The Monday Media Diet with Abi Balingit

On gremlita, Bliss Montage, and Radio Free Brooklyn

Abi Balingit (AB) is a baker and author of the new book Mayumu about Filipino deserts and essays on the Filipino-American experience. We are delighted to have her with us today. -Colin (CJN)

Tell us about yourself.

Hi, I’m Abi Balingit and I’m a baking blogger and author based in Brooklyn, NY. I started my blog The Dusky Kitchen in the summer of 2020. I work full-time in the live music industry, but I enjoy binging The X-Files when I’m off the clock. My debut cookbook Mayumu: Filipino American Desserts Remixed comes out on February 28th. 

Describe your media diet.
I’m really active on Twitter, so I typically get all the latest news, memes, and entertainment intel from there. Instagram is ideal for keeping up with friends and other food creators’ content. 

I love watching YouTube videos and I have two favorite channels: @alexasunshine83 and @gremlita. Alexa is amazing because she talks a lot about sustainable fashion and style. Mina Le provides historical background and a fascinating research-focused perspective on the newest trends.

Film Fest and Fishnet Flix are my top podcasts of late. My friend Miya co-hosts Film Fest, and their latest season was centered on films about Bad Kids. Fishnet Flix is a costume design podcast, and it’s so fun to learn about the clothes worn in the TV shows and movies they cover.

My guilty pleasure is celebrity gossip and I will occasionally scroll through Just Jared to find out the latest scoop if I haven’t already gotten it from Twitter. 

What’s the last great book you read?

In one of my book clubs, I read Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin and I blazed through it in a day. I couldn’t put it down until I finished it!

What are you reading now?

I’m reading Bliss Montage: Stories by Ling Ma right now. 

What’s your reading strategy when you pick up a print copy of your favorite publication?

Whenever I pick up a print copy, I’ll rifle through the magazine to get to the cover story and then work my way backwards to read the rest of the issue. 

Who should everyone be reading that they’re not?

If you don’t already, I recommend subscribing to this newsletter called Food Is Stupid by Dennis Lee. He does wild experiments like eating whole truffles and making crab rangoon cheesecakes. It’s entertaining to read his irreverent musings on food, and I love that he doesn’t take the medium too seriously. 

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What is the best non-famous app you love on your phone? 

I downloaded Radio Free Brooklyn’s app on my phone and it’s great for listening to my friend Karis’ radio show Post-Whatever on the go. She’s on every Tuesday at 6pm EST. There are also a ton of fun shows on there that are all recorded live at a local studio in Bushwick. 

Plane or train?

Love the train! I don’t have a car, so going on the subway is my main mode of transportation. 

What is one place everyone should visit? 

Everyone should visit this Sri Lankan restaurant called Lakruwana. They have this $18 all-you-can-eat buffet during the weekends, and I love going with a huge group of friends. Their mango pudding is one of my favorite desserts. It’s so nice taking the Staten Island Ferry to get to Lakruwana (not to mention, you get an amazing close-up view of the Statue of Liberty!). 

Tell us the story of a rabbit hole you fell deep into. 

I was just wondering what happened to Limited Too stores, which were such a huge part of my tween years spent at my local mall. I noticed that I haven’t seen the clothing chain around in such a long time. y2k as an aesthetic has seen a big resurgence recently, so Limited Too could potentially make a comeback. There was this awesome deep-dive video by @ModernGurlz that I really recommend on this topic. (AB)

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Thanks for reading,

Noah (NRB) & Colin (CJN) & Abi (AB)

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