march roundup: what i ate, drank, read, and watched
citrus spritzes, better than NYC bagels, and oscar noms
This one will be a doozy. I traveled this month which means that the good eats, drinks, and reads were at an all-time max. RIP to my bank account and belly, but I had a good time.
What I cooked:
Chicken katsu curry
I barely cooked this month because I’ve been away, but before I left I made a yummy chicken katsu curry. I was kind of impressed that I pulled this off, even though I used those Golden Curry cubes to make the sauce, but IMO this katsu looks just like the pictures!
What I ate:
Kate’s Real Food dark chocolate cherry granola bars
Funny story about these granola bars: they are my favorite ever in the whole word, best granola bar I’ve ever had. I used to only be able to find them at REI, they were not available at any other grocery store and I always forgot the name of them. Until I boarded a Delta flight and got served one as my plane snack!! I made sure to take a picture of the wrapper so that I can order these in bulk online. They are the perfect granola bar: a little salty, tart from the dried cherries, not dry like a Nature Valley but not moist and sticky like a Quaker or Clif (somewhere in the middle), has a nice crunch, and the chocolate flavor isn’t too sweet.Sesame bagel at Rose Foods in Maine
It was hard to just pick one thing from Portland, Maine to talk about in this newsletter because most of the food we had was so yummy. But the best thing I ate in Portland would have to be a bagel from Rose Foods. It was genuinely better than an NYC bagel. It had such a nice crisp on the outside, and the inside was warm, bready, light, and fluffy (NOT dense like most NYC bagels tend to be). My only complaint is that I wish it was bigger and that I had purchased a dozen more.Jon & Vinny’s spicy fusilli in LA
In my opinion, Jon & Vinny’s truly lives up to the hype. We ordered a delicious salad that had shaved zucchini, arugula, fennel, hazelnuts, parm, and meyer lemon vinaigrette; a pizza that had prosciutto, fontina, and rosemary on it; the famous spicy fusilli a la vodka; and a tiramisu. It was all so unbelievably delicious.
What I drank:
Labneh, date, orange blossom drink from Breadbelly in San Francisco
At first sip, I didn’t know if I liked this drink, but it really grew on me. I’m going to try making this at home by combining labneh, a date, some orange zest, a drop of orange blossom, cardamom, and honey.Corsa hydration tonic orange spritz
I love trying fun lil sparkling canned drinks, especially if they’re citrus flavored. I was expecting this one to be a bit bitter, but it was lovely. It tasted like an orange-y coconut water, slightly creamy but really refreshing.Tepache grapefruit lime
I got this at a store in San Diego called Home Ec, and the woman working there told me that this flavor tastes like sherbet punch from a 90s baby shower. She was right!
What I read:
Taste Makers by Mayukh Sen
If you’re into food industry biographies, then you’ll love this book. Each chapter profiles a different woman involved in food somehow, and their stories are crafted to share bold moments, downfalls, and brave attitudes.Laserwriter II by Tamara Shopsin
This novel, which borders on reality and fiction and doesn’t follow the structure or format of anything I’ve ever read before, chronicles the early days of Apple in the 90s and follows the story of a woman who works at a proto-Genius Bar called Tekserve. It was easy to read, interesting, and extremely niche.The Best American Food Writing 2021 edited by Gabrielle Hamilton
I read this collection of essays/articles every year and always find a few gems. My favorites this year were: How a Cheese Goes Extinct by Ruby Tandoh, Good Bread by Bill Buford, Making Reservations by Foster Kamer, and Who Will Save The Food Timeline? by Dayna Evans.Coventry by Rachel Cusk
Another essay collection by an author I’m learning to love. There’s no doubt that Rachel Cusk is whip smart, I just sometimes lose myself in the intellectuality of what she’s trying to say. If you’re looking for an essay collection (some are scathing, about her ex-husband) that will really tickle your brain, this book is for you.Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg
It took me almost two years to finish this book (I haven’t spent this much time reading a book since The Goldfinch) and I feel like giving Stone Butch Blues a mere paragraph in this newsletter is a huge disservice. It is one of the most earth-shattering, heartbreaking, feelings-feeling books I’ve ever read in my life. “Raw” is such a buzzword these days, but I’m at a loss for words when describing this book. It’s an LGBTQ classic for a reason.Slow Days, Fast Company by Eve Babitz
I knew I probably wouldn’t like this book of essays and I was right. Eve Babitz is a good writer, I’ll give her that, but I am absolutely not the target audience for this book. If you’re into a lusty, melancholy, gritty, Old Hollywood sort of moment, then you’d probably like this book more than I did.Writers & Lovers by Lily King
This book came highly recommended and I definitely understand why, because I was so hooked that I ripped through it in a day (which, granted, was not hard to do in the backseat of a 6 hour long road trip). If you’re a fan of Sally Rooney but would rather read something less infuriating with more likable characters, then this is the book for you. It’s a romance about a struggling writer in Boston who courts two other writers while also trying to figure out how to make ends meet and get her debut novel finished.
What I watched:
Power of the Dog
I thought this was a really beautiful movie in the way that I thought Nomadland was beautiful: was not really paying attention to the plot because I was too busy drooling over the landscapes, set, and outfits. Literally could not tell you what it was about <3Coda
I’m writing this on the day of the Oscars so I have no idea if this movie will win Best Picture, but many are saying it might! I really liked this movie, but understand the criticism around it (i.e. it’s one of the first major movies about deaf people, but the main character is hearing and the movie focuses solely on her story). Everyone’s performances were amazing, although there were a few cringe moments that gave me secondhand embarrassment (truly who wrote this movie, I’d like to talk).The Mitchells vs. The Machines
What a clever animated children’s movie that truly made me laugh out loud! This movie is so delightful, and I think adults and children alike would enjoy it. The corniness is at an extreme minimum, and the writing is truly so hilarious at times.