Weekly A to Z, April 9th.

The one where I'm proud of all the local places.

What a week!

On Monday I was over to Toro Toro for a lesson with Chef Richard Sandoval, who shared not only his talent but also his time to have an excellent conversation with myself and Liam of Eat Go See. I was pulling double duty during the evening, as I also snuck in a quick Zoom session with Australia Lamb and Beef — can’t go wrong with beautiful proteins!

On Tuesday, I got a sneak preview of the Time Out Market Dubai, which you should absolutely consider visiting. There are so many local favorites in one place. With smaller menus, great views, and excellent price points, this is the best way to experience some of the best of the city and I can’t wait to go back. I also had an exciting afternoon meeting. Keep those fingers crossed for your favorite food writer, k? It’s been one of those weeks where my inbox keeps surprising me (in a great way).

On Wednesday, while I had numerous generous invitations, I needed a bit of a breather and enjoyed a breakfast meeting at Bistro des Arts (#collab) with the lovely Jean Winter. From the comfort of my couch, I also attended a French cheese Zoom class with Francois Robin. Cheeses arrived courtesy of Maison Duffour, and now my fridge is wonderfully stinky.

And Thursday, the night I’d been waiting for all week. The Tresind x Chef Manu Buffara collab! I feel so lucky to have dined with so many globally recognized chefs this year (and yes, I absolutely include Chef Himanshu in this category). While there were plenty of favorites, if I had to choose just one, it would be the Kebab Scarpetta, with the Black Lentil Broth a very close second (and I hope these are dishes on future menus). Look for a reel of the menu later this morning with the highlights.

Links, please.

• Lots of winners this week at the What’s On Awards. Congrats to Chef Himanshu, on a very well-earned Chef of the Year! What’s On

• What’s going to happen to the dining room table? Vox

• Asahi over here just living in the future. Twitter

• Your favorite movie night snacks. Bon Appetit

• Coffee prices might be rising? Food and Wine

• Just watching Paul Rudd and some little marshmallows. Twitter

• Starbucks trying to get rid of its disposable cups. The Takeout

• New to me, this series by Jay Rayner, breaking down cookbooks and why they work. The Guardian

• Is Oatly the new Coke? Almanack

• Forget the old rules of wine pairing. Eater

• Would you try honeycomb pasta? Food52

• A cookbook for those whose taste is still affected by COVID. The Takeout

• Bobby Flay + his cat Nacho, and their new line of food. The Takeout

• I miss Cost Plus World Market. Vice

• When a travel photographer is stranded in the UK countryside, the results are beautiful. New York Times

• A thoughtful essay on the culinary lives of our grandparents. Vittles

• Talk to me about Oreo glaze for my Krispy Kreme. Food and Wine

• The BOCA x Frying Pan Adventures collab I’m excited for. Instagram

This weekend I’m looking forward to a delivery from Zahras Kitchen to try out some of the new frozen food range, as well as some (always) delicious treats from The Kakao Guy. We might also sneak in an order of the new Sourdough Pizza by Common Grounds.

You might also see a few Iftar deliveries on my feed this week, and I want to be upfront and mention that I’ll be donating all of the food. This is not a ‘hey, look at how great I am,’ it’s more my decision to keep in the spirit of the Holy Month, and my dislike of food waste. Food regularly gets repurposed in our household to others, because there’s only so much two people can eat and enjoy.

Next week is a bit of a recovery from this week (my inner introvert needs a break), as I near finishing editing a book, and might have some projects kicking off.

And in advance of Sunday, Happy 40th birthday, Dr. B — hoping we get to celebrate in person later this year!

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C.