2014: food, books, dogs

Of course, it’s all about recapping the year right now. At first I wasn’t going to do that, because 2014 sucked hard and I didn’t want to acknowledge it even existed. Bring on 2015, I say. But I can’t erase a year from existence, so I’ve decided to celebrate the good things, in food, books, and dogs.

My favourite food photos of the year:

smoked meat sandwich at Caplansky’s, Toronto // burger at Allen’s, Toronto // churros and chocolate at Xoco, Chicago // fried chicken at momofuku noodle bar, Toronto // birthday key lime pie // beet caprese salad at Pizzeria Libretto, Toronto // pizza at Pizzeria Libretto // birthday ice cream // ice cream sandwich at Moo Milk Bar, Toronto

Amazing grapefruit juice at Fat Pasha, Toronto // the rotisserie duck at momofuku ssäm bar, NYC // poutine in Ottawa // the Tim Horton’s chocolate chip muffin that got me a new job// amaretto-chocolate budino with whipped cream, sour cherry compote, and chocolate at Pizzeria Libretto // a meal I actually made myself in the summer

I decided that I spent too much time watching TV and on my iPad and not reading enough, so I set a goal of reading at least one book a month in 2014. I surpassed that, while still watching too much TV and spending too much time on my iPad.

• A Short History of England, Simon Jenkins – everything you need to know about England in one reasonably-sized book.
• Where’d You Go, Bernadette, Maria Semple – the book everyone was reading at the beginning of the year.
• Fresh off the Boat: A Memoir, Eddie Huang – food, swearing, and a little bit about the Malice at the Palace.
• The Rosie Project, Graeme Simsion – really funny and sweet
• The Fault in our Stars, John Green – catnip for teenagers. I don’t like overly sentimental, emotionally manipulative books, but as far as that sort of thing goes, this book was fine.
• A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from my Kitchen Table, Molly Wizenberg – I love books about food. This one made me cry a little.
• Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns), Mindy Kaling – I remember liking this, but not much else about it. I worry about my short-term memory.
• Before I Go to Sleep, S.J. Watson – I stayed up late to finish it, a real page-turner.
• The Art of Racing in the Rain, Garth Stein – something different and original.

• This is Where I Leave You, Jonathan Tropper – fine, but I wouldn’t read it again.
• Blue Plate Special: An Autobiography of my Appetites, Kate Christensen – one of the better food-centred memoirs I’ve read.
• Jim Henson: The Biography, Brian Jay Jones – I’ve always loved the Muppets, so I had to read this.
• Bossypants, Tina Fey – I love her.
• A Long Way Down, Nick Hornby – a depressing premise.
• The Bling Ring, Nancy Jo Sales – a story of some horrible teenagers.
• Toast: The Story of a Boy’s Hunger, Nigel Slater – obviously, I like reading about food.
• Serve the People: A Stir-Fried Journey Through China, Jen Lin-Liu – I like reading about travels and food.
• 1982, Jian Ghomeshi – I read this because I was a fan of Q, but I now regret reading this book given he turned out to be a complete asshole. At least it was a library ebook and he didn’t make any money off me. Also, it wasn’t that great a book.

• Eleanor & Park, Rainbow Rowell – teenagers should read books like this one; banning it is a stupid idea.
• Eating for England: The Delights and Eccentricities of the British at Table, Nigel Slater – I love all things British, including the food.
• Delancey: A Man, a Woman, a Restaurant, a Marriage, Molly Wizenberg – not as good as her first book, but interesting.
• Yes Please, Amy Poehler – I love her too.

• Not That Kind of Girl, Lena Dunham – the book every blogger was pictured with, it was fine and entertaining, but pretty self-involved. I liked Tina Fey’s and Amy Poehler’s better.

And finally, my favourite random dogs of the year (just call me doggie paparazzi):

Like I said, bring on 2015. It can’t be any worse than this year. In fact, I’m determined that it be better.

Thanks everyone for reading my insane thoughts and looking at all the photos I post this year. Happy New Year!