Weekly A to Z, May 10th.

The one with Botox and Afghan sour plums.

Happy Mother’s Day to my favorites — Vickie, Cecelia, and Erin!

On Monday, I found my way to a well-overdue appointment for Botox at Cornerstone Clinic. Yes, I get Botox. No, it’s not a lot of units. Yes, I’m happy to be transparent about this. Yes, many of you were surprised to hear this, but I’ve been going for almost five years. Feminist Courtney™ says: do whatever you want to make yourself happy about your appearance.

For the remainder of the week, I kept my head down to edit/pitch/work/volunteer. Boring, yes, but sometimes it be like that.

On Tuesday, a lovely box from Ziba Foods also turned up, and after hearing about the company on Dubai Eye a few weeks ago, I was delighted to try the products. Imported from Afghanistan, this company works tirelessly to create jobs for Afghan women and provide a reliable source of income to small-scale family farms and co-ops across the country. Are the products delicious? Yes. Can you find Ziba Foods on Amazon.ae? You can (and Mirzam, as well)! Are we obsessed with the sour plums? We are! #gifted

Finally, if you missed it —

Katy Gillett

and I had a chat on Monday night about food journalism, the Substack network, and hot sauce. Check out the link below if you’d like to hear more (our conversation is also available as a podcast, if that’s easier media for you to consume).

Links, please.

• Gaza is out of food. WCK

• A nice article about sustainable gastronomy featuring Tresind Studio. Michelin

• ICYMI: The Mouse is coming to AUH. Skift

  • Author’s note: the dialogue about this online is fascinating and I see a lot of misinformation going around. If you’d like an honest opinion, I’ve lived (mainly) in the UAE since 2007 — I’m happy to share my experience.

• How chefs are reinventing the chicken nugget. Food & Wine

• For my next dinner party: you had me at ‘place carbs.’ Instagram

• Even though I live across from DWC, I still can’t imagine a day when DXB will close. Skift

• What is the worst time of day to dine out? The Takeout

• What makes a good hotel room, anyway? House & Garden

• Can first class be profitable? Skift

• High key obsessed with this yogurt from Spinneys.

• Low-key obsessed with this butter notepad. Amazon

• Cheez-Its? Not in my Rice Krispies treats! The Takeout

• I wish I had this kind of grocery control (and at Trader Joe’s, no less). The Kitchn

• Need to get this can for Eric. #YNWA The Drink Business

• One for the times: tired vs. fatigued. Mental Floss

• Dr. Pepper…TicTacs? Pioneer Woman

• Can these Food Planet prize finalists help fix our broken food system? The Ehticalist

• Why are we witnessing the rise of Thai craft beer in America? The Drinks Business

• Will you be attending the Wine & Dine event at TOMD? Platinum List

• It’s a really expensive-looking plastic bag. Garmentory

• RAK is doing its best for ALL travelers. Skift

• What eggs’ popularity can teach the food and beverage industry about disruption. Food Navigator

• Okay, but do I need these Band-Aids? Target

• With tariffs coming, what to buy at duty free. Washington Post

• The whole fish is sacred. Ambrook Research

• Yes, I want a wall of strawberries. USA Today

• Talk to me about fancy umami popcorn. Bessou

• Very into this Anthropologie hotel suite. Shout out to

  Brandon Berkson from HAP
  for the link. Philly Mag

• Do we all want to smell like donuts? 🤔 Vox

• Tajin x feta = yes. FoodBeast

This weekend? Finally reuniting with some of the most OG Dubai friends. Wallpaper installation! (What can I say? I’m firmly in my mid-40s).

Next week? Chatting with the Marriott team, and hopefully finishing up a big project at work.

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