Thanksgiving with Dumpling Club
What I've been up to since closing the shop, my "structured potluck" menu for Thanksgiving, and a holiday gift guide featuring mostly friends.
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Hey hey dumpling fam,
It’s been around 6 weeks since we closed Dumpling Club and I am already hard at work on something new!!!
JUST KIDDING. I’m not working on anything new, but my days are full and rich. My time is mostly split across these three areas:
Sorting out kitchen affairs (paying out vendors, bookkeeping, cleaning and selling items, getting a new tenant… more on that soon)
Spending time with my family (going to all the kids soccer games I’d been missing, volunteering at school, FINALLY cleaning out the garage)
Doing things simply because I want to do them (playing violin at a friend’s wedding, working on a Mozart sonata on the piano, visiting my chef friends one-by-one… if I haven’t gotten to you yet, I am on the way)
Plus, I’m getting 8 hours of sleep every night and eating regular, healthy meals. It seems like a very small set of things to accomplish, but it’s exactly these very normal, routine things that contribute to a sense of well-being. Slowly, I feel my creativity returning to me.
If you want a closer peek at what I’m up to, I’ve been posting a recap of my week to Instagram stories every Monday. There’s a lot of horrible stuff happening in the world and the Internet can be a vile place, so the hope is that my little corner of it can bring you some cheer.
My Thanksgiving menu
What are you doing for Thanksgiving this year? Are you going anywhere special? Are you typically a host or typically a guest? What dish are you looking forward to the most?
This year we’re hosting 12 adults and 4 children, gulp!!! For a group this size, I like to do a Structured Potluck, where I make a few big ticket items and assign the rest. It seems odd to tell people what to bring, but my friends tell me that they appreciate having fewer decisions to make. And you don’t run the risk of a lopsided menu with too many desserts and not enough sides.
MAINS: This year I’m making a prime rib roast for the first time ever (wish me luck) and ordering a turkey platter from Bi-Rite. I’m timing the roast to come out of the oven at 2:30pm so we can sit down to eat at 3. My sister’s in-laws are bringing a couple of Chinese-style seafood dishes, which I’m so excited for. SF crab season isn’t open yet but Washington crabs are a great alternative (say my friends at Monterey Fish Market!).
APPS: My husband is preparing an enormous charcuterie platter for everyone to snack on throughout the day and my sister is bringing an herb focaccia slab from Les Dix Sept to go with it.
SIDES: The day before, I’m making Ina Garten’s mushroom & leek bread pudding and my husband is making mac & cheese for the kids. We’ll reheat these after the roast comes out of the oven. My sister is making green bean casserole and Brussels sprouts, and our friends are making mashed potatoes and a big green salad. Nobody ever asks for a salad at Thanksgiving, but I always put it on the menu and it always gets eaten.
DESSERT: My friend Jessica is making us one of her classic whipped cream cakes (for the Chinese folks lol) and a princess cake (for my husband, the European who loves marzipan). I never make dessert at Thanksgiving–there are too many talented pastry chefs out there!
If you’re still making Thanksgiving plans…
Le Dix Sept in the Mission has a selection of Thanksgiving treats. The Almond Passionfruit Tart, one of owner Michelle’s OG recipes, is just so so so good and the apple galette also looks divine.
Alto Vino has full Thanksgiving meal kits featuring turkey or ham. I love their cozy restaurant in Russian Hill / Nob Hill (it’s literally right on the boundary) but did you know they just opened Barberio Osteria on Valencia? I haven’t been yet, but it’s on my list!
Dabao Singapore has a CRAB SET among other goodies. You would be the star of every party if you walked in with spicy, garlicky crab!
A holiday gift guide
I’ve been missing our little retail corner with its beautiful shelves so I decided to put together a gift guide that virtually represents many of the artists and creators I met while running Dumpling Club. For each item, you’ll find a link to buy directly and ship to you or your loved ones, as well as a brick & mortar location where you can check out their products (and support another local business). Enjoy!
Things to nosh, nibble, drink:
To indulge a foodie, try the Fish Tin XOXO subscription from Aurora Alimentari. You can also pick up just a single month’s collection ($55) at their shop at 1415 18th St. Fun fact: our remaining stock of Big Spoon Sauce Co. Chili Crisp ($16) went to Dario after we closed, so you can now grab a jar there!
As someone married to an Austrian, I will always love apricot jam. My friend Saba has this lovely Apricot Lemon Verbena Jam ($17.95) as a seasonal flavor, and her jams are stocked at the Mill, 736 Divisadero St, as well as a few other Bay Area shops.
Yunhai Shop has these gorgeous pantry gift sets (from $78), including Frankie Gaw’s First Generation cookbook (which we used to carry in the shop). But what about these mini Tatung rice cookers (from $22), aren’t they freakin’ adorable?! You can find an assortment of Yunhai sauces and treats at Bernal Cutlery at 766 Valencia St.
Arty things:
Last year, I got my sister Chanamon’s Snacktime Tee ($40, also comes as a sweatshirt). I also love her sweet Ghost collection including the Santa Ghost ornament ($14) for your tree. Find Chanamon’s products at Jenny Lemons at 3043 24th Street or Serendipity at 803 Valencia St.
Did you snag a Dumpling Club print ($30) during our last week open? When Felicia first showed what she drew and printed for us, I cried! It shows 8 of our iconic shapes and flavors, which you’ll probably recognize if you’ve been following us awhile. These Oakland and SF Chinatown prints ($25) would also make beautiful gifts.
We had several of these painterly prints from Menmin Made hanging up in the shop. My favorite are these poppies, kikkoman bucket and the rice cooker ($17.99) but what I really have my eye on is this Asian fruit tote bag ($29.99). Paulina’s work can be found at My Favorite SF at 1682 Haight St.
Beautiful things:
After I destroyed it with too much sun & swim this summer, I ended up buying a second Columba necklace ($96) from Abacus Row–that’s how much I love it! The friendship bracelets (from $18) would also be a fun gift for all your girlfriends. They’re collaborating with their neighbors to host a sweet block party, the Mason Street Friends Holiday Edition, on Saturday, December 9 from 12–7pm. Start at 1256 Mason Street!
Last but not least: my high school girlfriend Crystal has an amazing skin line called Otelier Skin. I’m a big fan of the gua sha kit ($78) which I use to give myself the most satisfying face massage every night. You can also get the holiday minipack ($68) to try their whole line. You can meet Crystal when she’s popping up at Dandelion Chocolate Factory, 2600 16th Street, on Sunday December 10 from 11am-5pm.
I’m wishing you all a very happy Thanksgiving filled with good wine, sharp cheese, and delicious conversation. If you think of any topics you want me to write about in future letters, don’t hesitate to let me know! Drop me a line at any time.
xo Cathay