2025 Resolutions

Taking stock of 2024 + Cooking and drinking goals for 2025 + Migas with Charred Cabbage Recipe

I love New Year goal setting. What I don’t do as well, is goal “checking in”, at least until the end of December when I dust off my journal and flip back one year. Can I really be surprised that whole categories of resolutions jump off the page screaming, “Remember me?!”

So, how did I do with cooking and drinking goals this past year? I resolved to go back in my recipe archives and cook more comfort food. I wanted to not just cook from, but read my cookbooks where there exists a wealth of stories and personal history. I would keep cooking new things (octopus was an early, successful experiment) and when it came to wine, always stay on the lookout for unusual grapes.

What actually happened last year was more interesting than my resolutions could have predicted. Thanks to more diligent weekly planning, my husband took up cooking once or even twice a week with our nanny sometimes rotating in to cook a green curry or bulgogi on an additional night. Without so much of the cooking responsibility falling on me, I avoided getting in a rut and usually felt my time in the kitchen was more refreshing than a chore. My husband expanded his repertoire, adding two new stir-fry dishes that have quickly become family favorites, part of an on-going love affair with his wok.

I have a new wine friend to thank for achieving my wine goals. As she is studying for the extraordinarily difficult to pass Masters of Wine, we are making a tour of San Diego’s wine bar scene part of her study program. Meanwhile I benefit by keeping my taste buds sharp with a friend as keen to talk sulfites and funk and limestone and carbonic maceration as I am. Thus proving that old tip for achieving resolutions: if you want to stick to something, find a friend to do it too.

As for reading those cookbooks, with an end of year birthday followed by Christmas, it’s been a new cookbook bonanza. The always reliable recipes from the New York Times’ Melissa Clark are given a French twist with a dose of childhood stories spent in France in her new book, Dinner in French. Wine Food, a gift from my tasting buddy, is a delightful guide for anyone who needs a whisperer as to what pairs with what, while also packed with intriguing recipes like Falafel Waffles served with Pet-Nat and Khinkali, Georgian soup dumplings. When it comes to stories, it is hard to beat Pasta Grannies, Comfort Cooking. During the dark early days of Covid when I was mid-pregnancy and trapped in a temporary apartment, the YouTube series “Pasta Grannies” was my Xanax. The show followed gray haired ladies in Italy, having them demonstrate the dishes for which they and their particular regions are famous. A whole book devoted to their stories and dishes, is a joy, something I wish could be replicated in more geographies.

Overall, I’d give myself a solid A- against goal for 2024. Now for 2025 …

Freezer and Pantry Inventory and Clean Out: When we lived in Hong Kong, our freezer was tiny but crammed to capacity. Inside the pull-out drawer were pasta sauces, alternative meats, and individually frozen fish fillets to quickly defrost for easy weeknight dinners. I eventually instituted a running inventory stuck to the outside so we would know what was buried down below. Now with our American-sized extra freezer, we have the same problem, only bigger. While the extra freezer space has vastly cut down on food waste, we now have random chicken breasts, leek tops and shrimp stock under an avalanche of frozen berries and errant popsicles. It’s time to bring back the inventory and start getting creative with what we have hiding in there. First up, homemade chicken stock with all those veggies and bones I’ve been saving. That stock will make for some nice tortilla soup and finally give me a reason to use that bag of stale corn tortillas I’ve been saving for a rainy day.

Find my own Pasta Grannies: We have a lovely relationship with our Japanese American neighbors. The grandma, Michiko, is especially fond of our son. Orion even calls her bachan, Japanese for grandma. The family’s lush garden produces abundant produce all year long. They will bring over bags with mizuna and green beans and Dragon fruit and we will take them fresh baked sourdough bread and focaccia. When they make mochi from scratch, they will stop by with rounds of sticky rice flour dumplings stuffed with sweetened bean paste. The other day, when we dropped off Christmas cookies and pumpkin bread, I asked if I could come over next time they make mochi as I’d love to learn how they do it. They’ve not only said yes, but offered to connect me with another friend who still makes the rice flour herself, grinding by hand. I realize I don’t need a TV show to find my own Pasta Grannies, I just need to ask.

Bring the Winemakers to You: The stories I heard and witnessed in wine country last year were not as sunny as those blue skies project. After a couple of gangbusters years post pandemic lockdown, oversaturation, sky-high Napa tasting room prices, and generally inflationary caution seemed to be keeping people at home or at least choosing their travel more judiciously. One great thing I think that came from the pandemic that required no travel, was virtual tastings. While I was in Hong Kong, my partner and I ran tastings for our wine club, TOASST, with winemakers from South Africa and Tasmania to Spain and McLaren Vale. It gave us all a more intimate look at these regions and up-close experiences with winemakers we might never get to meet even if we were lucky enough to book that trip to New Zealand. For Californiavore readers, I’m bringing this back. Stay tuned for an invitation to our first virtual tasting in March with the Rob and Laura Schermeister from Schermeister Winery in Sonoma. I’m looking forward to introducing new wines and producers to you all, in the comfort of your own homes (Zoom shirt optional).

What are your goals for 2025? If you are taking on a new cooking project or exploring a new wine region, leave a comment and I’d love to see how I can help. Because as those experts all tell us, we are more likely to succeed in our goals if we find a friend to help.

Mexican Migas with Charred Cabbage

Crumbs in Spanish, migas is a loose term for a breakfast dish that makes use of leftovers. This migas is a Mexican or Tex-Mex style, given a textural pop with charred cabbage. It is a perfect dish for a freezer and fridge clean out (see 2025 goal #1). This is not the kind of leftover dish that makes for new, great leftovers; it is best eaten hot when it’s ready. With that in mind I’ve portioned it for 2 people but it can easily be doubled for a family or brunch crowd. Have all the ingredients chopped and ready before you start cooking - the work happens all in one pan and comes together in less than 20 minutes. Not bad for cooking with crumbs.

Serves: 2

• 3 eggs

• 2 T. milk

• 3/4 tsp. salt

• 1/8 tsp. pepper

• 2 ½ T. vegetable oil

• 2 corn tortillas (stale is fine), cut into 1-inch cubes

• ¼ cup minced onion

• 1 cup shredded red cabbage

• ¼ tsp. ground cumin

• 1 pinch ancho chili powder

• ½ tsp rice vinegar

• 1 pinch sugar

• Optional: Cilantro, grated cheddar, crumbled cotija, avocado, salsa

Whisk eggs with milk, ¼ tsp. salt and a crack of pepper. Heat 1 T. of oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add tortillas and stir with a wooden spoon to coat with the oil. Keep stirring for 4-5 minutes until crispy. Remove to a plate and set aside. Add 1 T. oil to the pan along with cabbage and onion. Stir constantly until cabbage is wilted and browned on the edges, 3 – 4 minutes. Add cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper and sauté for another 30 seconds until fragrant. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in vinegar and sugar. Push cabbage to one side of the pan. Add remaining ½ T. oil to the empty side of the pan. Add eggs to the side of the pan with oil and stir to scramble. Once curds start to form and eggs are soft scrambled mix in cabbage and reserved tortillas until well combined. Serve immediately with toppings like cheese, cilantro, avocado and salsa.

Tip: Try this on top of a pile of lettuce for a breakfast salad or eggy taco salad supper.

Coming Up…

Whether you are doing Dry January or Try January, or just being a bit more mindful about your drinking, look out for my guide this week to the best-zero proof beers and wines plus a couple of our household’s go-to mocktail and low-proof cocktail recipes. Full access for paid subscribers.