midweek gems #17

🥟 did someone say dumpling class? + feel good reads + 🍲 Instant Pot chicken pho

Hello everyone!

Many of you live in California, where the Southern California fires have our attention. It seems like everyone I know knows at least one person who has lost their home. The losses are shocking and staggering.

One of our friends recently purchased a condo in a new Pacific Palisades development. It luckily survived and among the possible reasons was its construction materials — lots of cement and steel. That got me thinking.

Rory and I live in a moderate-risk fire area but we had a scare in the 2020 Santa Cruz Mountain fires, when we put together an emergency “go bag” in case we were evacuated. Among the items is my mom’s orange notebook of recipes, which she brought from Vietnam in 1975. (You’re suppose to back lightweight valuables.)

No one wants to lose their home. My friend Gregory Han lives in Altadena and last year, he pitched and wrote an article for the New York Times Wirecutter about fire proofing his home. It was published early last week and Gregory’s home is thus far spared. I gleaned through his article and then picked up some more ideas from Sunset magazine, which covers the entire West.

💎 Fire home protection ideas

Establishing agency is among the ways we can fear less. So, for your considerations:

• Gregory’s article covers venting options, gutter guards, and barricade fire blocking gels (I didn’t know there was such a thing!)

• Sunset magazine’s website has a bunch of “fire-defensive” landscaping ideas (time to rethink cutie mulch and to factor in Class-A roofing)

💎 +3 feel good reads

For a 180-degree pivot from whatever negatively that may drag you down, several stories that recently put a smile on my face:

• How a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum got his work on display too (NYT gift link expires in 30 days)

• 70somethings roadies still make good music happen (another NYT gift link)

• Michael Nesmith of the Monkees and Liquid Paper have someone in common (the Hustle)

💎 Seasonal pho tips

An old building on the highway from Nam Dinh to Van Cu village. This was taken during my Pho Cookbook research trip to the so-called birthplace of pho. Photo: © Karen Shinto

January is when I feel winter where we live. Warming, brothy, noodle soups are in order! Maryn’s post on Instagram of a duck pho inspired by my pho book reminded me that you may need some pho-nomenal pho tips.

I mostly brew my pho broth using the recipes from The Pho Cookbook and Ever-Green Vietnamese, depending on how meaty I feel. (A quick clarification — Amazon has a fab price for the pho book but the author is stated as Alex Day. What? Luckily, it’s a temporary glitch that my publisher is fixing. I am the author. Alex writes cocktail books.)

Instant pot pho plus low-carb pho. They're not my mama's pho but they're good!

In addition to the books, these resources at my website may be useful for your pho journey:

• The History of Pho (there’s a story to the bowl)

• Instant Pot Chicken Pho (easy peasy in the IP)

• Low-carb Pho options (workarounds to lower your white rice intake)

💎 February dumpling class on Zoom 🥟

Are you ready for homemade dumplings in 2025? I revamped my dumpling bootcamp by creating a super versatile set of recipes so you — as a single cook (or maybe with a pal) can easily make a batch of tasty morsels plus a salad. That’s to say, in 2 hours via Zoom, you can make an entire dumpling meal! There’s now an all-grain option to boot!

Recipes for the February 23 class on Zoom:

• Land-or-Sea Dumpling Filling

• Vegan Dumpling Filling

• Basic Dumpling Dough (3 flour options)

• Tangy Soy Dipping Sauce

• Impromptu Gingery Napa Salad

Bring your culinary curiosity to class. The menu is for cooks who want to know dumplings better, whether you're omnivorous, vegetarian, vegan, or dairy-free.

• Cost: $40 per person

• Deal: 15% Early Bird discount code (until Jan 24, 2025) » earlybird15

• Super deal: 20% discount for Paid Subscribers (promo code here, use it whenever!)

• Get general class information

• Register at Eventbrite

Coming up on Sunday behind the paywall, a master recipe for sticky rice that you can easily commit to memory. Join us, if you like!