MAKING THE CUT
We’ve scanned the zeitgeist for what to read, watch, wear and drink now.
1 Podcast
Just in case you missed it, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, is hosting a new podcast called Archetypes, which knocked Joe Rogan off the number one spot two days after its release. An exploration of the stereotypes ascribed to famous women, from Old Maid to Bimbo, the pod has a guest list including Serena Williams, Constance Wu, Issa Rae, Lisa Ling and Margaret Cho, who will each share their story, from shallow archetype to woman of substance. Find it on Spotify.
2 Drink
There are whiskies and then there’s The Balvenie Twenty
Five ($1200; thebalvenie.com). Its bold flavours of vanilla oak, toasted marshmallow and crystallised ginger are the result of an innovative marriage of rare casks made with American and European oak and a quartercentury ageing process.
3 Streaming
If you thought the American tourists were badly behaved in the first season of The White Lotus, prepare for another helping of white-hot privilege in the second instalment of this dark satire about the super-rich – this time set in a luxury Sicilian resort. Again written and directed by Mike White, this spin has an all-new cast, including Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos) and Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation), with one exception: Jennifer Coolidge (above, centre) as spiritually dry but romantically available lush Tanya McQuoid. Streaming on Binge from October.
4 Book
Beloved chef and restaurateur Yotam Ottolenghi, who brought us the bestselling Simple, is back with co-author and chef Noor Murad with a sequel of sorts to last year’s pantry raider,
Test Kitchen: Shelf Love. This one’s titled Test Kitchen:
Extra Good Things and the focus is still on the pantry but with sauces, condiments and toppings – from marinated feta to herbaceous salsa – bringing flavour to the forefront.
5 Beauty
Famed for its antioxidant and moisturising properties, honey has begun popping up as the hero ingredient in high-end skincare, such as Guerlain Abeille Royale Advanced Youth Watery Oil (from $84; sephora.com.au) and Sisley Velvet Sleeping Mask (above, $170; sisley-paris.com). Gisou Honey Infused Hair Oil ($131; mecca.com.au) is practically dripping with the stuff, using the golden liquid as a natural humectant to keep hair soft and shiny.
6 Home
For those who are serious about their sourdough starters, an ordinary oven just won’t do. The Le Creuset Bread Oven ($540; lecreuset.com.au) is made from cast iron for effective heat distribution, with a domed lid that traps and circulates the steam so you get maximum rise from every loaf and a low base to produce a crisp crust. Available in Volcanic (above), Cerise and Satin Black.
7 Movie
In Don’t Worry Darling, Florence Pugh (above) and Harry Styles play picture-perfect 1950s couple Alice and Jack, living an idyllic existence in a closed-off suburb in California. Like all the husbands in the neighbourhood, Jack is working on a top-secret project that they believe will change the world – just so long as the wives don’t ask questions. But Alice grows suspicious and pulls at the thread of their utopian life with devastating consequences. Director Olivia Wilde says she was inspired by The Truman Show and Inception – surreal worlds where nothing is as it seems. In cinemas 6 October.
8 Food
Everyone loves a gift box but what if the hamper could give back? That’s the idea behind Madebox. (madebox.com), a company that delivers gift boxes filled with goodies from more than 300 rural Australian artisans whose communities have been affected by bushfires, drought, COVID or floods. Whether it’s a coffee blend from Kangaroo Island or strawberry jam from the Yarra Valley, you can find out the source of your present and who it benefits.