#3: Life in food

Did you miss me?

Long time no newsletter—I know. There were midterms, traveling, and a whole lot more while we were apart. I tried writing about style and American Girl dolls (more on that to come, I promise) but was not happy with what I produced, so I took a break. If this little hobby of jotting down my thoughts once or twice a month doesn’t make me happy, then what’s the point? The same happened with my little food Instagram—it wasn’t fun, so I took a break from that, too.

They say that distance makes the heart grow fonder, so perhaps this newsletter will only arrive in your inbox when you least expect it in order for you to keep coming back for more. 😈 Anyway, today I’m giving you a life update through food. It’s not a FAVES and NOT FAVES list because October flew by faster than I had the chance to whip out my phone to jot some things down. Everyone loves food, so I’m guaranteed positive feedback on this one (right?). Hopefully, November won’t go by as quickly, although I’d love to fast forward to Thanksgiving.

Maketto

I have the wonderful pleasure of vacationing in our nation’s capital once a month. For me, the main attractions of DC are not the memorials, monuments, and museums—it’s eating out with my boyfriend. During my most recent visit, we discovered the world’s best Cambodian-Taiwanese restaurant that just so happens to also be a streetwear store and cafe. Talk about worlds colliding. If you ever find yourself on H Street in DC, stroll into Maketto and order the following dishes: the Sourdough Scallion Pancake and the Crispy Chicken Wings. The pancake was unlike any other scallion pancake I’ve ever had in my life—it was fluffy and crunchy all at the same time. The wings were also quite unreal. Peanuts, cumin, Thai basil (one of my favorite leaves), and perfectly cooked basmati rice. Vibes were *chef’s kiss* all night.

Meat

If you don’t know, I broke my vegetarianism after five years, and I’m never going back. I’ve done a lot of wrapping my head around the situation since my identity was so wrapped up in being everyone’s vegetarian friend. But I won’t go into it here because it’s a long story that I’m sure will bore everyone who would much rather hear about what I’ve been eating. I had my first Philly cheesesteak in a long time over the weekend. I really like fried chicken and raw tuna, and am looking forward to my dad’s famous Christmas prime rib. TLDR; being a carnivore is fun! But if you need any veggie burger recs, I’m your girl.

Apple crisp

Are you one of those people who prefers apple pie to apple crisp? If so, please explain your foolishness in the comments below. Rediscovering my love for the apple crisp is a moment I look forward to each fall—it’s a rebirth. “Yes, this is what we wait for all year,” I announce to no one but myself—but this year, we’re sharing this moment together. One year after our annual apple picking trip, my mom suggested we make a crisp instead of a pie because it takes less time. I was probably in the phase of my childhood where I pretended every moment I spent in the kitchen was like being on the set of my own Food Network show. We made the crisp and I was hooked. I’ve been making small ones during the school week to cheer me up, and if you and your roomies are getting over your midterm slump too, do it.

Tony’s Chocolonely

When I was a freshman, I used to spend all of my fancy dining dollars at the grocery store across the street from my dorm. They were hard to stretch because 1) this is New York and 2) we were only allotted so many special dining dollars that could be used at markets and restaurants. 😢 The Tony’s Chocolonely chocolate bars would taunt me at checkout, but I never gave in—they were like literally $8 each. But last week at Whole Foods, I was teased by said chocolate bars again. This time they were only $4 each (thx, Amazon) so you bet your bottom dollar I got one. I felt like Charlie Bucket when I peeled away the paper wrapper for the first time.

Smoothie recipe

In honor of Spooky Season, I’ve been making a smoothie the color of a witch’s brew for breakfast each morning. Full transparency here, I have no idea what a stereotypical witch’s brew looks like, but a purple-black smoothie just feels so right this time of year so I’m just gonna go with that. It’s got dark sour cherries in it, protein powder, a heck of a lot of cocoa powder, and liquid of my choice (I usually go for almond milk, but if you’re a witch I’m sure some troll snot or bat blood would be good). Gonna stop before this gets weird!!! Happy Halloween, y’all.

Sourdough

I cared for and baked my first ever sourdough loaf! She’s not super crispy because I (sadly) don’t own a dutch oven (Dear Santa…), but it’s bread!!!! Edible bread!!!

Cry Baby Pasta

I love food and cooking, but I also love the entire eating-out experience and nowhere does it better in Queen Village than Cry Baby Pasta. The food! The drinks! The decor! Even my bathroom trip is always a delight. I love their branding so dang much that I bought one of their tees during the pandemic and want a thousand more. If you haven’t been, you must get yourself there the next time you’re in Philly. Anyway, Maura and I went this past weekend for a sister date and it was splendid. Had crab for the first time! Crispy Potatoes were so good, obviously, because you can’t go wrong with carbohydrates and pesto. Cheers!