expanding the repertoire

contemplating culinary + cohesive life changes <3

Jul 02, 2025

Good afternoon or whatever time it is where y’all are reading this! It’s another sunny, sweaty and chill-inside-for-the-afternoon o’clock here in Da Nang.

market stand in vietnam — stopping by my favorite produce stall outside Chợ Phước Mỹ / July 1, 2025

I spend my mornings in rotations of laptop time, yoga, pickleball, the occasional 5am oceanside sunrise, and routine breakfasts of vitamins, oats, must-have dragonfruit / baby bananas / and these days - lychees, protein powder in *something*, and requisite coffee(s).

pancake on coffee table with coffee mug and laptop — morning coffee + occasional banana + oat + protein + coconut pancake / june 20, 2025

Bonus points for remembering to pick up the “good” coconut cream. Or better oat milk. Not quite “good” with that second one. Eh, I accept the situation and balance it with more of the first (the esteemed dừa).

As ever, I’m on the cusp of a period of transition.

No shock there - it’s been the story unfolding of this ongoing chapter. Chapters. Novels. Life change, life story. A page turner - even when the wording is on the elusive side. That’s storytelling.

To be continued - to be meddled - to be contemplated - to be figured out. Somewhat. One stretch at a time.

Next stop, jess. Eat / read / cope / figure stuff out. <3

It’s now (somehow!!!) July 2nd, and I realized that I’m over halfway through my 3-month studio lease in Da Nang. My fourth month in the country. Insert another gasp of exclamation points. Taking this precious time to heal, and renew myself. The short-term renting of my own space in SE Asia. What a bizarre and unanticipated dream come true.

sunrise on the beach — sunrise at the beach / da nang, vietnam / june 24, 2025

A big part of all this / all that / has been living and creating my own life - which means social activities, some more solace, obligatory and supplemental supplies - and cherishing & using my own ( (at least, short-term, and that matters!) kitchen space.

I continue to cook for purpose and sustenance. Occasionally, others. Wow. That had been a while. The daily strolls through the open air produce markets perpetually excite. However, I realized I was typically cooking the same few meals, which was so not how I used to be. I pointed this out with the comfort of pad mama back in late May.

So, I started looking around more. Many friends & folks ask me: What’s in season? Does it change? Well, I found myself noticing the seasonal changes in fruit with lychees and rambutans taking center stage in recent weeks, which changed up my morning fruit plates and afternoon snacks, and sure, reflected on my own life in transition. Suddenly, there were way more avocados, squash, and greens. Shift, shift, shift.

It had felt like ages, and it was, since I cooked new things. It had almost felt impossible for a while there. I wanted comfort. I cooked comfort.

And yet, there was this abundance of lemongrass, garlic, Thai basil and chiles within reach. The building blocks of flavor.

I had access to SO MUCH and a double burner cooktop, time and new intent to make it happen.

cooking tomato, tempeh + bok choy sambal + coconut rice / june 3, 2025

I could cook from Indonesia and Thailand. I could go more regional Italian with my balcony-grown Italian basil and rosemary.

I’d been meaning to make pasta e ceci with my herbs and boxed just-in-case garbanzos for months. I recently restocked on pretty nice soy sauce from the Japanese market. Korean glass noodles waiting for their day. A Channa Masala spice mix I’d picked up during my visa run in Bangkok at the Indian market tucked away in the Sukhumvit wet market for a change of spice + pace - and the coconut yogurt I’d stuck in the freezer for naan.

I could totally mash up some gnocchi. Keep rocking the Thai curry pastes in bigger, better stir-fries with even more fresh aromatics.

Channel the Alaska berry years, and cook down the small batch “tropical’ jam I’d been daydreaming about. Perhaps/probably/definitely give a small jar to one of my beloved “cafe ladies”.

It’s sounding so promising. Delicious. Fulfilling, in a way I could get the hang of again.

Thinking thinking thinking…

Pushing forward in the kitchen, on the plate, and the persistance of this one life.

notebook list of cooking ideas — future meals list / July 1, 2025

This list is a work in progress. Some recent creations below. Others enjoyed before photos. Others to come. Such is life. Such is me / in transition / mhm.