Things That Are the Best I

I keep starting these series without any clear knowledge of how to continue them. So it goes. Maybe these are the only best things and I'll never think of any others. Doesn't change the fact that these are, really, The Best, each in their own different way.

What do I mean by The Best? A thing that is itself. Perfect. Exactly what it should be, couldn't be that thing any better than it is. Apotheosis. For example: Nina Simone singing "Pirate Jenny." The best of the song, and maybe the best of her, or in any event the essence of her, distilled.

Or, to go in a totally different direction: peshtamels. Otherwise known as Turkish bath towels, these are the best that a towel can be. Big enough to use as a blanket, beach towel, or sarong, yet they roll up incredibly small; also super absorbent. Not much more you can ask for or that I can say about it, frankly.

Or, too, to round things out: Jasper Fforde's Instagram. He's not doing anything fancy -- no flat layouts or fashion or food -- he's not trying to be an Instagrammer. He's just taking great photos, sometimes from the cockpit of an airplane, mostly of Wales.

RECIPE: Smoked Bluefish Salad. I first had something like this at Iris Cafe, and now that I don't work in Brooklyn Heights anymore and have to pay for my own lunch, it's good to have the recipe.