Tembi Locke's Blog

Summer of Love

Saying “I do,” to life and love 

This summer two wonderful things have transpired in my life: I got married and I celebrated entering my 5th decade of big-hearted living. No doubt about it, I feel so immensely grateful for both of these blessings. Amid a global pandemic and civil unrest, beautiful milestones can still be honored. Whether it is the love experienced with a new partner; the joy of a child maturing before your eyes; a friend who sends you spices in the mail; or merely the deepening understanding that your life is precious and a gift,  we have much for which we can be grateful.

I will be the first to admit, I have had dark, hard days this summer. People are suffering all around us. We are suffering our own private pains as the losses, public and private, keep rolling in. So the idea of celebrating anything was a real reach for me. And yet, there was a small voice inside me urging me to do the very thing that might lift my heart and push against heaviness and isolation. I wanted to reach up into the vast sky and openness as much as I wanted to reach deep into the earth and ground myself. I wanted full living, even in quarantine. I knew that this moment too was a gift.  I could not let it pass without standing acknowledging the beauty that sits right beside the collective pain.

It’s no secret that I love people, food, and gathering. So trust me, I was a reluctant convert to the idea of a Zoom wedding. But I also hated the idea of a commitment to love being in limbo and 2020 passing without marking momentous life milestones. So, on a whim, we went for it.

To my surprise, the scaled down simplicity of it was stunning. Standing in our backyard under a fig tree and making vows to each other was the most perfect wedding for us and for this moment. Saro was watching over us as Robert made vows to Zoela. Our family friend Coline Creuzot serenaded us and friends brought over flowers and left them on our porch. When all was said and done, we drove around the neighborhood making old-fashioned, joyous noise with string and tomato sauce cans dragging behind us. Zoela made our “Just Married” sign. It was perfect!

I’ll share more about my birthday later in the month and this summer of love.

Your First Sicily Trip: 5 Must-Visit Destinations

Lucky you! You have your passport ready, tickets in hand. Your first Sicily trip awaits you. So let your culinary, beachside, cobblestoned Mediterranean dream adventure begin! Here are five things I’d recommend that you do. You can thank me later. Palermo

Arrive in Palermo by flight or an overnight boat from Rome, casts you in the Port of Palermo the next morning. Either way, spend a couple of days in the most architecturally diverse European city you will ever see. Eat Palermo’s famous street food, shop flea markets, visit nearby Monreale, the cathedral in gold. Devour the famous Sicilian ice cream sandwich (gelato heaped on an open brioche) among Byzantine mosaics; take historic walking tours; visit the Palermo Catacombs; tour a puppet master’s shop; dine liberally on local foods. Palermo will set your imagination on fire. (Above photo credit: Hecticophilia)

Cefalù

From Palermo, I recommend traveling east to Cefalù, a small seaside town with gorgeous views of the sea. Spend a day or two there taking relaxing strolls, eating al fresco in narrow cobblestone streets, and sipping Campari by the sea. Hike to the top of the mountain that overlooks the town. Relax Sicilian style.

Aeolian islands

If you are adventurous and want more of the Mediterranean, then from Cefalù hop aboard a boat and head north to the Aeolian islands in the Sicilian archipelago. My favorite island is Stromboli (name of both the famous Ingrid Bergman film and of the extra-sized calzone that is found in many Italian American pizzerias.) Stromboli is small, evocative and an active volcano. (I write about it in FROM SCRATCH). It’s easy to get a tour guide and hike the volcano, but you can also hang in the small port town. If you don’t make it to Stromboli, I also love the islands of Lipari and Vulcano. Whether you decide to visit one or all of the islands, be prepared to adjust the slow pace of island living. Eat gelato, take walks, shop, and lounge on the beach. Bring home island capers, island olive oil, rich tomato paste and, of course, memories for a lifetime.

Taormina

When you leave the islands, head back to Sicily and go straight to Taormina to see the Greek ruins and amphitheatre. Dine in a swank ristorante or stay in a fancy hotel. This is Sicily for those who like a bit of the cosmopolitan while still having a local feel. Be sure to stand in the amphitheatre at sunset. Snap the kind of selfie that reminds you (and everyone else who sees it) that you are the luckiest person alive.

