Every year, I complete a fussy year long review that takes me a few weeks of compiling – a pages long list organized by category, which I find particularly cathartic, even – or particularly – in difficult times (and this year was full of truly great things, but also particularly shitty for me, losing my dad, one of my number one eating partners in crime.) I write about my full process here.

For some folks, a review of a year that is complicated or traumatic (hello, most of us in a pandemic) isn’t particularly appealing, but I find it to be one of my most satisfying activities. In part, because a full 50% of it is my re-living of my meals – the things may be going down in flames, but “at least, I ate!” approach. And ate, I did.

Here is my non-exhaustive list. Honestly, there was more than this, but I may have forgotten to snap a photo, or it really wasn’t worth eating. These are loosely organized, but the whole thing is a little chaotic. I can’t say that all of these things were great, but I’ll bold some of the things that I’d recommend.

Good Cooking

Items I cooked at home, either from recipes (I’ll link those I have) or ideas. Also, items cooked by friends.

• In rough order that I ate them:
  • New Years’ Black Eyed Peas with Coconut Milk and Ethiopian Spices (Marcus Samuelsson)
  • Sicilian Swordfish Stew (ATK)
  • Honey Aleppo Pork Tenderloin and roasted cauliflower
  • Chicken Tacos
  • Farfalle pasta with Rao’s and parm and chicken
  • Corn Chowder
  • Greek Corona Beans (and poached eggs)
  • Alta Strada Night at Home! Ricotta with sage, frisee, ramen “chitarra” with shrimp and Rao’s. (A Wellesley Zoom)
  • Turmeric Black Pepper Chicken with Asparagus (NYTimes) 
  • Orzo salad with tomatoes and scallops
  • Kimchi Stew with Tofu (Maangchi)
  • Bok choy with lentil soup and ham
  • Epicurious Kale Salad with Dates, Parmesan, and Almonds (perennial favorite)
  • Orzo with pesto and tomatoes
  • Shucking Fresh Island Creek Oysters! (Thanks, Somchay! Thanks, Janet!)
  • Cauliflower Egg Curry
  • Broccoli with walnuts and gorgonzola
  • Hearty mountain eggs from Saffron in the Souks
  • Rice Bowls of all kinds: usually fish; soy-ginger skate over vinegar rice
  • Mac and Cheese, generally Annie’s (with extra pasta shapes)
  • Corn chicken: cucumber, Trader Joe’s Mexican corn, chicken thighs
  • Made falafel from Trader Joe’s with tahini sauce, cucumber, tomato
  • Cauliflower Gnocchi Deconstructed “Manti”
  • Breaded Haddock from Reds with asparagus, tartar sauce, and cocktail sauce
  • Frozen Döner (hope I get the real thing again soon!)
  • Chicken Flageolet Soup with Farfalle
  • Chicken with Tomato and Peppers, Nigella Lawson Nigellissima
  • May 2 – cooking an amazing steak in Rye Beach, with mashed potatoes and peas; John’s Key Lime Pie
  • Chuletas de Puerco Recipe from the Versailles Cookbook
  • Christmas Lima Stew (101 Cookbooks)
  • Broccoli with blue cheese and pancetta
  • Spring – Farfalle Primavera from 30 Minute Pasta Giuliano Hazan
  • Nom Nom Paleo Bo Kho
  • Frozen okra gumbo
  • Pork chops and tomato eggs
  • Mom’s Peach Cardamom Upside Down Cake (Zesty South Indian Kitchen)
  • Mom’s stuffed peppers and tomatoes
  • Gail Hendryx’s Bouillabaisse (August 26th) for Caroline’s birthday and good salad, figs in ginger syrup and mascarpone, 2015 Seven Stones Cabernet (and the description on the insert.)
  • Gail Hendryx’s Kemah dinner – Soba noodle salad with shrimp, Bluebell Ice Cream peach with gingersnaps
  • Gail Hendryx’s Breakfast Tacos
  • Grilled Eggplant Fatteh from Saffron in the Souks
  • Beef, taco seasoning, and fire roasted onions and peppers
  • Batch of Pan Banging Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough from Sarah Kieffer
  • Macaroni and cheese with cauliflower and pancetta
  • Oct. 30th some sort of chicken with mayo and carrot salad (I can’t remember; it was the longest week)
  • Corn Chowder (added fish) with Old Bay biscuits
  • Thanksgiving: Ore Nell’s barbecue extravaganza with the fam
  • Hannukah pork chops (shhhh..) salad, latkes with sour cream
  • NYTimes Skillet Chicken with Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions (Yasmin Fahr)
  • Chicken and Daikon soup (Thanks, Tim!)

