Welcome to my year of eating!

At the end of December, I spend a few weeks in self review mode. I spend a lot of time thinking about what went well, what didn’t, and dreaming up what I want to improve. It’s part gratitude, part exploratory, part strategy. I write about my full process here.

I make it a point to look through my entire roll of photos (I take many!) and one of the most fun parts of my review is simply writing out a list of all the food that I’ve eaten. (This isn’t as difficult as it seems, because I keep regular journals, a “let’s eat!” spreadsheet, and meal plans for just about everything.) Since the pandemic upped my delivery frequency, I look through my various apps for a history of what I ordered from where as well.

Making a grand old list of food is a wonderful way for me to re-live a great meal. It also helps me to expand on what I’d like to eat in the new year and is a great way to help me meal plan. I start seeing patterns (you’ll notice a lot of butter chicken). (You can see last year’s list here.)

Home Cooked Turkish Beans

One day I aspire to write a kitchen diary cookbook as robust as Nigel Slater’s, or something like Ruth Reichl’s My Kitchen Year. For now, there’s this list!

In 2023, I’m hoping to be a little bit more creative in the kitchen! More recipes, more projects, more cooking with friends and family. More Turkish cooking. (I’ll be working on my kitchen resolutions this week – but here’s the 2022 version.)

It’s broken down a few different ways: Good Things I’ve cooked (very few recipes, but when I use them, they are linked). WeCo Meals (a local prepped meal delivery service) gets it’s own long section this year. Good Takeout (roughly once a week). A section for treats eaten at any time. And a miscellaneous section at the bottom.

I’m sure I’m missing lots of things in here, but here’s the non-exhaustive list:

Crispy Corona Beans (in the Air Fryer!)

