Ann Mah's newsletter / Feb 2017
February 2017 newsletter
Bonjour!
Greetings from Paris, where I'm enjoying one of my favorite seasons in the city. Right now, the days are very short, the cafés have their heaters going full blast on the térrasses, and the menus are filled with cold-weather dishes like blanquette de veau and oysters. This week the streets are quiet because of the February school holiday, and also because people are apprehensive about the upcoming presidential election in May – "It's a very strange mood before the election," said my hairdresser. "People are nervous." The candidates include Emmanuel Macron, a former minister of the Socialist government (who is not a Socialist), Marine Le Pen, whose bleak vision of a weakened France may sound familiar, and the scandal-ridden François Fillon. Only time will tell what happens next, but until then, I suspect a mood of uncertainty will dominate – another reminder that the world is much more interconnected than it appears at first glance.
Where I've been eating
New York City
The name – Hao Noodle and Tea by Madam Zhu's Kitchen – is nothing short of grandiose, and indeed the food at this Chinese restaurant in the West Village is sumptuous. Take, for example, a cold dish of bean curd twists (above), tossed with cilantro, vinegar, soy, and chili oil – smoky, spicy, earthy, and yet also restrained, it could have come straight from one of Beijing's finest eateries. And if the portions are a little small for the price, and the fish fritters a little too heavy on the wasabi mayonnaise, Madam Zhu (or whoever is in the kitchen) makes up for it with the pan-seared pork dumplings, which are the most succulent, delicate-skinned pork dumplings I ever did eat; juice literally SQUIRTING from them as you take a bite. I also enjoyed the "sticky rice bacon siu mai," an unusual dough-wrapped ball of pork-scented sticky rice, and I'll be back soon to try Madam Zhu's spicy fish stew. (And you can read more about the place in Pete Wells's NYT review.)
New York City
Let me clear, I Sodi is no secret. (It's been lauded in many publications, including here, here, and here.) Often I try these critics' darlings only to be disappointed, but I am ecstatic to report that this svelte Italian in the West Village lives up to its reputation. Of course it's impossible reserve a table, but if you arrive early enough (5:30-6pm), you'll almost definitely be able to grab a seat at the lovely zinc bar. People rave about the fried artichokes, the lasagna, the cacio e pepe... but I can't stop thinking about the tortelli di castagne, a handmade chestnut flour pasta stuffed with ricotta and pureed chestnut, at once clean, clear, bright, rich, and nutty. I also loved the beef slow-braised in Chianti, and Brussels sprouts showered with an outrageous amount of parmesan cheese. (Photo @RitaSodi on Instagram)
Paris
Relaxed and friendly, Les Caves de Prague, in the 12e, is a "cave à manger" – less a restaurant, and more of a wine shop / bar with snacks. There's no wine list exactly – instead, you choose a bottle from the shelves lining the shop walls, and crack it open right away. The wines are reasonable and thoughtfully selected, and many of them are biodynamic. A chalkboard menu offers simple food – heaping plates of charcuterie and cheese, jars of delicious terrine (rabbit and garrigue herbs was a recent favorite) – and the staff is generous enough with the bread to make it dinner. This one of my favorite spots to while an evening with friends and a bottle (or two!).
What I've been reading
A few weeks ago my daughter, Lucy, asked me to read her "a long book" – a chapter book – and even though I didn't think she'd have the patience for a story without pictures (she's three), we began something that I bought for her before she was born. In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord is about a little girl named Shirley Temple Wong who immigrates from China to Brooklyn, New York in 1947. It's hard to make friends if you look different and don't speak English, but when the 1947 baseball season begins, Jackie Robinson becomes everyone's hero – solid proof that anyone can play professional baseball – and his story helps little Shirley transition into her new life. To my surprise, Lucy is riveted by the tale, and as I read it aloud to her, I often find myself blinking away tears. This is a great book for kids AND adults, and entirely appropriate for our times.
NPR's piece on the Syria Supper Club – a group in New Jersey "in which Muslim refugees from Syria and Iraq join groups of mostly Jewish New Jerseyans for dinners that are part fundraiser, part cultural exchange" reduced me to a puddle.
The Nix by Nathan Hill is a panoramic novel about the last 50 years in America, told from the viewpoint of a reality-game-addicted (failed) college professor, sweeping from the Chicago Riots, and Civil Rights era, to present day. My book club selected this novel and I have a feeling we'll have a lot to talk about! :)
The Washington Post has had some great reporting lately – and did you know that if you have an Amazon Prime membership, you can get a six-month subscription for free? Details here.
Do have an Instant Pot? (Do you know what an Instant Pot is? I didn't!) This article explains it all – and has convinced me to buy one!
Travel deepens our empathy and broadens our perspectives. But reading about travel can do that, too. Particularly this essay, about a trip to Syria taken 17 years ago.
A bientôt
I'll be back next month with lots more Paris tips! Until then, thanks for reading – and if you were forwarded this newsletter by a friend, please sign up here.
See you next month!
Amitiés,
Ann