Siracusa

There is no place I love more in Sicily than the ancient city of Siracusa and the mini island of Ortigia. While there, shop the open-air food market, visit Dionysus’ Ear and learn why the ancient Greeks still have a lot to teach us about the spiritual power inherent in the natural world. Mostly, have espresso in the cathedral square and try local food, drink local wine. Learn to make pizza. (Above photo credit: Carlotta)

Before you leave Sicily…

I highly recommend you write yourself a postcard telling yourself how Sicily has captivated you. Then mail it back to the States. Once you’re home, put it on your fridge or bathroom mirror. One day, when you are low or work has bummed you out, pick it up and read it. It will remind you that Sicily is there eternally beautiful, always welcoming. It is waiting for your return. (Above photo credit: Hecticophilia)

Never Have I Ever

Last fall, I auditioned for a new Netflix show that was then untitled. My agents told me it was the creative brainchild of Mindy Kaling and that it was based on her life as a teen. That was enough to make me want to get to the casting office ASAP. Of course, I wanted to be a part of that! Mindy is someone I have admired for years. So when the audition went well and I booked the job, I was thrilled.

My first day on set I knew this show was unlike any other. The diversity, both in front of and behind the camera, was unlike anything I had ever seen in more than twenty years in Hollywood. Women of color with leading and rich storylines that informed and entertained. The scripts were funny, the creative collaboration was refreshing. And I loved working closely with Lee Rodriguez, “Fabiola,” who plays my teen daughter. I was in a dream work scenario for the three days I worked (and laughed my ass off) on the show.

Yet, I had no idea that six months later, while the world would be quarantined in a global pandemic, that this show (now tilted Never Have I Ever) would drop on Netflix and become number one in the world in a matter of days. That is a career first for me.

And as I sat down to stream it with my teenage daughter, I knew we were watching something magical. We are laughing and crying. She was seeing characters she could relate to, storylines that intersected with her own experience. As her actress mom, she had feedback for how my character was “so wrong and annoying” but then loved my character when she supported her daughter at a critical moment. We had lots of discussions about the show and by the final episode both satisfied and desperately wanting more.

I am so proud to be part of this show, to contribute to something that is changing the way the world sees itself. But mostly, I am honored to be part of a show that is talking about grief in a way that reflects its many faces/stages/perspectives.  If you haven’t checked it, give it a try. I hope you laugh and cry and see part of you in every character.

Reese Witherspoon and Zoe Saldana team up to adapt “From Scratch” for Netflix

The screen adaptation of From Scratch is happening! My immense thanks to Netflix, Hello Sunshine and Reese Witherspoon for believing in this story. My heart soars knowing that none other than the effervescent and brilliantly talented Zoe Saldana will bring this story to life on screen. AND, I am teaming up with my sister Attica Locke who will executive produce it all.

Thank you to every reader who has read, celebrated, shared and gifted my heart-filled book. Thank you to talented women bringing diverse and global stories to screen.

.fusion-body .fusion-button.button-1 .fusion-button-text{color:#26aac0;text-transform:uppercase;}.fusion-body .fusion-button.button-1 i{color:#26aac0;}.fusion-body .fusion-button.button-1{border-color:#26aac0;border-width:0px 0px 1px 0px;border-radius:4px 4px 4px 4px;background:rgba(196,196,196,0);background-image:linear-gradient(180deg,rgba(196,196,196,0) 0%,rgba(204,204,204,0) 100%);font-size:18px;padding-right:0px;padding-left:0px;letter-spacing:.01em;font-family:"Montserrat";font-weight:400;}.fusion-body .fusion-button.button-1:hover .fusion-button-text,.fusion-body .fusion-button.button-1:hover i,.fusion-body .fusion-button.button-1:focus .fusion-button-text,.fusion-body .fusion-button.button-1:focus i,.fusion-body .fusion-button.button-1:active .fusion-button-text,.fusion-body .fusion-button.button-1:active i{color:var(--awb-color8);}.fusion-body .fusion-button.button-1:hover,.fusion-body .fusion-button.button-1:active,.fusion-body .fusion-button.button-1:focus{border-color:var(--awb-color8);border-width:0px 0px 1px 0px;background:rgba(209,209,209,0);background-image:linear-gradient(180deg,rgba(209,209,209,0) 0%,rgba(173,173,173,0) 100%);}You can find all of the details here!“This is a profound true story of love and family, deprivation and nourishment, that needs to be brought to life on the screen as Tembi Locke brought it vividly to life for me on the page. We are grateful to Netflix and thrilled to be working with Reese, Lauren, Attica and 3 Arts on this wonderful project.”
– Zoe Saldana

 

