I’m a reporter for The New York Times based in Melbourne. I’ve lived all over the world — this is my seventh country of residence — and I like to reconnect with the places I love through books, music, comedy and food.

Here are five things I’ve recently heard, seen and watched →

I recently saw this courtroom drama set in the frigid French Alps by the French director Justine Triet. Ever since, the ending has rolled around in my mind, unlocking questions about storytelling, justice and what it means for something to be true.

For fans of Talking Heads, The The, funk or disco, this 2022 release by the Melbourne band Cool Sounds is a 35-minute injection of sunshine and a near-instant mood lifter. Perfect party music.

I’m cooking my way through “Portico,” by the American food writer Leah Koenig, about Rome’s Jewish food. I’m a longtime admirer of her work — her seven-vegetable tagine is a showstopper — which features simple, elegant flavors in recipes that work exactly as they should. The tuna and tomato pasta is especially good.

Every year at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, I resolve to branch out and see someone I haven’t seen before — and every year I find myself back at Chris Parker’s show for his riotous, high-energy musings about the travails of life as an extrovert.

See his Instagram account here.

In this podcast, the comedians James Acaster and Ed Gamble invite famous guests like Florence Pugh, Peter Capaldi and Paul Mescal to describe their ideal multicourse meal. It’s very funny, and the idiosyncrasies of some guests’ choices (mayonnaise on Bolognese?) provide excellent food for thought.

Here are some more favorites:

• What’s in Our Queue? ‘Kleo’ and More
  
• What’s in Our Queue? ‘The Iron Giant’ and More