Good Cooking in 2022

  • 1/1 Marcus Samuelsson’s Black Eyed Peas with Coconut Milk and Berbere (Perfection)
  • 1/3 Hello Fresh Cavatelli with Ground Pork and Biscuits
  • 1/5 Chili at home
  • 1/8 Sheet Pan Chicken and Cauliflower, pickled Red Onions
  • 1/10 Ground beef, rice bowl, chopped cucumbers
  • 1/11 Chicken, rice, pesto
  • 1/12 Greek baked fish with tomatoes and onions NYTimes (great!)
  • 1/16 Rye toast egg in a hole (Caroline had similar); Hello Fresh Tacos
  • 1/16 Cantonese Poached Chicken (Woks of Life)***
  • 1/16 Cooksmarts Asian Meatloaf
  • 1/19 Taco meat bowl with pickled onions
  • 1/22 Crab, Avocado, Grapefruit Crispy Lettuce Salad (+ star californias)
  • 1/23 Tomato soup + toast with liver paté
  • 1/24 Candied Grapefruit Peel, Alice Waters Fruit Cookbook (incredible)
  • 1/29 Leftover Lamb Biryani from the freezer (Pondicheri cooking class)
  • 2/1 Jasmine rice at home + TJ’s bbq chicken
  • 2/3 Steel cut oats with nuts and Formaggio Kitchen passionfruit curd
  • 2/12: Pot of rice, chicken, chili crisp
  • 2/13 A great beef chili with guajillo salsa
  • 2/15 Turkish Cranberry Beans and Rice
  • 2/23 Hello Fresh Tacos
  • 2/25 Manti
  • 2/27 Grilled cheese, tomato soup, chicken and pickle
  • 2/27 Baked Black Bass sushi bowl; cottage cheese with saffron cheese and pesto
  • 3/8 Shredded chicken, mango, avocado green beans and chili crisp
  • 3/19 Air Fryer pork chops, crispy lettuce salad with mango, tomato, cucumber
  • 3/20 Thick avocado toast; lamb chops, roasted cauliflower and hummus
  • 3/26 Salmon asparagus rice bowl
  • 4/2 Shawarma and rice, roasted carrots, cucumber
  • 4/4 A fun shape of curly pasta, sauce, cheese
  • 4/5 Air fryer pork chops, rice, cucumber and avocado salad
  • 4/6 Shrimp, pork, beans under some pumpkin curry
  • 4/10 Cape Cod Pepperoni Pizza (Natalies orange and pineapple juice)
  • 4/20 Chicken Nugget “Donburi” rice bowl
  • 4/30 Rye sandwich with Schwartz’s smoked meat and sauerkraut and mustard
  • 5/1 Miso Crunch TJs salad and chicken nuggets
  • 5/2 Fish Rice Bowl with avocado and cucumber
  • 5/3 Pork from Montreal and pinto Rancho Gordo beans
  • 5/5 Salmon Rice Bowl
  • 5/21 Rice bowl with TJs birria, mango, cucumber salad and lime
  • 5/22 Peanut noodles with chicken scallopine
  • 5/25 TJs gnocchi sorrentina, chicken sausage, ricotta
  • 5/26 Roasted a half chicken in the air fryer, huge bowl of mac and cheese; bambino pizzas
  • 5/30 Bowl of caballero beans (and avocado and cheese)
  • 6/17 Surimi rice bowl with avocado and tomatoes
  • 6/19 Home made mac and cheese, little burgers with cheese, tomatoes
  • 6/25 Pork cabbage onion
  • 6/26 Sardine rice bowl
  • 6/26 Soft Shell Crab in air fryer over salad
  • 6/27 Falafel with yogurt (chicken soup with dill and yogurt)
  • 6/29 Salad with rotisserie chicken, egg, slice of toast
  • 7/10 Rice bowl with chicken thighs, peppers, cucumber, dill
  • 7/14 Arugula salad with variety chopped meat and bagel croutons
  • 7/15 Pork and onion of some kind, cucumber salad and mango
  • 7/23 Baked white fish, miso crunch salad, fresh tomatoes; PROFITEROLES!
  • 7/24 TJ’s Crunchy Slaw for lunch (add chicken)
  • 7/31 TJs egg fritatta on cheese on tortillas, iced coffee with cinnamon at home
  • 8/7 Salmon rice bowl
  • 8/12 Mac and Cheese
  • 8/13 Skate wing lemon butter over tomato salad; bowl of peaches
  • 8/14 Roasted chicken, roasted zucchini, corn, mozzarella balls
  • 8/15 Chicken meatballs, roasted broccoli, watermelon
  • 8/16 Air fryer chickpeas, cucumber and peppers, chicken
  • 8/16 Liver, peppers and onions
  • 8/18 Bowl of fresh corn, watermelon, mini mozzarella
  • 8/21 Steamed fish bowl, cacio pepe gnocchi, tomato cucumber salad
  • 8/22 Grilled scallops in butter, zucchini, momofuku noodles
  • 9/3 Marinated mozzarella and peaches
  • 9/4 Rancho gordo yellow eyes (marinated) cucumbers, butter toast
  • 9/9 Lobster on salad with Wegman’s california rolls
