Monthly Review: July 2024

I have been ruined for dumplings. My one international traveling experience to date took me to China, where my fellow travelers and I stuffed ourselves with as many of those tiny steamed parcels as we could manage, and then a few more. Though nearly a decade has passed since those boisterous meals with their chopsticks and lazy Susans and tiny cups of steaming tea, in memory I savor them still as I pursue every opportunity to recreate them stateside.

A lifelong member of the small-town girl club, I have few such opportunities, but while traveling alone in Chicago this month, I found myself a few short blocks from another chance. Save for the listless employee behind the counter, the restaurant was empty when I arrived shortly after 5:30 PM that evening. I tucked myself into a corner booth, scanned the stupid QR code to order, and waited.

There were no TVs to distract, no fellow patrons to observe. I stared at the mural on the opposite wall: a stylized landscape of starry clouds against a swirling sky, the backdrop to the bust of a young woman with blunt black bangs, sweeping lashes, and a small smile. Somehow she seemed lonely. The place seemed nearly as hushed as a library until I heard gentle piano music—Yiruma, perhaps—rippling through the speakers. There would be no garish top-40 pop here; had I a guest joining me, we would not have had to shout over the bass to hear one another. Each soft note blanketed the empty air with peace.

I was a few pages into a new chapter of the book I had been sharing my meals with when an earnest-faced man with an Eastern European accent rounded the corner bearing a small bowl of dumplings and the treat I had ordered for dessert, a confection shaped and shaded like a peach.

I seized my chopsticks and fished for a dumpling, but, slick with chili oil, they refused to cooperate. In defeat, I switched to the wide spoon tucked into my napkin and lifted the first dumpling to my mouth. They were garlic and spice and chewy noodle and tender pork, and they were delicious, tasting not of China but of Chicago. I ate each carefully, halving them with the spoon’s edge and swirling them through the chili oil to savor every bite.

They were gone too quickly, leaving me with my dessert. With a heavy spoon shaped like a tiny spade, I cracked the shell to discover that the peach was filled with ice cream. I raced to finish it before it melted, for I knew even as the peachy white chocolate dissolved in my mouth that I would likely never enjoy quite such a luxury again. There would be other dumpling shops with other delicacies, but not this one—whenever would I have such a chance to go again?

By the time my meal was over, I had decided the girl in the mural was not lonely. With her eyes closed and her lips curved, she was remembering, dreaming of something delicious to come.

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Here's what I read, cooked, and created in the month of July.

What I Read

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, J.K. Rowling (★★★★★)—reread

• The Fountains of Silence, Ruta Sepetys (★★★★★)

• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin (★★★★)

• The Longest Winter: The Battle of the Bulge and the Epic Story of World War II's Most Decorated Platoon, Alex Kershaw (★★★★)

• Pearl Harbor: From Infamy to Greatness, Craig Nelson (★★★★)

• The Gown, Jennifer Robson (★★★)

• Becoming Madam Secretary, Stephanie Dray (★★★)

• Kitchens of the Great Midwest, J. Ryan Stradal (★★★)

• Waiting for Tom Hanks, Kerry Winfrey (★★)

• Big Summer, Jennifer Weiner (★★)

If you want to hear the rationale behind my rating, head to my Goodreads for full reviews.

What I Cooked

• Boat Dip

Difficulty: ★

Flavor: ★★★

Keeper: No

Comments: Even though I used reduced sodium taco seasoning, this was still overly salty for me. This dip recipe, which dates back to my high school days, has a similar flavor but tastes better.

• Whole Lemon Lemonade

Difficulty: ★

Flavor: ★★★★

Keeper: Yes

Comments: I used a lemon that had already been zested, so my lemonade wasnt quite as punchy as anticipated. The method truly could not have been easier, though, and I will definitely try again.

• Chicken and Avocado Tostadas

Difficulty: ★★

Flavor: ★★★★★

Keeper: Yes

Comments: I liked these so well that I will be making them again next week. Just an immaculate summer dinner.

• Blackberry Cheesecake Galette

Difficulty: ★★★

Flavor: ★★★★

Keeper: Probably

Comments: We need to stop pretending blackberries are not the most mid berry. I think this would be much better with raspberry because literally everything is. I did feel that the crust didn't really bake well under the filling, but with this being a galette, blind baking is not really an option. Beyond those criticisms, however, I did enjoy this summery dessert, and it looked absolutely beautiful, which, as we all know, is the most important part.

What I Created

• A few quick poem drafts that may or may not go anywhere

• Untitled blackout poem

May your days be filled with beauty, and may your heart be filled with the willingness to see and give thanks for it.