Best I ever had
Annie & Alison Newsletter #23
This week I ate the best peach I’ve ever had. It was sweet, juicy, ripe but not mushy, crispy but not hard to bite into, without a trace of mealy texture. God bless that Trader Joe’s in the heart of Chicago for selling such a gem.
That peach got me thinking. What about all of the other, in the words of the rapper Drake, “best(s) I ever had”? …
The best salad: Picture this: spring mix lettuce tossed with rotisserie chicken, tomatoes, avocado, goat cheese, corn, almonds, toasted cornbread croutons, and a citrus vinaigrette. The Wrightwood salad at Remington’s in Chicago. Case closed.
The best frozen meal: You know what I’m going to say, right? Of course you do. Trader Joe’s frozen orange chicken will change your life, if you let it.
The best donut: The best kind of donut is, without a doubt, a vanilla old fashioned with chocolate icing. No glaze on the cake, just icing on the top. But where I’ve had the best one is a toss-up between Stan’s Donuts in Chicago, and Donut Star in my old childhood neighborhood, Woodbridge in Irvine, CA. Objectively, Stan’s is better. But my memories of patiently waiting for Donut Star after church every Sunday elevate their donut to equal standing with Stan’s. In other words, I stan them.
The best burrito: La Taqueria in the heart of The Mission district of San Francisco. I needn’t say more.
The best ginger cookie: While I can’t name the best chocolate chip cookie, I can pinpoint, without any hesitation, the best ginger one. My friend Olivia’s ginger cookie consists of a magical combination: molasses, brown sugar, ginger, and a lot of butter. Their chewy, melt-in-your-mouth texture erases all memories of how many you’ve eaten so far. So you might as well have one more.
The best barbeque: I lived in Houston for a year, but no Texan BBQ ever came close to Joe’s in Kansas City. For me, it’s the sauce. (It’s always the sauce.) I prefer tangy, sweet, and a tinge of heat. A sauce that features any one of those three qualities too heavily won’t do it for me. Joes’ strikes the perfect balance.
The best appetizer: I had a transformative experience this summer at a little wine bar/restaurant called Trixie’s. Located near Lake Michigan in Door County, WI, Trixie’s serves a locally-sourced, entirely gluten-free, outside-the-box dinner menu. There, I ate the best appetizer I’ve ever had: Battered Spring Onions served with horseradish aioli, chive oil, and pickled mustard seed. The batter consisted of tapioca flour, and it transformed the onions into crunchy, crispy wands, perfect for dipping and eating in a matter of seconds. I’ve told many people about this dish, and everyone has the same reaction: confusion. But believe me when I say that these onions are perfect. If you have the chance, please go try them.
The best pad thai: I get a little emotional when I think of Daughter Thai’s saucy rice noodles paired with chicken, eggs, coconut milk (yes! in pad thai! it’s incredible!), tamarind, bean sprouts, and chives. Some day, I’ll fly back to Oakland just for those noodles. “Baby, you my everything, you all I ever wanted.” - also Drake
The last two weeks, I’ve made a few more of Alison’s delicious recipes. Here’s the round-up:
139 recipes cooked, 86 to go.
During this week of cooking…
I learned… Rule #1: Don’t forget to ask the seafood counter person to gut and scale your fish for you. Rule #2: If you forget to ask, don’t be afraid to take the fish back to the store and ask the seafood counter person to gut and scale your fish for you. Rule #3: Gutting a fish is really gross.
I listened to… a sermon by John Mark Comer called “The Four American Gospels.” He talks about the four most commonly misconstrued “gospel” narratives that American society believes will solve their problems. Find it on Apple Podcasts or here. It’s worth the listen.
I read… Annie Dillard’s essay, “An Expedition to the Poles” for the fourth time. It’s a thirty-page allegory comparing humanity’s search for God to a mostly failed Arctic exploration expedition. We’re all just poorly prepared backpackers, trekking from ice floe to ice floe, in search of new land. (It’ll all make sense if you read the essay.)
Here’s a pic of me living my best appetizer life at Trixie’s. How fun.
xo,
Annie