Food from particular places, or quick items by theme

• Other good food:
  • The Zahav Shortrib extravaganza in February from Goldbelly in NH with fam
  • Matzoh Ball soup with a massive matzah ball (Zahav)
  • Stone and Skillet English Muffins
    • As: egg sandwich; or with chicken liver pate, or with salmon caviar
  • Favorites From the Farm Share (Farmers to You – a consortium of small farms and food companies in Vermont who deliver to the Boston area – let me know if you want a referral discount!):
    • VT Pierogies! (In the air fryer); Whizzo Seed and Salt Bagels (with cheese!)
    • Valicenti Ravioli
    • Sweet Rowen Farmstead VT Herb Farmers Cheese
    • Pete’s Greens Fennel most weeks (salads, roasted, braised)
    • Long Wind Farm Cherry Tomatoes
    • Red Hen Baking Co. Bread (with butter and herring; pesto)
    • Freshest Seafood from Red’s Best: Calamari, Skate, Scallops, Sea Bass, etc.
    • Snug Valley Farm Pork Chops and Thin pork cutlets
    • Vermont Bean Crafters Black Bean Burgers
    • Bone Mountain Farm Shokichi Shiro squash with maple syrup and cinnamon
  • Favorites from Star Market (over the Mass Pike!): dark chocolate cake (three layers), Cape Cod Cafe Pizza (hands down the best frozen pizza!!), Bubbe’s passionfruit mochi, Stouffers stuffed peppers (don’t knock it), CRISPY LETTUCE
  • Wegmans: California Rolls (why are they so good?), bacon cheddar sliders on arugula salad, pumpernickel rye bread (with caviar!) or chopped liver!
  • Desserts of note: Roasted chestnuts with rum from Silvia downstairs – topped with rum, oatmeal chocolate chip cookie from Great Harvest; apple fritter from Love Bird, cinnamon roll from Formaggio; citrus from formaggio, sticky toffee pudding – sticky toffee pudding, co., and the warm chocolate pudding; sutlaç; macerated strawberries with oats and ricotta and brown sugar; meyer lemon and marrionberry ice cream from Red Rover Creamery
  • Favorites from Formaggio: robiola incavolata, old favorite Cabot Clothbound, Big Sky Grana (dear lord!), the Passionfruit curd, beet tzaziki, Fly by Jing Sichuan Chili Crisp, an overpriced emergency bottle of Kewpie
  • Favorites from Eataly: saffron and black pepper cheese ‘guffanti piacentinu di ena’, a perfect promotional melon – “buy prosciutto, get a promotional melon” (August 24th)
  • Smoothies and protein shakes of note
    • Blueberries and chocolate and spinach
    • Key lime: vanilla protein powder, cauliflower, pineapple, lime juice, coconut milk**
  • Whole foods: popcorn chili shrimp bowls; thai peanut tofu, elevation cake slice; pesto, cinnamon coffee cake, chicken scallopine (good!)
  • Trader Joe’s Items of Note: Hardwood Smoked Tuna, Kung Pao Chicken, Peppermint Hold the Cones; Mochi Cake; honey aleppo sauce; grainless granola; kibbeh; green goddess dip; kung pao mochi; plantain croutons; just chicken (ate a lot, sometimes convenience wins over quality); chicken drumellas, Calabrian tomato soup; spicy lentil wrap; Cacio Pepe pasta – with lobster! (or brussels sprouts!)  Bambino Pizza (thanks, Danielle!); frozen salmon including bbq plank, cauliflower gnocchi; bazaar mix; Saag Paneer; shrimp burger; meatloaf; crispy champignon mushroom snack; chicken piccata, frozen Mexican corn; fermented bomba (on Josephs’ lavash with cheese and egg), peanut udon noodles; french fries; Portuguese egg tarts; seafood cioppino; chicken sausage egg burrito things; Matcha Green Tea Japanese Noodles; southern peach crisp ice cream; cooked octopus; strawberry-oat ice cream bars; tangerine cream bars; fish sticks; ube mochi pancake mix; corn and cheese arepas; chickpea masala with pickled vegetables; cheese crisps; SPINDRIFT, bbq chicken, thai chicken kabobs, organic vanilla bean paste, breakfast egg frittatas, korean cinnamon filled pancakes (Hotteok), Gingerbread Coffee, Shade Grown Espresso Blend
  • Cottage cheese with various things
    • blueberries; oats, maple
    • passionfruit curd from Formaggio
    • olive oil, salt and pepper
    • on an OMG english muffin
    • peaches and cinnamon sugar
  • The Air Fryer! (Ninja 4 Qt. Would Recommend!)
    • Air fryer fish over “sushi rice” with furikake; tomatoes
    • Cauliflower
    • Red’s Calamari with Cocktail Sauce
    • Cheesy bagels; bagels with butter
    • Meat: Cubed ham; Perfect pork chops; TJ’s shawarma beef
    • lots of chicken strips
    • Chickpeas
    • An entire roasted chicken
  • Scottie dog shortbread
  • Rancho Gordo Bean Share: BEPS, Coronas (twice), pintos with honey, Popcorn, yellow eye beans, black lentils with onion (and red wine vinegar) – need to really start eating down the stash.
  • Hot cocoa with mini marshmallows
  • From John, specifically: Aldi goat mac and cheese, Elephantine Easter Lemon Curd tartlet, LEVAIN COOKIES (coming to Boston and I’m IN TROUBLE), Indian Pudding Ice Cream from Lagos, Poppyseed cake, from Zabars, lots of good things from Elephantine, Eggs and Maple from White Gate Farm
  • Tahini Faux-reo from Sofra
  • Turkish greek beans
  • The Starbucks Oatmilk Brown Sugar Latte (2) – I normally drink only black coffee?
  • Star Market Sushi (…not good, but I ate more of it than I’d admit)
  • Costco Bibigo dumplings
  • Overnight oats, particularly: Peach Overnight Oats; Cookie Dough
  • Skate Picatta
  • Hoisin Chicken and Asparagus
  • April 22nd stew of some kind with potato (no idea!)
  • Marinated lamb with cauliflower and tomato salad
  • Ikea Fish Balls (so easy!)
  • Frozen Passionfruit at Whole Foods
  • Baked beans and bbq jackfruit with cheddar
  • May 7 in Rye Beach: Roasted Chicken and Manti
  • Rasbpberry/Lemon Pucker Upper Sorbet and Limeade slushie
  • Baked Potato with sour cream
  • Michael Twitty’s Okra Soup from High on the Hog
  • Monkfish poached in wine, cucumber salad, beet hummus (eataly)
  • Sleep: Beam hot chocolate; House of Wise Gummies – Sleep and Stress (HIGHLY recommend – affiliate)
  • June 29th – One Rancatore’s Chocolate Dinner Shake
  • Tiki Slam Boulevard Brewing (from my favorite peeps at Craft Beer Cellar Newton)
  • Macaroni and cheese with scallops
  • Texas: hatch chile chicken, with amazing eggplant and pita with tahini sauce and pomegranate (the pomegranate was a FAIL that tasted like rotting fish)
  • Breakfast taco at Caroline’s house with bacon and egg and HEB tortilla
  • A waffle FISH with matcha and red bean ice cream at Seaport at Taiyaki
  • Momofuku Noodles and Chili Crisp
  • Hello Fresh Southwest Pork Tacos, cabbage slaw, sour cream

