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.)

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:

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

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

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

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

• 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!

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’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