RPL at Home: May 2025

Being nominated for this award is the icing on an already delicious cake. 

👩🏽‍🍳 Popup dinners 

When I first went vegan in 2016 and was still struggling with eating plain quinoa & steamed broccoli bowls (so sad!), one of the few things that gave me hope was eating at Avant Garden, an upscale plant-based restaurant in NYC.

Their approach to cooking elevated my understanding of vegetables from side dish to centerpiece, from something healthy to eat out of obligation into something wildly delicious to be celebrated.

And for the next four years that I lived in NYC, Avant Garden became my my go-to restaurant whenever I wanted to impress someone, especially non-vegans.

So when Avant Garden reached out to me earlier this year and asked if I wanted to collaborate on a popup dinner, it was a no-brainer.

We initially started with one night only for the popup, but y’all were so generous in your enthusiasm that it sold out in less than 1 hour. So we opened a second night, and then a third night. 

We curated a 6-course tasting menu from my cookbook, Big Vegan Flavor, which the culinary team executed even better than I could have imagined. Seriously, every dish was SO good, as were the custom cocktails and mocktails. 

And being able to meet some of you in person, hearing your stories and your joy for plant-based cooking, and hearing how I’ve become a part of your kitchens was such an honor and a beautiful reminder that I have pretty much the greatest job on earth. 

Thank you to everyone who came from near and far and for making these dinners an unforgettable experience. Watch the video recap here! 

Recently, I was chatting with some friends about my parents, and all of a sudden, I got weepy. Like full on tears came running down my cheeks. 

It shouldn’t have come as a surprise. 

Over the last year or two, nearly every time I think or talk about my parents and all they’ve sacrificed to give me the best possible life, I get weepy. 

For someone who is not a crier, it is a strange experience. But beautiful. 

Last year, when I filmed a voiceover about my parents’ story and how it connects to my journey for Harvard Magazine, it took me 27 attempts because I kept crying six seconds into the voiceover. 

On take #16, Max came into my office, looked at my teary eyes, and said “you’re in your ‘parents era.’“

That about sums it up. 

So, what exactly am I working on in this era? 

I guess just embracing the weepiness, feeling my feelings, encouraging myself to sit with the immense gratitude I have for them. Not feeling embarrassed as I tear up on the airplane while writing this post. And taking the time to reflect on how my parents have shaped my entire life, who I am, and my successes. 

When I evaluate my life—that I am content and love myself, have no significant mental health issues, run a successful business that brings me joy and purpose, am in a loving relationship—I can trace all of the good stuff back to my upbringing. 

I am so fortunate that I had (and still have) parents who loved and supported me unconditionally, who taught me my worth and to value myself as a girl, who pushed me to excel but never too hard, who provided for my every need without spoiling me, and who taught me to be kind and accepting of others despite our differences.   

And of course, I’m working on actually spending time with my parents!

The reason we moved to San Diego 4 ½ years ago was so I could be closer to them (and my sister, who is also wonderful btw!). But if I’m being honest, during particularly busy periods, I didn’t see them as often as I should have. 

So even though my schedule is always busy with work (and their social calendar is booming!), I’ve been making weekly dinners with my parents a top priority. And every time I leave their house, my heart is always so full.

📺 Watching

I haven’t been consistently watching any TV shows, so here are a couple movies I’ve loved! 

One of Them Days starring Keke Palmer and SZA. 

I’m a fan of everything Issa Rae touches, but still, I was surprised by just how much I loved this movie. It’s a stoner buddy comedy, which is something I almost never gravitate towards, but this one is unique and rooted in a specific time and place—Black LA. 

The humor is clever, the comedic timing is gold, and the chemistry between the two stars is pretty close to perfect. It also pulls off the difficult task of tackling thorny issues (gentrification and the cost of living, eviction, imposter syndrome) while remaining downright hilarious. 

The Holdovers starring Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Dominic Sessa. 

From the incredibly unique plot to the way the three main characters make each other laugh despite experiencing their own very real tragedies, to the range of emotions on display, this film is a masterpiece. 

And I’m not the only one who thinks so–it’s won multiple awards and has a 97%(!) rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 

📚 Reading 

One of my regrets of not keeping to a monthly schedule with these posts is that I’ve read so many books I haven’t been able to share! 

Here’s a quick roundup of recent favorites with a blurb on who will absolutely love these picks.   

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen.

Perfect pick for: Readers interested in the Vietnam War and its aftermath, told from a rare and richly layered Vietnamese perspective. It’s a thrilling spy novel but rooted in history. 

Martyr by Kaveh Akbar.  

Perfect pick for: Anyone grappling with the question, “How do I make sense of a world that often feels senseless?” especially those navigating the complexities of cultural identity and the immigrant experience. 

The Known World by Edward P. Jones. 

Perfect pick for: Any student of American history. As critic A.O. Scott writes much better than I can, “You may think you know about American slavery, about the American novel, about the American slavery novel, but here is something you couldn’t have imagined, a secret history hidden in plain sight.” 

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. 

Perfect pick for: Anyone feeling disillusioned with our hyper-capitalist, mega-industrialist method of growing food. 

Note: This book documents Kingsolver’s family to live off the land on their small family farm. They raise and eventually kill animals for food, so vegans may not love those sections (I glossed over them). I still think it’s an important read on our food system and what we can do to fight back. Since finishing the book, I haven’t missed a weekly trip to my local farmers market.