happy new year

2023 wrap up of all my favorites, and some manifestations

Well.. it’s been awhile. December was a doozy. Ain’t that the common holiday phrase— “holidays were crazy! chaotic! busy!” Every year I tell myself I won’t let it be has hectic as the last, and where do I end up finding myself.. doing it again. I’m team start Christmas seconds after Thanksgiving, just to have time to fit all the festive holiday things in! 25 days is just too short. BUT. It was full of so many fun things. I was a private chef for my dentist office holiday party (never had the most supportive and hype dentist and hygienist before, they are the best.) Supplied bites for my friend Lana’s shop, Hoste Solstice Party, and had a supper club holiday party (of my dreams!) at Humano Studios. Then flew down to San Diego to be with family for Christmas. While there we got to see our dear friends Lillian and Jordan, and meet their second baby, Faye, who was born in November. Was so excited to give them a kiddo vest from Playdate Vintage at Renegade Craft Fair this year, who takes thrifted, vintage fabric and turns it into a new garment. Already got a photo of their son Miles rocking it in the most fire outfit (as always!). I had also been eying this brown leather jacket from Hoste, so when it was still there at the Solstice Party, I snagged it and gifted it to Lilly, that she just sported on her birthday last weekend! I also got to visit our other dear friends Reetu and Craig to see their new home and renovations, annnnd celebrate their pregnancy! I’m in full auntie mode!! Also had a fun little unexpected gift trade with our friends Jam and Del, who we didn’t think we’d get to see this trip so that was *quite* the treat!! Two new spots (to us) we checked out and loved were Kairoa Brewing and bica, recommend next time you’re in San Diego!

Okay— Now on to my favorites of 2023!

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Favorite Cookbooks

1. Start Here by Sohla El-Waylly | favorite recipes so far are ‘Black Sesame & Nori Rice Pilaf,’ ‘Snappy Shrimp with Punch-You-In-Your-Face-Cocktail Sauce’, ‘Monday Chicken Dinner for winners.’

2. Salad Freak by Jess Damuck | favorite recipes ‘a few of my favorite things,’ ‘crispy chicken with gingery cabbage, mandarins, and almonds,’ ‘lemony chicken salad’

3. Sweet Enough by Alison Roman | my favorite cake on earth now is the ‘semolina cake with lemon and fennel.’ also love the ‘cornmeal blueberry tart’ is second fave.

4. Mi Cocina by Rick Martinez | huge hit recipe is the fish tacos. other faves are ‘frijoles con veneno,’ ‘salsa de chipotle y chile de árbol’, ‘aguachile’

5. A tie ! The Wok: Recipes and Techniques by J. Kenji López-Alt or The Food of Sichuan by Fuchsia Dunlop | Zach picks up these books weekly to find a lunch recipe for us, often it’s cold soba noodles, peanut noodles, and/or something with tofu. I personally love making Kenji’s Tteokbokki.

Favorite Restaurant / Bakery / Bar

1. Pancita | everything Janet makes is gold, and feels like the best things my taste buds have had, and is that feeling everytime I go or try something new.

2. Szechuan First | stumbled upon this place when we moved to south seattle, and is the *best* Chinese food in Seattle imho. comforting. cozy. hits every time.

3. Burrito Express | the *best* breakfast burritos in town, and thankfully 3 mins from our house. it’s turned into ‘the-morning-after-supper-club-post-clean-up,’ tradition. the cochi-burrito is unreal.

4. Onibaba by Tsukushinbo | their onigiri is so, so good (the unagi and oyako are my fave). great for lunch, great for dinner. tiny and cozy!

5. Mallorca, Spain | couldn’t miss adding my favorite restaurants / bars visited on my trip to Mallorca this last Spring. some honorable mentions are Cav. wine bar—iconic little wine bar! When we went they were having a special Anchovy menu pop-up which felt serendipitous! Got to chat with the workers and discovered they use to work for wine makers here in the PNW! Bodega Morey— a must visit. The best bites, vermut, and overall fun vibes. Cuina Vivant— discovered this spot because it was near our Airbnb, and it also happened to be their first opening week! Sweetest owners, amazing food, and yum natural wine offerings. (manifesting a Dining with Court mallorca pop-up in 2024 ?!)

Favorite Repeat Recipes:

1. Carla Lalli Music’s Cold Sliced Steak with Arugula and Parm, from That Sounds So Good cookbook.

2. Molly Baz’ Napa Cabbage Salad with Shredded Chicken, Cotija & Corn Nuts, from Cook This Book.

3. Wraps: Buffalo Chicken Salad or

   Farideh Sadeghin
   Kale Chicken Caesar

4. Sohla El-Waylly Taco Salad for NYT Cooking

5. A lot of italian hoagies filled with provolone, different salamis, lettuce, red onion, cucumber, red wine vin, salt, pep, olive oil, mayo, mustard, and pepperoncinis.

