Weekly A to Z, Nov 26th.
Off a fab flight, I’m back in Dubai and hit the ground running. Allo Beirut delivered a much-needed breakfast on Friday morning, and First Crust came through with some of my favorite festive mini pies on Saturday. And in true hospitality, the team at Sunday Riley sent through a pumpkin pie, which was definitely appreciated. #gifted
Overall, this was a week where a) my inner introvert required some rest (as a friend commented recently, ‘I was peopled out’), and b) I needed to catch up on a lot of things. Fortunately, I was able to make it out of the house on Tuesday for the Spinneys kick-off for Better Together (have you picked up your copy yet?), then onwards to El Sur for a brilliant Sopexa collab dinner, featuring Chef Vineet and plenty of Spanish poultry. #invited
Thursday was a bit (a lot!) of running around in preparation for Thanksgiving. I am proud to collaborate with the following vendors for our gathering (which I am currently, madly, preparing for — wish us luck). Check out my Stories today, and some of my posts in the following week, as I’ll be documenting the whole process.
Carnistore • Honestly, who else was I going to go to for a turkey? Carnistore is my first (and only) shop for all proteins, so this was my first stop for a turkey.
LDC Kitchen • While LDC also does an excellent turkey, I was most interested in their side dishes, and their olive oil cake (a not too heavy option).
The Kakao Guy • The team already has an excellent festive lineup, and I was delighted to present some of the best, including a Pumpkin Cinnamon Cake, and my beloved OTT Blondies are back. Check out some of their best here.
Maison Dufour • Sending the most lovely (pork!!!) charcuterie, and caviar (!!!), there are a number of other gourmet products to choose from. Find their entire festive collection here, and use code FESTIVE2021 to save 5% on the products.
Cheese OnBoard • Is it even a party if you don’t have a cheeseboard? I don’t think so. I’ve loved this brand since they started up, and I’m excited to share a beautiful board with my guests.
Sobramesa Tablescapes • I was acquainted with this brand via Zahra, and honestly for any event or party at home, I think it’s best to leave it up to professionals for styling and tableware. The team has been super communicative, and lots of fun to work with.
In addition to the above, I ordered Florette to keep my house smelling (and looking) beautiful. I sincerely hope you’ll consider supporting these local brands when placing your festive orders.
Links, please.
A massive congratulations to all the FACT Awards winners! FACT
A special ‘thanks’ to all of you: download one of my books for free this weekend (and maybe consider leaving a review). Amazon
To the ‘whiny brat restaurant customers.’ WP
Talk to me about all the scorched rice. NYT
Am I actually considering these USD$100 Christmas Crackers?! House and Parties
Similarly, I love these bougie matches. John Derian
Also, I need to try making this? Goldbelly
How the other half eats. Food52
Thanksgiving (in ice cream format). The Takeout
Ranchnog? Food & Wine
Pickle…and cranberry, pie? Twitter
A good stocking stuffer (for me). Birchbox
Do you like menus? NY Public Library
Consider picking up a K9 Friends calendar? Instagram
What’s up with me and bougie marshmallows? Crate and Barrel
Here for ‘A Waffle Can Change the World.’ WaHo
On Saturday, I’m heading to the Festival Plaza hosted book club (with Sarah Hedley-Hymers, who I’ll be covering for in December if you’d like to attend the event, on Dec 18th). I’m also over to Tresind Studio for the Masque collab tomorrow night.
What were my favorite dishes of the month? Has November passed us already?! With a lot of consideration, the Truffled egg from Azurmendi, Txuleta (various) in San Sebastian, and the Corn Bomb from Orfali Brothers were the most memorable. Special mentions to the Wagyu toastie at Goldfish, the whole cruise experience with Tamoka, and while not food technically, I’m still not over the views at Aura Sky Lounge. I’m also reserving the right to add something from the Tresind Studio x Masque collaboration…
What were some of your favorite dishes in November?
If you enjoy this newsletter and want to support me, consider sharing this on social media, ordering from these restaurants, purchasing my books (or these novels), or buying me coffee. Archives of the Weekly A to Z can be found here.
C.
