silly love songs

love, loss, stress and learnin'

My apologies for abandoning all of you for the month of October.

Let’s set the tone:

Two things that Anna Fusco wrote has been swimming in my mind and I’ve been repeating to myself when I wake up and before I drift off to sleep.

“Life is a series of things falling apart. We have no say when it begins or ends. Meanwhile, we get to decide how we put something, or ourselves, back together.”

“Life is a series of misunderstandings. We only get to decide how we respond when we don’t understand.”

This month has been a month full of extreme highs and extreme lows. I hit many personal milestones in my career and ended things that were no longer serving me in my personal life. Which through all the full moon energies is a very beneficial thing to do but the stress of it all lead to very bad stomach issues, a full body allergic reaction and many sleepless nights yelling WHYYYYYYY like Marlon Brando in A Street Car Named Desire.

In the last month, I am still deeply grieving the lost of my best friends mum.

In the last month, I removed myself from a situation that has been a constant in my life for almost a decade that ended up meaning so much more to me than the other party. It feels like cutting a limb off a little, but a limb that wasn’t serving me.

In the last month, I won an IACP award in the American cookbook category for my book 50 pies, 50 states. Along side my friend Hetty Lui Mckinnon who won in the General category for her book Tenderheart!!! AND Sohlae El-Waylly who won for Best Design AND Book of the Year!

In the last month, I debuted my first ever product that was made in collaboration with Super Secret Ice Cream in Bethlehem, NH

What I wanted was the perfect bite of apple pie a la modé where the ice cream has melted a little, the apples are soft and luxurious and the crust is crackly and crunchy and bright. 

THEY BEYOND DELIVERED! 

It’s a vanilla bean infused creme fraiche ice cream with swirls of apple jam from Tellman Hill Farm and Burtts Apple Orchard cooked down with smoked star anise & Pemba cloves AND buttery sea salt caramel crunches! 

To more wonderful, fruitful and meaningful collaborations in the future!

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Election Issues

What has been weighing on my mind the most though is to looming election on November 5th. When an election season rolls around, it is the time when I feel most helpless in America. As a permanent resident or green card holder I can do pretty much everything a citizen does except for vote and serve on a jury.

This inability to vote in a country that I have chosen to call home leaves a large sense of uncertainty that looms overhead during the election period. Who is elected to be the President of the United States will ultimately determine my status in this country, if I am able to apply to renew my permanent residency or apply to become a citizen and naturalize.

There are pros and cons to renewal vs citizenship but at either point what would make me the most safe is a questions I have asked myself leading up to the election. Better year have I actually ever felt fully safe in this country where at a moments notice I could have the life I have spent the last 18 years building taken away?

I know that me asking you to vote holds little weight in the grand scheme of things but just so you know. Little things like voting will determine the future and course the lives of myself and people that are in the same status as I am.

They say not to worry about the unknown, but when the unknown is so large and looming and could change everything for you its hard not to let it fill your thoughts.

I will be spending election day sipping on miso soup, watching You’ve Got Mail and holding my dog as close as possible for as long as she will allow it.

Till then and there after

xoxo

Stacey

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Upcoming Classes/Events

The Bake Fest - November 3rd 6-7:30pm EST RSVP here
Pecan Pie Masterclass

Master the perfect pecan pie for your Thanksgiving table! In this class, home baker Stacey Mei Yan Fong, author of the cookbook "50 Pies, 50 States", will guide you through every step needed to create a show-stopping pie, including:

• Crafting a buttery, flaky crust from scratch.

• Perfecting the rich, classic pecan filling.

• Creating Stacey's signature large scallop petal crimp for a beautiful pie edge.

• Adding a delicious cranberry sauce for an extra festive flair.

Stacey Mei Yan Fong now lives in Brooklyn, NY, though her journey has carried her across the world. Born in Singapore, she lived in Indonesia, grew up in Hong Kong, and moved to the States to pursue a degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Her love of baking led to the launch of her “50 Pies, 50 States” project, which eventually became a cookbook. She has since slung pies at the renowned Four and Twenty Blackbirds Pie Shop, and her pies and cookbook have been featured by Good Morning America, CBS Sunday Morning, NPR, Eater, and more.

Join us for a hands-on experience* where you’ll bake alongside Stacey as she shares her best tips and tricks, including how to make this stress-free pie ahead of time—days before Thanksgiving—so you can focus on enjoying the holiday. Get ready to learn from a true pie expert and impress everyone this Thanksgiving!

*Materials and a recording of the class are available for purchase as an add-on when you get your free ticket.

Cookbook Signing x Author Chat with Stacey Mei Yan Fong - Buffalo, NY

Stacey Mei Yan Fong is visiting Read It & Eat Bookshop. Author of 50 Pies 50 States, Stacey will join us for a slice of pie and will answer questions about her new book.

Your $20 ticket includes a slice of pie! Get your tickets here

Signed copies of Stacey's book will be available for purchase as well.

Upcoming Chat with Molly Wilkinson SAVE THE DATE November 23rd at 1pm