Favorite Wine / Bevs

1. Nero D’Avola Rosato 2022, Martha Stoumen Wine, CA | if you’ve been around this newsletter, you shouldn’t be surprised by this. my favorite for anytime, any guest, any gift, any season! MS forever ❤️

2. Mallorcan Vermut | specifically La Vermuteria, served extraaa cold with an orange slice, guindillas, and olive

3. Espresso Martinis | had an excellent one at Roquette in downtown Seattle, and there were multiple rounds ordered at my friends 30th this year at the Kettner Exchange in Little Italy San Diego (unlike any we’ve all had!)

4. 2022 Airlie Red Cider, Dragon’s Head Cider, Vashon, WA | I became a cider club member this year! and this one has been without a doubt my favorite of the ones I haven’t had before.

5. Orange Carbo Crush, Purity Wine, CA | served this wine at a supper club this summer, and I still get guests asking for it or talking about it. I love all that Purity Wine puts out, and they are just the sweetest people, too ❤️ (manifesting a Dining With Court pop-up at Purity Wine this year?!)

Favorite Media (books / articles / podcast / music / film )

1. Novels: My Year Of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion, The Friend by Sigrid Nunez, Family Meal by Bryan Washington

2. Podcasts: “What do we owe our friends”ep. by How to Keep Time , Solicited Advice Podcast by Alison Roman, Case 63 with Oscar Issac and Julianne Moore.

3. Articles: '“what I know: A List, at Sixty” by

   Poor Man's Feast
   , ‘The Six Forces That Fuel Friendship’ by Julie Beck/The Atlantic, ‘why this poet sees grief as its own spiritual practice’ by Rachel Martin / NPR

4. Music: Concerts and albums of the year: Japanese House, ‘In The End It Always Does,’ and boygenius, ‘the record / the rest’

5. Film/Content:

   1. Movies: Oppenheimer— made it to this list simply because I thought I would hate it or find it boring, but watched it twice, in theaters, within the same week, and all I have to say is: Cillian Murphy. Forever. Eileen—this also made it to this list because normally I’m not a fan of book made to tv show/movie, but the movie made it for me. Also, I’m an Ottessa Moshfegh fan, so I will read/watch anything she makes or is apart of. I also *loved* Anne Hathaway in this role. Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret— had no intention of seeing this movie, but randomly watched it on a flight. I could now probably write a whole substack on this movie alone of my thoughts. I teared, I cried, I wanted to cheer, and I laughed more than any other movie has made me. I loved it. Also ❤️ Rachel McAdams ❤️

   2. Content: @postcardsbyelle (shares books/articles) Tiktok/Substack, @tessmadalyn (lifestyle/photography/ film) Tiktok/IG, @millyrocklobster Tiktok (chef/food/recipes)

Favorite Products / Purchases

1. Sabre Paris | upgraded our flatware in 2023, and I don’t know why it took me this long. Cutlery is something we use daily, need for hosting and supper clubs, so why it scared me to invest into it is beyond me.. but so glad I took the plunge! Got a set in their Bistrot collection in khaki, and some mix and match serveware, tart slicer, and butter knifes.

2. Soft Services | discovered this brand in 2023, and have become obsessed with their Buffing Bar. On the wishlist for this year is their Theraplush Overnight Repair Treatment in the cute little yellow case. My hands cooking all the time are in constant need of a good hand cream.

3. Great Jones | 2023 was realizing the power and joy of having more quarter sheet pans. I love their color options, and also love their silicone spatulas because you can never have enough, if you’re like me, and use them till their

4. Library Card | this technically isn’t a purchase, and I’ve had a library card for a couple years now, *but*… I feel between Zach and I, our librarians work was made out for them on us alone. Going to the library grew apart of our weekly routine just as much as going to the grocery store or coffee shop. Consistently a book on hold to pick-up, or one to drop-off. My favorite way to use the library is checking out cookbooks. I have an ever growing cookbook collection— in fact, cookbooks are really the only physical copy of books we buy anymore— so I like checking one out at the library first to see if it’s one I actually enjoy or is worth the hype Support your local library is in for 2024!!

5. Thrifted stem glassware | thrifted a lot in 2023, and the first place I peruse is the glassware section. I accumulated some fun stem glasses for our bar case, and I love our mix-match collection, and having an array of different styles, sizes, and colors for any drinking mood.

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Happy New Year, and may all your manifestations and dreams come true ❤️

xo Courtney