  • 9/10 Chili with zucchini; mini peppermint cones
  • 9/13 Salad with TJ’s Kibbeh and leftover Singhs
  • 9/20 Annies and Roasted Cauliflower
  • 9/21 Kibbeh Rice bowl with tomato and avocado
  • 10/2 Pork Chop, roasted cauliflower, toast, and slaw (from Volante)
  • 10/3 Pot of Chili!
  • 10/5 Fila Manila Kare-Kare chicken with bok choy
  • 10/6 Hamburger Helper and a fennel slaw salad (partly from Volante)
  • 10/7 Corona Beans with chicken meatballs, fennel and pesto
  • 10/8 Bucatini with sauce; cucumber salad
  • 10/9 Air Fryer Corona Bean patatas bravas (thank you, Bettina!!)
  • 10/10 TJs Bambinos and salad
  • 10/11 Sardine Rice Bowl with Avocado
  • 10/11 Somchay feeds me tacos and we have a Cider Donut eat-off
  • 10/13 Kibbe, white bean puree, eggplant over rice
  • 10/14 Good and Gather Butter Chicken and Chickpeas over Rice
  • 10/15 Big piece of liver, tomato and arugula salad
  • 10/18 Tteokboki at home! (added eggs like shakshuka)
  • 10/21 Miso Crunch salad with breaded shrimp in air fryer
  • 10/22 Mac and cheese and leftover chili (from freezer)
  • 10/23 Half a cape cod pepperoni pizza and salad
  • 10/25 Sardine rice bowl
  • 10/26 Air fryer panko calamari from farm share, green salad
  • 10/27 Some sort of meat/salad/rice bowl
  • 10/28 More of that butter chicken from Target with chicken thighs
  • 10/29 Pork chop in air fryer, any day microwave bok choy, cocktail sauce
  • 10/30 Air fryer pierogies, salami, lettuce, burrata
  • 10/31 Salad with marinated chickpeas, salami, applekraut
  • 11/1 Butter Shrimp with cauliflower, rice, and tamarind sauce
  • 11/2 Cooked fish, TJs mexican corn, roasted cauliflower
  • 11/3 Rice, pork chop, Donal Skehan’s brussels sprouts
  • 11/4 Kibbeh rice bowl with yogurt
  • 11/5 Lamb stew with tomatoes and chickpeas over rice
  • 11/6 Burrata Salad with squash, kraut, etc.
  • 11/8 Fennel salad with burrata and avocado toast; baked a single large cookie
  • 11/9 Half a cape cod pizza
  • 11/12 Steak, honeynut squash, steamed greens
  • 11/13 Corn chowder with fish hello fresh
  • 11/15 Pork chops, roasted potatoes, brussels sprouts
  • 11/25 Butter chicken at home
  • 11/26 More brussels sprouts; big salad with leftover smoked turkey and french onions
  • 11/28 Salami reuben with sauerkraut
  • 11/28 Kibbe rice bowl with cottage cheese and chopped cucumbers
  • 11/30 Three Good Toast dinner – avocado, muhammara, pimento cheese
  • 11/30 Monkfish with chili crisp, rice, bok choy
  • 12/2 Pork pineapple Hello Fresh tacos
  • 12/3 Most amazing TOAST with muhammara and sardines
  • 12/4 Annie’s Shells with White Cheddar
  • 12/8 Pork chop in air fryer and broccoli cheddar; amazing star market chocolate chocolate cake
  • 12/9 Salmon Broccoli Cheddar Rice Bowl
  • 12/10 Birria with rice bowl
  • 12/11 Miso crunch salad with steak and burrata
  • 12/12 Salmon Rice Bowl
  • 12/13 Beef, asparagus chili; made some air fryer crispy mushrooms (bettina); black and whites from TooJays
  • 12/14 Miso crunch salad and salami with eggs
  • 12/14 Tuna rice bowl
  • 12/15 Stone and skillet, eggs, Canadian bacon
  • 12/17 Shrimp cocktail and broccoli with blue cheese and balsamic (very good!); Kestane
  • 12/18 Chicken Scallopine and Garlic Swiss chard
  • 12/19 Broccoli cheddar, crispy lettuce, cucumber, tomato, chicken thigh, blue cheese
  • 12/20 Broccoli cheddar, beef kebabs, avocado, cottage cheese, mozzarella
  • 12/21 Pierre Franey’s Bass Provencal; latkes with sour cream
  • 12/22 TJ’s Kung Pao Chicken (just the chicken) with broccoli, blue cheese, balsamic
  • 12/23 Kare Kare Chicken Thighs, Bok Choy, Korean Rice Cakes
  • 12/24 Pork chops, latkes, brussels sprouts, sour cream
  • 12/25 Braised Beef, Home Made Mashed Potatoes, Asparagus
  • 12/26 TJs beef kebabs, Allison Roman Seedy Carrots on Yogurt, salad
  • 12/27 Lobster Salad with Mozzarella and Tomatoes
  • 12/29 Boiled Chicken, Rice, Lemony Salad
WeCo Citrus Marinated Shrimp