Mostly Local Takeout

• Good Takeout
  • NYE Sushi dinner from Super Fusion 2 (With Tamago!)
  • Sakanaya Bowl
  • Shake Shack Korean chicken sandwich
  • LeDu Pad Kee Mao and Green Papaya Salad; crab rangoon***
  • Shan a Punjab Butter Chicken with Masala Chai; kheer and bubs licking the container (5 times)
  • Sandwich shared with my sibling from Monicas
  • Lunar New Year: date  Nian Gao + 8 Treasure Rice, sweet sesame balls (Feb 12), lo mein, and an orange (sent in cold hands for my walk home)
  • Lazuri Cafe – Iskender Kebab and Sutlaç
  • Cottage Lobster Sandwich and Burger
  • Shake Shack (more Shake Shack)
  • Chicken and Rice Guys (that garlic sauce!)
  • Vietnamese Bun (from pho-1 Brighton) – it’s no Pho So 1 Boston!
  • May 28th: Thistle and Leek
  • June 4 – Taqueria Mexico
  • June 6 – first Lobster roll of season at Beach Plum (10 oz.)
  • June 17 – Carriage House with Mom
  • June 19 – Eataly with Lizzy, Sofra, Legal Seafood, Rye Beach Lobster Rolls, Pho So 1 Boston
  • Lakon Paris – Thai Tea and AMAZING chocolate chip hockey puck thick cookie
  • McDonalds Pineapple Mango Shake (post-workouts)
  • A very good Chile Verde burrito from Los Amigos
  • August 21 end of season lobster roll in NH
  • Hugo’s Restaurant Week (Houston), with Julia, Hector, and Caro
  • Kolache Shoppe breakfast kolache
  • Sushico ($50.. for a tiny chirashi bowl; but decent. Would be WAY better in house)
  • Mr. Kim’s – meat and kimchi on rice with a fried egg, and papaya salad, and noodles, cheesecake with blueberries and lemon meringue (and a noodle kugel from mom)
  • October 24th. [Celebrate Dad’s Life] Barnacle Billy’s Steamers and Chowder
  • Dragon Star: HUGE AMOUNTS OF FOOD after the private funeral – pupu platter, etc.
  • Wild Willy’s Burgers
  • Cafe Sushi and Boba Milk Tea from next door
  • Zheng Garden Beef Noodle Soup
  • The chicken sandwich in Springfield from Granny’s Baking Table with pimento and jam
  • Clover Lunch (x4) – new around the corner from my house!
  • Tatte (with Caroline): egg sandwich (and she had mushroom shakshuka)
  • Cake from Cake Boss (don’t judge.)
  • Christmas Eve: Lobster Wok – wonton soup (amazing!) crab rangoon, shrimp lo mein
  • Max and Leo’s – Pepperoni Mushroom
  • Cranberry Curd Tart from Elephantine
  • A small bowl of ham bone soup from Somchay
  • Fresh Oysters from Island Creek

