Ann Mah's newsletter / Dec 2017
December 2017 newsletter
Hello!
We had our first snow over the weekend, a perfect dusting of powder that tipped bare tree branches in white, and coated surfaces so that the twinkle lights glowed. The holiday season is upon us with all its joy and emotion, and I have loved watching our four-year-old daughter delight in its magic. In a few weeks, we'll be heading to Southern California to spend Christmas with our family. As a So Cal native, balmy temperatures, palm trees, and Mary Berry's wreath pavlova will always mean Christmas to me. But this year's wildfires have made my beloved home region vulnerable and my heart breaks for those who find themselves suddenly without homes this holiday. If you'd like to help, this link has good information.
As I reflect on 2017, I am grateful for a really astonishing professional year. While I wish every year could be a two-book-deal-year, I feel hugely lucky that it happened to me once! I am so grateful to all of you who make this work worthwhile. Thank you for reading the things I write. Connecting with you is the greatest gift!
What I've been eating
Caramel au beurre salé
Looking for a quick treat or homemade gift? Salted butter caramel sauce tastes decadent and seems complex – but it only uses five ingredients and takes only fifteen minutes to make. I even whipped up a batch on Instagram stories! Find the recipe here.
Pasta e ceci
We're all familiar with that 6:30pm panicky feeling of wondering what's for dinner, right? Well this magic pantry meal has saved me from starvation many times over the past month. Take a can of chickpeas, a handful of pasta, some tomato paste, and a couple of smashed garlic cloves, and 20 minutes later you've got a deeply flavorful and nourishing bowl of pasta e ceci. Food52 calls this recipe genius, and I have to agree. PS I like to add the dried chile flakes to the sizzling oil to more fully infuse their spice.
Best black bean soup
It's self-proclaimed the "best black bean soup" and it actually is really, really good. A whole cup of red wine adds a rich deep flavor, while chipotle chile peppers in adobo lend a round heat. I made this soup in my Instant Pot, which produced beautifully tender and velvety black beans. (If you do use a pressure cooker, I recommend reducing the liquid to 6 cups.) This is my new favorite soup, it's vegan, and it pairs beautifully with Marisa de los Santos's new novel as your lunch date!
What I've been reading
–An interesting look at the ways people change, develop, and, well, age in these portraits of college classmates separated by 15 years from the New Yorker.
–Last month I wrote about my soggy bottom pie struggles. Happily I found this post from the folks at King Arthur Flour on how to get pie crusts to brown on the bottom. I can attest that the metal pie pan works 100%.
–Speaking of pie, I've decided to make a pie a month, just for kicks. October was cheddar-apple. November was pumpkin. This month's is tarte tatin.
–The NY Post says the French girl myth is total bs and I totally agree. “France today is a superdiverse country. That sense of the blond, elegant Parisian with a specific look and style is just not reflective of the many different styles and looks you find in Paris — or all over France.”
–If you love French cheese, My Little Paris is giving away an entire year's supply sent to your door! Details here.
–Like a lot of people, I didn't know much about Meghan Markle before the announcement of her engagement to Prince Harry. But the more I read about her, the more I respect her. Here's an essay she wrote for Elle (UK) on her biracial identity.
–Ever wonder just how far restaurants go to create a perfect meal for food critics? This article from Washingtonian magazine has some insane details.
A bientôt!
I hope you have a relaxing and joyous holiday season! I'm excited about 2018 and looking forward to sharing more news about my new novel, The Lost Vintage, which will be out in June. And I'll be back in January with a very special giveaway. If you'd like to subscribe to this newsletter, you can sign up here. Until then, I'm wishing you lots of love and good health for the new year ahead.
Joyeuses fêtes!
Ann