Good WeCo in 2022

WeCo has absolutely saved me for the better part of the year. I lived for a LONG time without a working dishwasher, and having prepared and delicious “home cooked” food was a lifesaver. Bolded some of my favorites! Most times I’d order a dinner and a kid’s meal for lunch the next day, or split a meal over two lunches. I’ll note that WeCo’s vegetarian and pescatarian meals are *awesome*.

One other thing to note: from the end of March for many months, I experienced a near total loss of taste from COVID for some time, and dampened for several more months. I was mildly afraid to cook lest I burn the house down, and gravitated towards as bright colors and textures as I could. (WeCo totally delivered!)

  • WeCo New Years Lobster Pasta; Duck
  • WeCo Dunn-well Detox Green Juice
  • January
    • 1/4 Roasted Eggplant + Farro Bowl
    • Broccoli Cheddar Soup
    • 1/6 Steak gyro
    • Cobb Salad
    • Beet, quinoa and Burrata (SO GOOD)
    • Bowl of green things – peas, etc. over arugula
  • February
    • 2/2 Duck Confit
    • Citrus marinated shrimp, mango + papaya salad
    • Street corn chowder
    • Kit’s cheesy hot pocket
    • Tropic like it’s hot
    • 2/4 Pork belly miso ramen
    • Tofu Truck
    • 2/8 Veggie lasagna
    • Citrus steak
    • Cannoli
    • Tickle me pink (Drink!)
    • 2/10 Fresh bucatini with crispy bacon
    • Cajun chicken + charred corn salad
    • 2/11 burrata panzanella
    • Charcuterie + cheese board
    • 2/16 mushroom lo mein + duck confit
    • Curried coconut butternut soup with shrimp
    • 2/17 soy marinated salmon
    • Roasted eggplant + grains bowl
    • Cheesecake
    • 2/18 Sweet chili shrimp + rice bowl
    • 2/25 Hot oil udon noodle bowl
    • Kids grilled cheese + tomato soup
    • 2/22 Carnitas burritos
    • Curried veggie + cumin rice bowl
    • Broccoli cheddar soup
    • Maple walnut bread pudding
    • 2/23 Butternut brown butter + pumpkin ravioli
    • Shrimp fajita bowl
    • 2/28 Roasted beet + feta salad
    • Cream of mushroom soup
    • Kids bbq meatloaf
    • Carrot cake whoopie pies
    • The floor is guava
  • March
    • 3/2 bacon wrapped pork tenderloin
    • Cacio e pepe cauliflower
    • 3/7 Shrimp truck
    • Caprese salad with roasted chicken breast
    • Monkey bread
    • Pear necessities
    • 3/10 Pea + fava bean cavatelli
    • Cajun shrimp salad
    • Kids beef enchilada
    • 3/11 Roasted eggplant + farro bowl
    • 3/29 Carne asada tacos
    • Burrata + spring veggie bowl
    • Mezze plate
    • Get it juiced
    • 3/31 Tamarind chicken
    • Crunchy spring salad + harissa garlic shrimp
    • Kids beef + broccoli
    • Caramel cheesecake brownies
  • April
    • 4/11 Fresh bucatini with crispy bacon
    • Adobo + lime shrimp salad
    • Nuts about you
    • 4/14 Chickpea tikka masala
    • Roasted asparagus + prosciutto bowl
    • 4/20 baja style shrimp salad
    • Baked apple crostata
    • 4/22 Tofu truck
    • 4/25 Shrimp truck
    • Tuscan chicken breast + toasted orzo bowl
    • Flourless chocolate cake
    • 4/28 Sweet chili shrimp + rice bowl
  • May
    • 5/4 Citrus marinated shrimp, mango + papaya salad
    • Key lime smarts
    • Spelling bee buzzer
    • 5/10 Braised lamb fettucine
    • Mezze plate
    • 5/13 Roasted Chicken Ramen
  • June
    • 6/14 Paneer Tikka masala
    • Roasted veggie + lamb bowl
    • Shrimp Cocktail
    • Tickle Me Pink (YUM)
    • 6/15 Curry Crusted Cauliflower + Braised chicken thigh
    • 6/28 Steak Gyro
    • Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Salad with the crunchies!
    • Gazpacho with corn, crab, sweet pepper salad
    • Tiramisu cupcakes
    • Daquolada
    • Lobster Roll
    • Beet + Ricotta Salata Bowl
  • July
    • 7/7 Shrimp Ravioli
    • Tofu Truck
    • Almond Palmer
    • 7/8 Crunchy summer salad + harissa garlic shrimp
  • August
    • 8/1 Lamb Cavatelli
    • Summer Halloumi Salad
    • Crab Dip (VERY GOOD!)
    • Coconut Lime cookie bar
    • 8/3 Chicken Marsala + Fully Loaded Baked Potato (THIS I HAD TO TOSS BECAUSE I WAS CAUGHT AWAY FROM HOME FOR SEVERAL HOURS AND IT WAS A 90+ degree day and i had forgotten my cooler bag! Tragic!!)
    • 8/5 Roasted cod + chorizo
    • Beet + ricotta salata bowl
    • Mezze plate
    • 8/8 Birria Tacos
    • Cajun shrimp salad
    • Thick-mint sandwich
    • 8/10 Chickpea tikka masala
    • smoked salmon + asparagus salad
  • October
    • 10/24 chicken tinga tacos
    • Beet + burrata bowl
    • Bloody hell
    • Coconut cinnamon rice pudding
  • November
    • 11/1 butternut squash and coconut curry + harissa shrimp
    • Turkey meatballs + couscous
    • Wedge salad
    • Edamame dumplings
    • 11/8 Lamb biryani
    • Crab + avocado toast
    • Dry-tai
    • Chicken noodle soup
  • December
    • Lamb kofta + tabbouleh
    • Citrus marinated shrimp + papaya salad
    • Kids chicken ramen
    • Curried coconut butternut squash soup + roasted shrimp
Grandma’s Kitchen Wonton Noodles