Take-out Adjacent:

During the months of September and October, I had the worst two months™️ as my dad was dying of cancer. I needed to feed myself, and wasn’t doing a good job of it. I also didn’t have the energy or desire for most takeout. So I went for a few prepared options, that were truly my saving grace during a hard time. I chose Diane Sanfilippo’s Balanced Bites meals for my freezer – high protein, high quality ingredients. My favorite meals were the spaghetti squash bolognese, egg roll in a bowl, and sloppy joe chili. And for a local delivery option, ordered from WeCo Hospitality, a few times a week.

• WeCo Hospitality – started at the beginning of October, and so many great meals. Some of the standouts include:
  • Shrimp scampi fettuccine: lemon + garlic marinated shrimp in white wine + butter sauce with blistered cherry tomatoes and torn herbs; hand cut fettuccine, shaved parmesan, roasted broccoli
  • Soba + Dumpling Bowl: edamame + roasted shiitake dumplings, buckwheat soba noodles, miso-marinated eggplant, pickled carrots + ginger and roasted sesame dressing
  • Roasted Eggplant and Farro Bowl (top!): roasted eggplant with black garlic + wood ear mushrooms over poached farro + barley with blistered cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, field greens, feta cheese and meyer lemon vinaigrette
  • Salt Roasted Beet and Burrata Bowl**: salt roasted Applefield beets, watercress, golden quinoa, toasted pistachios, tarragon dressing and creamy burrata
  • NY Strip Steak Au Poivre: peppercorn crusted marinated strip steak, four peppercorn + cognac sauce; paprika roasted yukon potatoes, black truffle parmesan butter, blistered broccoli with smoked garlic honey + pickled shallots
  • Pumpkin Soup
  • Curried Orzo and Braised Chicken Thigh
  • Roasted Carrot Salad
  • Roasted Chicken Ramen: soy marinated roasted chicken breast with hoisin + ginger glaze; shiitake mushroom + spring onion broth, spicy miso paste; spring beans + peas with curry leaves + wilted spinach, fresh wavy noodles, scallions, pickled mushrooms and marinated egg
  • Foragers Bowl: shredded duck confit over barley with roasted mushrooms, rehydrated pickled mushrooms, roasted asparagus, carrots, and pesto
  • Roasted chicken biryani: yogurt + curry marinated chicken breast, basmati rice cooked in shorba with saffron, onion, mustard seed + coriander; sweet potato korma braised in coconut milk with chiles + spices; cucumber + red onion raita with mint + dill, naan
  • Oolong Tea Braised shortribs with charred alliums, sichuan peppercorn honey jus, toasted farro with maitake + oyster mushrooms, dried cherries + tahini brown butter; roasted cauliflower + broccoli with sweet chili garlic crunch, charred kale + arugula salad with torn herbs + candied orange; matcha vinaigrette
  • Baja Shrimp Tacos: citrus poached shrimp with guajillo-agave glaze, fresh mango salsa, pineapple-chipotle mayo, cilantro-lime rice, crunch napa cabbage slaw with shaved veggies + citrus, pickled red onion + lime
  • Desserts of note: Cranberry + Apple Crumble with pecan brown butter crumbs, Weco COOKIES, Carrot Cake, blueberry cheesecake with oat crumble

What’s next?

Here’s to great eats in 2022! I’d love to hear your favorite 1-3 recipes or meals. I’ll add them to my list for next year!