Weekly A to Z, March 5th.

The one with progress.

Happy birthday, Mom!

About (expletive) time I finished the current draft of the book I’ve been working on. Take Two at Mulholland High is off to the editors at 74,818 words (find the first book in the series here). Onto the next manuscript…

Carnistore was kind enough to send over some items from their 365 Basics Box menu (get the weekly box for AED180). As a long-time customer, I’m always happy to sample anything new, and even more delighted when the beef comes from a carbon-neutral farm. Watch more here. #gifted

Hubs took a step in front of the camera this week with our long-time favorite, High Joint. I can’t wait to see how the finished product turns out. And yes, he’s available for other print and television work.

I was approached for two writing projects a bit outside my usual comfort zone, but like everything these days, let’s wait and see what happens next.

Links, please. No apologies for how many, it was just an excellent week for food and travel writing, apparently.

• Are you ready for the UAE Vine Festival? The Tasting Class

• Check out the latest issue of Dining and Nightlife Middle East (four articles by yours truly). Dining and Nightlife

• Instagram vacation rentals. Vice

• The Tiktok feta effect. New York Times

• What’s not to love about lasagna? Grub Street

• No, Jamie Oliver. The Takeout

• Forget dark kitchens, just use Instagram. Eater

• Yes, I want my name on a Coke can. The Takeout

• Written by my friend Rebecca, a look into Black franchisee lawsuits at McDonald’s. Food and Wine

• What role do souvenirs play in cultural appropriation? Conde Nast Traveler

• Why do we love chewy brownies? Epicurious

• There is no ‘bad’ food for you. Lifehacker

• The economics of a second fridge. New York Times

• A new way to make sushi: bake it. I am a Food Blog

• Clickbait, probably. How you eat a slice of pizza says a lot about your personality.

• Ever seen a celebrity while dining out? I suppose I should mention a certain Golden Globes after-party with the West Wing cast. Technically, I was dining at Mastro’s. #humblebrag The Takeout

• A fascinating take on who could be the first celebrity chef. Vox

• Please someone make me this. Eater

• What does the restaurant of the future look like? Architectural Digest

• Just grooving this week (and another playlist, if you miss going out). Spotify

I kind of missed naming my favorite February dishes last week (oops!), but I’ve tried something new on TikTok if you want to watch (it’s short). As always, I would love to hear about yours.

It won’t surprise you that we’re hiking this weekend (really trying to make the most of what decent weather we have left and getting up and out early) and I’ve been tempted over to BA (Boldly Asian) at the Fairmont.

Next week also looks blessedly quiet. Well, except for the continued construction noises next door. *sad emoji*

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C.