FIKA FOR FEBRUARY

It’s the last month of summer, and I want to enjoy every last bit of these long evenings, and fool myself into thinking humidity and the constant swishing of flies from the deliquescing camembert is the epitome of summer life.

EAT

Never so much has a recipe embodied fika in February than whipped feta with roasted balsamic strawberries on sourdough. It uses seasonal produce, no slaving in a hot kitchen, can be enjoyed in the mornings with a cup of coffee, or on a platter in the early evenings on the balcony with friends and bubbles.

Bon appetit!

DRINK

I’ve been really into margarita’s recently, with equal parts tequila, triple sec (if I was particular I’d be using Cointreau. I am particular, but my budget tells me that for the amount of marg’s I make, triple sec will be just fine) and lime juice, shaken over ice, strain and serve in a salt rimmed tumbler. 

BUT yesterday I came across a ‘rita riff that is right up my alley! The Tequila Mockingbird. It’s a classic marg with caramelised pineapple, jalapenos, and a good pun. But the exact recipe I cannot find! Apologies, but here is a substitute. However I think at its essence, the Tequila Mockingbird calls for your own study and interpretation of the text (recipe), just like in English class.

READ

You know what? Just to make this fika more rounded, just go read To Kill A Mockingbird. If you’ve never read it, it’s beautiful, important, poignant, and timeless. If you’ve already read it – read it again!

LISTEN

Hopefully you’ve stopped listening to Spotify’s playlist of your ‘favourite’ songs of 2021, which are really just songs that Spotify’s algorithm made you listen to and then decided that because you listened to them they must be your favourite and so your taste in music gets slowly spirals into a puddle of generic indie pop rock r&b… 

Have a listen to Song Exploder, which dives deep into songs and albums and how they were made. It brings appreciation and beauty to music I didn’t even know I liked, and suddenly the future of my music playlist seems much brighter.