Two of Everything

It can be difficult to commemorate special days like birthdays and anniversaries in the midst of a pandemic. Since we spend so much time cooking at home these days, I decided to make the day a special one by buying Sabrena two of everything that she likes from Northern California producers:

• Two types of tomatoes (Dirty Girl tomatoes and San Marzano)
• Two bottles of sake (Sequoia Nama and Genshu)
• Two blocks of nice tofu (Hodo)

The delivery just arrived! While the tomatoes are not as beautiful as the ones we usually get from the farmers' markets, it's also the height of summer produce and we feel very glad to have all this fresh and delicious food.

Dirty Girl tomatoes, simply sliced, with good olive oil and salt and pepper, are such a simple treat. We've also started making our own pasta and pizza sauce using (usually canned) San Marzano. I'm excited to see how we can use all these beautiful ingredients for the week ahead.

Our two years of marriage are also roughly equivalent to our two years in California. It was a big leap of faith to decide to move halfway across the world together.

It hasn't been easy: health challenges, logistical nightmares, along with the usual difficulties of getting settled someplace neither of us is from, we've had to grapple with all of these things and more for most of our time here.

It's starting to feel like a home.

Even though home is a tiny 300+ sq. ft apartment, and shelter-in-place means that we're both here working and studying from home all the time, I couldn't have chosen a better person to be stuck with.

Happy second anniversary! Here's two of everything that you love, and more.