Good Takeout in 2022

Having Grandma’s Kitchen open up around the corner from my house was a BOON at the end of this year.

  • 1/9 Pupu Platter, Chicken Wonton Soup
  • 1/26 Wonton soup + sesame balls from Lobster Wok
  • 1/28 Chipotle and Green Juice
  • 2/14 Cafe Sushi Valentine’s Day TREAT BOX
  • 3/3 A latke
  • 3/4 Lobster Wok Dumplings and Chicken Wonton Soup
  • 3/5 LeDu Pad Kee Mao and Papaya Salad
  • 3/30 LeDu larb and tom soup (trying desperately to taste SOUR), sticky rice with condensed milk
  • 4/3 Le’s Extra Large Beef Noodle Soup, Fresh Limeade
  • 4/9 Shan a Punjab butter chicken, naan, masala tea
  • 4/17 Hen Chick Rice (half and half)
  • 4/24 Rod Dee 2 crispy Chicken pad thai, thai iced tea, pad kee mao noodles
  • 4/28 Hen Chicken Rice: The Mix, Thai Iced Tea, the mango, daikon soup
  • 5/7 Shake Shack Burger
  • 5/14 Birthday Super Fusion 2 – rolls, tamago, shumai, and crab rangoon!
  • 5/15 Gustazo Ropa Vieja
  • 5/27 Oppa Sushi (chirashi special; tamago, egg, fish); Gong Cha Milk Tea
  • 6/10 Ethiopian Cafe: Meat Combo (and a side of Kung Fu bubble tea)
  • 6/16 Pho O Sha: Bun Grilled Beef
  • 6/20 Dim Sum Jumbo takeout: salt and pepper squid, turnip cakes, steamed U-choy, har gao
  • 6/23 MIDA pepperoni pizza
  • 6/24: Kung Fu Tea: Pina Colada Slush (Devon), Thai Milk Tea
  • 7/2 Steamers Lobster Roll and cape cod chips and pickle
  • 7/3 Lunch – sashimi and tamago from Sakanaya
  • 7/3 Lobster Roll + clam chowder from Legal
  • 7/6 Ginger Exchange: Korean Beef, Mama’s Homemade Dumplings
  • 7/9 Legal Seafood: Whole Fried Clams
  • 7/11 Chinese takeout from Dumpling Daughter for lunch with John
  • 7/13 Thonglor! Moo gratiam and thai iced tea. VERY GOOD!
  • 7/15 Cava Lunch after haircut
  • 7/16 Tsurotontan: Nabeyaki Udon, 3 roll combo
  • 7/20 Thonglor: Pad Kee Mao
  • 7/24 Korean Tacos from Bonchon
  • 7/29 Ate at MIDA (Amatriciana)
  • 7/31 Lee’s Burger Cheeseburger and fries
  • 8/6 Shan-a-Punjab Butter Chicken, Naan, Gulab Jamun
  • 8/13 First trip to Mochiko (chicken sandwich)
  • 8/19 New Ginza Japanese takeout (sashimi bowl, salad, miso) (eh)
  • 8/20 PEKA skirt steak takeout, ceviche, taro chips
  • 8/22 Beach Plum lobster roll with Mom
  • 8/30 Boston Kebab Waltham: Turkish Takeout – köfte kebab dinner, Sütlaç
  • 9/2 Amazing Japanese bowl from Tora (Uber cost a fortune)
  • 9/11 Hen Chicken Rice: Daikon Soup, The Ishan, Chicken Thigh
  • 9/12 Mixed Grill, Momo, Gulab Jamun from Singhs
  • 9/14 Mochiko kahlua pork bowl (the CABBAGE is so good!)
  • 9/15 Vaisakhi: Butter chicken and naan, gulab jamun
  • 9/22 Little India: Butter Chicken, Garlic Naan, Gulab Jamun, Raita
  • 9/23 Chicken Noodle Soup – Le’s
  • 9/26 Tonkotsu Ramen – Hakata Ramen
  • 9/27 Butter Chicken
  • 9/30 Khao Soi + Thai Iced Tea from Thonglor
  • 11/12 Pad KeeMao, Papaya Salad – LeDu
  • 11/17 Grandma’s Kitchen opens!! Taiwanese beef noodle; saved pork noodles for next day, beef roll, mango drink
  • 11/29 Grandma’s Kitchen – pork wontons (amazing), popcorn chicken
  • 12/6 Grandmas Kitchen Chicken Noodle (and two stewed egg)
  • 12/16 Cafe Sushi Weekend Box for 1 (expensive but good)
  • 12/28 Grandma’s Kitchen Wonton Noodles, side of green veg
Salmon Caviar on Rye Toast