“Tembi’s memoir is a raw and tender exhibition of life in all its pieces. She brings you into her love, her loss and her resilience with such vulnerability and strength. We immediately fell for Attica and Tembi’s vision and feel honored to have the opportunity to help bring it to life on-screen. We could not imagine more perfect partners for this than Zoe and her sisters and 3 Arts Entertainment, along with the incredible team at Netflix.”
– Reese Witherspoon“Attica and I are honored to be adapting ‘From Scratch’ with the visionary Reese Witherspoon, Lauren Neustadter, Richard Abate and the incredibly gifted Zoe Saldana. We have a shared interest in championing stories that bring a rich tapestry of experiences to the screen. I am thrilled that this global love story has found a perfect home at Netflix.”
– Tembi Locke“Between the Locke sisters and the Saldana sisters, I’ve never seen a show that’s more of a family affair. Reese Witherspoon and Hello Sunshine have been producing really exciting content and we’re thrilled to make this powerful and emotional series with them.”
– Channing Dungey, Vice President of original series at Netflix

Dear FROM SCRATCH Readers: A Note for You

From Scratch is for anyone who has ever loved, lost and then tried to find their way forward. It is for readers who like a story of self-discovery driven by adversity and for anyone who has ever had life ask more of them than they knew they were capable of.

While it is at once an epic romantic cross-cultural, cross-continental love story, it is also a story of the permanence of the families we create whether through adoption or biology or even through forgiveness. An international story, spanning two continents, two languages and multiple cultures, I hope the books speaks to the prismatic nature of identity and what it means to be an immigrant – a person of two lands. It is about the way travel makes the world intimate and the way life is capable of dishing delicious grace when and where you least expect it.

At the heart of the book are two themes: the island of Sicily in the dazzling Mediterranean and it’s incomparably simple, evocative and straightforward food.

Those themes coalesce to reveal the connective and healing power of food and it codifies memory by connecting us to our past, our present, even our futures. Everyone eats, everyone has a favorite cook in their lives. Everyone wants to keep the essence of someone they loved and lost close to them. From Scratch is a testament to the way the table is a place where love passes through us.

Someone recently described the book as Eat Pray Love meets The Year of Magical Thinking meets Under the Tuscan Sun. WOW! Those books all touched readers who wanted to be inspired and transported away from their own experience and those who wanted to explore the universal human experience of loss. The common thread in each of these books is a woman’s inspiring journey of losing herself in order to find herself and stand in her truth. In FROM SCRATCH, the woman just happens to be me.

In the end, I hope the book will inspire readers to reach for big love, take big risks.

Not just in big ways but in tiny daily gestures. It can be a big risk to quietly say “I’m sorry” or to forgive those closest to us, or to forgive ourselves. And I hope the book will remind us that the world is greater than the confines of any border or geography or culture. That opposites do attract and can conjoin their hearts to what matters most. That the expanse of our shared humanity is full of more wonder and surprise than fear. And, in the end, if FROM SCRATCH can shed light on what it means to grieve openly and in different ways, at different stages of life, perhaps more people will understand not only the grief of others, but their own grief. To quote Leonard Cohen, “There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.”

Love,

Tembi

From Scratch Sunday Table – Campari & Orange Cocktail Granita

This weekend, between Memorial Day and preparing to travel to Italy to film From Scratch, I find myself craving Italian-inspired summer cocktails. Yum! If you’ve read the book, you’ll know that the granita is a Sicilian summer staple. Well, my friends, here’s what happens when a cocktail meets a granita!

This recipe for Campari & Orange Cocktail Granita from Food Network is a favorite of mine. Here’s why:

It’s both gluten-free and veganPerfect as a summer dessertFruity and refreshingOnly 5 ingredients!Easy to make
Minimal clean up

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup sugar1 cup water3 cups freshly squeezed orange juice (6 to 8 oranges)1 cup Campari liqueur1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 large lemon)

PREPARATION:

First make the sugar syrup: Combine the sugar and water in small saucepan and boil over high heat until the sugar is dissolved.Pour the sugar syrup into a 10 x 13 x 2-inch ceramic dish and stir in the orange juice, Campari, and lemon juice. Carefully place the dish on a level surface in the freezer. Freeze for one hour, rake the granita with a large dinner fork, and return it to the freezer. Rake the granite every 30 minutes, until it’s firm and granular. This should take several hours. Serve frozen in pretty bowls or stemmed martini glasses.

Makes 6 servings.

 

To be the first to receive my From Scratch Sunday Table recipes, click here.

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From Scratch Sunday Table – Fava Bean + Asparagus Salad

For this week’s recipe, I wanted to share a delicious dish that is a staple in my home. This recipe for Fava Bean + Asparagus Salad is a favorite of mine from Bon Appétit. Here’s a few reasons why I love it:

It’s rich in nutrientsIt’s easy to put together quicklyIt’s stunning and perfect for photos!And lastly, it’s super healthy!

