2020 in Review: Bright Spots & Delicious Meals
Back in the day, I’d write a post at the end of each year counting down my favorite recipes and favorite moments from the year we’d just closed out. It was fun at first, but after about five years it became exhausting so I just stopped (as I try to do when optional things start to feel like a chore.)
This has been a year like no other though, and I feel like we can all be served by taking a moment to revisit the bright spots. So I bring to you, the best parts of 2020, edible and otherwise. And it turns out, it’s a really long one. Wishing you a happy, healthy 2021 my loves!
Local Exploration: Since we couldn’t travel far, we traveled near! We found beautiful hikes at Harpers Ferry and Annapolis Rock, (finally!) discovered the beauty of Rock Creek Park trail runs and took weekend trips to go glamping and discover some of the coolest AirBnbs – all within 3 hours of DC!
Camp! I spent more time in the woods of northern New Hampshire than I have any summer since I was a little girl. Some things don’t change – it’s still 100% my happy place, and definitely the most normal anything felt all year. With all the international travel I had planned, I may not have otherwise gotten there at all this year – and instead, I got three weeks of woodsy working, family dinners on the porch, a ridiculous amount of games and lake time!
IronTate: Courtney was SO disappointed when the IronMan he’d been training for for more than a year was cancelled, but we quickly turned lemons into lemonade. What resulted was even more magical than the real thing – more than 30 of our friends (and even some folks we’d never met!) came out to support him in his solo IronMan and helping him achieve that dream was one of the highlights of my year. (Read more about it in Washingtonian, Hill is Home, Hill Rag, and PoPville – what can I say, I guess it pays to sleep with your publicist!)
Quality time with my pups! If there’s anyone who has benefited from so many humans working from home, it’s America’s dogs. Ours have gotten more walks and snuggles than ever before. I’ve got to say, with two almost 12-year old pups, I’m especially grateful to have so much quality time with mine.
Cape Cod: Another trip that we wouldn’t have otherwise taken but were so glad we did! It was so relaxing to have two full weeks off to lay on the beach, do a lot of biking after two months in a boot, swim in the kettle ponds, read in the hammock and enjoy quality time with family.
2020 Election GOTV: I worked hard to elect Joe Biden & Kamala Harris, along with democrats across the country – calling and texting into at least eight different states and spending the final weekend canvassing in Pennsylvania. It reinvigorated my hope for democracy, the power of ground game and for neighbors helping neighbors. I’ll never forget 81 year old Dot, who I helped vote. And campaigning with my brother again made it extra special.
Jourtney Bistro! As it became clear that we were going to be in this for the long hall, I knew I needed a solution that would let me get back to safely hosting friends. As soon as IronTate was over, Courtney got to work making our overgrown mess of a back yard into a beautiful bistro area with a movie screen, bonfire and socially distanced tables. And it’s paid off – we’ve already hosted dozens of friends (2-3 at a time!) for dinner parties and magically evenings around the bonfire.
Okay, onto the food – While we’ve not eaten inside of a restaurant since March, we’ve done our best to support local chefs and restaurateurs. Here are the 2020 dishes I’m still dreaming about!
Vegan Nachos at the Daily Green in Gainesville, FL I’d just hopped on the vegan train when I went to Gainesville for a work trip in February, and I wasn’t sure how easy it would be to find tasty vegan food. Luckily, there was the most amazing little raw vegan spot 2 blocks from my Airbnb, and I went there twice during my short stay. Everything was good, but these raw vegan nachos were straight up dreamy!
Shrimp pin noodles from Queens English: I told you here about our whole delightful meal, but more than 6 months later, I’m still dreaming about these homemade noodles. Probably time to go back.
Roasted Eggplant and Pickled Beet Sandwiches from Bon Appétit: From pickling the beets to making handmade rosemary focaccia, this sandwich was a labor of love – and probably an absurd amount of calories. But so, so worth it on both fronts.
Kefta & Egg Urfa-Thing Bagel & Harissa Bacon & Kashkavel Cheese Croissant from Yellow Cafe: You’re getting a two-for-one here, but I really couldn’t choose! All of their pastries are out of this world, but the savory ones just really get me.
Lobster Roll from Chatham Pier Fish Market: I’ve had many a lobster roll in my day and I’ve got to say, some really disappoint and others leave you well – lovestruck. Few will live up to this one. The 40 mile bike ride to get it definitely helped wet the appetite, but JUST LOOK AT THOSE CHUNKS OF CLAW!
