at first i missed one week of this newsletter. and then i missed another. and then the gap started to feel so long that it felt weird to start writing again?
well i’ve been back from new york for a week now and while i was there, it felt strange to be writing updates mid-trip. i’m not sure why. maybe it’s because i wanted to write a “new york hits” newsletter and didn’t want give away all the hits before that newsletter came out? (spoiler: ny hits newsletters coming soon)
since being back i’ve hosted a tomato producepalooza, went to paso robles for a wedding, attended a 2-day work onsite, filmed a handful of projects, and probably haven’t gotten enough sleep. people ask me how i’m juggling everything, and honestly? sometimes i feel like i’m a little behind on everything. so thanks for bearing with me through the inconsistencies of this newsletter. i can’t promise i’ll do better, but i do promise i’m trying.
while i was in new york i realized i really miss throwing supper clubs. it’s been 3 months since i’ve thrown one and it just feels like something is missing in my life. i love the work that goes into it. i love that i’m not just cooking and recipe-testing for the sake of creating a recipe or two, but that i’m actually building towards something bigger. i’m always pushing myself to be more creative, to find new ways to use chinese cooking techniques or ingredients, and i enjoy the challenge. i also love love love meeting the new people who come to supper clubs.
all that to say, i’m planning on hosting at least one! in november after we get back from asia.
noodlings of the week
omg it’s been a minute since i’ve done one of these.
wearing: i rented this pink dress from nuuly for the wedding and it’s so cute! i felt like a fairy in the best way.
eating: my (new!) friend emmie had me over for dinner. we’ve been insta-friends for years and i’ve always loved seeing her cook chinese dishes that are v nostalgic for me. she made so so many yum things and i feel blessed to have experience it all!! my favorites was a chilled okra salad (definitely planning on recreating) and stir-fried shrimp and eggs (of which i have a similar recipe for).
drinking: while the boy and i were in paso robles, we visited one of our favorite wineries, JUSTIN, for a pre-wedding wine tasting. we brought home a bottle of their central coast chardonnay that i think will be great for pairing with food and drinking alone because it has notes of buttery-ness while still being crisp + refreshing!
cooking: since i’ve been back in sf it’s been all about the low-effort comfort foods — udon, ochazuke, peanut noodles.
working: ofc the second i get a corporate job, @girlfromcalfornia has been buuusssyy (no complaints! i’m thankful!). we leave for a 2-week asia trip next week and i’ve been trying to develop as many recipes + shoot as much brand content as possible before i leave 😭 i’m most excited to finally work with Fly by Jing in an official capacity after being a fan of their sauces for the last 5 years.
struggling: maybe this is a TMI but my body has not been happy with me. i got my first UTI (cries) and also had an onset of dyshidrotic ezcema on my hands (also a first!). in case you didn’t know, there’s an OTC medication you can take for UTI pain, and your doctor can also prescribe you a course of antibiotics.
tomato producepalooza recap!
…idk if i should admit this but i haven’t been able to look at a tomato and not feel queasy. i am taking a (hopefully short) hiatus from them. the irony? it wasn’t the tomato producepalooza that broke me, but the day after where i had tomato-centric dishes 3 meals in a row 🤥
anyways, all this to say that uh writing this recap is kinda painful rn.
my takeaways —
people will show up for a weeknight event. i’m still surprised that we had a full house for a thursday evening producepalooza. my expectation was we’d maybe? hit half-capacity? this was a great learning because it means that weeknight events are possible! and it gives more flexibility with planning them.
ask all the ‘what if’ questions. this was held at an outdoor venue at 6pm, and the host had confirmed that there would be heat lamps and lights. there were heat lamps and lights but we could not figure out how to turn them on. if i use this space for an evening in the future, it’ll definitely come with a lot of how do the lights work? are they automatic? where are the switches? can i get an emergency contact number? type questions.
people put in so much effort and are so creative 😭. i’m always amazed at how much WORK goes into these dishes. i’ve gone back and forth on doing a people’s choice award for 2-3 fun categories like most creative! most effort! i’ve heard some people say they don’t want this to be a competition but i’d also love a way to celebrate people more. what are your thoughts on this?
if you’re looking to savor the last moments of tomato season, here’s the full list of inspo and what people brought!
thank you for noodling around with me!
xo christy