INGREDIENTS¼ cup coarsely chopped raw pistachios1½ cups shelled fava beans (from about 1 ½ pounds pods)Kosher salt1 small shallot, finely chopped2 tablespoons Champagne or white wine vinegarFreshly ground black pepper⅓ cup olive oil1 bunch asparagus, sliced thinly lengthwise on a mandoline2 cups trimmed watercress or arugula½ cup mint leaves2 tablespoons tarragon leaves2 tablespoons chive blossoms (optional)PREPARATIONPreheat oven to 350°. Toast pistachios on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing occasionally, until fragrant but not browned, 5–8 minutes. Let cool.Cook fava beans in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a colander set in a bowl of ice water. Drain, remove skins, and transfer beans to a small bowl.Combine shallot and vinegar in another small bowl; season with salt and pepper and set aside at least 10 minutes. Whisk oil into shallot mixture; season vinaigrette with salt and pepper.Combine beans, asparagus, watercress, mint, and tarragon in a large bowl; add vinaigrette and pistachios and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving platter and top with chive blossoms, if using.

 

To be the first to receive my From Scratch Sunday Table recipes, click here.

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Root & Rise –– In Conversation with Christine Pride

My guest for the March episode of Root & Rise is Christine Pride! Christine is a writer, editor and 15-year publishing veteran. She’s the editor of many bestselling novels, including From Scratch, Heaven is Here, A Reason to Believe, No One Tells You This, and Dear World. Her novel We Are Not Like Them, which is co-written with Jo Piazza, is now available for preorder here.

During this episode, Christine and I discuss our experience working together – from how we met, to the experience of working with a first time author and helping me feel comfortable with my edit letter. We also talk about how the pandemic has impacted the editing process and the importance of giving yourself grace and gratitude. You can watch our conversation here.

 

If you want to receive future Root & Rise episodes directly to your inbox, go here.

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From Scratch Sunday Table – Bright Green Leek Soup

Happy Sunday! For this week’s recipe, I wanted to share something that reminds me of spring. Bright Green Leek Soup is a favorite in my house, and here’s why:

It’s flavorful and healthyIt’s easy to makeIt’s full of delicious spicesAnd it’s so Instagram-worthy!

INGREDIENTS6 medium leeks, about 3 pounds4 tablespoons olive oil Salt and pepper4 garlic cloves, minced Pinch of cayenne½ cup rice8 cups hot vegetable broth or chicken broth 10 ounces baby spinach, washed Grated nutmeg, to taste2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives, for garnish2 tablespoons thinly sliced tarragon, for garnishPREPARATIONTrim leeks of outer layer and stems. Chop white and tender green parts into 1/2-inch chunks (discard tough gray-green parts). Soak leeks in a large bowl of lukewarm water, swishing to dislodge sand. Drain and soak again, then lift leeks from water, leaving any sediment behind.Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add leeks and season well with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until leeks are wilted, about 8 to 10 minutes.Add garlic, cayenne and rice and cook for 1 minute. Add hot broth and bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Simmer until the rice is very soft, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely before proceeding.Using a blender, purée the raw spinach with the cooled soup mixture. You have the option to strain the soup through a fine-meshed sieve, discarding any fibrous solids, if you want. Adjust seasoning and add a little grated nutmeg. Thin soup with broth or water if necessary.Heat soup through just before serving, to preserve the bright green color. Garnish each serving with a sprinkling of chives and tarragon. Enjoy!

 

To be the first to receive my From Scratch Sunday Table recipes, click here.

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From Scratch Sunday Table – Eat the Book Feature!

For this Sunday, I wanted to share something extra special that came out this week! I was featured on an episode of Eat the Book, a new cooking series by Hello Sunshine and KitchenAid USA where Reese’s Book Club authors get paired with a chef and mixologist to create dishes inspired by the pages of our stories.

I had a blast in the Eat the Book kitchen with Christina Milian and chef Genevieve Gergis of Bestia Los Angeles. Here’s a behind the scenes moment of the three us on set:

Chef Genevieve created delicious dishes inspired by From Scratch. I adored the Sweet Wine Chiffon Cake, which had the perfect balance of wine with the sweetness of the marzipan. Over on the Reese’s Book Club Instagram, Genevieve shared some fantastic tips for cooking with wine. She also created a wonderful dish of marinated tomatoes over eggplant purée. As we say in the episode, “this is so good you put your foot in it!”

Mixologist Devon Tarby created a DIY Cocktail Spritz, which was so refreshing and reminded me of hot summer nights in Sicily. The recipe is shared in the video so you can make it yourself!

You can watch the entire episode here. I promise it will make you hungry!

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