Weekly A to Z, Dec 11th.

The one with the reserve strip loin.

First of all - an announcement! I’m very excited to be joining ARN/Dubai Eye as a freelance producer. More updates as they are available, but delighted to be part of this team. The role is part-time, which fits my schedule (and allows me to continue volunteering at K9).

On Tuesday, I had a wonderful time on set with Chef Matt from BOCA (congrats to Matt on his well deserved Caterer Best Chef of the Year, independent restaurant category). Working with Silver Fern Farms (#collab), he created a beautiful strip loin dish that we’ll be sharing soon. Lindsay from The Tasting Class was on hand to create a perfect pairing with an excellent cabernet from Familia Torres. With a lot of similarities in sustainability and quality between the brands, this was honestly a collaboration of my dreams!

I came home on Tuesday to a wonderful hamper from the Cloud Restaurants group. There were tons of goodies included, with some signature items and a new cooking pot! (As excited as I was by the food, our kitchenware is a bit outdated, so this thoughtful gift was very welcome). I’m already a big fan of Go! Healthy, but it was nice to see some of the other products available, and you can click here to purchase a Happy Hamper of your own.

On Wednesday night, I went to an event at INKED, and it was delicious, beautiful, and inspired by French butter. Chef Hadrien always manages to create such interesting plates. I don’t know if I was just lucky, but my table was full of excellent food conversation (although my guess is that Sopexa is just very good at planning wonderful events).

On Thursday, Casinetto sent me everything needed to make a Chestnut Cake, which I’m hoping to attempt some weekend soon. Here’s my affiliate link, or use ATOZ to save 10% to place your order for a range of Italian products. 

In newsletter news, having seen a few of you out and about in the past few weeks, it is genuinely lovely to know this newsletter is resonating. Many thanks to all who have taken the time to share something nice with me.

And finally, I’ve been enjoying all your feedback about my ongoing terrible wine advent calendar (link in my IG highlights, if you want to catch up). I’d love to do a similar series in January, any suggestions? Maybe a Dry January with some actual nice beverages?

Links, please.

• Checking out the new EK premium economy seats. One Mile at a Time

• Why shouldn’t Mariah Carey launch a line of Christmas cookies? Bustle

• Talk to me about Wine Chips. Instagram

• What goes into the ultimate cookie box? New York Times

• Gross. The Takeout

• SMEG, but make it Dolce and Gabanna (I really love the toaster). Eater

• Let this be a lesson. The Takeout

• How do you pronounce microwave? Grub Street

• Books + chocolate = yay! (Wondering if I could get my books printed?) Etsy

• What’s the deal with Japan and KFC at Christmas? Timeout

• Also, re: KFC, Colonel Sanders, but make it a Lifetime movie? YouTube

• Counter Space is not a cooking show. Harpers Bazaar

• The top 10 recipes from Google for 2020. The Kitchn

• Looking ahead, the predicted top 3 food trends for 2021 from Pinterest. The Kitchn

• Giving me hope. The Takeout

• Cooking in your hotel room. (Thanks, Martin!) CNN

• For the restaurants that stood up for social justice…please keep going. The Infatuation

• Skip a meal onboard, get an amenity kit? One Mile at a Time

• Thank you, restaurants. The Infatuation

Today, we’re heading to Desert Palm for the Polo Brunch (really stressing about what I should wear, and my only inspiration is Pretty Woman).

Next week, the highlight of my culinary calendar is the Reif x Himanshu pop up at Tresind. I’m already counting down… Otherwise, there are a number of exciting deliveries heading my way. Time to clear out the fridge (and listen to Taylor’s new album)!

Wishing a very Happy Hanukkah to all those that celebrate!

If you enjoy this newsletter, consider telling a friend, purchasing my books, subscribing to my podcast, or buying me a coffee.

C.