Ann Mah's newsletter / December 2019
December 2019 newsletter
Hello!
Hooray, finally it's Christmas-time and I am enjoying all the decorations I bought on my trip to Germany this fall. The chaps in the photo above are antique nutcrackers that I admired in an artisan's workshop in Seiffen (and they stayed there), but with a 6-year-old Sugarplum-fairy-obsessed ballerina in the house we have quite a collection of our own. Along with my new Christmas pyramid and smoking man incense holder called the "Ghost of the Woods," it's feeling very festive around here!
Here's what else I've been up to...
What I've been eating
–I love making a bûche de noël for Christmas and this chocolate chestnut version from Bon Appétit (photo above) is like a divine chocolatey, boozy cloud. This year, however, I might mix things up with a pistachio, white chocolate, and raspberry roulade from Ottolenghi's Sweet.
–My Thanksgiving pies were a success! I tested five dough recipes and decided my favorite is Melissa Clark's all-butter pie crust from the New York Times. A dash of vodka made it extra flaky (check out this article for the science on using vodka in dough).
–If you're looking for an excellent, simple apple pie, I recommend this recipe from The Kitchn.
–I was fed up with salad until I discovered this no-frills miso dressing from Food52. It's also great if you mix in a little peanut butter and toss together with soba noodles and that leftover turkey in the fridge. Instant dinner!
–It's almost Hanukkah! I swear by this Washington Post latke recipe that uses frozen hash browns as a short cut.
–Tonight I'm planning to turn my turkey carcass into The Kitchn's Mexican soup, spiced with jalapeños and lime.
What I've been reading
–I just finished Zoe Fishman's new novel, Invisible as Air (photo: thats_what_she_read), a sensitive portrait of a perfectly ordinary working mom and her rapid descent into opioid addiction. From the very first page, I found myself riveted by Zoe's clear prose. Her characters are so real – so flawed, so angry, hurt, and vulnerable – that I sometimes found myself cringing as I watched them make bad (but inevitable) decisions. I'm still thinking about this story and the way drug addiction can creep into the most ordinary lives and destroy it.
*Giveaway alert!*
I enjoyed Zoe's book so much that I'm giving away one (1) copy to a newsletter reader (*US residents only). If you subscribe, you are already entered to win. Otherwise, sign up here before the contest ends on Friday, December 13, 2019. Good luck – and if you don't win this time, never fear, I have lots more giveaways planned.
–As a loyal NPR listener, I cried tears of laughter watching NPR: The Dance, which features choreographed moves to all your favorite NPR show theme songs.
–The French writer, Colette, grew up in Burgundy and this NYT Travel piece on her childhood home offers a lovely glimpse of her beloved corner of France.
–Writing in the Washington Post, Eliza McGraw describes how her empty nest syndrome took on an unusual form: My son moved out and my sourdough starter moved in.
–At age four, Beibei the National Zoo's panda has moved to China – and he's traveled in style, at least according to the Washington Post: On the airplane, "his menu includes 66 pounds of bamboo, two bags of leafeater biscuits, two pounds of apples and pears, two pounds of cooked sweet potatoes and water."
–As I write this, France is currently in its first of who-knows-how-many days of strikes, bringing the country to a virtual standstill. If you're curious about what the strikes are all about, this Politico article breaks it down.
A bientôt
This month I am looking forward to some west coast travel and good old fashioned Southern California sunshine. May your holidays be warm, festive, and filled with delicious food! Thank you so much for reading and see you in... 2020!
XO,
Ann