The RoundUp: February 2021
I am starting a new series on this blog to document my favorite things (mostly food/kitchen related), but I will also throw in some other faves from my life. I am doing this to document the things that are currently bringing me joy/happiness (we could all use a bit of that these days) and, in full transparency, to give me a monthly project and a deadline. I could use a bit of structure outside of my job, SO here is my first installment of “The Round Up”!
Also, let’s be real, I am a Capricorn and there is nothing I love more than a good ol’ list.
Favorite Foodie Things:
Sumac? Oddly enough this month, sumac has become my favorite spice to cook with! So much so, that I ordered this massive tub of it on Amazon. For those who are not familiar, sumac is a spice made from dried and ground berries of a sumac flower. It is tangy, slightly sour and has a kind of lemon-y taste to it. It is used a lot in (from what I have found) Middle Eastern recipes. I have made this Sumac-Spiced Chicken from Chris Kimball a few times and it has been a big hit- serve it with pita or couscous and some veggies.
February also brought the Jewish holiday, Purim, which means that many Hamentaschen were made! Hamentaschen are a Jewish cookie that is like a mix between a shortbread and sugar cookie, with a filling, made into a triangle shape. Check out my recipe here! I love to fill mine with the classic raspberry jam and sweet poppy seed filling, but chocolate chips and almond paste are also a crowd pleaser.
Boba tea has really been our go-to snack/treat/pick-me-up. We have been ordering delivery from Moge Tea in Glover Park and really love it- not to mention they have these cute ass kitty cups. We love the Bubble Milk Tea, and the Classic Uji Matcha.
I think this counts as a foodie fave, but I have just been loving (aka binging) The Dave Chang Show podcast. Over the last year, we have driven up to Boston 3 times (including one time in February) and all we listen to, there and back, is The Dave Chang Show. I love how it is everything from food, current events and just general rambling. I love any episode with Eddie Huang and really enjoyed the episodes with Jimmy Kimmel, Christina Tossi, Hawa Hassan, Yale Professor James Q. Whitman, and Nick Kroll. I am really just obsessed with anything Dave Chang does.
Tatte recently came to DC and I truly cannot get enough. While I haven’t been in person, we have been ordering it a ton. Everything they make is just amazing and now I am so happy to not have to wait until we go to Boston to get it.
I have been watching a lot of Korean cooking videos on Youtube. I always love watching cooking videos and just have really been in a deep whole of everything Korean. Channels I am loving include, Maangchi, Aaron and Claire, and Nan the House Chef. I have also been really into some food travel videos (fills the void while I am stuck at home) such as Mikey Chen and Cup of TJ.
Since the beginning of COVID, I have been looking for an online Asian grocery store to curb my H Mart needs and I came across Just Asian Food. They have all the dry good essentials I have been looking for and their delivery is so speedy. Still searching for somewhere online I can order frozen dumplings/dim sum.
Other Things That Made Me Happy:
For those of you that know me and have been to my house -which has literally been no one for a year- know that we have quite the collection of the Hipstory coasters with all of our favorite historical figures and politicians. We recently added three new ones to our collection (RBG, Kamala & Joe, welcome to my coffee table!) and I could not be more obsessed with them. Also love supporting a small, Israeli business.
I also ordered some new sneakers in February. They are a brand called Hoka and they are not only trendy (or so I have heard) but great for us flat-footed-folk. They are cute, light weight and truly feel like you are walking on clouds. Because I am looking for any excuse to shop, I ordered two pairs, one for “working out” and another for “walking”.
We also made a bit of progress on wedding planning and booked our venue (which gave us a date!), our band and our photographer. We are still a bit under two years away but it feels good to check something off the list and have a date to look forward to!
Four Winds by Kristin Hannah was my favorite read of the month- pretty sure I went through it in like, 4 days. It is about the American Dust Bowl/ Great Depression and the migration of Americans from Dust Bowl states to California to find work. It is historical (huge plus from me), sad, hopeful and just an overall great read.
We ran through the Mandalorian on Disney+ this month and I just loved it so much. It was super well made, stuck true to the Star Wars spirit and had some really brilliant moments. I loved the fact that there were a group of incredible directors that came together to bring this story to life. If you haven’t watched it already, I highly recommend.
I also got some good and exciting job related news, which I am super appreciative for. It is a cool opportunity to expand what I am doing and build a team!
One last note: I have found February to be rather hard. Hard to focus, hard to get motivated and not much ahead to look forward to. With January, the fun of the holidays, New Years, and my birthday are done and it felt super blah. DC also went through it in January and I think we are all exhausted. I feel like I have done all of my home/organizational projects, watched literally everything on every streaming platform and I am feeling rather uninspired with food lately. Not writing this to bring this post down or anything, just writing it to say this is normal and if you are feeling this way too, you are not alone!