keeping an eye on the temps. Don’t let the bottom burn.
It will inflate quite a lot when frying.
Flip and continue to fry, making sure it’s brown on both sides. The inside should not be wet at all. I usually use a knife to poke the thickest part and make sure it’s setting up nicely.
Let it cool for 5-10 minutes and serve. Goes great with butter and jam, also works great as the basis for a bacon sandwich. You can also do it savory-style and mix in some dried herbs and spices to the dough.
The List
🚔"Abolish the Police? Those Who Survived the Chaos in Seattle Aren’t So Sure" by Nellie Bowles/The New York Times
If you ask me, the Capital Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) protest in Seattle in June 2020 is one of the most fascinating events in 21st century American history. This feature is a really interesting look at the perspective of business owners in CHAZ.
🥩 "You Don’t Have to Quit Meat to Save the Planet—Just Eat Less" by Matt Reynolds/Wired
Environmental discourse is full of absolutism. I don’t find it very productive. Maybe everyone should just make lentils once in a while.
⚔️"Readers of Gor: Tarnsman of Gor" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Molly Tanzer/Pornokitsch
In which two feminist erotica critics lambaste a porny cult sword-and-planet novel that I really hate.
☠️"Toxic" by Walk off the Earth, Harm & Ease
I have a slight soft spot for cover music, though it’s often unoriginal. However, this Canadian-made Britney Spears cover is nothing short of brilliance.
🗣️197424 by Will Sennett, Helena
Most good podcasts have a schtick or a gimmick. But this is just a loving couple being gross and yapping for an hour. I hate it I love it.
That Britney cover is nuts