2024 Year in Review + Q&A
A look back at 2024
2 days remain in 2024 🎆
I think everyone says this but, “wow, this year went by quick!”
For myself this was a big adjustment year.
I have now passed my first year as a resident of Asia. Coming from the US no matter how many times you visit Asia, living here is another kettle of fish.
Without going into the weeds, I’m still getting used to not having big box stores everywhere that you can buy anything you need (No Walmart, Costco and Mega Grocery stores). I just recently figured out where to purchase greeting cards 😂
To be clear, I am loving this side of the world and it’s good to get out of your comfort zone and stretch yourself. (I wrote about some of the things i miss from the USA 🇺🇸 back in Sept here).
The most satisfying part of 2024 was my parents trekking all the way to Hong Kong and getting to spend a couple weeks together. The icing on the proverbial cake is that they are already planning their next trip back since they loved it so much 🙌
Below are some of my top moments from the Substack in 2024 plus some personal highlights that were meaningful to me in 2024.
To finish out 2024 drop my any questions you have in the comments and I’ll reply back over the next 48 hours 🙏
Top 2024 Moments
Learning to make Northern Chinese Dumplings for Chinese New Year 🐉
Chinese New Year was a meaningful and enlightening time to learn new (for me) traditions and appreciate a long standing culture
The Title Says it All and got great feedback from you all
Wasn’t expecting so much interest in this but glad everyone found a day in my life so enjoyable
Favorite Sauce
I did a short series on my favorite sauces… while it’s impossible to document every iteration, this is a must try.
My Visit to Basque Country was life changing. Literally. It has forever changed the way I cook, view ingredients and appreciate life in general.
In addition to being in a traditional SW French home kitchen I also wrote about “A day in San Sebastian” and also my “Basque Mac & Cheese” I made for my hosts.
2024 was filled with lots of travel. Tokyo impacted me a lot. Nothing to say except the food, culture and people blew me away. Enough so I made 2 trips to Tokyo this year
On the second trip I was able to eat at Sezanne. I’ve been following Chef Daniel Calvert since 2018 when I had his food in Hong Kong. Since going to Tokyo he is now #1 Restaurant Asia (Worlds Best List) & 3* Michelin. My friends and I went just weeks after the 3* had been announced. This was on a personal level my favorite meal of 2024.
Maybe I should write a Substack about it 😂
I’ve recorded only a handful of podcasts but if you’re into wine then you should check out this episode where I talk wine with my friend BowtiedWineGuy
Super Cheap Eats
Budget friendly doesn’t have to mean boring and bland.
Steak & Eggs
Steak always gets lots of interest and love… so the Steak & Eggs riff I dropped had some people drooling 🤤
The best sauce you’ve never heard of
Not sure who actually tried this but if you’re looking for a mindblowing “aha” sauce. Give this Italian treasure a try. Makes the best Tuna Melt ever, FWIW 😉
For the Holidays I shared this treasured family recipe for Marinated Cheese. My mouth is watering just thinking of this dish and making me miss home
These are just a few moments from 2024 that we shared together.
Drop your questions below and also feel free to add any recipe requests or topics for 2025! 🥂
Wishing you All a Happy New Year
