So obviously I’m not shy when it comes to being active on social media. I was on Twitter when it was still cool, Instagram is like my own personal crazy cat lady diary, I even had MySpace back in the day (please tell me that one is good and buried). I also recently braved the murky waters of TikTok, and thank god I did because how else would I know how to do the effortlessly perfect-looking but still takes ten minutes french braid/deep clean my dishwasher/make a Nobu spicy tuna dupe? I LOVE social media. I used to say I was on it because it was “part of the job”, as in I had to have a public account if I was in the entertainment industry, which obviously isn’t true, because I’m pretty sure Cate Blanchett does not have TikTok. I think the real reason for choosing to be accessible and share my life had more to do with wanting to be able to be myself somewhere and feel some validation for that, which is a thing you crave when you’ve, you know… made a career out of pretending to be other people.
Except there’s the good side of being accessible, and then there’s the bad side. It’s all so nice most of the time, so validating and lovely with all the positivity and encouragement, inspiration galore and uplifting connections over something as simple as a really funny cat video. Unless of course you make the mistake of saying cats are your favourite animal, in which case the 1% will come out to pin you to a wall and scream, “WHAT DO YOU HAVE AGAINST DOGS, YOU HAS-BEEN?” Alas, the criticism and trolling from the miserable comes with the territory. And let me tell you, there seems to be a LOT of miserable people in the world with so much time on their hands. (What I would be able to accomplish with that kind of time! So many french braids!) No matter what I do, or what I say, or what I wear (“You call yourself a mother, exposing your clavicle like that??”) , the miserables will always be there to help my index finger practice its lil exercises on the block button. Soooooo basically, the trade off to being public on social media is growing a thick-as-hell impenetrable skin, which I just can’t seem to grow, darling. Not with this skincare regime.
Being a human being, I have my days where it’s all a little too much, like when some dumb video I posted has slipped into tiny viral territory and has brought out every bot or leach hell-bent on bringing me down a peg ie. “You’ve aged!” (the alternative being.. death I guess? sorry I’m still alive!) or “Your surgeon should be arrested– your nose job is terrible!” (this was the nose I was born with, so is this a backhanded compliment meaning it couldn’t possibly real? or is the slight asymmetry of my nostrils screaming “botched”? Also why do we care about who does what with their own face?) Time spent online becomes more about blocking crazy people and less about connecting with nice people, which is a bit of a soul-sucking experience. So I put down my phone, I take breaks, I let the pendulum swing the other way and take a walk and become a little reclusive for awhile.
But then I get brave again and decide to post some silly cooking video, and I am flooded by so many supportive, positive responses, I can’t help but realize that maybe the majority is indeed rooting for me. And what a lovely thing, to feel appreciated for exactly who you are.
So to those of you out there who follow and comment and join the chats and answer the polls on what I should be cooking next or any of the many other ways you’ve supported me, I just want to say thank you. Your voices drown out the miserables, and encourage me to keep sharing. Also, the way you’re all so kind to each other in the comments just makes me really proud. It’s tough out there, but I think we’ve curated a nice corner of the internet to just let loose and have a good time.
I’m leaving you with a recipe you asked me for on my Community Channel on Instagram, which you can join here (it’s free, calm down) https://www.instagram.com/j/AbZEes3Rop70QDZW/ I love hearing how these recipes turn out for you, and love hearing what you want to see more of. Also because InstaThreadsXTok isn’t enough, I’ve joined YouTube with my very own channel, so you can watch this inane and slightly unhinged video that goes along with it where I have hair that hasn’t been washed in five days: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJrGWBjglT8&feature=youtu.be
I love you guys. Very much.
xx J
Cheddar and Fig Stuffed Chicken Breasts and Pappardelle
Ingredients
CHICKEN
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 tbsp fig preserves (sub apricot jam if you can't find fig preserves, it's just as delicious
- 4 slices aged white cheddar cheese
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp thyme (fresh is best, but dried works just fine)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
PASTA
- 1/2 lb pappardelle pasta, cooked according to package directions
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bunch of swiss chard, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup chicken stock or broth
- 1/4 cup cream
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/3 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
Instructions
- Start the chicken. Preheat the oven to 400F. Cut through each chicken breast horizontally until almost all the way through, like a book. Spread each breast with 1 tbsp fig preserves and a slice of cheddar. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and thyme, and fold up again. Season the outside again with salt and pepper. Heat a pan over high heat, add a tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, and sear each chicken breast until golden, about 2 minutes a side. Transfer to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, until the juices run clear. While the chicken is in the oven, start your pasta sauce. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add a tbsp of olive oil and the onion, sautéing a few minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and season with salt and pepper, then add the Swiss chard. Add the chicken stock, bringing it up to a bubble and then lowering to a simmer. Add the lemon zest and juice, then the cream. Let it thicken for a few minutes, then season with more salt and pepper to taste and the red pepper flakes. Stir in the freshly grated parmigiano reggiano and the basil. Boil pappardelle until al dente, reserving a cup of pasta water in case you need to thin out your pasta sauce. Fold the hot pasta into the sauce. Remove the chicken breasts from the pan and deglaze the pan with some more chicken stock or water over medium-high heat on the stove, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan until a sauce starts to form. Let it simmer and thicken a little bit. Slice the chicken breasts and drizzle with the sauce. Add a little more freshly grated parmigiano on top.
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