Avocado Sorbet from Rose’s Luxury: When Courtney and I went to Rose’s for Valentine’s Day, I was obsessed with the avocado sorbet they served as a mid-meal palette cleanser. So much so that I asked for the recipe (you seeing a pattern here?) They gave it to us on a little slip of paper that I’ve since misplaced, but luckily Courtney did make it for us once – and it was outstanding.
Pub Burger from Caboose Brewery & Tavern: I told you I’d not dined indoors since March, but I have enjoyed a few patio meals – including this amazing burger from Caboose Brewery, which you’ll find around mile 12 of the WO&D trail. Yes, I’d just biked 20+ miles and had 20+ ahead of me, but I swear to you this is one of the best burgers you’ll eat. Don’t forget to add bacon!
Vegetarian Family Style Meal from Albi: We’ve had a non-vegetarian tasting menu from Albi this year, but honestly both times we ordered the vegetarian family style it was head and shoulders above. The menu changes slightly, but expect a three delicious dips (think, smoky beet hummus!) with pita, a creative salad and a main that will make you not miss meat (think stuffed pumpkin or smoked vegetables) – and of course dessert, including their amazing chocolate halva cookies!
Savory Chickpea Pancakes with Spicy Roasted Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, and Feta from Joanne Eats Well with Others: This one had been on my list for sometime, and so glad I finally got around to making it this year! I added a drizzle of maple syrup blended with sunflower butter and used Violife vegan feta (one of my favorite discoveries this year!) and it was sweet, savory and delightful.
Tofu Pumpkin Curry from Foodini: I love everything about Foodini, from their mission to support immigrant chefs to the opportunity to try specialties from all over the world. We’ve tried many of their dishes, but the one that really stands out to my is Chef Mam’s curry. Don’t judge me, but I want to order it again and not share it.
Vegan A-Pizzas from Three Girl’s Vegan Creamery: You should know that if you ever take a road trip with me, I’m going to stake out delicious places to stop and eat (mostly) along the way. The latest addition to the list for our drives to New England is Three Girl’s Vegan Creamery in Guilford, CT. Honestly, all of their food was amazing. We stopped their twice and both times we STOCKED up. I especially love the pizzas, the Bellisimo sandwich and the roasted beet salad!
Blank Ink Pasta with Squid, Prawns and Ume from Masseria: This dish was part of our Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes, but honestly – can I just get a giant bowl of this all to myself?
Buss Up Shut & Curried Vegetables from Callaloo Trinidadian Kitchen: When we went to Lancaster for GOTV, someone recommended this spot to me and I really wanted to try it before we left. After a *long* day of door knocking, I placed a to-go order (for WAY too much food) the minute polls closed and we gobbled it down in our hotel room. The buss up is a Trinidadian flatbread used to sop up stews – it’s flaky and pulls apart like nothing I’ve had before – and I can’t stop thinking about it. The triangle shaped breads was delightful as well – doughy and slight sweet.
And last but not least, let me introduce you to the meals that made it into our regular line up! In February, we went (mostly) vegan for (mostly) health reasons. We will still very happily eat whatever is on the menu when we visit friends and as you’ve seen, still order what looks the best on a takeout menu. But when I’m cooking, it’s almost entirely vegan. Here are some of our very best discoveries, the ones I’ve made again and again and again!
Breakfast: I used to eat a *lot* of eggs which is maybe why my cholesterol was a number your eight year old probably can’t count to. These are my two favorite replacements for a savory breakfast: Loaded Savory Oatmeal & Lentil Bowl (pg. 47 of The Oh She Glows Cookbook, one of my most used!) and Vegan Egg Muffins from Okonomi in the Kitchen, which I love because they’re make-ahead and high protein!
Lunch: I think I eat this “Revitalizing Salad” for lunch more days than I don’t, and I love it. You’ll find the recipe on Hello Glow, though this is *not* me endorsing the idea of a detox, because we’ve talked about this – your liver has that covered.
Dinner: Despite the fact that my photo kinda looks like placenta, these Moroccan Spiced Cabbage Rolls were my favorite everyday dinner discovery of 2020! Honorable mentions include this Carrot Coconut Curry with Tofu (pictured), this Panang Curry with Tofu and this “Butter” Tofu.
Then we had the
