a playlist for you!

february recap

staying in

• February is Matt’s birth month, so prepare yourself for lots of celebration. To close out his birthday weekend, I fried chicken and served it with lots of scallions (Matt’s favorite) over rice. Wishbone Kitchen dropped a recipe for karaage that I loosely followed, and it turned out super savory and comforting.

• Carla Lalli Music has a seared sweet potato recipe in her book That Sounds So Good that I’ve been eyeing since I got the book last Christmas. I couldn’t find the specific lime spice she calls for, but that did not stop me from making it. I love when you come acorss a flavor combo you’d never think of yourself and it just works. Sweet potato and lime are IT.

• When I lived alone, I needed something on in the background always, but now that I live with another person, I forget how joyful a moment becomes when you turn on your favorite song. Not to pat myself on the back, but I think I managed to curate a pretty fun cooking playlist inspired by the music we played in the dining room at school this month. It’s all about the groovy beats.

going out

• On Matt’s actual birthday went to Puritan & Company in Cambridge, and I was reminded of how special a dining experience can be. I thought my drink was out of this world—Concord grape vermouth was its base. As for something to eat, we got fried mushrooms with a spicy aioli and split the pan-seared half chicken and cacio e pepe gnocchi. Bday cake was from Sugar Baking Company in our neighborhood.

• Wachusett Brewing Company’s wings are THE best brewery grub in the WORLD. The wings are brined in cider and smoked before they’re tossed in the sauce of your choosing (buffalo, duh). These wings alone are worth the drive, but Wachusett makes great beer too. We topped off Matt’s birthday weekend here after a snowy hike with the dog.

• When Matt’s parents were here, they treated us to dinner at Midnight Morning in Roslindale. I got a riff on a Vesper that was made with snap-pea-infused gin—so fresh and just ever so sweet. Will definitely be returning when we don’t have a musical to catch.

school

• The end of February marks the end of my third quarter at JWU. It’s been a fun ride, and I am so excited to graduate and begin working. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves! I loved learning how to make Madeleines in my baking lab (which concluded yesterday)—my best friend Bridget loved them when we were little, so now I must figure out how to get a dozen to her in Philly. Maura was here for a night and got to enjoy the fruits of my labor: creme brûlée, bread pudding, and ice cream. For my final project, I made a tiramisu with coffee creme anglaise and vanilla ice cream. Ate lots of cinnamon rolls, bread, and danishes these past two months, but can’t wait to get back to cooking when spring break is over!

• I will most definitely miss my restaurant operations class—especially our wine tastings (for obvious reasons, but also because I think I want to study for the WSET Level 2 exam!)

• Nutrition is my favorite academic class I’ve taken while at culinary school. I can’t lie—I was nervous to embark on the course’s journey because of my ~disordered past when it comes to food, but it has been such an enlightening delight! It leaves me feeling empowered not just personally, but professionally as well.

& etc.

• This past month I finally hit the thrift store up the street from me. Inflation has hit Savers and Goodwill, too, but there is nothing quite like a good thrift find. I got a new-with-tags J.Crew fur vest and a floral jumpsuit for my spring break trip (more on that next month). Dying to go again, but need to make room in my closet first.

• A Kindle update! I started three different books this month before finally sticking one out. I’m in the middle of Dolly Alderton’s newest novel, Good Material, which is about a well meaning comedian who’s going through a breakup. I like it, don’t love it, but am happy to have found something that stuck.