Good Treats 2022

  • Good Treats:
    • 1/5 Red Caviar on Rye Toast
    • Amanda brought me David Lebovitz Gougeres!
    • Market Tiamo opens – their PROFITEROLES!
    • 1/18 CITRUS BOX from Mark Bittman x Birite “The California Citrus Experience”
    • Ricotta, mini chocolate chips, clementines + amaretto
    • Asian Pears
    • 1/19 Mom made miso pb cookies
    • 1/29 Cannoli filling from the Star Market freezer
    • 2/6 Chocolate Cherry Marzipan from Russian Market (mom’s credit card)
    • 2/12 Maple Pie from John in Montreal; Cheese St. Viateur Bagels, Romados Egg Tarts
    • 2/17 Box of assorted cookies from Red Rover
    • 2/20 KRAFT DINNER
    • 3/3 Mad Mini’s ice cream sandwiches
    • 3/22 Tortilla with melted string cheese and sausage from buccees
    • 3/22 Rancatores Chocolate Shake
    • 3/23 Ttokboki from TJs with chicken and cheese
    • 3/24 Nutty granola and cream; Kraft Dinner; a mango/orange McDonalds shake
    • 3/25 Cauliflower gnocchi with pesto; a Lobster Sandwich from the Cottage
    • 3/28 Pineapple with Tajin (can’t really taste at this point); banza noodles with cheese and chili crisp
    • 3/29 Can sort of taste the dark chocolate WeCo desserts with cream but everything is mostly gone
    • 4/25 Toast with smoked salmon cream cheese
    • 4/27 Momofuku noodles
    • 4/30 Levain Cookie
    • 5/3 Mikan juice from Whole Foods
    • 5/4 Dunkin Donuts Corn Donut
    • 5/13 Rancatores chocolate shake
    • 5/14 Elephantine cinnamon roll
    • 5/14 Mom made me a strawberry rhubarb crumble for my birthday – SO GOOD
    • 5/16 Levain again
    • 7/5 Caroline sends me INCREDIBLE tahini cookies and cheese crackers from Ottolenghi from her London trip
    • 7/5 Bagel with pimento cheese
    • 7/14 Pancakes with nutella
    • 7/15 Bagel with pimento cheese and salami
    • 7/20 Pimento Cheese toast and nutella toast
    • 8/2 Lemonade at HOME
    • 8/4 TJs Jamaican Beef Patties
    • 8/20 Strawberry rhubarb fruit soup with yogurt
    • 10/1 TJs sticky toffee pumpkin pudding
    • VOLANTE: slaw, and other good stuff, Dutton Berry Farm Apple Cider (great!) – good to know they just have really nice prepped vegetable salads of all kinds!
    • 10/12 Roasting mini honeynut squashes
    • 10/14 Toast with white bean dip (chopped apples from Volante)
    • 10/21 Post Shift Pilsner
    • 10/31 Barrio Salsa Matcha, Applekraut (eh), Not Just Salad Dressing Gochujang
    • 11/11 Acai bowl and cottage cheese
    • 11/11 Biscuits
    • 11/20 TJs amazing cinnamon bun kettle corn (including a huge piece of crunchy sugar in it!)
    • 12/7 Che Beef Empanada (very good)
    • 12/9 Kodiak cakes; niblets and eggs
    • 12/12 My neighbor’s home made dolma
    • 12/13 Matcha protein shake
    • 12/13 John brings 3 black and white minis from TooJays
    • 12/15 John brings CITRUS from Florida
    • 12/15 Little breakfast sandwiches with stone and skillet, Canadian bacon, cheese
    • 12/24 Christmas cookies (and brownies) from both sets of neighbors!
    • Shout out to Trader Joe’s mini mousse desserts in the freezer section.
    • 12/29 a perfectly ripened persimmon
Alice Waters Candied Grapefruit Peel
  • Other good food:
    • Prep of note: soft boiled eggs frequently, lots of bagels with cheese
    • Novelty: Burlap and Barrel Spice Subscriptions, Rancho Gordo Bean Club, Kishibori Shoyu Soy Sauce, Bonne Maman advent calendar
    • Star Market: dark chocolate cake (three layers), Crispy Lettuce, Grape Nuts, Joseph’s lavash (they seem drier these days), banded cannoli cake slice
    • Desserts of note: Cranberry curd tart from Elephantine, apple crumble from WeCo, thin mints from freezer (2/26), Honey Pot Hill Cider Donuts (11/4) from Somchay, Trader Joe’s Mini Frozen Mousse Cakes
    • Formaggio: Beet tzaziki, Pimento cheese dip, Big Sky Grana, Muhammara, Passionfruit Curd
    • Whole foods: Evolution chocolate cake slices, their oreos, Naan Toastie (okay), Iggy’s Francese Bread, Shrimp Cocktail, bang bang shrimp bowls, pb tofu, Superfrau!
    • Trader Joe’s Items of Note (Not my favorites list*): kahlua pork things (okay), bread cheese, limeade (although my palate is shifting on this one), oven baked cheese bites, gluten free cinnamon muffins, cacio e pepe gnocchi, taiwanese pancakes (air fryer), lamb vindaloo and cottage cheese for lunches, vanilla bean paste, gingerbread cookie sandwiches
    • Cottage cheese with things: cottage cheese, soft eggs, olive oil (and ripe tomatoes in the summer)
    • Rancho Gordo: All the beans.
    • Volante Apples of Note: Topaz!
The Steak Salad at Keen’s Bar (Perfection!)

2022 Amazing Travel Meals

The final category: I generally speaking avoided restaurant meals in person unless I was traveling. Some notable favorites:

Texas (2x):

  • Kolache Shoppe – the perfect bacon egg and cheese
  • Golfstromen – the best bite of dark bread and smoked butter
  • Tiny Boxwoods – an excellent burger
  • Buccee’s – Jerky and Sausage on a Stick
  • Le Colonial

New York City (2x):

  • Le Privé – Steak Frites, asparagus with white anchovy
  • Magnolia Banana Pudding
  • Spanish Diner – Patatas Bravas, Pan con Tomate, Lettuce with white anchovy, Flan
  • Zabars – bagel with Smoked Salmon, Sable, Gazapcho
  • Keen’s (at the bar) – Steak Salad (best deal in New York!)
  • Sip + Co – great breakfast sandwich on a bap

Wellesley Staycation:

  • Eataly, Breakfast Sandwiches at Tatte, Alta Strada
Bertram Knows What He Likes

Bertram’s Treats of Choice

  • Bully Sticks (odor or non-odor; 12 inch)
  • Polka Dog Bakery Snacks
  • Chicken Strips from Trader Joe’s (crispy)
  • Treats at the Beer Store
  • Treats at the Bank
  • Treats at the Toy Store
  • Bacon from Mochiko*

Here’s to more great meals in 2023!

xo, Sam